OTBT GLOBETROTTER: ASHLEY COLBURN

Wonderful People:
The people in Istria are definitely some of my favorite and even though their neighbor of Italy significantly influences them, they are still very much a culture of their own. Some refer to themselves as Istrian, fluent in both Croatian and Italian.  So if you know any Italian words, this is your chance to use them. The people in Istria are very proud of their tourism, as they should be! I would consider Istria to be one of the must-sees in Croatia, even if you are just coming for a few days.

I really met some great people while in the region- some that made more than an impression, but lifelong friendships. Franc Arman was one of them, which is also the name of his winery specializing in the famous Malvazija (white) and Teran (red) wines. The family business is small, but I can tell you every grape is handled with care and this is evident in every sip that you take. Oliver, the son, told me that in most of Istria, the products are so great because of the people behind them. I completely agreed with him, and enjoyed a night in their wine tasting room sipping the flavors from the vines.

Another family that cannot go without mentioning is Chiavalon. Famous for Olive Oil, the story is absolutely fascinating. Sandi Chiavalon was just a young boy when he decided to plant 100 trees. Those 100 trees have turned into a family business that is thriving with orchards and orchards of trees. I had the chance to help pick the olives and see the process of how the olive oil was made. So while the food in Istria deserves the “bragging rights,”  to me it was the people behind it all.

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Wonderful Culture
While some might disagree with me, I think the culture in Istria is focused around wining and dining. The food in Istria is the best you will find in the country. While the food is good everywhere – Istria is just always on the radar of having the best, whether that is wines, olive oil, prosciutto, oysters, and of course truffles. It’s a dining experience that should not be taken lightly. If you go here, do it right- don’t decide to go on a diet and most of all don’t be afraid to try new foods, you won’t regret this.

One cultural event that I got to experience was the “Tartufi Days” or truffle days. During every weekend in October, the truffles are ready to be found and throughout the whole month, the founder of the “World’s largest truffle” Mr. Giancarlo Zigante throws a truffle fair and auction for the public. You can watch demonstration on how truffles are found and of course taste the delicacy at his first class Zigante Restaurant.

If you don’t know what I am talking about – a truffle is by no means a chocolate. Instead, it’s a fungus or a kind of mushroom that grows wild in the forest found by dogs with  keen sense of smell. The mysterious truffle is shaved over almost anything you can imagine and gives off a very potent flavor and smell. The catch to this delicacy is it comes with a very hefty price tag – white truffles being the most rare are sold for much more than the black truffle. Even if you think it smells funny or doesn’t look appetizing, you must try it because I can almost guarantee you’ll go home bragging about your dining experience (or at least have an interesting story to tell).

Wonderful History
Istria used to be controlled by Venice and the influence of the architecture is very much like what you can find in Italy.  However, the beauty of all of this is there are not nearly as many tourists at the attractions. For instance, if you were to compare the Arena in Pula to the Coliseum in Rome – it’s like night and day! Both in some of the most pristine conditions, the Arena in Pula has a view of the sea and no swarming tour guides or souvenir shops surrounding the site. This is what I love about Croatia.

Istria is also the only region in all of Croatia that was not touched during the War in the 90’s. Many Croats fled to the region during this time, but many also left the country altogether. Since the region did not have to recover from war damage, they have always thrived with their tourism.

I really don’t like picking favorites, but in all of my travels I think that the most charming city that I have ever been too is in the region of Istria and is called Rovinj. Sitting like a fairytale town along the turquoise waters, the church steeple peaks through the colorful and stone made homes. To me, this city is perfect.

Ashley wore the OTBT “Farmington” boot. Buy it here: www.musthaveshoes.com.

It’s been awhile since my last posting, but that is because my life just changed suddenly. I took all the suitcases I own, and filled them with as many belongings I could shove in because I recently moved half way across the world.

