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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 08, 2007 07:00 PM By bus to Bosnia & Herzegovina...
-Yes, there is the direct bus from the Adriatic coast to Sarajevo, but it goes back to Podgorica and then north - to Niksic... The ticket cost me 17 euro, and I boarded this bus at 7.20 am. We passed through Podgorica - the capital of Montenegro and started to climb the mountains. What a views on this route! There was a deep canyon of Piva river, a dam and the artificial mountain lake...
We reached the border check point at 12.30 pm. It is located in the real outback: the only road to Bosnia is via 3-m wide steel bridge on the Tara river. No tourist information on the Bosnian side... Stamp into the passport... No money exchange - in Bosnia & Herzegovina they use Bosnian Mark - 1 euro is worth 1,95 BAM.
Winding, bumpy and narrow road on the Bosnian side was descending into the valley... I understood why our bus was so short - the big ones are in trouble on this part of the route... We reached bus station in Sarajevo at 4 pm. 9 hours in the crampy little bus... I have enough for today!
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Mar 07, 2007 07:00 PM Kotor - the jewel of Adriatic
It is easy to move along the coast of Montenegro - frequent public minibuses run the coastal route all over the way from Ulcinj to Herzegnovi. I paid 2,50 euro for the ride to Tivat - relaxig resort in the Kotor Bay. In Tivat you will find only few monuments but it is more quite and it is easier to find less expensive accommodation here. I left my backpack in the Hotel Palma and jumped on the next minibus going to historic Kotor.
There are two routes to Kotor: first via tunnel and the second along the bay - this one I recommend. It is narrow but very picturesque coastal road which will give you many photo opportunities. Both rides cost the same: 1 euro.
Kotor - walled town built from 12th to 14th is nestled at the head of southern Europe's longest fjord has very dramatic setting at the bottom of the mountains... There are cobbled laneways, narrow streets, little plazas with old churches and mansions. It is very atmospheric place.
On the slope above the the old town there is little fortress of St John. It took me 40 minute of climbing steep path to reach the stone barracks on the top - but it was worth the effort - the view of the fjord and the old town from the fortress is just incredibile!
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Mar 06, 2007 07:00 PM Picturesque Adriatic Coast of Montenegro
Budva - Montenegro. It is still off - season here and I have a feeling that I am the only tourist wandering around in the narrow streets of the old city in Budva. I like it. The sun is shining and the day temperature is around 16 deg Celsius. Locals enjoy the day sitting in the street cafes.
The 2000 years old part of Budva is located on the small peninsula. You will find there a labirynth of alleys and squares locked in between the high city walls... Orthodox church has nice frescoes, but sorry - no photos inside... There is alco catholic church and the citadel to visit.
I took a bus to Sveti Stefan (1,50 euro, 20 minutes) - an old mini-metropolis located on the little island, 100 m off the coast. It is very picturesque place with lovely, empty beach and emerald sea. The sea is still too cold to swim, but it was worth to come here just for the landscape. Did you ever taste burek - the speciality of the Balkans? Here are many bakeries (PEKARA) selling this tasty pie. I prefere one with a cheese - the portion cost 0,60 euro... Smells so nice - especially if you are hungry...
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Mar 05, 2007 07:00 PM To Mare Adriatico...
I am sleepy... Hotel Europa in Podgorica is nice but has very tiny doors... In the room next to my there vere a couple of lovers making the love at 2 am... They were so noisy that they woke me up... Can you imagine a long series of "...ou, ou, ooou! and ...ah, ah, aaaaaah!" in the silence of the Montenegro night? I used earplugs to neutralize them but the night was already broken...
I took the bus from Podgorica to Cetnije - the old capital of Montenegro. Today it is little provincial town - there is only bus stand instead of terminal. I left my backpack at the bar and took a 15-min walk to the monastery. The information is poor here. Ask where is the monastery and below the monastery, at the parking lot you will find tourist information kiosk - they supply nice map of the town. In the monastery (it is tiny but interesting) there is museum, but they open it for large groups only... Churches and some othere old buildings in Cetnije are also worth the pics.
Back at the bus stand I took a minibus to Budva. We drove very picturesque route through the mountains to the Adriatic Sea coast. The view of the Adriatic drom the level of 100 meters is really great... In Budva I found accomodation in the private room close to the bus station - there is plenty of them - just look for the sign SOBE - they charged just 12 euro for the room...
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Mar 04, 2007 07:00 PM Welcome to Montenegro!
There is a direct bus from Pristina in Kosovo to the capital of Montenegro. But is is departing in the evening, arriving to Podgorica in the night.
I decided to take at first local bus Pristina-Peje /7.30 am, 2hours, 4 euro/ and then at 10 am I boarded the bus going from Peje through the border to Podgorica /12 euro, 6 hours/. It was the right choice - the views from the mountain road are great. The border checkpoints are high in the picturesque mountains.
It is sad but on the Kosovo side you will see also many abandoned and partly destroyed houses of Serbs... KFOR forces are really necessary there.
The formalities at the border of Montenegro are smooth - we even did not go out of the bus. They returned passports after 15 minutes and I entered quite new country - existing only one year...
