This One Goes Out to the One We Left Behind (Albania)...... Gooood Morning, Montenegro! ....... The Little Train that Could......The Spa Life.......Monument on the Mount...,and back to the beach....Clear waters - Old Towns

Welcome to Mysterious Montenegro.....the name alone, should make one want to go there!

 We crossed the Albanian/Montenegrin border without a hitch riding in a local furgon/van. Except for the 10 car wait which took about half an hour and 'beggar family' approaching every single car waiting in line, everything went fine.  It was interesting to us that the authorities didn't chase them away!

Our first town was the Montenegran beach town of Ulcinj; a small, quaint, cobblestone, hilly town built in a lovely bay.  Walking into the center of town, a local approached us asking if we needed a room.  Sure! So, he took us up a steep hill to a home.  (This form of hustle is very typical for these countries.  He probably gets a commission for waiting in town for tourists to arrive).  We looked at this room with a magnificent view of the bay and took it for 20 euros.

Our view

Our house

We walked around town and came across these sights...

Ulcinj

One of many restaurant views available

Such narrow streets

Walking through the downtown we noticed some activity near a mosque, and discovered it was a traditional wedding. When the bride and groom exited I tried to get some shots... then the bride motioned me closer and said I could take these shots. What a treat!

 

These two men were physically upporting her the entire time - perhaps her father and brother?

The bride wearing a golden headdress and very narrow pants such that her footsteps needed to be extremely small, almost like a shuffle. Maybe, that's why they were supporting her?

The intricate back

Thankfully the weather warmed enough for us on our second day so that we could go to tiny Liman Beach, 10 minutes from our room. Typical rocky beaches here... a little hard on the feet

On our return walk, came across these interesting trees that we think are a type of olive.

I couldn't resist this picture

While in Ulcinj, we heard about a spectacular train trip into the north to a town called Kolasin. So, off we went with some bus transfers to Bar. We walked down the street to the Bar train station and bought afternoon tickets (5euros/person) on the train for the 4hr ride into the back country of Montenegro. Several minutes later, we discovered an earlier train leaving Bar for the capital city of Podgorica. So, rather than wait around for the later train, we bought tickets and head to Podgorica.

 Spent several hours in the downtown before boarding the 2 hour train ride to Kolasin. Once again, the scenery was spectacular, reaching heights of 1000 meters above the Tara Canyon (2nd in depth to the Grand Canyon) passing through many tunnels along the way with the longest one taking 6 minutes to pass through!

This bridge used to be one of the highest in the world!

Kolasin is a small mountainous town that is famous for its skiing and hiking. Unfortunately, again, the mountain weather was cold (14C high) and wet. 

After a $20euro night in a guesthouse, we treated ourselves to a wonderful spa resort called Bianca Resort and Spa.  Google it for more info.  What a treat to have a 25 metre pool to ourselves in low season, jacuzzi, sauna, turkish steam bath and massage. Who said independent, non-tour backpackers had to always end up in a hostel. So nice!!

We decided to return part way to the coast via the train and bussed from Podgorica, the current capital, and ended up in Cetinje. It  is the old 15th C royal capital of Montenegro nestled in the mountains about one hour inland from the Adriatic Sea. 

 Cetinje is a lovely little town of around 15 000 has a large pedestrian way filled with coffee shops and restored buildings.  Our walk took us to the monastery with its bell tower providing a view of the city and nearby meadows, church and historical buildings that have been repurposed.

We spent a half day with a car and driver and toured the Lovecan National Park, one of many national parks, visited a magnificent mountain top mausoleum built in the early 70's on the park's 2nd highest peak at 1650 m.

 Location of the mausoleum on top of that distant mountain!

                   465 step tunnel entrance to the mausoleum.

Feeling on top of the world

The mausoluem was built to hold Petrovic Njegos, a Montenegran ruler during the 1800's, as well as a poet and philosopher. The Njegos clan, (one of 9 tribes/clans in Montenegro) ruled the country for some period. 

Petrovic wanted to be buried on the mountain top, overlooking his village. After years of political indecision, wars etc, the mausoleum was built. 

Look closely...

Our guide, a local park ranger, showed us some of the many trails and lookouts. From the summit, you could see Croatia, Serbia, and Albania in the distance. On clear days, Italy is visible!

Even found some snow slowly melting at the top.

And, for road bikers, looking for more challenges,  the road from Kotor to the summit and mausoleum, then down to Cetinje, provides more than enough. There's over 25 hairpins on either side of the 1650m mountain. Along with well paved roads, and eye-popping scenery, this ride can be attacked from either side. It should be on your bucket list!

After the great morning  in Lovecan, we hopped onto a bus and headed out of Cetinje only to be delayed for 30 minutes by a traffic accident, along the narrow, twisty road. Surprised it hasn't happened sooner, given the way locals drive, traffic, size of vehicles etc.

