Across the Eurasian Continent by Bicycle

Category Archives: Montenegro

Day 236 – MONTENEGRO and CROATIA: Kotor to Dubrovnik

Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 60km
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 1122.86km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +970m
Descent / 下り: -930m

Dumb speedometer. I think the sensor is to blame for the fact that it no longer registers speed. Will try to get a replacement somewhere along the road somewhere…

The ride around the bay of Kotor is really quite pleasant. Rather pleasant indeed. Great Sunday drive stuff. Quaint old towns, quiet marinas…

Central clock tower in Perast, Kotor Bay, Montenegro

Kotoro Bay as seen from Perast, Montenegro

From the border of Croatia, the road passes through relatively uninspiring inland farmland until it hits the coast. For about 25kms, I was thinking that all the hype about Croatia wasn’t living up to itself. I did however meet the third touring cyclist I have met so far on this journey. Sandra from France is cycling to Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Jolly nice to meet her.

Thrid cyclist to meet in 8 months - Sandra from France

The uninspiring farmland continued. Then I hit the coast.

Dubrovnik from above, Croatia

I almost cycled on past Dubrovnik, due to the fact that I would have to cycle down there, and up to get out. But just as well that I did go down for a look, as the town lives up to its fame as a beautiful old town.

Old city in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Old city in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I cycled around through the narrow streets to the amusement of fellow tourists and locals alike, before making a beeline for the coast to find somewhere to sleep. I eventually settled on a quiet spot of stony beach. I found a large plank of discarded wood nearby, and used this as a ‘bunk’.

Sleeping spot on coast of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Quite nice, and slept till morning when I was woken by the sound of a large cruise ship entering the bay.

Cruise ship entering Dubrovnik Bay, Montenegro

Day 235 – MONTENEGRO – Budva to Kotor

Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 33.67km
Average speed / 平均速度: 5.2km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 2h 12m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 962.86km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +420m
Descent / 下り: -405m

A short blat up and over the small 200m saddle into Kotor, where I spent a few hours at the internet place in the old city.

Sleeping spot in Kotor Bay, Montenegro

Toward the end of the day, I cycled out of the city and set up on this small marina for the night. There was not a breath of wind, the bay as smooth as glass. How great it would be to be on a ski behind a boat right now, I thought as I wafted off to sleep.

Day 234 – MONTENEGRO: Ulcinj to Budva

Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 63.42km
Average speed / 平均速度: 12.2km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 5h 11m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 929.44km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +840m
Descent / 下り: -865m

Look Mum! I’m on TV!

Rob on TV BUdva

This just goes to show that you should always repair your trousers when you have the chance, as I did last night, because you never know when you might get interviewed for the TV news.

Repairing my trousers for the fourth time near Bar, Montenegro

The ride from Ulcinj to Budva was amazing, as is the whole coast here. Just spectacular. I never expected it to be this dramatic. Massive rocky outcrops (like, outcropping to 1,500m high) drop down to the crystal clear water of the Adriatic, leaving people to build where ever they can. Below is Sveti Stefen. That one took me by surprise.

Sveti Stefen, Montenegro

Churches and monasteries built where ever land was flat enough to allow.

Monastery near Bar, Montenegro

Old olive plantations in Bar had trees up to 2,000 years old.

Ancient olive trees (up to 2,000 years old) in Bar, Montenegro

Now, as I was innocently cycling along, trying to keep my jaw from dropping on the ground due to the magnificent scenery, I was called over to the side of the road by a guy washing his car. He spoke good English, and was impressed with my journey and mode of transport.

“Can you wait for a while here? I have a friend from the TV news who would like to speak to you.” he said, while stabbing his mobile phone, dailing his TV news friend.

Fifteen minutes later, Dado, an announcer on the news, arrived with his cameraman. We arranged to meet in Budva, an amazing small town with an enchanting old section of the town meticulously upkept.

Dado from TV Budva in old town Budva, Montenegro

Many many thanks to Dado, who, after hearing that I wanted to stay a night in Budva, offered for me to stay at his place. We did the interview (you can watch it by clicking on the small image at the top of this post), and we arranged to meet up again after he had finished work.

This gave me a chance to have a wander around the old town. The streets are narrow, the tops of buildings, if any higher, seem as though they would meet.

Old town Budva, Montenegro Old town Budva, Montenegro

Old town Budva, Montenegro

Old town Budva, Montenegro Old town Budva, Montenegro

Basically, the coast of Montenegro has taken me totally by surprise. I had been expecting great things from the coast of Croatia, and Montenegro was just another country to pass through to get there. But what a place. A rather well hidden secret.

Old town Budva, Montenegro

After work, Dado and I drove to Kotor, a little further along the coast. Kotor is even more impressive than Budva. A massive fiord (the biggest in Europe, apparently – yes, even bigger than any of the fiords in Norway) creates a massive bay, with rocky peaks towering over the town.

Descent into Kotor, Montenegro

Man, if Croatia is supposed to be the most impressive coastline in Europe, then it must be something out of this world.

Day 232 – MONTENEGRO: Ulcinj

Don’t ask me how to pronounce that town name. Beats me.

Ulcinj is a small but bustling town of 25,000 inhabitants. The local internet cafe is only 1 Euro per hour. Much cheaper than Greece, where in places you’d pay up to 3 Euro per hour.

I was up early as usual, and headed into town to find the internet cafe. I found it soon enough, but it wasn’t open until 9am. I sat the adjacent cafe for an hour, contemplating the absurdity of the espresso coffee I ordered. I mean, there can’t have been more than 20ml of coffee in it. I didn’t actually know what an espresso was. The waiter said “Espresso?” and me not knowing any better just said “Yes thanks.”

I mean, what on earth is an espresso for? What does it do? You can hardly take your time drinking it. Which is what I had intended on doing, waiting for the internet cafe to open. Enough to put in your eye, this espresso stuff is.

Street scene in central Ulcinj, Montenegro

I think I’ll stick to the hot chocolate next time. The plan from here is to head towards Croatia along the Adriatic Coast. I am looking forward to the coast of Croatia. I have heard very good things about it…

Day 232 – ALBANIA and MONTENEGRO: From Lezhe to Ulcinj

Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 104.42km
Average speed / 平均速度: 13.8km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 7h 32m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 844.97km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +415m
Descent / 下り: -360m

Another day, another country.

The side wind was fierce this morning. I battled it while trying not to be pushed into traffic. The non-existent paved shoulder didn’t help. The surroundings were open and bare, the road straighter than I have seen for a long time.

Straight roads near Shkoder, Albania)

Albanian drivers seem to be a fairly nervous lot. They will give cyclists and motorcycles a toot before overtaking. Perhaps bad driving is expected, therefore they want to make sure the bad driver cyclist knows that they are coming.

I arrived in Shkoder, a dirty, dusty city near the border of Montenegro at noon. The roads in Shkoder are something out of a serious third world city. Litter lines the streets, buildings are in disarray. I sought asylum from the madness in Hotel American, a small Bar/Restaurant/Hotel. Inside the restaurant were two customers who spoke good English. One had lived in the US for 10 years before being kicked out after 9/11, and the other has been living in England for 10 years.

They helped me order some food. Rice, yoghurt, and a beef soup goop that was like a runny version of the filling of a good Jimmy’s Pie. The hotel owner then insisted that I take a shower at the hotel and have a rest for a few hours, at no cost to me! A big thank you to the owners of the American Hotel in Shkoder.

Hotel owner let me have a shower and a 2 hour nap in Shkoder, Albania

After a solid nap in a comfy hotel bed, I was on the road again to Montenegro. The border crossing was straight forward. The first thing I noticed once in Montenegro was the amount of trees everywhere. It was a quiet rural area, with folks just going about their business at their own pace. This was in start contrast to Albania where everything is hustle bustle. Everyone wanting to get in on the development. Montenegro takes a step back, and people seem to be content with their lot.

Quiet farming roads near Vladimir, Montenegro

I do see fewer smiles here however. There seems to be a tough skin on people’s faces, and a suspicion of strangers. People will stare at me and my bike (as always), but when I wave in reply to their stares, often I will get a look of surprise, or no reaction at all.

Fishing in Ulcinj, Montenegro

Ulcinj is a coastal town, so I headed for the beach for a spot to sleep for the night. I found a spot in front of a beachside summer cafe, and slept soundly until 12:30am, when a security guard doing the rounds woke me up and told me to get on my way.

“No sleeping here.” he said.

Nice enough guy, and he led me to another, more dilapidated cafe, a few hundred metres away. I slept OK, apart from the sound of some form of rodent scratching at something wooden not far away…