PEAKS OF THE BALKANS

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Polarsteps - Peaks of the Balkans

While in Birmingham visiting Luke, as they were on and planning out their world adventure, I got invited to join them for a hiking trip down in the Balkans! I already had a pretty full summer lined up, but the chance to go explore some nature in a new part of the world was too good to pass up.

Just a heads up, I actually took notes underway for the first three days, then after that it'll all be shooting from the hip.

Day 0 - STR to Theth

After yet another full software integration loop at work (the fourth in a little over a month...), I finally was able to gtfo of there. Although it was a lot of work and stress, it had a benefit. It kept me occupied for the morning before I could break away prior to departure.

Once I could, it was home to finish packing and in that process I made the spontaneous decision to go only with a carry-on for the flight. Turned out to be an easy drive over to the airport, and after I got there I parked, walked over to the terminal, and was officially underway. For some reason though, it didn't feel quite like vacation mode. Even though I'd gotten through security and snagged some dinner and was waiting for a flight, I wasn't mentally checked out yet.

I was able to read the whole way over to Vienna, and filled the layover with my usual walkabout the airport. First time I was there, and that turned out to be a really nice airport. Large, and as always, it was cool to see all the diverse departure locations. Cool to think about just spontaneously picking one and going to a random place on the globe.

Soon enough, it was time to board and hit the air. I got lucky with no middle seat and no neighbors, but the legroom was sparse. I tried to sleep as much as I could, but it wasn't all that comfy. But luckily enough, soon we'd landed in Montenegro!

Had an easy time getting through customs and after I got out of the airport, my driver was waiting for me. No joke, that might've been the first time I've exited and airport and had my name on a piece of paper with someone random waiting to pick me up.

A little background here. Unfortunately, my schedule was a little tighter than my hiking buddies, and Luke, Jelley, and their friend Greer were already in Theth ready to go. Since I got in late at night and they'd booked the whole excursion through a travel company, I'd had a taxi lined up to take me from Podgorica into Albania and into the mountains to Theth.

Mirtu (I think that was his name), my driver, didn't speak much of English and no German, but he did speak Italian! Hah. I tried to use my Spanish, hoping that would be close enough to give us a chance, but no dice. Turned out to be a quiet drive over to Albania. Quiet going through the border between Montenegro and Albania, and no issues.

Eventually the route had us turn off of the main road and start to head into the mountains. Awesome! But it was dark so I couldn't see anything. That, and I was dead tired, so I nodded off for a good bit. Unfortunately, I think Mirtu was doing the same... But the windy mountain road slowly took us up and over the saddle and down into Theth valley. Finally got to the guest house at around 02:00.

Just cause I'd arrived didn't mean I was all squared away though. I was halfway expecting someone to be up but that was quashed quick. Mirtu walked me into the building, and thankfully a door to the main room was open. Even though he started knocking on a bunch of doors, no one woke up or came out.

He said he was going to call the guesthouse to get someone to come out, but after he walked out to his car to go do that, I never saw him again. Welp, time for detective mode. Found the wifi code and then tried to call Luke, then Jelley, then Greer, all to no answer. Fuck.

Continuing my search, I scrounged through the room and found the reception books and stuff. Perused through those and found our booking number in one entry and that entry number next to a room in another book. Hoping that was the solution to the mystery, I headed down to that room and knocked, but no one answered.

I went back to the registration books and everything looked good, but still no dice. I tried calling the guesthouse to see if anyone would pick up, but then at that time Greer called me! I was saved!

It turns out, as she told me where I needed to go, the guesthouse was a little overbooked for the night. So our crew had been relegated to the guesthouse of the guesthouse, which we deduced was actually the owners' house. Either way, I got to the room, got my bed, and was out like a light.

Day 1 - Theth to Blue Eye to Theth

And that next morning, it was up and at 'em to start things off! Beautiful day, and what a great eye-opening to the great nature around us! I didn’t know what we were in for, but the route turned out to be a tourist highlight of the area. But we got up and dove into some breakfast, and were soon enough on our way!

The way down the valley led us through some pretty scenic areas, and first off over to a big waterfall with a really blue swimming pool. Absolutely beautiful spot, but it was also infested with a bunch of instafuckwits. Luke did a good job mocking them, but it was fake everything with those annoyances hanging around.

From there we continued on down the valley and got to a junction at the next town. Although it was around midday, we decided to push off lunch til later and started the climb up to the pool. It got pretty jungly, but slowly we worked our way up to the valley and got to a gorgeous little blue lagoon. We all sat down, but Luke had a hunch there was something further up. Turns out his hunch was very much correct.

It was just a little further up, but holy cow what incredibly blue water. Fitting that it's named the Blue Eye. We got up there, and I took the little hiking path to get a birds-eye view from above the pool, but eventually hiked down and joined the crew at the main pool.

We hemmed and hawed a little bit, but after watching a few people dive in for a refresher, Luke and I bit the bullet and made the jump. No toes first, it was straight in and HOLY SHIT that water was cold. Right in and right out for me, but damn that felt good afterwards.

Once we got dried off and laced back up, we headed back down that valley to the town junction. Since we skipped lunch earlier, we were all pretty hungry. Now it was time to eat. We picked one of the two restaurants, and ended up being served by one of the least conversational people in existence. It seemed that she was the daughter of the owner or purveyor, but somehow was only accepting of dialogue where she was only required to contribute with yes or no answers. And even when more information was requested, yes or no was all we got. Despite that, we got a hodge podge of stuff to split, but had to stay vigilant to keep swatting away the bees and wasps.

Vittled up we hit the trail back to Theth. It was an enjoyable walk up the valley, and the warmth of the day and the nice sunlight made it all the more enjoyable. Soon enough we'd made it back and I was able to get in a warm shower before heading to the patio to read and enjoy the great view from the courtyard.

Soon enough, everyone else joined in on the lounging around. To keep things lively, we played some bananagrams (I suck), and then started some Catan before dinner (which I eventually won!).

That night, as we'd get used to the whole trip, we got some home-cooking at our lodging. The lady at this place was absolutely amazing, and gave easily one of the best meals of the trip. Tomatos, cucumbers, lettuce, salad, cheese, Bolek, some sausage, it was all absolutely delicious. That all with some beautiful views to enjoy the first night capped off a great day.

Running joke with the bread there. At every meal, literally every meal, a big bowl of bread was always served, so Luke made a point to get a picture with every single one.

Day 2 - Theth to Valbona

It was an early rise to hit the trail early on our first day of the trek. We got breakfast, finished packing, and then we were off! But first something quick. Since that was such a nice place to stay, I made sure to go say thanks to the wonderful lady running the place. Turns out she's from Spain who got 'caught' there 13 years prior after falling in love with the area. How cool!

