I had heard a while ago about Montenegro but I was uninformed about the place so that when I got here the beauty of the place was a shock to me. As the bus descended the mountains of Bosnia the bus passengers all got their phones out to take photos of the coast.
It’s the most southern fjord in Europe and what a fjord. I had never seen any at all so was even more awestruck when it came into view. How could I not have known this country was so stunning. I have been all around the world and found the most beautiful place of all on my doorstep.
Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia and then with the break-up of that state, it joined with Serbia. Now it’s an independent state and starting to get a reputation as a hub for digital nomads. The government is passing legislation to allow up to 12 months. For digital nomads. It could yet become the new Georgia or Bali.
I negotiated some discount and took a speed boat around the bay to see the church on the island, the castle, the blue cave and the most impressive attraction which was the submarine hiding cave from the Soviet era. It was really well camouflaged and just big enough for a small submarine. I guess they weren’t thought small I the era of the Cold War but they seem small now. I saw one on display at Porto Montenegro.
I stayed in the old town of Kotor for a few nights which was a fantastic location but for the night club next door which kept me awake until 1am each night. The old town is really spectacular and I can see why there was a constant stream of cruise ships docking at the port off-loading hundreds of people.
The narrow streets were choked with tourist following tour guides holding up a paddle with a number on it. The squares (there were numerous) are lined with cafes and souvenir shops and usually a church too. I hadn’t paid for a tour which would have helped me appreciate the place better.
I moved the to another village across the bay called Prcanj and to a house of a famous Serbian pop star, the late father of the host Nevena. The house is huge with 7 bedrooms and a total of 17 beds. She is a choir conductor in Thessaloniki, Greece but with COVID she lost her work and now makes a living from renting out rooms in their summer house.
I buddied up with a couple of the other guests and had a picnic across the road o the private beach. There, we set up the wine and cheese and watched the sky get. Darker and the bay come alive with a thousand lights.
Swimming is pretty much the only way to get cool because the temperature is unbearably hot – hotter even than Dar es Salaam. I took the opportunity to take a daily swim to cool the core body temperature. No air-con in the house meat a very hot, sweaty, sleepless night and sitting on the balcony before bed praying for a breeze to give some rest bite to the sun.
My plans to go further down the coast to Albania and North Macedonia had to be thrown out of the window due to the fact that there were no bus tickets left so instead the only thing I ca do is go to Dubrovnik and get ferry to Italy and then ferry to Greece to continue to. Journey south. These are the challenges we face when we travel, especially during peak season and without booking ahead.
But I prefer the flexibility and sometimes it pays off like in Montenegro where I stumbled upon unexpected beauty. The price I pay is having my plans thwarted – but then I just make another plan and it will bring me to other unexpected places.
I shall be sorry to leave Montenegro but I hope to return one day – who knows – maybe as a digital nomad.