Montenegro

Getting from Shkodra, Albania to Ulcinj, Montenegro is a bit frustrating. Supposedly there is a 3pm bus to Ulcinj but it never shows up in front of the red building next to the bank (there is no official bus station) Some taxi drivers say the bus comes at 4 while others deny its existence entirely and offer to take me over the border for 10 euros instead. Eventually I find a driver who charges just 5 euros (same price as the bus) and we're off. The road to Ulcinj is beautiful in a moody, coastal Oregon type of way. An hour and a half later, he drops me off in the center of town. I am starving so I walk into the first place I see--Cafe Piramida. The majority of Ulcinj's population is Albanian and the entire menu is in Montenegrin and Albanian except for the word "hamburger." Normally, I would take a chance and point to something on the menu (I ate snake, remember?) but I am too hungry to be experimental today. They serve it on some kind of ciabatta bread and it is delicious.

I walk along the windy coast then turn left to find the lodging I read about just a few minutes away from the beach. Score! I am staying in a private suite with a large bed, private bath, and kitchenette I negotiated for 10 euros. Accommodation Milla is owned by a couple in their 70s and their two sons "Tony" and "Jimmy" help them run it. I notice Tony is walking funny as he shows me to my room.

Me: "Don't worry, I can find it. It looks like it hurts for you to walk down the stairs."
Tony: "I did not get hurt, I just broke both legs in a car accident in Chicago. I do not want to move to Chicago."

Tony cracks me up. My stay includes free internet on the family computer. It's an odd scene as I check my email while Tony's family watches the Albanian version Who wants to be a millionaire and Tony hovers over my shoulder, watching me type. He tries to get me to eat copious amounts of russian salad and drink coca cola instead of water because "water's boring." His family is super nice and tells me check out is "whatever time I like."

Walking to the bus station, a light rain gives way to a torrential downpour. I am soaked as I board a northbound bus. Despite the rotten weather, there is no denying Montenegro is beautiful. I hop out and indulge in a piece of cherry and pineapple cake at Hotel Adriatic which overlooks the beautiful island of Sveti Stefan. Sveti Stefan is an odd place--it is an tiny resort island connected to the main land by a sand isthmus. It used to be a popular hangout for celebrities in the 70s but at present time is closed and it is unknown when it will reopen. After my amazing cake with a view, I bus to Budva.

The rain picks up again as I wander Budva's Stari Grad (Old Town) area. I see a pair of friends walking together under a large umbrella and I am struck by a pang of homesickness. I am lonely and walking around in the cold rain. Poor me. But the day improves from there. A woman suddenly pops out of a boutique and says "Are you looking for the hostel?" Ummm...sure? I was not planning on staying in Budva but as it is pouring rain exploring town is not a very appealing option. Minutes later I an ensconced in thick blankets in the privacy of my own room since no one else checks in to the other beds! I take a warm bath and watch Montenegro's VH1 which is much better than ours because they play all the awesome music videos from the 80s and 90s without interruption from crap shows. Around 7pm the rain finally ceases and I emerge to tour the cool churches nearby. Afterward, I walk the coastal path where I meet Bobba and Nikki from Hungary. Nikki speaks very little English, but Bobba is fluent from the time she spent living in London. They are taking this roadtrip before Bobba begins a new job working as a waitress on a cruise ship in Orlando. They have a car and before I know it we have made plans to tour the Bay of Kotor together tomorrow. Yay!

Kotor was busier than I expected, with multiple tour groups bustling through the Stari Grad. However, the crowds thinned out once we began the ascent of St. John mountain through the fortifications. I love seeing the ramparts, towers, and gates and the view of the bay below is surreal. Dark mountains shrouded by tufts of cloud soar above cerulean waters and crayola green grass. Hiking through these postcard landscapes never seems to lose its magic for me.

We continue around the bay and view two islands. The monks live on one and the nuns on the other. I wonder if they ever visit one another on special occasions? We listen to Hungarian gypsy music, which Bobba attempts to translate. "This guy has a devil in a box and the devil keeps moving the more he shakes the box," she explains. "How about this one?" I ask. "This guy is saying that after you fulfill one dream, you need to find another dream." I like that.

Rushing waterfalls, crumbling buildings, and breathtaking views of the bay make for a wonderful day. After exchanging information, the girls kindly drop me off in Herceg Novi, a town near the Montenegro/Croatian border. I tell the woman in the tourism office adjacent to the bus station the price I want to pay for lodging and she phones a local woman for me to stay with. Nga is an adorable grandmother who dotes on her 9-month old grandson she refers to as "the Inspector." The baby has huge, inquisitive blue eyes and I spend some time playing with him that evening.
It has been over three months since the conclusion of my nanny job and I miss being around children!