But with that all wrapped off, it was time to hit the trail. The start was a slow stroll through town. Getting our packs adjusted, boots warmed up, and getting ready for the next few days ahead, all before stopping off at the mini mart to grab a few snacks. (Damn lucky we did, because that was the only little mini-store we ran into the whole trek).

Stocked up on snacks, rust shaken off the legs and pack, it was just a little bit further through town and then all uphill to start things off. I ended up at the front of the pack pretty quickly and was fairly thankful for that - I was able to plod along at my own pace. Turns out, even though I always feel it, I'm not all that slow despite a big pack.

I took my first break the majority of the way up the hill, and waited a good while until Greer joined me. I had some snacks, drank some water, but eventually got a little stir crazy and continued on before Luke and Jelley joined up.

I continued pushing up to the top, and once I got to the saddle I was greeted with a TON of Spaniards. Not sure where that came from. But from the saddle I pushed a little further and made my way up to the peak right nearby. Gorgeous views at the pinnacle of both valleys. The rocks at the top weren't very comfy for lounging, but I bounced around a bit while having my lunch and enjoyed the view.

After about an hour the rest of the crew made it to the saddle! I packed my things and headed down to meet them while they were chowing on their lunch and resting. Soon enough we were back up and racing, ready to head down the new valley.

Starting the descent I stuck with the crew for a while. But eventually I let loose and let gravity get me to my hiking speed down the first steep spot. A few stops along the way to enjoy some shade and the downhill, and soon enough we'd made it down to the valley floor. From there, it was all along the road until we got to the guesthouse for the evening.

That took a good while, and we got caught in a bit of rain along the way. We held up under some big sturdy trees for a bit, but eventually threw on some rain gear and our duck backs to keep plodding along. Soon enough the hard work paid off. The scenery kept reminding me a ton of Eastern Oregon as we kept trekking along the road and eventually made it to the guesthouse. Check-in, beer, ice cream, and a book. A great end to the day's hike.

After a bit of relaxing from the day, I eventually jumped in and got myself a shower. Turns out not all guesthouses provide such a great meal as the first night. But that's how it goes. Dinner was a bit unique, but we all dug in and savored the nutrition provided.

Unfortunately, the rest of the crew was pretty pooped after the day. But I was still enjoying a bit of energy after the day, so I headed back out to the patio to read and do a bit of documentation.

Trail thoughts from Day 2

• I am not used to hiking with others anymore. I got a good taste of it when I was with Theresa, who’s quite the good hiker. But adjusting to this group was a good bit different.
• I feel like slow hiking does to me what museums do to me. The slower pace does worse on my body than my normal pace. The very gradual knee movement and usage, the more static pressure on my joints. Not sure if I can really explain it, but that's my hunch.
• Confiremed yet again for the 10-billionth time - I'm an impatient little shit
• I'm a big fan of long pauses and breaks while hiking, but even I have a limit of how long or much I like to stop...
• I am not a fan of people who just complain
• It definitely frustrates me when people go on big adventures in foreign cultures and worlds but don't have an open mind for different experiences on said big adventure.

Day 3 - Valbona to Cerem

Day 3 was labeled as a bit of an adventure day. The route took us up out of the current valley, down the saddle into another, then dog-leg right down another. But at the top there was a side adventure that led to the highest peak in Montenegro! Knowing me, hell yeah I was gonna jump on that. But now with the added plus that Luke was up for it too! Hot damn.

The morning was absolutely gorgeous to start. We got all breakfasted and packed and were on the road a bit til we crossed the river and found the trail. The route up from the valley was pretty awesome. Further constant reminders of my beloved PNW.

After the initial tree-heavy climb, Luke and I found a great spot to chill out for a bit and enjoy the incredible views overlooking the valley. Not one to shy away from a Photo-Op, Luke got his model moves on again in the picturesqueness all around us.

We hung out around there for a good bit until Jelley and Greer joined up. After a little break, we all continued on. Going from the massive amounts of trees, the scenery turned really rocky really quick. Not only that, but there were tons of suppressions and bowls going up that turned the valley into a many-tiered slope. That was something really cool. Weirdly enough, also something I'd never really experienced before, which likely added to the coolness.

After passing one random sheep hut (which Jelley and Greer got roped into some refreshments at) in the middle of one of those supressions/bowls, we stumbled upon one cave up on the hill above the trail. Naturally, we went and checked it out, and got some mighty cool air blowing out of there. A quick break, and we pushed on to the saddle.

Saddle = break. We got to the saddle and before taking a right and pushing for the peak, we pulled up, dropped our packs, and took a load off for a hot second. But wait a minute, what's that?!? No joke, sitting on the rock right where we took a break was a beautiful Opinel pocket knife, just waiting there. Fuck to the yeah!!! Stoked on the new pickup.

With our break in the bag, it was time to go up. It was a bit undefined at the start, and then continuing on it got pretty steep and scrambly. Thankfully, we dropped our packs at the saddle, so our loads were a little lighter than normal. We eventually made it all the way to the top and were greeted by some absolutely incredible views skirting the border between Albania and Montenegro.

We took our time enjoying the view at the top. Luke got some more modeling in, I took in the peace with such a beautiful view, and I started my trip-tradition of Peak Peanuts there at the top. Gotta say, cool tradition, and good alliteration. Pretty proud of that.

Peak enjoyment fully satisfied, it was time to head down. Pretty uneventful to start. Then all of a sudden we ran across a really friendly shirtless Canadian (whose name I forget) coming up the hill. Turns out his COVID resolution was to climb all the highest points of every country in the world. Ambitious as fuck, but hell yeah. Super awesome and positive guy. Good luck to him on his adventure!

Down from the saddle, we grabbed our packs, and continued on down the new valley. After a short while we came upon the Ice Cave. Not gonna lie, I was skeptical because it was on the trek guide as something to check out, so I automatically pegged it as touristy. No joke though, it was pretty crazy. The day was quite toasty, but coming out of that cave was absolutely frigid air. Freezing. No two bones about it.

Well, it's a damn good thing that we didn't roll in there guns a-blazing. Shortly after the entrance the cave drops off to a complete cliff. Even with headlights, there was no sight of the bottom. Way cool.

From the hike on that day, we were definitely deep in the nature side of things - all hikers and no tourists. Just my flavor. Unfortunately, the water sources along the trail equaled a big goose egg. I ended up having to give a bunch of my water to Luke, and that paired with the complete lack of water sources, we ran dry coming down from the second saddle/plateau. Not ideal. But we kept on pressing forward as there wasn't really another option crossing borders between Montenegro and Albania and continuing down the trail.

As luck would have it, just a little bit down that saddle/plateau back inside Albania we ran into a little 'cafe'. And the best part, it was a cafe with a water spigot. We were saved!