If you have followed my television shows before you know that Croatia holds a dear place in my heart. In fact I love it so much that I decided to shoot an entire series about the country. It’s going to be called “Wonders of Croatia” providing an in-depth look at the country. I am about to spend the next three months telling you about the journey and filming the entire country so that you can deeply understand the fascination I have with Croatia. I’ll travel through 7 regions of Croatia, from the coast to continental… and you get to hear the stories, my challenges and new experiences on the trip of a lifetime. I’m finding the wonder in the world. Wonderful People.Wonderful Culture.  Wonderful History.

REGION #1: KVARNER

My first region is the Kvarner region, containing many islands and a beautiful coastline. Many people ask me why I love Croatia so much and it is because it has an unspoiled beauty that is actually hard to put in words. It’s a place that you can guarantee that you will be welcomed, eat way too much and see scenery that is untouched. Not to mention there are more than 1,000 islands resting in the turquoise Adriatic Sea.

On the first day of traveling to the island of Krk (yes, you can drive there), I was challenged when I went to get my rental car to find that it was a manual. Slight problem since I have never driven one before. When I told the man I didn’t know how to drive, he exclaims, “It’s easy.” Well, as a matter of fact it wasn’t easy… and I had to drive it 300 KM. Since I am typing this I can tell you that I somehow made it safely, but I can’t guarantee the clutch is still there… Since I didn’t know how to drive up or down hill, while breaking my solution was to just push in the clutch and brake as needed, then I’d figure out what gear I needed to be in once I was back on flat land.

The island of Krk is connected to the mainland by a huge bridge, which I found to be extremely convenient – you can still live the island life and feel secluded, yet you don’t have to hop on a big ferry every time you want to visit a shopping mall. I drove deep into the island to a small town called Baska. Baska is where the first Glagolitic Croatia writing was found and a small cathedral sits alone holding a replica of this same tablet. It’s the hidden secrets like this that I love to find. I was the only one there when I went to see such an important symbol for the country. It’s so important because this is where Croatia was first written, or at least from what we know. However, while not many people were at the church, they were enjoying the sea for a swim and a day on one of the best beaches on the island.  Italians, Germans, English and Croatians flock to the sea to enjoy the beautiful waters. Who is missing?  The Americans… come on guys!  I swear it seemed like people were there for 10 hours, early in the morning until dusk –eating gelato, indulging at the beachfront restaurants and of course, getting drinks throughout the day at numerous café bars that line the boardwalk.

The island of Krk also has Krk Town, which has a walled old town that is still in pristine condition. The town has a great view of the harbor and you can get lost within the old city walls. One of my favorite things to do is to find the busiest café bar (that means its good) and just sit and people watch. No body will ever try to rush you in Croatia, unlike the USA, you always have to ask for your bill at a café or restaurant and time fades away, just enjoy! This is not just for people on vacation, but mainly the locals, it is a way of life that I think I could live forever.

My last stop on the island was to visit some friends in the small town of Vrbnik. Vrbnik and the island of Krk in general is known for a type of white wine called Zlahtina. Other than the great wine, it is also very well known for scampi that is caught each morning. You better believe it that I came here to eat! You can find all of this at a restaurant that I believe is one of the best in all of Croatia, Nada’s Restaurant.  It’s a town where everyone knows everybody else so if you ask, you’d probably be escorted right up the street to it!  Owned by my dear friends, it’s a family business and Nada herself (the grandmother) will still contribute in the kitchen.  One thing is for sure…in Croatia you will never go hungry.

