Voluntary work in Veli Lošinj

As former student of South Slavic languages and Spanish language and literature, I wanted to have my last free summer before finding a job. I wanted to get some experience, practice languages, which is the most convenient in the countries, where people speak the language. I wrote to Anja from Hostelling International Slovenia and decided to participate in the programme HI Connect, which enables volunteers to work in different countries as a volunteer. I wanted to work in one of the Spanish hostels. While we were talking, I said to myself, why not pick Croatia, be at the seaside and get a work experience where I would join lying by the sea and enjoying myself and working. Anja sent me the contact of the hostel’s manager in Veli Lošinj, Katarina. We decided when I can come to work, and Katarina explained what the tasks of the volunteers in the hostel are. Since I haven’t been to Veli Lošinj before, and Mali Lošinj is more familiar to me, I googled everything about it. It looked beautiful. I love beaches, sea and sea food, so I was happy to spend a month there.

I planned my way. I don’t have a car, so I searched for the possibilities to get to Veli Lošinj with public transport. Bus isn’t a problem, as there is a daily connection from Maribor to Baška. I took a different bus to Veli Lošinj in Malinska. Katarina gave me directions to get to the hostel. When I got off the bus, I was making my way to the hostel. When I got to the centre, I saw the same thing as on the internet, but forgot which stairs I must take to get to the hostel. In this moment, someone shouted to me: “Hey, are you the girl from Slovenia?” It was Tomislav who worked in the hostel in the season. Tomislav introduced me to Ana Maria, my roommate and the hostel’s receptionist and then showed me around Veli Lošinj. I was happy to find out that a volunteer from Spain, Roberto, is also coming to work in the hostel, so I could also practice my Spanish.

Before I start talking about my volunteer experience, some interesting facts about Veli Lošinj. Veli Lošinj is located on the south-eastern part of Lošinj island, and is, despite its name, smaller than Mali Lošinj (Veli means big in Croatian, and Mali means small). It was bigger in the past, but Mali Lošinj developed quicker. Lošinj island is known as the island of vitality, it’s known for a good air quality, and it’s a great destination for dolphin lovers, as it’s home to many dolphins. You can also meet them if you want to take an organized tour. An educational sea centre is also located in Lošinj. On the first of July, they celebrate the day of the dolphins.

I had several jobs in the hostel. Two volunteers worked in the hostel, so one worked the morning shift, and the other worked the afternoon shift. We had one free day in the week. Our jobs were cleaning the hostel, the terrace, washing the sheets, helping at breakfast, taking photos for the hostel’s album, posting on Facebook, and sometimes meeting the guests or taking them to the bus station. We also did some gardening, we watered the plants and cleaned the leaves. We prepared the hostel for the new guests on Wednesdays. We laughed a lot and we were a great team.

I spent most of my time on Rovenska beach and walking around both islands of Lošinj. There are many buses from Veli to Mali Lošinj, but I’d recommend anyone to walk, as it isn’t far, and the path is relaxing. I was a regular guest in Mali Lošinj. I enjoyed the walks, and there are a lot of souvenir shops, restaurants and coffee shops where I had a cake or an ice cream. I also went sightseeing. I saw Kula, museum-gallery, which takes us to Veli Lošinj’s history and to an amazing view, when you reach the top. I loved the museum Apoxyomenos. It is a statue cast in bronze, scraping his body with a strigil (it was used by Greek athletes to clean oils, sweat and sand from their bodies after they finished competing). The museum takes you throughout the story and ends in a room with a statue. I was really fascinated by the story and the museum. After seeing the museum, you can also enjoy a nice view on Mali Lošinj in the last room.

The evenings passed while hanging out and playing games. We played cards and Charades. Guests from the hostel joined and it was funny.

Days went by fast. In the last day, my roommate Katja visited me. We spent the last few days swimming and exploring the islands. We took a boat to Susak island. Lošinj is a great starting point to discover the nearby islands. Taking the boat was great, and the music really made the atmosphere. I will remember Susak by the beach, where you must walk a long way to swim, and by the wonderful streets we walked on. We also went swimming to Cres island and had a tasty dinner, eating the local octopus.

Before I went to Veli Lošinj, I thought that one month is more than enough to research the place, but the time went by too fast. It was an unforgettable experience and I will certainly return to Lošinj one day.

Klavdija Tetičkovič