Now the best best part, saved was just the beginning. Not only did they have water, but there was much more in the cards. Along with a cold coca cola, we were treated to the best trail snack on the whole trip - yoghurt with honey and fresh blueberries. I didn't know that was a thing, but holy shit was it amazing. Killer combo for sure. That was just the thing we needed to get re-energized for the last bit of trail for the day. And petting the doggy of course helped. :-)

In our time sitting there at the cafe enjoying the killer treat and getting re-hydrated, the more and more we watched the ladies serving us, and the more and more the cafe looked to be these people's home. But after talking with them (and gaining more knowledge along the rest of the trip), this place was their summer home as a bit of a starting point or home base for their livestock's grazing fields. Adding to that, the mom had apparently spent some time living in Michigan, and the daughter was wearing a Bulls t-shirt. Pretty small world we live in, right?!

Re-energized, re-hydrated, and reveling in that sweet tooth that just got satiated by that incredible dessert, we were back on the trial. Luckily enough it was a fairly short route down to Cerem from there, but not without a good few points where the trail became lost in the sheep tracks and was either poorly signed or completely lacking signage. But either way, we made it down the valley and eventually made it down to the guesthouse for the day. Turns out, Luke was pooped.

The place on the docket for the night was packed with hikers. But in all, it was a really nice, super cozy, and very welcoming place to stay. We got in and settled, hung out for a bit, then soon enough were treated to a great dinner of bean soup and a bunch of other stuff. Killer. Oh, and more bread.

After dinner there was a little hanging out on the outer patio. I first chatted with a British/Irish couple for a while, then they went to bed. After that, a conversation kicked up with a couple Belgian gals who were still working on making dinner. Quite the bummer to hear one of them messed up their knee and had to cut their hike short :-( Good to chat with some folks, but soon enough, it was time for bed.

Day 4 - Cerem to Doberdol

As we would become accustomed to during the trek, it was a standard morning of breakfast, bread, prep, and then we were off and walking.

Once we were on the trail, I jumped up to my pace and was off on my own for the morning. Turned out to be my preferred method/state for the trip. The majority of the morning was just 4x4 track, but filled with a bunch of friendly Albanians with their backhoes and trucks. Oh, that and some clearly poorly-thought-out tourist infrastructure. That was a bit sketchy. But I managed to not get booby-trapped and made it up to the next saddle for an enjoyably calm little break.

Once I got my fill of the great view of peaks and mountains, I continued on. From there, the trail led into some absolutely gorgeous wooded hiking. I played trail crew for a bit there with some branches strewn across the trail, but was absolutely enjoying the beautiful flowers, gorgeous trees, and everything around me.

After a short break at a clearing to enjoy the view and let the sweat wick off for a bit, I continued on along the trail and was soon absolutely captivated by a breathtakingly blue flower. A super deep but also bright blue, it was a really strong eye-catcher as I waltzed through the very green forest and gorgeous hillside.

Hiking, hiking, hiking, and soon enough I'd come up to saddle number three for the day. This was pretty awesome because it had a perfect little bench to sit out and look over the new valley and wait for the rest of the crew. All the groups I'd passed or seen in the morning passed on by, but I continued to sit, enjoy the view, and eat my lunch. Soon enough the crew arrived and we enjoyed the view together for a bit before heading back on the trail and keeping on keeping on.

From there I was off and running. The first bit of the continuing trail took me through a small farm area with a number of homes. I got chatted to by a little guy with some great English, but since I wasn't up for a drink or getting tricked into anything touristy, I continued on. (I later looked back across the valley and saw the rest of the crew getting chatted at by the same kid) Just like a couple days before, this portion of the hike was absolutely gorgeous and reminded me a ton of Eastern Oregon. It really made me feel at home, and damn made me miss home a good bit too.

All of a sudden, a couple rumbles of thunder sounded off in the distance. Not gonna lie, that's always a cool experience, but being already at elevation in the mountains makes it even more awesome. But soon enough, a few drops of rain found their way along. It was really light to start. But then a bit more came down and though I had the gear for it, I threw on my jacket and rain gear but opted to huddle up down under a big tree and enjoy the weather passing through. It was a beautiful spot and a beautiful way to take a break and enjoy the situation.

I couldn't stay there the whole day, so I eventually put my pack back on and continued down the trail. A good few big cracks of thunder kept coming down and the rain kept picking up and slowing down, but that was still a pretty relaxing stretch of trail with the weather included. I traversed the valley and soon finished the last big push up into the Doberdol valley. At a great lookout looking back over what I'd hiked through the day, I waited for the rest of the crew to make their way up the trail.

Once we rejoined forces, they'd made friends with a few Aussies who were out on the trail, and we walked into town together. Not without a fun picture of the rest of the gang being turtles with their big packs and rain covers.

As we rolled into town, we were immediately greeted by an extremely outgoing little girl named Nalya. Turns out she was the 10-year old daughter of the owner of our guesthouse, and although she was still pretty young, she absolutely runs the show; the wrangler of our guesthouse.

Her job is to run out into the street and attract any and all travelers heading up the trail. They have the advantage that their house is at the beginning of town, and with her incredible energy and immaculate English skills, Nalya can wrangle any and all to her dad's establishment. Genius game plan, and it worked a bunch as we were able to watch her work later on. She was active the entire time, running around and taking care of everyone and being an extremely welcoming host, but still finding time to run down to the road as soon as a new group of hikers came up the way. Awesome person to watch!

Once Nalya got us all squared away, we got in and got cozy. After dropping our bags (me and Greer were in a dorm room right above the common room, not exactly quiet...), we lounged around, played some Monopoly Deal, and then I tried to unsuccessfully nap. From there I grabbed my camera and went and chilled on a hill above the guesthouse enjoying the afternoon. Peaceful, quiet, and gorgeous.

Not a whole lot of activity that night. Some relaxation, a great dinner with some Albanian beer, and a little bit of hanging out. But soon enough it got dark and it was time to hit the hay.

Trail thoughts from Day 4

• Definitely getting the vibe that I'm not gelling well with the group, likely because of mindset
• I came into the trek really expecting, ready for, and excited about a roughing-it experience. Backpacking at its finest
• The group (maybe not all, but some) are definitely of the Full Service and All the Amenities mindset. That mentality, mindest, and the actions stemming from it doesn't mesh well with me and make me wish I was doing this solo (or in retrospect, with more like-minded wanderers).

Day 5 - Doberdol to Gjeravica to Doberdol

Today was another out-and-back kinda day. What does that mean? (Slightly) lighter day packs! I've never been good at that game, but either way, it was gearing up to be a great day with some great views on yet another great hike.

A standard start-up routine for the day with breakfast, packing what we need, and soon we were off. Before we got through town we stopped at a couple of the other guesthouses to see if they had a little mini-mart or something, but no dice there. That decided, it was off and up the valley, past an extremely lavish house/villa, a few calm and then not-so-calm horses, some folks picking blueberries, and slowly up the valley to the first saddle. As had become the custom, I broke out ahead and was off on my own for the day.

