To get to Dubrovnik we had to pass briefly through Bosnia. We had been warned by the tourist information website to expect delays at the border. Still we hadn't expected to come screeching to a halt several kilometres before the border on a narrow and winding stretch of coastal road, with traffic behind us quickly building up. Slowly we inched our way forward around the coastline until the Croatian border came into view. When we reached the booth we needed only to briefly flash our passports to the bored border guard, and then again to the Bosnian at the next booth, and we were in another country (which looked pretty much identical to Croatia). 5km later we again passed through Bosnian and Croatian border security to re-enter Croatia and continue south to Dubrovnik. I am not sure why Bosnia owns this chunk of coastline, splitting Croatia in two, but they don't appear to use it for more than a summer holiday destination. Hotels and apartments are crammed along the hillside, but little else.

Dubrovnik was stinking hot. We parked our car outside the old city walls and walked to the main gate. By the time we arrived, I was sweating in places I didn't know could sweat! Tim and Beks had never visited Dubrovnik before, so went off to walk the impressive city walls. Feeling like a sponge squeezed of all its moisture, I begged Dale to take me somewhere cool for a drink. We made our way through swarms of cruise boat passengers and up a quiet side street to restaurant Moskar, which served traditional Croatian fare at reasonable prices. I ordered a litre of water and a cold beer. Dale stuck with water (since Croatia has a zero alcohol limit for drivers). The shrimp, zucchini and basil risotto I ordered for lunch was delicious and not too rich. Dale's beef ragout with gnocchi was incredibly rich but also had that authentic homemade flavour only got from taking a cheap cut of beef and simmering it for hours in herbs and wine, until all the fat has melted, the meat is tender, and sauce thickened.

Feeling a little less wilted, we walked around inside the walls and visited one of the large churches which was pleasantly cool and frescoed inside. At one square we saw a soccer goal painted on a wall, to be used by local children once the tourists had returned to their hotels and cruise ships. At other squares we saw signs of domesticity - laundry hanging from second storey clothes lines, or sleeping cats sprawled out in doorways - reminding us that people still live in this medieval looking place.

We met up with Beks and Tim at the Arabic looking water fountain by the gate where we entered. Taps spouting chilled water jutted out from carved animal heads positioned around the stone fountain. We found a free tap and began splashing our faces and necks with the refreshing water, readying ourselves for the steep climb back to the carpark. Beks and Tim were buzzing about their wall experience and the fabulous views they'd had over the city and sea. They'd also managed to find a great pizza place for lunch and stocked up on bottled water.

The sun had moved enough in the sky that we had some shade as we hiked up the hill to our car. Occasionally we also benefited from a sea breeze as we puffed our way upwards. At the top we paid our 8 euro parking fee, slurped some more water, and drove off southward toward Montenegro. As we ascended the ridge above Dubrovnik we stopped for one more photo, looking down upon the walled city. In the bay below us sat the vast cruise ship which had vomited out all the tourists we'd seen in the city. The ship was now readying to leave, and its huge yellow life rafts (which were larger than any of the other vessels moored in the marina) were beetling backwards and forwards between the pier and the ship, returning the passengers. Wishing we'd had the chance to wander Dubrovnik tourist-free, we climbed back into the air conditioned car for what google maps said would be a 2 hour drive, but which really turned out to be a 3 1/2 hour journey.