We were happy to move to the next country: Montenegro.
Leave Dubrovnik was a chaos, a coast road where I found two car accidents (not surprise me anything after I saw in Croatia).
For the first time in many kilometers traveled, I found traffic jam.
I was hoping to find better appropriate way of driving in the next countries, but thinking of Montenegro, Albania and Greece did not give me a good feeling.
Route Montenegro:
93,4 Kms
61,8 Kms
18,3 Kms
Budva – spaak gemaakt – Shkodar
84,1 Kms
Total Kms 257,6
Together the 5 stages were 2.849,8 Kms cycling.
After crossing the border we agreed to meet in the first city: Herceg Novi.
We were still in the chaos of cars, streets, the killer heat. Without leaving the main road, I see a stop parking for buses with plenty of room to stop for a moment.
I leave the car in a side for not to disturb and I decide to wait for Evert drinking juice on a terrace bar.
Oh, finally a “lekker” shadow!
Just my juice is served, a crane (sleepwagen) appears with two big guys in a hurry to hook my car !!
Ehhhhh WHAT DO YOU DO!!!
I AM HERE!!
Buff what moment, without trying the juice I run to the car.
We shouted at each other, I do not remember even in what language we communicated.
But they understood that the car will stay with me!
Of course, I had to find a new place to park the car and I left without drinking the juice … and without paying.
For the more, I had only a 100 euro note. From Slovenia, bank cashiers gave 100 eur in one note!
In Croatia we had kunas, so when we passed to Montenegro we had to withdraw euros again and the bank cashier only gave us “big” money.
There was no parking place to leave the car, I just wanted to come back to pay the juice and run away from there. Sorry for Evert! ;-)
I left the car next to a container, the only free site, which, seeing as how quickly service cranes (sleepwagens) worked in Montenegro, I had to be in a hurry!
Then, I run to the bar. I drank the juice as it was a shot.
I show the green 100 eur note to pay as a millionair :-P
The guy look at me with patience and goes for change.
Come on, come on, that the car is in front of a container!
Finally the waiter comes with change and cash, I leave a tip :-) to compensate all the disturb.
SMS to Evert: hope you are well, I cannot more here, see you at the hotel. Kusjes.
We met few hours later in a seaside town: Kotor.
We arrived to a spacious apartment with a nice balcony, but with a decoration from the 70s.
Well, it was not decoration, simply that it was from the 70, quite ugly apartment! brrrr
The beach area we didn´t like too much, but the scenery was very beautiful. In the evening we visited the city, that is surrounded by a wall.
When you wander you find yourself in a cozy town with its orthodox church, shops and restaurants. There are people but not crowded, the most, people who live there and local tourism.
The next day, we continue with the route, me by car, Evert by bike, to Budva.
We continue with anecdotes: when Evert was 20 Kms on the way to Budva, he heard a “click”. Mmmm the bike seems not going well. There were yet too many kilometers to reach the next destination, it was very risky to continue and run out in the middle of no where.
Meanwhile, I was still doing time in the hotel, when I receive the call that he is coming back to the hotel and I had to search for a bike mechanic…Ups! ok, Señor, sí señor!!
In this hotel, the receptionist only spoke some English, the other staff did not speak nothing, however, always a smile.
We understood each other, and the receptionist sent the boy from the bar to find a workshop, he confirmed that it would not be a problem.
Evert came sweating the shirt! These situations have to be taken with a lot of philosophy and patience, and for this, Evert has no problem ;-)
After one hour the bike was fixed! ole ole!
The repair was very cheap and from here we want to thank them to be so quickly to help us.
Budva, we read it was a tourist spot to visit. Yes it was. Neon lights and cheap souvenirs.
And this little island that looks so cool in photos, it is a private area, an hotel for those that are really millionaires ;-)
From what we saw and we could find, Montenegro has both socially and politically speaking affinity with Serbia and Russia. They share religion and the Russian looks to be a second language in Montenegro.
After the war in the Balkans, as you can imagine, Montenegro and Serbia tourism is not well received in Croatia.
You could see how there was foreign investments, pitty, building large blocks of tourist apartments invading the coast.
In Croatia we had already decided we would continue as fast as possible to get to Athens, so in Montenegro we did not make more stops.
We continue to Albania, next post !!
Feeling Travelling
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