Once at the first saddle, it was a pretty clear view of the goal for the day - Gjeravica. As we'd learned through the trek guide and google, Gjeravica is the tallest peak in Kosovo! How cool!!! That kinda superlative was hard to pass up, so that was my goal for the day, along with some great hiking enjoyment along the way.

Solitude in scenery. Just what I like when I hike. After continuing on the trail after the first saddle, it was a smooth traverse along the new valley. That route eventually took me up to the next uphill, and that turned out to be a switchback staircase up a cliff. There was a beautiful blue lake right at the base, and great views around, so I put it in a low gear and started climbing.

It always surprises me how far you can go when you just zone out and keep plodding along. Progress is always nice.

The next milestone was the next saddle right at the base of the trail leading right up to Gjeravica. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and me being me, I was on the look out for maximizing the adventure for the day. Luckily enough, instead of the direct trail heading right up to the peak from that saddle, there was another trail heading down into the bowl, along a lake, traversing the base of the mountain, and then climbing up the backside. Choose Your Own Adventure? ALWAYS.

The down was a nice refresher, and slowly brought me down to the water at the lake right below the peak. A little bit of rock jumping and scrambling to get by, as the trail narrowed down quite a lot. Normally I'm pretty good on my feet with my kick-ass boots. But unfortunately this time my foot slipped at some point and my left foot took a nice swim. Waterproof boots, so no problem, right? Not when the boot sinks below the mouth, whoops.

There were a couple people hanging around and enjoying the sunlight at the mouth leading down the resulting valley, I smiled and waved as they were enjoying the day, and continued on. Unfortunately, the trail that traversed at the base of the mountain was not really a trail. Although it was on the map, reality painted a different picture. But I consulted the map as much as I could and tried to piece something together. Slowly but surely I made my way across, and was even greeted by a big and jovial family heading the other way.

The traverse trail got me to the ridge coming straight down from the peak. A big outlook rock, and from there, a bit of a hazy view down to the flatlands of Kosovo. How cool.

Time to start chugging uphill. No problem.

Time for a big downpour. Problem.

Shortly after I started the climb up the ridge, some weather headed in. First it was a light rain, so I threw on my rain coat. Then a heavy rain, so I threw on my rain pants and duck back. Then it just started dumping, and there was nothing I could do because my stubborn-ass wasn't gonna stop until I made my goal.

With such shitty rain and terrible weather, there's really not much more to do than just keep plodding along. Slowly but surely, I made my way up and reached the peak! It was still coming down hard once I got there, but I didn't feel like just heading down straight away, so I stayed rain-geared up and enjoyed the rainy views.

Slowly but surely, the rain calmed down, the weather cleared up, and the day became gorgeous again. Hot diggity damn! A rainbow showed up, the valleys all around became a little more in-view, and with the sun that slowly showed up I was able to strip my rain gear and try and let them dry. Throughout all of that, there was a small regiment of Polish NATO soldiers who slowly trickled up to the top for their daily training, and they enjoyed the view as I enjoyed the view and was able to dive into my Peak Peanuts and get a glimpse of my route from the day. Hell yeah.

With my Peak Peanuts down the hatch and a good amount of view-enjoyment in the bag, it was time to start the trek back. As is usually the case, from the peak it was a lot of downhill. Thankfully the rocks weren't too slick, and soon enough I'd found my way back to the start of my CYOA, and continued on from there.

Backtracking the trail I'd come up in the morning, I came down from that saddle, slowly worked my way down the switchback staircase, and started the traverse back to the original saddle. Unfortunately, I ran myself into a pretty tense standoff. I was in Kosovo, mind you, and things got a little tense...

Despite the language barrier, the shepard further up the trail saw me in a bit of a pickle and slowly worked his way over to lead the sheep on past me. Some of them were pretty darn skittish, but eventually all of them made their way by and all of us were able to continue our day.

After I got back to some wifi, I ended up trying to send the video of the sheep to my family. I framed it in a special light though, trying to camoflauge it as if it was a standoff and not clarifying with whom. Well, due to the poor network connection the video didn't upload, but the text did, and naturally my family freaked the fuck out thinking I got caught in some kind of military skirmish situation. Needless to say, it took a bit to try and calm them back down and assure them that I was fine, but that's one good example of how having a shitty internet connection is worse than having no internet connection.

The continuing trek back was muted with the grey and wet weather, but that also had a beautiful calming effect on the already wonderful day. I plodded along, enjoyed the sights, and continued to stop and take a breather every now and then. Honestly, another great hike. Soon enough, I was back to the original saddle, and after some good movement for the day, found my way back to our great little guesthouse.

Back at the guesthouse, it was another great evening. After getting settled in a dropping my pack, I headed outside to the campfire. A couple groups were there also relaxing, and then along came little Nalya with her friend and eventually things turned into some karaoke. Talk about a personality, she's got it all.

It was a much bigger group than the night before, and it turned out to also be a pretty outgoing group. Lots of conversation, milling about, and chit chat, and that ran for the whole night. Dinner was once again delicious, some beer to wash things down livened things up, and soon enough we were back out at the warm campfire to wind down the night with more hubub and karaoke from Nalya. That little one knows how to run a show! Lots of hanging out at the fire, but not before long I was pretty dead and went and hit the sack.

Day 6 - Doberdol to Milisevc

Rise and shine, normal morning routine, and soon enough we were back on the trail, all packed up and ready to hike. Today's route took us up out of the Doberdol valley, and off to the races. It was a beautiful bluebird day to start us off, and we slowly made our way into town, and soon enough split off to take the trail up and out of the valley.

I popped out front and slowly but surely made some progress. Once I got to the saddle I once again opted for the CYOA. This time it was off to the triple-border between Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania. Just a short climb further, and I was there. I got to enjoy the view at the first peak on my own for a bit, then a few people joined me.

Seeking more solitude, I wandered down and headed to a nearby knoll, got my name inscribed in the peak book, then enjoyed the view for a bit. From there I got a birds-eye view of that weirdly out-of-place mansion, our great guesthouse from the last two nights, the rest of the crew coming along the trail, and some great views out over the many valleys and peaks in the distance. Eventually with further company, but the friendly French and Spanish couple made a fun time of it. Once they left, I took advantage of the fact that I could jump between three countries on a moment's notice. Not too often you can do that.

Down from the peak and then along that ridgeline between the two valleys. It was a relaxed and fairly even walk and I was enjoying the solitude on the great day that came with it. Soon enough I'd motored a good bit along and caught up with the gang at an overlook and trail junction. To my surprise, they had a big map with a ton of listed biking trails in the area. Given what I'd seen/experienced from the hiking trails though, I was a little skeptical as to the quality of the biking and the trails in the area. But who knows, maybe if I ever have an overload of time in my adventures, I could swing back down and give them a try.