I left the island of Krk to explore the coastal city called Opatija. Opatija in Croatian means “The Abbey,” and you should visit the abbey that still stands today and is the basis of what the town was built around. From the coast of Opatija you can see the islands of Krk, Cres and Losinj on a clear day. The Austria-Hungarian royalty often visited Opatija, so the architecture actually looks extremely wealthy and pristine. To this day many yachts roll through the Adriatic making Opatija a stop for a few days in their beautiful marina. Another reason many enjoy Opatija is for its medical tourism. You will find the air here is extremely fresh,

Just about 20 minutes from Opatija is a much more lively city called Rijeka. There’s a younger crowd because of the university in the town, but it’s also very famous for the invention of the torpedo. There’s an old hangar that is run down looking out into the Sea that is where the torpedoes used to be tested. Many were exported around the world, but it is something that Croatia is proud to be recognized for. Rijeka is also home to the port that left for the Americas. So while only 4 million people live in Croatia now, there are about the same amount of Croats living outside of the country, meaning most of them probably left from this port.

There are many islands that lie in the Kvarner region, but I didn’t have time to visit them all. I did however, make time to drive onto the car ferry and ride about 2 hours to the island of Rab. The island is beautiful and with the sun shining I went straight to visit a local honey farmer who sells his honey in an old stand on the side of the road called Natura Rab. The land of the family has been producing honey for more than 100 years and everything used is all natural. I’m not going to lie; this honey really did taste different. I put on the bee suit and went in to help collect the honey myself. While many think the bees would sting you, I learned quickly that as long as you stay calm, they won’t bother you at all. It is just a bit nerve wrecking hearing all the buzzing. I came out with no stings…thank goodness!

After visiting the honey farm, I went to visit something even older – a recipe in the hands of only one lady. It’s a recipe in fact, called Rapska Torta or Rab Cake. Now it wouldn’t be a secret if I told you the ingredients found within, and I had the honor of making it with Vilma, the keeper of the recipe!  Her small shop sells the cake and boy does it taste good!  If you have a sweet tooth, this my friends is one sweet worth trying.

I was extremely impressed with the flavors of this region, the traditions that remain and most of all the extremely friendly people that I met each day!

So you might be asking yourself, where in the world is Sri Lanka? Funny thing is I should have tacked it onto my last trip to the Seychelles considering it takes the same amount of time to get here.  Sri Lanka is an island country South East of India in the Indian Ocean.  I’m pretty excited about this trip because I have always wanted to go to India, and I think that it will have a lot of similarities, just not nearly as many people.  The country has had a rough past in fact; just recently an end was put to a 30-year civil war in 2009.  Also, back in 2004 the country was devastated when a tsunami wiped out several cities and killed more than 40,000 people.  Needless to say, they’ve been through a lot, but I’m excited to venture to the other side of the world.

Getting to Sri Lanka is not very difficult, of course there will be no direct flights from the U.S., but one stopover is all it takes.  I went to London Heathrow had a short 3 hour layover and connected with Sri Lankan Airlines.  The national airline is good and the flight attendants wear traditional clothing which is a very nice touch! After 20 hours in the air, I was ready to get off.  I landed in Colombo, but this was just to immediately transfer to Sigirya. From the moment I stepped outside I was short of breath…the heat was intense, but the humidity was even worse.  As if I wasn’t feeling that keen after the long flight, imagine walking into a sauna- this was going to be an interesting trip.

Day One
My first stop was Sigirya, a 3-hour drive from Colombo.  If you visit Sri Lanka, don’t even think about renting a car, you will not survive and there’s no need to as things are extremely cheap here.  I have traveled the world and been told by many people how inexpensive some countries are and in this case, they were right!  The culture is also very different; everyone is extremely nice and will always give a smile, however, they want to be tipped for any kind of service!  So I recommend always having smaller bills on hand.  I thought I was going to rest on my ride to Sigirya, but that’s not possible with the driving – there are no stoplights or stop signs, people just honk their horn and go when they want to.  The driving is actually a kind of mystery because I don’t really see how they understand their movements on the road.  Upon arrival to Sigirya, I checked into Hotel Sigiriya which was right next to my first stop, Sigirya Rock or “Lion’s Rock.”  This giant boulder sits in the middle of nowhere and was used as a fortress to protect King Kasyapa.  Later, it was a palace for the King and amazingly enough more than 600 people lived at the top at one time- including 500 mistresses in the harem.  The hike to the top is not easy- with more than 1,000 stairs going straight up; you will not want to be without water (note: only drink bottled) especially in this heat.  The rock was called “Lion’s Rock” because at one time- believe it or not- a Lion’s head and mouth was constructed and paws were carved into the rock.  Today you can only see the paws, but you can still imagine what it must have looked like.  I stayed at the top of the rock until the sunset- looking in the distance you’ll see miles and miles of jungle, several reservoirs and green plains.  The coolest thing is in the middle of it all – structures of Buddha poking through.  This was a great introduction to Sri Lanka.

