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By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Day 03 - Sibenik

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The morning started with the breakfast buffet in the hotel.  Despite the jet lag, many of the boys were eating breakfast by 9:00 am.  There was a wide variety of breakfast foods available including fruit, cereal, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and other goodies.  After breakfast, a short excursion was taken to exchange money (where they can exchange US$ for Kuna). 

At 9:30 am, we boarded the bus for the short trip to Sibenik where the team would workout for a couple of hours.  A few of us ventured into the town of Sibenik to explore the waterfront area.


Lunch (as all meals so far) was a buffet back at the hotel.  The buffets provide plenty of choices and all the boys are finding a lot of good things to eat (chicken, beef, pork, pasta, potatoes, salad and, of course, dessert).

After lunch, we were scheduled for a walking tour of Sibenik.  Now, a long walking tour on a hot day did not sound like the most appealing thing for a group of athletes (especially, athletes who are most comfortable in the water).  Linda did a great job of planning the tour with a local teacher/tour guide and it ended up being a fascinating little trip. 

The weather cooled down quite a bit as a summer thundershower rolled through the area.  The boys perked up as if they had never seen rain before, dancing around in the brief, light shower.   


The cooler weather made walking easier as we learned about the history of Croatia, the Dalmatian coast, and the town of Sibenik.  As we walked the narrow streets, our guide explained different aspects of life in Croatia including history, politics and religion.  Many of the structures were 800+ years old and the boys could see how architecture changed over the millennia.


After our tour and a short rest back at the hotel, the team was back at the pool for our first scrimmage.  We were facing a local team that had just won a championship, but only two of their starting players were able to make the scrimmage.  Still, the team provided a good, physical challenge and our boys rallied together to put the ball in the goal.  You really can’t beat this location for water polo with the ancient town of Sibenik as a backdrop.


Dinner was another buffet at the hotel which left the boys satisfied and full (hamburgers and mini pizzas certainly helped, as did the ice cream at the dessert bar).  The boys then headed off to bed for some much needed rest.

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Hotel Olympia

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Concerned about our accommodations here in Croatia?  Don't be - we are staying at the Hotel Olympia in Vodice, Croatia.  Does the pool have a regulation sized water polo tank?  Perhaps not, but it is inviting none the less.  And the beach is just steps away.....

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Days 01 & 02 - The Long Way To Croatia

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It all started with a collection of atheletes and some parents in the parking lot at Newport Harbor.  After two international flights, all was left was:
The bus ride to Sibenik
Distance - 350Km, estimated travel time - 3 hours, 19 minutes

It was 24 hours door to door to travel from Newport Harbor to Sibenik, Croatia.  The drive was one of great beauty and there were frequent comparisons to various landscapes in California (Santa Ynez, high desert, etc.).  Apparently the freeway we took was constructed within the last decade and includes many tunnels through the rugged Croatia landscape.  A couple of the tunnels were quiet long (longer than you can hold your breath!).

There were a number of small towns along the way, set in the middle of lush green valleys.

The boys are now getting some much needed sleep.  The hearty, buffet dinner was a delicious and nutritional way to end the day.

We look forward to tomorrow!

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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First Workout in Sibenik

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After the long drive from the airport, there was a change of plans (this is, after all, water polo).  Our pool time in Sibenik started at 7:00 pm, and it was now 7:20pm.  Instead of stopping at the hotel, we instead drove straight to the pool.  Despite the tired faces on boys and parents alike, there was renewed energy when we stepped onto the pool deck.  Not a bad place for a pool:


Overlooking a bay, with historic structures climbing the hill to the fort on top, the pool in Sibenik was quite a sight!


And since the boys are always at home in the water, they started the workout with glee.


By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Zagreb to Sibenik

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As some of you already know, we arrived in Zagreb without incident.  The flight from Frankfurt was very smooth and we arrived on time.  We were able to pick up our bags quickly and fly through customs (which consisted of a hallway about 15 feet long).  Our bus was waiting and we were loaded and on the road by 3:00pm local time.


Even though we were in a foreign country, many things seemed familiar - even this billboard we saw many times down the freeway.


A local law limits the speed of buses to 100Km per Hour.  While this sounds fast, a three hour drive ends up taking over 4 hours.  Due to the length of the drive, we made a pit stop at a gas station.  It was a rather nice affair with clean bathrooms and a mini-mart where we were able to stock up on water, chips and cookies.

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Frankfurt

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Just a quick noted to let you all know that we arrived in Frankfurt and are waiting for our flight to Zagreb.  After little sleep in the plane's rock-like "seats" and some questionable food, the boys found comfort in a McDonald's (that accepted 4 different currencies!)

Cheeseburgers and fries work on any continent.  The boys all found something tasty and stocked up on waters for the next flight.  There was plenty of time to eat, use the restrooms and get organized for the next flight.

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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All Aboard!

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Most of the boys started their venture with a shuttle bus to the airport.  We have all arrived at LAX, checked our bags and are now waiting to board our flight.  It is easy to spot this group of boys in any crowd.

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Track Our Flight

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Follow the team's flight to Europe in real-time using the Luftansa Flight Tracker.  Simply enter the Airline Code for Lufthansa (LH) and the Flight Number (457 to Frankfurt; 348 to Zagreb) and press "Go". 

By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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A Grand Farewell

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The Duhoux Family graciously hosted a wonderful farewell dinner for the team, with an all-American meal of hamburgers, mac & cheese, salad, brownies and cupcakes - a perfect send off for the boys.







By Newport Harbor Water Polo

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Time Difference

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Wondering what time it is in Croatia or Hungary?  You could count the time zones and then adjust for daylight savings. 

 
Or you could check the local time for Croatia and Hungary.