Back up and running with the rest of the crew, we continued on along the trail. It traversed another ridgeline, and slowly continued on its way. Passing from one valley start to another, we got to this massive road that got cut out of the mountainside leading up to the saddle. We took that for a while until the trail jogged off from there, which is where we all dove into the plethora of blueberry bushes right on the trail. Nothing like some fresh blueberries.

For a little while further we hiked as a crew, but then the day's second CYOA route came up. I dogged left and went up a trail that wasn't a trail to find myself another peak. It was quiet and peaceful with the sunlight and a slight breeze, and I gradually worked my way up the hill past a few groups of folks picking blueberries on the slopes. Great views from above the whole way.

Persistence pays off, and soon enough, despite having to pretty much just make my own trail, I'd arrived at the peak. This one didn't have any superlatives, but that didn't prevent me from getting up there, throwing my pack down into a lounge position, and enjoying the view of the upcoming valley. Such a great way to take a load off and soak in the scenery.

Not sure how long I lounged and napped up there, but the day wasn't getting any longer. Knowing I had a long valley to head down, I jumped back up and started the descent.

The tranquility and solitude of hiking alone is something I will always enjoy and appreciate. It was a relaxing route down from the peak, and at the trail junction I ran back into my crew. Turns out, they'd gone too far down the trail, so we backtracked to get to the trail that led down the valley. No sweat.

It was a pretty straight shot at the start, but slowly the trail faded and became constantly confused with sheep tracks. That paired with a little rain that was pestering us on the descent, it was moderately slow going, but we kept making progress despite the obstacles.

Amidst the continued trail and sheep track confusion, we stumbled upon a beautiful sloped field with a great view down the valley. What's that mean? Break time. We all popped a squat and lounged on our packs for a while to take a load off and enjoy the day. Winning.

It was just a short-ish while longer once we were back up and moving til we made it down to the valley floor. A bit of infrastructure and road construction, but we got through that and found ourselves strolling through a beautiful and quaint little Kosovan mountain village. There were surprisingly beautiful houses there, and it felt very much like being in the middle of some kind of time capsule as we strolled on through town.

Once out of town, instead of taking the road down the valley, the road we wanted jogged to the left and slightly uphill. It wasn't too strenuous, but the fact it was just a forest road was a bummer. But, not to let that get me down, some relaxed going with the crew kept some chatter alive, and soon enough we'd made it to our (turned out to be AWESOME) guesthouse for the night.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the excellent owner, Zeke, and also with a delightfully warm shower. Once all cleaned up, we all chilled on the quaint and comfy patio for a bit with some lemon sodas and chats. At some point I broke off for some peace and alone time and wandered up the hill from the guesthouse with a great view of the valley out ahead of me. It was very peaceful and relaxing, and then slowly I heard some thunder off in the distance. Out there without my rain jacket, I decided to head back down to the porch in case some weather rolled in.

...and just in the nick of time. Shortly after I sat down on the porch couch it just started dumping rain and hail. Holee molee. But how perfect, because I was under a roof with a couch under me and some incredible weather in the mountains to enjoy. How do you beat that?! I went and grabbed a blanket to stay warm and enjoyed the beautiful weather from the porch. What a great way to relax.

Cracks of lightning, wollups of thunder, and the constant drumming of rain and hail coming down. So much peace in the calamity up in the hills, I was perfectly at home under that warm blanket on that comfy couch enjoying that incredible storm.

Slowly but surely, the storm continued its journey through the mountains. With that, the rain and hail died down, the thunder subsided, and I opted to go into the living room (aka sauna) where all the other wanderers were hanging out. A couple rounds of Quiddler with the gang and a few chats, and then soon enough it was time for dinner.

Dinner was cooked and served by the owner's son, Lize, who also turned out to be on the Kosovo National Rugby team. How cool. Regarding dinner, holy shit was it delicious. Some great soup followed by mashed taters, red pepper, and rice, and some cow sausages to round out one really fucking good meal. Since everyone had already struck up conversation, it turned into one big jolly family dinner. Deeeeelicious.

After that great dinner, it was back to the lounge for some more hanging out. We got to know the whole crew pretty well, and had some more games going and lots to drink:

• The fairly friendly Serbian forced me into some raki
• The Austrians, who’d been nearby the whole way, opened up and we learned that she had just retired and this was her retirement trip, that and we got to chatting about mountain biking
• The German and American dudes who were good friends were kinda quiet but very friendly
• The Dutch guys and Polish gal who came in late in the rain but were super friendly and fun, and the Polish gal started giving the Serbian guy a run for his money when it came to the alcohol
• At some point, the friendly proprietors running the guesthouse came to hang as well

As often happens on great adventures like this, another great night with a big group of awesome travelers. But after too much wine, beer, and raki, it was time for me to hit the sack.

Day 7 - Milisevc to Babino Polje

At this point, the rest of the write-up was done without the benefit of the notes I took during the trip. So brevity will be the name of the game, and memory really only stemming from what I captured with a camera.

Another great morning with breakfast and packing up. Back on the trail, it was pretty grey and gloomy, and with the rain the previous night, everything was a good bit damp. From the guesthouse it was up and out of the valley a bit, and then a traverse along a quasi-plateau into another valley. Quiet mountain hiking on a calm morning at its finest.

Into that valley, and it curved around to lead us on a trail at the crest of the valley we'd come down in the mist the day before. Now with views up above and a little higher up, we also got lucky with a break in the clouds bringing us some sunshine and scattered blue skies. The colors popped and made for some more great views as we cruised along. Soon enough, I'd made it to the saddle above the next valley, and was greeted by another great little covered bench. Lunch time, and shortly thereafter the Austrian couple joined, and then the rest of the crew for a community lunch break.

From that saddle, the going got a little undefined. Although it's a pretty popular trail, and one it seems Albania Tourism is trying to really pump up, there wasn't much definition of where the trail went downhill. Maybe there was, but the map that we had been given was leading us into nothing. But that wasn't a new situation. So we eventually picked something that looked like a trail, and it ended up being one of the steeper ones that got us down to the valley floor right quick.

At the bottom of the valley the trail joined the road, and we had a short ways to go to our guesthouse for the day. Turned out to be one of the shortest days of the trip. But once we shuffled our way down the road and got to where we thought the guesthouse was, we weren't too sure. One seemed to be it, but then we asked the lady and she said no. Then we got closer to the point on the map where it was supposed to be, but came upon an empty and motion-less little villa of small cabins and huts.

Stemming from the jovial night we'd had at the last guesthouse, we'd found out that the Austrian couple, as well as the German and American guys were on pretty much the same trek as us. Eventually, those groups also rolled in, so if we were in the wrong spot, we would've all been on the hunt for the next place together.