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Day Two

Luckily I was tired enough from the hike to not let the jet lag kick in. Good thing since I had a big day ahead.  Next stop was the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.  Designated a world heritage site, the ancient city was ruled by King Parakramabahu during the Golden Age.  When the King lived here, it was the capital of the country.  I’m starting to see that the capital has changed many times.  The city is surrounded by prime land for cultivating rice- a major product here in Sri Lanka.  In order for the economy to survive, the King built a reservoir to provide his people with water.  After his people were looked after, he built a palace with 1,000 rooms and 7 stories high. After touring the palace, I went to see the rock temple just down the road.  This magnificent rock is a depiction of Buddha in four different ways.  Carved into granite, the reason it is still intact is because it was covered in dirt for so many years before it was excavated.  A few things to remember when visiting a temple are to always dress appropriately covering your shoulders and knees, remove your shoes, and  never turn your back to Buddha for a photo- this is disrespectful and you will be yelled at by a Buddhist if you do.  From Polonnaruwa we drove to Minneriya National Park so that I could check off something else from my bucket list, a safari! I loaded up into a jeep and we went off on the bumpy ride through the trees until we reached a reservoir full of water buffalo!  Not far behind them was a herd of about 20 elephants.  The real adventure began when one elephant decided she didn’t want us there and threw her trunk up in the air and started charging towards us!  It’s a good thing the camera was rolling because we got it all on tape!  I started out standing up but legitimately got freaked out as she charged towards us.  AND THEN…BAAAAM, she pushed our truck because our driver skipped a gear!  At this point my life flashed before me eyes and my heart was beating out of my shirt- I thought it was over! I screamed like crazy and ducked for cover just to find myself laughing hysterically about it the rest of the night.  After a safari like that, the driver brought me a local cocktail made with Sri Lanka’s specialty alcohol called arrak with mango juice.  It was the perfect way to end such a thrilling day.

My next stop was to the most sacred city in Sri Lanka to visit a city with a pretty sweet name, Kandy!  On the way to the city I came across two religious processions – one Buddhist and the other Hindu.  I was wondering why people dressed in all white were lined up along the street. It was a pretty cool thing to witness.  Then it wasn’t an hour later that I saw two people hanging from a forklift coming directly towards us in the street. I noticed that they were hanging from hooks dug into their skin.  Apparently they believe that their pain will forgive them of their wrongdoings.  A train of others followed in a procession that took over the street. Upon reaching Kandy, I learned that Buddhists travel here from around the world to see for themselves the Temple of the Tooth- the sacred site where Buddha’s tooth is held.  Only a few have witnessed the actual tooth, and don’t even think about getting close if you aren’t Buddhist and dressed in white.  Every year Kandy is known for its religious procession called Perahera.   Elephants are adorned with costumes as they make their way down the street like a parade.  After exploring the temple and the city I went to experience a local spa.  Every country is famous for their special spa treatments and traditional techniques, and in Sri Lanka they call it Ayurveda.  Upon arrival I was taken to a back room and asked to strip down.  I am always a bit apprehensive as to what I am getting myself into.  Not only am I extremely ticklish, but a spa experience is supposed to be relaxing, but when I don’t speak the language or know what is coming next, its hard for me to relax.  In this case Ayurveda was not much different from a normal massage except for the products they use.  They believe highly in medicinal plants and therapy and so an oil full of local ingredients is what they used for the massage.  Starting out with a full head massage, my hair was a total grease ball by the end of it. During the massage they lathered me up with this thick oil- I have never been so slimy.  Then they had me bake in a steamer where I seriously thought I was cooking.  While this was taking place the lady massaged my face.  I started to feel claustrophobic so I asked to come out.  Then I rinsed all the oil off in a hot shower.  However, I think I’ll be washing oil off for weeks!

Leaving the chaotic city of Kandy behind, we made our way to the highlands of Sri Lanka where they are known for growing some of the best tea in the world.  When the British took over Sri Lanka they brought tea with them and with the high elevation and rainy weather, the area of Nuwara Eliya became the perfect place to grow this sought after beverage.  The drive up the windy hills is not relaxing, but its one of the most beautiful.  You will dodge several tourist buses that barely fit on the road and sometimes have to wait your turn to enter the tunnels, but the fog peaking over the hilltops and greenery surrounding you is breathtaking.  You’ll also get to see a different way of life, as you pass through many villages and see kids selling fruits and candy on the side of the road.  One thing I wasn’t expecting was a massive waterfall around almost every bend in the road.  There are several tea factories to pick from, but I went to Glenroch which is most famous for its black tea.  Not only did I tour the factory, but I went into the fields to do some of the plucking myself.  I learned that you only pluck the light green young leaves and each plant will grow new ones in about 3 days.  A tea plant can last up to 25 years, but to sustain quality, Glenroch will replace theirs about every 10 years.  I saw how the leaves are then dried, chopped, fermented and then enjoyed a cup overlooking the highlands.

From the highlands I made my way to sea level to explore the beachside town of Bentota.  The drive took a good 5 hours to get there but I was willing to spend the time because I wanted to ride an elephant on the beach.  Let’s just say that since I visited Thailand, I have had a slight obsession with elephants and could not pass up the opportunity.  It was all worth it and “Bondi” (the elephant) was HUGE!  If you ever thought you’ve received a lot of looks walking down the beach, imagine what its like on the back of an elephant. After my leisurely ride- I wanted to learn how to play cricket!  Like India, Sri Lanka is prized for having one of the best cricket teams.  If you drive down the street, the only sport you will see being played is cricket, so we pulled over and I asked to join in!  I’m glad I did because it was a ton of fun- about 40 locals were spending their Sunday afternoon with friends and family and loved that I tried the game (I was also the only girl there!) ha.  So after they taught me the general rules, we played a match!  Funny thing is…as soon as I hit the ball, I threw the bat and started running.  They started laughing and yelling at me to take the bat.  Woops!  It was a baseball instinct.  I feel like I am forgetting to mention how hot and humid it is here, and imagine pairing that with playing a sport- a bit unbearable for me.  The nice thing was after the game I went to stay at one of the nicest hotels I have ever been too and relax in my private plunge pool, I even took a dip in the warm Indian Ocean.

My last day in Sri Lanka I went to explore the city of Colombo. Since the Civil War in Sri Lanka just ended in 2009, you could see more of the aftermath in this city.  Colombo is no longer the capital of the country; instead it is referred to as the commercial capital.  Located right along the coast, I never felt danger, but there was armed military everywhere.  I went to explore the local bazaars but it was a little too many people for me!  At this point I also got used to always hearing the sounds of honking horns.  I ended the trip here because my flight left in the morning from here.  I’m never a huge fan of big cities , rather I like to go off the beaten path and find the adventure, meet the locals, interact with animals and indulge in the cuisine.  I was able to find all of this in Sri Lanka and experience a place many are unaware of its existence.  Let me tell you- if you are a real traveler- this is a destination to look into and is a raw destination- no mass tourism, yet a hospitality that will blow you away.  This stamp in the passport holds memories I will never forget.