I am 49, and I am accepting that my best partying days are behind me. Which is ok, because at 49, I quite like a quiet beer and an early night these days.
But I also live by the motto of 'I will try anything once' which is how I found myself in a gun battle in the West Bank, a plane crash in Eritrea, a gun to my head on the Kosovo border, and eating rat in rural Guyana. All experiences which have made me a more rounded individual over the years.
It occurred to me that while I write a lot about Croatian tourism, being a bit of an old fart means that perhaps I am a little out of touch with the younger generation, so under the motto of trying anything once, I accepted a colleague's suggestion to check out what she said was one of the most unusual and fun nights out in Split, the ShotGun Shooters Bar at the back of Diocletian's Palace.
Opened two years ago, the shooters bar has gained a reputation for being a very fun night out among younger tourists, and the 93 5-star reviews on Facebook (out of 93) suggest that perhaps here was a bar not out to make the quick buck and shortchanging the customer, but rather to provide a fun evening. Not being a big fan of rakija, I followed my two (much younger) colleagues with an air of trepidation.
Go Big or Go Home, I thought to myself, as bartender Mia welcomed us with a smile and a welcome drink served in glasses made of ice - Dracula's Dick, a rather tasty combo of apple, cinnamon and elderberry and ShotGun Shooters most popular shot. I didn't have much time to ponder the merits of drinking a vampire's genitals, before I was asked to turn around and spin the wheel.
Hmmm. A rather eclectic selection - be careful what you wish for.
Somehow, we got persuaded to try a rather appetising shot called Sperminator, a delightful mix of sambuca and absinthe, the perfect antidote to Dracula's Dick, I thought, as I left it to my colleague to do the initial honours.
Which he did with aplomb once the flames had died down.
ShotGun Shooters is tiny, but they have designed and made the most out of the space, and its intimacy and very friendly staff make it more of a unique location in Split. It is also a great barrier breaker, with the welcome shots, some crazy games and emphasis on fun, fun, fun. I can imagine it is a very popular place to hook up with people later in the evening, when 49-year-olds are safely tucked up in bed.
And while I declined the opportunity to try and beat German Tom's impressive feat of downing 10 Nipple Twisters in under 12 seconds, I became more and more intrigued by this small slice of Roman heritage - rather than a bar serving drinks, a bar serving its brand of fun with the drinks included. And some of the fun would perhaps not go down as well at the dinner parties frequented by 49-year-olds than by the younger generation.
One could not, for example, accuse owner Juraj of anything less than leading from the front. And while it may have been a little strange to see a man walking around with an appendage on his forehead, the customers got surprisingly into the came of trying to throw the hoops onto it in return for a free shot.
And then there was the Glory Hole, expertly introduced by Juraj. Again I declined his kind offer, happy to discover they also served beer and nachos, so I could back more into my comfort zone.
One thing that was very evident was that the emphasis was on fun rather than pushing sales, and the staff interaction with customers was second to none. New friendships are made daily.
Did I have fun? Very much so. Would I have lasted until 2am? Not a chance. And besides, there was a later type of clientele coming to the bar, which meant that I should probably drag my ancient body away somewhere else for a quiet beer before bed.
I left around 10pm, six shots and a beer to the good, and I found I was smiling. I had tried something once again, and survived. And made a couple of new friends in the process. How things progress throughout the evening when I am safely tucked up in bed is perhaps another story, one which younger colleagues of mine have agreed to investigate, so much fun did they have on our taster evening.
And with 93 5-star reviews out of 93, they must be doing something right, especially if you read the actual comments - the emphasis very much on fun and friendliness. Check them out on Facebook.
So whether you are a 'try anything once' 49-year-old (it was definitely more fun than eating rat) or someone looking for a good time and a fun and friendly welcome, head to the back of the palace one of those evenings. Open from 20:00.