We all got in, kinda lounged around a bit and took our packs off, and after a while, someone came by to open the place up. Although the rooms/beds weren't ready right away, there was a saving grace. A mini-mart! Ice-cream, chips, snacks, all kinds of goodies that we hadn't seen since the start of the trip. So since we had to wait anyways, we all stocked up on snacks and beer to make the wait go by a little more enjoyably.

Eventually we got our beds assigned, boots aired out, and a little more lounging around in. Luke and I split a room, and it turned out to be quite the scenic little spot. Our room was right on a patio overlooking the river. Can't remember if I tried to nap or not, but it was pretty lazy once we all got settled in.

Dinner was in the big common building, and we made it a relaxing night again with the whole big family we'd morphed into. The food was yummy and home-cooked, we played some games to pass the time, but soon enough it was time to hit the sack and tank up for the next day.

Day 8 - Taljanka Peaks

A little bit unique for this day of the trek, but instead of starting straight out from the guesthouse, we were getting transferred over to a different spot for the hike. Standard get up, pack, and breakfast, and then we loaded into a van and got shuttled down out of that valley, into the main one through a big town, and then back up a smaller valley down the way.

Our little mobile transport dropped us off in the mountains to go check out the Taljanka peaks. A single day-hike off from the rest of the trek, but what turned out to be a gorgeous spot worth the excursion. We got in and dropped off, put on some sunscreen, and then it was off and running. Well, hiking, because the first part was all uphill.

The trail led up out of the valley and into a big bowl above the tree line. On the guide, the loop up around the peaks of the bowl technically went counter-clockwise, so naturally I went clockwise. The whole solitude in nature thing, gotta find a way to stay away from crowds. Well that took me up along a windy route further up out of that bowl where I ran into some alive and dead critters, and shortly thereafter to the first lookout point.

This would prove consistent with the whole day, but holy cow what a view. It was still fairly early in the day, so some clouds were still hanging around. But at that first peak it was a breathtaking look at the somewhat hidden mountains all around. A straight drop down into the valley we came out of, and a short distance away to the mountains straight across the valley staring back at me, and looking the other way the whole bowl and peaks along it that I still had yet to traverse. Just beautiful.

I hung out for a good while at that first lookout point, then joined the trail following along the ridge of the bowl to start my way around the loop. It was slow going, because for the majority of the route it was open and all of the views were sitting there waiting to be enjoyed. I made sure to soak it all in. Stops at more lookout points, breaks to just take it all in, and a lot of admiring the peaks that were peeking through amidst the waning clouds.

Pure mountainy beauty. I kept plodding along, and the counter-clockwise route went through a couple ups and downs, and the midway point was the peak of the whole trek. From my route I could spy on the rest of the gang across the bowl most of the way, and with the views of the valley and intense peaks to my left, and bowl and gang to my right, I slowly but surely kept moving along and made it up to the peak right around when the rest of the gang got there too!

With everyone there, it was time for a nice long lunch break. Lots of shenanigans going down with Luke going for the flying look, some panorama goofiness, and some good lounging around with some great mountains right in front of us. I made sure to get in my peak peanuts too.

The gang headed down their direction pretty quick, and before I continued on I wandered over to the flag posted up off that peak a short ways. It wasn't far, but it was far enough to have an opening and view into some other valleys not seen elsewhere along the route. A few flocks of sheep were on the move getting herded along here and there, and watching them from above as they look like tiny grains of rice moving along the grass is pretty neat.

Back on my feet, I headed back to the lunch peak and then took a left to continue the loop. It was a bit down then another big up to get to the next peak. Although I hadn't moved all that far to get there, I was in the mountains, feeling great, and just in the mood to take it all in. So I found a comfy spot in the grass and assumed my leisure position. Time to lay back, take it in, and take it easy.

I had the peak to myself for a short while, then some other hikers came in and would not shut up. Bit of a two-sided coin here - A) I'm terrible at getting easily distracted by people, things, noises around me that pull my focus and don't let myself block them out to relax, and B) it kills me how some people just go full loud-house out in nature and don't know how to shut up and enjoy the solitude. It was a good mix of both, but I couldn't find my focus and relax, so soon enough I got back up and started my descent.

It went by pretty quickly (as descents usually do), and I worked my way down the spine of that last peak, through the foliage at the bottom of the ridgelines, and back down into that main bowl. Once I was back down into the trees and foliage, I put my head down and zoomed back down to the valley floor. Trees are great, but they're not very see-through, so the blockage of the great views into the valley made me push to get to the clearing at the end to continue taking them all in.

Back down at the valley floor I wound down from the hike and made my way over to the little restaurant right at the end of the trail. Eventually I reunited with the rest of the crew, and we took it easy with some refreshments and snacks as we sat and enjoyed the sunny day with the great spot in the gorgeous valley. Crazy how straight up the peaks on both sides of the valley just shot skyward.

The break lasted a good while, but eventually our van rolled up and we were back on the move. This transfer was just to shuttle us over to the other side of the jagged peaks into the next valley to our last guesthouse of the trip. It was a quick drive, and soon enough we were all set up at an absolutely picturesque spot up on the hill right at the end of the valley with a perfect view.

The proprietors welcomed us very warmly and showed us all to our cabins. Our crew got a quaint little four bed cabin down at the end. Once we got in, we all sprawled out and took our time getting cleaned up and into relax mode. Showers all around with the chance to really take it easy and enjoy the great view straight from our little porch.

Although it was time to lay back and relax, I was up for a little adventure. So after I got all cleaned up I headed down from the guesthouse to the little 'village' down the hill. Wasn't too much going on, but I stumbled upon a pretty cool waterfall that had some activity with folks hanging out at the nearby restaurant. Lots of water flowing down some pretty cool rock formations, but I meandered around and was enjoying the calm of the valley, made even better with the slowly breaking clouds and slight bits of sunlight.

My loop eventually wound me back to the guesthouse and in time for some dinner with the whole family on the terrace. An incredibly picturesque location with delicious food and some great people. The weather played perfectly for us all to enjoy dinner and the sunlight and blue skies that joined the evening. We all took our time enjoying the great dinner and environment, but soon enough everyone was tuckered out with full bellies and ready to hit the sack.

Day 9 - Vusanje to Theth

Wake up and at 'em - last trek of the trip! This one was just straight up the valley off the porch and back up over the saddle down to the village of Theth - where the whole thing started. I opted to be the early bird and start out a little ahead of everyone. At the saddle there was the option to add an extra peak onto the route - dubbed the Matterhorn of Albania - and I was all about doing that. So after breakfast and getting things squared away, I was off and running.

It was a calm dirt road to start off. Took me past some big stone houses and some nature, then suddenly, the road stopped. What the heck... I then decided to look at the map and wouldn't you know it, I took a wrong turn RIGHT at the start of the day. Goddamnit. No easy way back to the main road, so it ended up being an extended trudge through a bunch of thick brush and constant second guessing if it was worth it. Long story short, even though it pissed me off, I made it through the brush and got to the actual trail, eventually.

