Beach Bums (06/05/08)

So today we finally had a day off and it was much needed! We have been traveling NONSTOP! On our day of we took a chance to lounge on the beautiful beaches of Makarska. While we were out sun bathing I thought of how amazing it would be to live here year round and be perpetually tan...and then I thought about what that would do to my skin. Lifestyles are a big factor to your over all health and sun exposure can have some serious side effects...malignant melanoma anyone?! Yea we´re talking serious stuff here, and the beach is definitely a part of the Dalmatian lifestyle. Rates of skin cancer in Croatia are hard to find, but the CDC has estimated that rates back home have been on the rise since 1970, and I don´t think it would be a stretch to assume that Croatian rates have been increasing too. The best way to protect yourself from this form of cancer is to avoid over exposure to harmful UVB and UVA rays. This can be hard when you are also trying to get a tan on the beach which you will see A LOT of locals doing throughout the day. So your next best bet to protecting yourself is sunscreen and lots of it! We are hoping that the schools, who are doing a lot of health education, are also including information about skin cancer protection. This way local children will grow up knowing the harmful affects the sun can have on ones skin. It´s also important that area stores keep a plentiful stock of sun block in an obvious location within the store. Hopefully the locals are getting smart about sun protection, as for us we`ve been slathering on the Coppertone and keeping our youthful skin beautiful! ;) -Maggie