Sorry - their capital - Podgorica is not welcoming backpackers - it is very difficult to find inexpensive accommodation here. I stay in Hotel Europa close to the railway station. They charge 30 euro /euro is the currency of Montenegro/ for least expensive single room. So I decided stay here only one night. Here is not much to see, I shall better go to the little cities on the coast...
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Mar 03, 2007 07:00 PM Pristina - the capital of Kosovo and more...
Sunny morning, I went down to the city. Pristina has population of 160 000 but it is easy to walk around the centre by foot. There are 3 or 4 mosques, the museum, little dirty bazaar to see and the monument of Albanian national hero - Skanderbeg in front of the complex of government buildings...
I wanted to go by bus to the Gadime Cave - some 25 km out of the city but they said that on Sundays there is no bus. The taxi driver took me there - it is 20 min drive each way... Entry to the cave costs 2,50 euro and you will get your private guide (sorry - his english was very poor...). It normally takes half an hour to visit the cave but I stay longer because after a quarter they cut off the power and I found myself in the complete darkness... We called ather guide with the torch. Stalactites and stalagmites are nice in Gadime - if they will impress you depends wha did you already see around the world...
Then I was staying more then half an hour on the road hitchhiking to the Gracanica Monastery. I was not lucky - the situation is still not clear here and the drivers do not take strangers... But finally I reached the monastery. It is worth to be there - Serbs built it in 14th century. Inside there are interesting frescoes and icons. Orthodox nuns does not to be photographed - even from the distance!
But it was first monastery visited in my life with armed soldier from KFOR at the gate... No jokes...
Tomorrow I'll take the bus to Montenegro hoping that it it easier to travel around there...
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Mar 02, 2007 07:00 PM Why I am flying to Kosovo?....
Before I boarded the plane to Pristina an UN worker flying the same route said: - You made the worst choice of the arrival date. They announced for today the demonstration and I even do not know if the guys from KFOR will allow us to go from the airport to the city... Wow!
Two hours later we landed in Pristina airport. Without any extra questions I got a UN stamp in my passport. I am in Kosovo - the province administrated by UN/NATO forces since 1999. Before and later there were heavy fightings betweenMuslim Albanians and Serbs here...
Why I am here? Because it is one of this strange places on the globe. No tourists here. How does it look like? Nobody knows...
I shared taxi to the city (sorry, no bus from the airport...) it cost 15 euro after bargaining... Euro is official currency here.
There were police check posts on the road and the centre of the town was completly blocked by the cordons of KFOR and local police...
I found place to stay out of the centre: Pension Professor. 4-34 Velania St. Charming old professor speaks english and offers rooms in his villa for just 13 euro. I hope that tomorrow the city will be already calm and I shall visit local attractions...
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Mar 01, 2007 07:00 PM 4.5 hours on the runway...
Bye-bye Asia! I am flying to the old Europe! Five planes one by one... It was going well as far as Delhi.
In the middle of the night I boarded there KLM b777 to Amsterdam. Delhi is not my favourite airport... We were already sitting in the plane with fasten belts when they announced: fogg on the runway... Can you imagine 4.5 hours waiting in the full, crampy airplane for the better weather?
We started at 6 am... So I spent in total 13 hours in this 777... Of course I missed my connection in Amsterdam... No compensation, no hotel... KLM says that they are not responsible for the bad weather...
They sent me to Budapest. Waiting there I found nice pension close to the airport (3 km walk or 180 forint for no. 200 bus):
Sarokhaz Panzio - Ulloi ut. 845 ph. 355033.
I am resting and getting ready for the tomorrow's flight to Kosovo...
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Feb 28, 2007 07:00 PM Port Blair - capital of the Andamans...
I stay in the little family hotel - not mentioned in Lonely Planet book: you will find "Shah-n-shah" in the side street behind the bus station and the market. They charge 400 rp per fan room with bath and if you will ask they will give you even a towel...
The main attraction of Port Blair is... the jail. The former jail of course - built by British at the end of 19th century... Now it has a status of museum - only 3 of 7 huge wings remained but it is still very impressive. They charge 5 rp entry fee plus 10 if you want to use still camera (but nobody care...).
I took also a boat to Ross Island - historic place - British headquarter till 1941. Private boats from Water sports Marina will take you there for 60 rp /round trip. You will pay additional 20 rp entry fee on the island. It is worth to go there to see wild beach and the remains of the buildings covered by lush vegetation. It looks like little Angkor Wat...
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Feb 27, 2007 07:00 PM Walking around the tropical island...
Neil Island in comparison to Havelock is still very silent and sleepy... I like that... I took a long walk to the Baratpur - one of four little settlements on this tiny island. People are very hospitable... Do not hesitate to enter the courtyards, greet them, smile and they will be happy to talk with you and to show you the details of their everyday life. I took great photos...
They offered me free of charge coconut drinks, tomatoes (Neil is known as the island of vegetable gardens) and nuts...
I went by rickshaw to the distant (5 km each way) Sitapur... There is the nicest beach on the island in the little bay. Sorry - no accommodation around so you can go there only for the day visit... No, they do not allow to camp here...
It is completly deserted and beautifil place. No single shop here so bring with you plenty of drink. The rickshaw cost 50 rp each way, but at 8 am there is a school bus going from main settlement and it cost just few rupees.
Enjoy! There is limited number of places like that in the world!
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