As I'd find out, that dumb mistake cost me a ton of time, and that ended up pissing me off later on. But back on the main road/trail it was pretty smooth sailing so I kicked it into a higher gear to get a move on. At some point I came across the entry into the National Park, then paid the fee, and kept going. Although the morning started out really cloudy and moody, it started to clear up right along that time frame and the few peaks that started peeking through the clouds really made me perk up.

The moment I realized I lost a good bit of time through my detour was when I got to a little bluff above a clearing, and could see Luke, Jelley, and Greer motoring along down below. At that point I realized I might be in trouble with the peak, but continued motoring along myself. By then the sun was pretty much fully out and the mountains all around no longer shrouded from view, so the beautiful day was in full swing.

My motoring eventually caught me up to the rest of the crew's motoring, and since I was a bit behind with the planned extra peak, I pushed ahead into the next section of trail. It kept meandering up, and after the one bluff and climb came a big plateau with a large grassland. The green of the grass popped with the blue skies, and pushing my way through that got me up and into the full rockiness of the rest of the climb.

The rocky section started slowly and really came into strength as the saddle came closer. But all throughout this rocky section there were signs of the remnants of war and struggle over this valley and this area. Bunkers were pocked over this landscape, a lot of which were hidden really well, all pointing down the valley. I don't know the full details of the conflict regarding that border, but I think it was essentially from when Yugoslavia was still a thing. The bottom of that valley is now the border between Albania and Montenegro, but at that point it would've been Albania and Yugoslavia, which was not on savory terms.

Slowly but surely I made my way up to the saddle. It was an incredibly rocky and unique landscape, and the trail was full of ups and downs and views all around the rock garden in every direction. The trail to the peak diverted off of the main trail shortly before the saddle, and as I started into it, it became clear that trail markings and clear definition would not be a strong suit of this stretch. But I pushed on and started my way up.

Well, to make a long story short, it was really slow and somewhat sketchy going. Having to plod my own path slowed things down. The very steep nature of the trail and lack of clear definition made the going slow. Once I got up to a certain level, the wind started to pick up and the ground I was going across was this really crazy craggy deep-ravined rocky landscape. It was wicked cool to see and investigate, but the sketchiness had me worried as I had to go through and over a large swath of it.

Although I'm a stubborn piece of shit and I really wanted to get to the top and I knew I could do it, I opted to turn back. I knew I could've made it, but there was a bit of a time pressure (that turned out to not be a worry) for our shuttle pick up, and the wind and sketchiness of the rocks had my head a little bit too wound up. It pissed me off then and still does now, but I made the choice to turn around and head back down. Damnit.

Despite the sketchiness in my head from going up, going down turned out to be no sweat. I made my way down the crazy craggy rock, then the undefined section, and then eventually back to the main trail at the saddle. It was a big bummer to not get to the peak, but I focused on what was ahead and got my head back on straight.

At the saddle the views into the Theth valley were pretty striking. Big mountains on all sides with some pretty eye-catching rock formations all paired with the beautiful dark green tree cover on the valley floor. It was a steep descent, and rocky the whole way, but I plodded on down enjoying the great views along the route as the trail worked its way down a seemingly sheer cliff to get on down to the valley.

Already in victory mode at the end of the trail were Luke, Jelley, and Greer. With that, we'd made it! The full 9-day trek of our Peaks of the Balkans route! Hot damn!!! Luckily enough at the end of the trail was a little cafe waiting for us, so while we waited for our ride, we kicked back and celebrated with an ice cold beer. Helluva way to celebrate such a beautiful, incredible hike through some awesome mountain landscapes.

Winding down in Shkoder

Eventually, while we were taking it easy after the trek, a little Land Rover rolled up. There wasn't a whole lot of activity going on around the place, so our hunch that this car was our ride turned out to be spot on. We finished up our drinks and loaded into the vehicle. It was (and ALWAYS is) a bummer to know we'd be leaving the mountains, but that's what our itinerary had in store for us. Off we go.

Being able to see the road and views coming into and out of the Theth Valley now was pretty awesome. It was an insanely windy road getting up out of the valley to start, and it kinda made the nighttime journey even more harrowing after the fact. But despite the few sheep traffic jams we made our way up and out of Theth, and slowly meandered our way down the other side in the direction of civilization.

Getting back on the main highway made the ride a little more stable, and although it meant back to more people, it gave a good view of the countryside and the world of fairly-rural Albania. Slowly but surely we made our way, and not before too long we wound up in Shkoder ready to relax and wind down from the trek.

It was a bit of a cluster as we initially didn't think we were dropped off at the right place. But it was, we got checked in, cleaned up and wound down, and soon enough were out on the town ready to go find some grub.

The absolute first thing on the list, all thanks to a hankering that got into Luke's head I think on day 2 of the trek, was a chocolate brownie. He'd been raving about that the whole way, and it was only natural and right that that be the first thing we set our sights on in town.

Not sure who was leading the way, but since I wasn't guiding the troop, I could just take a slow walk and enjoy the quaint little town we were marching through. Turned out to have a really nice central core with a bit of artwork here and there and just a laid back vibe with all the people mulling about. Well, whoever was the ring leader led us right to a pretty big bakery, and lo and behold - the biggest goal of the trip was very quickly achieved. And very exorbitantly at that.

With our sugarteeth all satisfied, it was time for dinner. Kinda weird to think earlier that day we were up in the high mountains of the Balkans, but the hunger from that hiking started to hit. Slowly but surely I started to get a little hangry. Unfortunately the group consensus was getting a little picky on food options, and that didn't help my state. After long-last we ended up finding a pizza place with space and something everyone would like, so we snagged a table and started in.

The table outside was great to people watch and slowly enjoy everything once our delicious pizza arrived. But in the middle of dinner it started raining. Pretty suboptimal. The folks at the restaurant were super accommodating though, and made room at a table for us inside so we could sit out of the rain. Fantastic service to go with a great pizza.

Once dinner was all tucked away, we had a slow walk through a now-quieter downtown back to the hotel. Kinda moody night, but I enjoyed the stroll back. And once we were back, I definitely enjoyed the comfy bed waiting for me.

Now's the part of the story where my path diverges from the rest of the crew's. Luke and Jelley were on a big world tour, so they had tons of time on the back end, and Greer was in the middle of a move to London, so her schedule worked out with some buffer after the trek as well. Their plan was to head to a beach town outside of Shkoder to a villa-like place to lounge back and take it easy for a few days. Unfortunately my schedule was a little tighter, so I wasn't able to join them and that morning had to make my way back to Podgorica for the flight out the next day.

