ROAD TRIP MONTENEGRO-CROATIA: DAY 1&2. KOTOR

I have been traveling since 2006.

 

In the last eight years I have wandered a lot, I can’t complain. I have managed to make the airplane my second home, to go in and out of countries with worn out suitcases and stamped passports; if that’s not pretty amazing, then I don’t know what is. Traveling (in all its forms) is my life, and I feel immeasurably lucky.

 

Since 2006, it’s been days, it’s been years; I’ve swept the globe (ok, I may have missed a few spots) and, until a month ago, I somehow felt that a takeoff was necessary for me to get in a travel mood. You know, airports, gates, check-ins, taxiing, takeoffs, and all those exciting routines.

 

It turned out that I was wrong. 

 

Because I had never experienced a Road Trip.

The Road Trip resembled NONE of the trips I had made until then, either by boat, or plane, or bicycle. A road trip is a life experience; it’s carefree, unscheduled, different, alternative, difficult, but also amazing. It has its pros and its cons; its mishaps and its surprises; it’s exciting, and it will make you reconsider your views on traveling. I, too, reconsidered a lot.

 

It’s an experience you have to try, at least once in your life. 

 

And this is coming from someone who sprained her ankle on the first day and yet didn’t lose heart, but decided to live the trip to the fullest. This is coming from someone who had never begun a journey without first booking for hotels and accommodation. And yet, on this trip she only booked accommodation for the first three nights. And she’s glad she did, because that’s the essence of such a trip; to be on the road. And no matter how organized you think you are, some plan will always get reversed - but you will like it. 

 

Before I begin my diary from my road trip to Montenegro and Croatia, I want to tell you that I am preparing a special tribute to each destination, with advice and tips, so that you go prepared. I will also explain the pros and cons, the costs, and the tips for a trip like this. You’ll realize that there are other, more interesting choices for your vacation and your trip, apart from the usual ones. And one day you’ll go on a road yourself, if you haven’t done so already. I bet it won’t be hard to convince you, so stay focused, and pay attention to this diary.

 

DAY 1

 

Friday, 8 August 2014 

Route: Athens – Thessaloniki

Distance: 505 km

 

The first day was, in essence, the trip from Athens to Thessaloniki. 

Since the trip to Montenegro was expected to be a long one, we had to split the distance, and an overnight stop was necessary. You could stay at Kastoria, which is closer to the border, but for me Thessaloniki was a one-way street. I don’t have much to recount from that first day, except that my anticipation was great. 

Tips of the Day:

 

1. You must issue a green card for the car, and have all its documents in order, before you begin your journey. 

2. Have your passports and identification cards checked, and always carry a well-equipped medical kit in your suitcase. NON-NEGOTIABLE.

3. Once in Thessaloniki, if hungry, have a “sandwich” with souvlaki, or gyros, or pork on a skewer, or a wrap; it doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you make sure it’s one of those gigantic ones with ketchup and mustard (instead of sauce), so that you don’t get hungry again until late next day; because the next day is going to be a hard one. 

 

DAY 2

 

Saturday, 9 August 2014 

Route: Thessaloniki - Kotor

Distance: 668 km

 

On Saturday morning, we left Thessaloniki and headed towards Kotor, the amazing town in Montenegro where we would be staying for the night. You can make this route either through Albania, or through Skopje and Kosovo. We decided to go via Albania and choose the other route on our way back. At the border after Krystallopigi the queue of cars run for more than three kilometers. Oops! What now?

Whatever they tell you about the queues at the borders, you can never predict the delay. At these borders, however, if you have a European Union passport, you can cut to the front of the line and cross relatively fast. Almost all of the cars were Albanian, so I guess they had to go through different procedures. In any case, the torment lasted only for half an hour. The route inside Albania, however, was an even bigger torment. 

 

If you have not driven in Albania, you won’t know what I am talking about, and my description will not do justice to the reality - but here it goes:

 

Speed limit 50, police blocks almost every three kilometers, weddings, honking, caravans in the middle of the street, dirty back roads; it took us approximately 7 hours to cover a mere 320 kilometers. Albanians drive pretty recklessly, I must say, despite the harsh police measures.

 

We traveled across the entire country, and if there’s one thing we maybe enjoyed was Lake Ohrid. You have to go through the lake area anyway and drive on a terrible back road, full of stones and dust at 30 km an hour. There must be some reason they left the route around the lake in that condition. Elbasan was next on our way, then Tirana, and then, we finally made it to the next border. Average waiting time here: 20 minutes.

 

The instant you cross the borders, the scenery changes completely. Montenegro is this incredible, green, and gorgeous country that reminded me of Greece. It smells of the sea and of careless abandon. The routes seem so familiar, as if I were back home again. 

 

And just before our arrival at Kotor, a quick stop for a selfie, overlooking the bay and the sunset. Gorgeous! So I set the timer on the camera and run to take position, but I never made it there; I fell, I hurt myself, I got a limp, I cried, I ached, I looked for frozen peas to soothe the pain, and all the while I was wondering how I could continue my journey. So we reached Kotor (for which I am preparing a special article, because it’s such a gem) and I was stranded sitting on a bench with my frozen peas against my ankle, with no camera in sight to capture the moment, except only for a gasping mobile phone, which came up with this:

My camera was on fire the next morning in Kotor. I have prepared an entire photo album.

 

Tips of the Day: 

 

1. Arm yourself with patience, “bougatsa” pastry, and bottles of water from Thessaloniki, for the long journey ahead. 

2. Make sure you make it to Kotor before sunset, have a glass of local wine, walk the old city by night, and end up in some street somewhere listening to live jazz. Well, you couldn’t call what I did walking, exactly, but what does it matter…

3. Eat fried calamari, stuffed with prosciutto and cheese. Trust me. 

 

Turn the page, and Day 3 will be waiting for you 

 

 

To be continued...