Anyway, finally arrived back on the coast and have found the lovely, little beach town of Petrovac. Hemmed in by a backdrop of rugged mountains, the Adriatic laps gently on the gravelly beach. At the moment, this town has been spared the rampant development that seems to be everywhere on the Albanian/Montenegro coasts. 

The town is sprucing itself up, getting ready for the maddening hordes that will descend ( we are told) in mid-June.

We found a wonderful 4th floor apartment, overlooking the water and old town center. Only 40euros/night. No discos, yet!

And here, we found....almost paradise... in the form of La Punta.

This beach bar/restaurant, located on the eastern end of the bay on the point, is heaven. This tennis court size slab of concrete has it all. Quiet, beer, food and deep water to snorkel in.

We laze the afternoon away under the blazing sun, watching airplanes high in the Adriatic blue sky crisscrossing above clear, cool seas like slow moving, shooting stars.

Petrovac and the surrounding coves/beaches have great crystal clear, rock strewn waters. Great for swimming or snorkeling, but not a ton of fish.

Albania and Montenegro seem to be lacking a lot of folkloric music. Instead, we listen to a range of 60-80s light rock.....everything from Elvis to Elton John. There's even Canadian content as well, with Shania Twain, Bryan Adams and Celine Dion! Haha!

Over the next week, we will slowly head to Croatia. The border is only about 2 hours, but there are still many bays, beaches, towns and mountain villages we may yet visit. ...

Some more random shots...

Cheers from our part of the world to yours!!😀

African Queen, Apocalypse Now...the Albanian ferry ride that's better than them all, Sound of Music - Albanian style....and, Wasn't that road just on the series, World''s Most Dangerous Drives?? Well, it should be!!

We arrived in Shkodra, from Lezhe on the quick, efficient and cheap Albanian collectivo called a furgon.

Transportation throughout our travels in Albania has been consistent, reliable and cheap. Drivers phone ahead to make sure another connection waits for any passengers moving on. Bags are whisked from one bus to another. Haven't been inside an Albanian bus station yet; don't actually know if they exist but their system works very efficiently.

Buses, furgons, airport-type shuttles can be found gathered, waiting in parking lots, gas stations or just queued in some disorganized fashion along a road or city curb.  Destinations are located in the front windows. Some go only when full, others leave and arrive on schedule. No problems whatsoever!

Riding in our furgon, we were dropped off in the town center and just steps from the small hotel that we had intended to look for. This large city has many mosques, pedestrian ways, women dressed in high fashion and men that seem to drink coffee most of the day.

Our 50 Euro room at the Kaduku Hotel in Shkodra

Shkodra is located near the Montenegro border. It is the jumping off point for travelers/adventurers exploring the Accursed Mtn range in the Albanian Alps and the tiny villages, located up near the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro.

The challenge of getting into this, off the beaten path, and not the manicured location most tourists go to, would prove to be MORE than half the fun...,we booked van transport, ferry, and drop off to our mountain village through our hotel.....

So, the brochure laid it all out....nice and organized....
Here's the real schedule! Welcome to Albania!

Brochure 8am pick up/Actual 8 am! (Yay, the only thing on schedule)....
Brochure - Arrive at Lake Kumoni Ferry; 9am/Actual time 10am.....
Brochure-ferry departs at 9am/Actual time...NOON!....
Brochure...short drive to Valbona village/Actual time...90 minutes, with coffee/beer stop!

 And, we were assured that returning to Shkodra would be no problem! In your dreams.

The van ride from Shkodra to the Lake Kumoni ferry should easily be a segment from World's Most Dangerous Drives... over 2 hours on a windy, cliff-hugging, broken pavement, pothole strewn trail better meant for walking than driving.

With very little traffic on the road, our driver could safely round blind corners while fully in the other lane. The views were ridiculously beautiful from our van...

....and these staggeringly, gorgeous views would be repeated, again and again, on the ferry and in the Albanian Alps over the next several days..

....it was as if the Cascades or Rocky Mtns and their valleys were somehow flooded, the fjords that resulted would be pretty cool!

 ...words cannot really describe the stunning vistas we came across.....a steal of a deal for only $15euros/person.....

We arrived (finally) and already way behind schedule at Lake Kumoni and the departure point for our ferry. Lake Kumoni was formed in the late 70's, when a massive hdyro-electric power project dammed the river, providing electricity to Albania.

 Reaching the top of the dam, we entered a 470 m dark, narrow tunnel (looked vaguely similar to NORAD or the entrance to the secret Stargate TV show),  and came out to Albania's version of a ferry terminal. Talk about the wild west!

There we waited; ordered some beers, along with something that resembled food - they said it was beef souvlaki. Yes, not so sure?