After waking up, I got all my stuff packed and squared away, and then said a bummer goodbye to the crew. Great to have some adventure buddies along for the ride, and wished them a relaxing time on the rest of their trips.

I still had a bit of time before my bus, so I waltzed back into the main part of Shkoder with a relaxed gait to enjoy the morning. It was quiet to start, not a lot going on, and the relaxed vibe pleased me on my walk. Slowly but surely I made my way to the bus station, amidst some confusion with the other travelers of where it was. But it came, we loaded up, and soon enough were on our way.

Podgorica and Out

Shkoder to Podgorica is a pretty straight shot through the countryside, and in essence was just backtracking along the routes I'd already taken so far. But this time it was all in the daylight, so being able to enjoy the countryside along the way made it pretty relaxed. At the border crossing we had a bit of a stop as all of the passengers' passports had to be checked, so we had some time to wander around. But once that was complete, we were back underway. From there it wasn't too long until we'd been plopped off at the main bus station in downtown Podgorica. Only a short walk through town past the train station and highway, and I'd made it to my hostel for the night.

Some really bubbly and helpful folks there. I got in and squared away pretty quickly, and the guy running the place was super ready to play tour guide and give me some ideas of places to go, things to eat, and stuff to do in town. What a great deal. I got his download and took some time on the couches outside to piece together what my afternoon was going to look like. Once a plan was in place, I was ready to motor on.

First order of business was food. I was a bit hungry from the day, and decided to take up my hostel guy on his recommendation of places to eat. From the hostel that led me straight into downtown and down the main drag, and eventually wound me up at his restaurant. Got in, snagged a table, got to reading, and eventually had some delicious vittles plop down in front of me. Can't remember what it was, but it and the beer were definitely delicious.

Now with some food in my belly, it was time to wander. It turns out that Podgorica is not a real big town and honestly, not a whole lot to see and do. But I weaved my way back down the main drag, past some governmental buildings, the football stadium, and then over to the big bridge. Weirdly enough, that was the most highly-touted attraction in town.

It turns out the touting was definitely valid - it's a really cool bridge. Surprisingly reminds me a ton of the Museum of Art down on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. Cool architecture and really standing out from the surrounding infrastructure and nature. I walked my way across, enjoying the view, and on the other side of the river found a perfect lounge bench to pull up on and take a load off.

Turns out I wasn't all that tired, but moreso kinda bummed at how lackluster Podgorica was proving to be. Not a whole ton to see or do, and it gave me the chance to really lounge back on that bench. Got in a nap, some reading, and some just sitting around doing nothing in the shade. Love me a good spot to lay back and do nothing.

After the long break I finally got back on my feet and continued on. I swerved my way across the west side of town and the river. After finding myself on the outskirts and getting a stroll in through some pretty small residential areas, I meandered my way back into the core of town, including a walk through a massive market building that reminded me of the insane markets in Mexico City, though not nearly as densly packed.

Slowly night time crept its way to the fore. I continued my wandering, but as darkness settled was running out of things to do. At some point I wandered around a big museum, and although they were closed, there was clearly something going on behind the building. I had to kinda sweet talk my way through it, but someone let me behind the barrier and I ended up crashing what seemed to be the sound check for a little music festival. A big stage was set up on the pavilion, and people were coming on and off as grips were setting up the stage and lighting. I found a spot to sit back and watch the Montenegran rappers do a few songs and get warmed up, and felt like I was definitely in a spot that was just for the small circle of people involved. Always cool to crash that kind of party.

My last stop for the evening needed to quench my thirst. I wasn't all that hungry, but since I was still in a country not named Germany, I knew I had to find something liquid that wasn't the basic beer shit. In that search I stumbled upon what turned out to be a super trendy cool spot underneath a bridge. Got in, whipped out my book, and enjoyed a beer and a cocktail in the cool vibe of some local Podgorica nightlife.

That put me in a good spot. It wasn't too far of a walk from there back to the hostel, so I made my way there and ended up crashing.

The next day was pretty much all about travel - my flight back to Germany. Thankfully it wasn't an early rise and stress, so I was able to take my time and find somewhere good to dive into some breakfast. That took me away from town to a middle eastern breakfast place. It turned out to be awesome. They had a big covered and cool patio in the back and I was able to find a great spot and tucked into some deeeelicious stuff. Can't remember what, but it was a perfect breakfast to start the day.

From there, it was a slow walk back to the hostel with some cool street art along the way. I always like walking in the very non-touristy part of a town. It is always oh so different than the polished side of things, but always feels like a much more genuine, normal vibe.

Once I got back to the hostel I still had a little bit of time til my taxi came and whisked me off to the airport. So not one to waste it, I grabbeed my camera and jumped out to the middle of the train tracks right across the street. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the vast tracks running each direction caught my eye. I poked around, snapped some shots, watched a few conductors move some cars around, and saw some trains heading off to who knows where. A beautiful spot and vibrant colors to send me off.

That pretty much wrapped up my time in town. I jaunted back to the hostel, grabbed my pack, slung it into a taxi, and soon enough was back at the airport ready to fly home. It was an easy check in and customs process, and that stayed consistent the whole trip back.

After another quick pitstop through Vienna, I was back in Stuttgart heading to go find Rupert and make my way home. It was a quick trip, but one full of mountains and nature. Huge thanks to Luke and Jelley for letting me come crash their adventure through the Balkans!!!

Good, Bad, Different

Continuing on with the wonderful tradition I gained through the experiences in my CBYX years, here is another installment of Good, Bad, Different! This is the part of the story where I categorize (comically, against the teachings of my exchange program cultural training) all of the things that I noticed and what stood out being in an environment foreign to me. With that, here goes!

Since this trip was a quick blend of a few different countries, consider this GBD an analysis of the area I went through, and not in particular or specific to Albania, Montenegro, or Kosovo.

Good

• Mountains and Nature
• Tons of beehives and honey (see the yogurt, blueberry, honey thing from Day 2. Bwuh, so good)
• Blueberry bushes all over the mountains and on/near the trail
• "Old dudes drinking coffee at the cafés" culture

Bad

• No wet/dry separation in bathrooms
• Hazy as all get-out. Not sure why or how, but as soon as the sun's up, it's really hazy

Different

• Lots of Italians and Italian speakers
• Tons of travelers from Italy and Spain (confirmed by a couple from each country on the first day)
• Reminds me a lot of various aspects of the Philippines and Cuba
• Tomatoes, cucumbers, and bread. Present at every meal without fail
• Gravestones are extremely intricate. Laser-engraved pictures, massive, definitely a lot of respect for the deceased
• Tons of car wash stations along the highway. One right after the other

Let the Commentary Begin...

It's been a good while since the trip, so not really anything fresh in my mind to write here...

Next Up

Go back to Blasting through 2022 to see what all came next!

Dates Covered in Post: August 23rd - September 3rd, 2022
Original Publish Date: January 29th, 2025