Interview with Cameron Hewitt
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| Cameron Hewitt explores Croatia's coastal town of Dubrovnik. |
Cameron Hewitt has been guiding tours for Rick Steves for seven years, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Adriatic. He also co-authors Rick's guidebooks that cover these regions: Rick Steves' Eastern Europe and Rick Steves' Croatia & Slovenia. When he's not exploring the East, Cameron works as a writer and editor at Rick Steves' Europe in Edmonds, WA.
What is the "Best of the Adriatic"?
We're talking about the most enjoyable, educational, and accessible parts of the former Yugoslavia, which line up along the east side of the Adriatic Sea, across from Italy. Mostly this means Croatia and Slovenia, but some neighboring countries — like Bosnia-Herzegovina — also have a lot to offer.
Why the new focus on these countries?
We've actually been covering bits of Croatia and Slovenia with our tours and guidebooks all along, as a part of "Eastern Europe." But we've noticed that American travelers are really getting curious about Croatia. It's a place that Rick and I have both loved for years, so it's exciting to be able to take more people in that direction.
What has caused this recent surge of interest in Croatia?
Of course, this region suffered through several tragic years of warfare when Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s. Slovenia was barely affected, but parts of Croatia — mostly away from the "tourist zone" on the coast — were badly damaged. After the wars ended more than a decade ago, it was amazing how quickly Croatia recovered. These countries have been safe, stable, and ready to welcome tourists back for years, but many Americans were still hesitant. But now word is beginning to spread about how friendly and fun Croatia is. People who go on the Eastern Europe tour with me are invariably amazed at how peaceful and beautiful Croatia is. On that tour, we spend a relaxing, sunny day on the Adriatic island of Rab — and when we leave, people always say, "Can't we just stay here longer?" The same goes for our quick visit to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This new tour lets us linger in places we've had to do quickly — or not at all — on other tours.
What do you like best about Croatia and Slovenia?
The two countries are very different, which is part of the charm of the region. In Croatia, I enjoy the sun, sea, and easygoing Mediterranean lifestyle. Whether you're sitting at a cafe, strolling along the beach, or visiting churches and museums, there's something very magical and relaxing about Croatia. In Slovenia, I love the spectacular Alps and the incredibly friendly people. Slovenia combines the best parts of its neighbors Austria and Italy: It's organized and efficient, but at the end of the day, people also know how to kick back and have fun. With the region as a whole, I appreciate that it's still relatively "undiscovered" and inexpensive — especially compared to places like Italy. I'm also intrigued by the very dynamic, sometimes troubled, and often inspiring recent history here. When I write the "history" sections on these areas for my guidebooks, most of the text is devoted to the last 20 years or so. This is an amazing time to travel here.
Why does the tour also visit Bosnia-Herzegovina?
The first time I visited the city of Mostar, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, I was a little nervous. As you approach town, you still see many destroyed buildings. But once you spend some time there, you realize the war is really in the past. It's surprising how wonderfully welcoming the Bosnian people are. I was also really struck by the fact that Mostar has a huge population of practicing Muslims. It's like going to Turkey and visiting a mosque...but you're just a couple hour's drive from fun coastal destinations like Dubrovnik and Split. In my own travels, these two factors — the war damage and the Muslim influence — have made Mostar one of the mot meaningful and memorable places I've visited. People have plenty of opportunities to sunbathe and swim in the Adriatic, but Mostar makes the tour a much richer experience.
What's something you particularly enjoy about tour guiding?
I love helping my tour members broaden their horizons, and really come to understand a part of the world that they've never really thought about before. For example, there's a town in Croatia called Otočac. Today, it's nearly 100 percent Croats, but before the recent war, it was more like 50 percent Orthodox Serbs and 50 percent Catholic Croats. I like to stop in this town on the Eastern Europe tour. On the bus, we drive through parts of the countryside where homes were destroyed during the war. You can tell the tour members are a bit unnerved, but then we stop in this town for a break to get coffee or ice cream and walk about the town. By the time the tour members get back on the bus, they're more at ease and are able to understand the effects of the war. On my last tour, we noticed the door to the long-damaged Orthodox church was open. A few of my tour members and I went inside, and were amazed to see that several of the Orthodox Serbs who'd fled in the recent war were now back, worshipping at their church. We actually got to talk to a gentleman there who told us a little bit about his experiences and his faith. It was one of those magic travel moments that I'll never forget. I believe that's what really differentiates our tours from other tour companies. We're not trying to give people a "packaged experience." We want to expose them to different parts of the cultural and historical landscape.
What surprises people about Croatia and Slovenia?
Many Americans have a really dreary image of the former Yugoslavia. So my tour members often remark how unexpectedly clean, modern, and friendly these countries are. They're stunned by the mountains of Slovenia and the sparkling seashore of Croatia. On the Best of the Adriatic tour, we also get to take them to some off-the-beaten-path places. For example, Croatia brings to mind beaches and islands, but we also spend two nights in the hill town of Motovun in Istria — a very earthy region known for its wines, olive oil, and truffles. It's sort of like "Tuscany lite," and not at all what people expect from Croatia. Mixing these "Back Doors" with the predictably crowd-pleasing biggies like Dubrovnik and Split is an exciting prospect.
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