We met and talked with a couple of Albanians, who shared in this wacky adventure and watched the vehicle chaos unfold around us at the postage-size loading area below our deck.

Eventually, we got underway and enjoyed the 2.5 hr boat journey with a handful of tourists and some Albanian business people. The ferry was bright, clean and only weeks in operation.

Unlike, some of the battered, rusted alternatives we might have taken. We couldn't find out if this rusty ferry (below) was still running passengers or just freight at this point, but running it still was! The second picture is of an old bus converted into a boat.  Huh!

At the head of the lake, we were met by yet another driver and taken to our guesthouse in Valbone. The 90 minute drive included, of course, a beer and coffee stop that is never less than half an hour making a journey even longer than first stated.

The setting in Valbone was very much an Albania Sound of Music....quaint stone homes, towering peaks, cold, clear streams and the requisite giant, sheep dog....just needed a Julie Andrews to burst into song.

View from our room

Our overnight lodging.

Once we arrived in Valbone, we realized getting back to civilization would prove a little more difficult than what we were told.

(Seems in Albania, the locals will tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what actually is! Haha!)

Thank goodness for our 2 Albanian friends, as they were feeling the same uncertainty about getting back to Shkodra.

In the end, with rain starting to fall, along with roads and trails higher up still blocked by snow, the 4 of us decided to head back the next day.

Having our Albanian friends, helped solve any language/communication concerns.  The only question was how to get to the ferry and when it ran.. ....In Albania, the answers to those questions can be as elusive as finding garbage cans on city streets.

Several hours later all was solved. A driver was found. We confirmed the ferry arrival.  We ate and slept well that night.

Next morning, on the way back to the ferry, we took a short detour to an old Albanian fortress room, where elders of the clans would gather to fight or defend. Impressive!

Our ferry came, we got on, drinking our champagne- sized beers, bought for 150 leke (abt $1.50 Can) from the frontier style store on the lake.

Trip back was as amazing as the day before. Sitting on the lowered loading ramp doors, feet dangling cm above the passing water at the bow, sipping whiskey/beer......was just another crazy, fun day in Albania... even the ferry captain had a glass or 2!  Where can you have such fun!

A trip for the ages...literally in the middle of nowhere.....organized chaos.....where else can you drink, sit on an open bow and savor life!

Once off the ferry, back at the dam, we hopped into a beat up old van...picking up 2 additional passengers, we bumped our way back to Shkodra...just had to laugh...

In the end...nothing really happened....but, everything did!.....We didn't hike, it rained, we needed to get back, didn't spend time in the area...but, we met some great people, got to places few go, saw the wilds of Albania, shared, drank, laughed....

Sometimes, this uncertainty, the unknown, the different, prevent us from living some truly, memorable moments!

The trip to the Albanian Alps was like a metaphor for our travels.....sometimes the destination is truly not really worth it, but the JOURNEY along the way is what makes it all so special - the travels!

We leave Albania shortly and will head into mysterious Montenegro.. a tiny country that shares the same coastline and rugged landscape as Albania...should be fun! Come join us!

Our final thoughts on Albania:

- Why Albania? Well.......why not? Stunning scenery, friendly people, easy to travel, off the beaten path adventures, cheap!

- women dress very fashionably - especially in the evening when they walk on the pedestrian way

- towns all seem to have an area where the locals just walk back and forth in the evening, in their best and newest clothes,  high heeled shoes, they parade from end to end - sometimes blocks worth.  While the women do this, in pairs or small groups, the men sit in the multitude of coffee shops and just watch and watch and watch.  Rarely do you see interaction between the men and women. Huh!

- very safe here. Never felt threatened.  People are only too happy to help and try their English.

- as a woman, Yvonne has had no trouble moving about in a partial Muslim culture.  She wears shorts and tank tops which are way less provocative than all the local young women!

- many more street beggars...... simply stick their hand out asking for money.  Often these are children who run after us.  Some have been very insistent where locals have stepped in and told them to leave us alone. This also happens in restaurants until the owner spots them.

- ordering coffee usually means getting a cup the size of a child's tea party size cup with a tiny spoon, lots of sugar and a glass of water to wash down the extremely strong coffee.

- this is a country where men still spit on the street

- very few garbage cans are found anywhere, hence, the large problem is very evident

- there is not much choice for breakfast.  It always consists of coffee or chai (tea), juice, egg, cheese similar to feta, bread and jam, plain yoghurt

- everyone seems to have a cell phone just like at home

- bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are used by many

- we've only met one other Canadian traveler. Most are European

We've had a wonderful time in Albania. Although, we could have easily spent more, it is time to move on.

We will talk to you next from Montenegro!!  Cheers!

A few more random shots that we like: