Days 51 and 52

(Dan’s comments are italicized)

Oh what a day. Today we say goodbye to Albania; it’s a fantastic place though the transportation is somewhat lacking! As soon as we got to the bus station for our 10 hour trip to Dubrovnik, we were told that the bus for the last leg of our trip had been cancelled so we’d be stuck in Kotor, Montenegro for the night. I had three immediate thoughts (and I had two immediate thoughts):

• We had been led to believe that the bus was straight through, without any changes,
• This is why I abhor planning; things go wrong when you plan, but when you go with the flow, you just jump into plan B, and
• It’s fine…it’s only money!
• Is this one of those times that we need to listen to fate and not force our will to get to Dubrovnik?
• It’s fine…it’s only money!

We drove through some beautiful countryside to get to Kotor.

The border between Albania and Montenegro was a bit challenging as the computers crashed so we were there for a while (The computer broke with Rhia at the window, so not only did we get to see the border patrol’s frustration, we also got to feel the angry stares from everyone behind us thinking that this lady is holding everyone up!)…but found Kotor charming when we finally arrived!

But it was the nighttime views that made this unexpected layover worth it.

And then, to cap it all off, there was a firework display (we were in bed and had to get up to see it 😂)

That was the perfect end to a day that had been a bit challenging!

The next morning, this is what we woke up to…

…aargh! So many people would be crowded into this tiny place. But it’s no problem for us as we’re on our way (again) to Dubrovnik 🎉

Once again, the bus wasn’t crowded and the views were stunning.

And this time, we made it to Dubrovnik 🎉 Where do I begin with this fascinating city? I was last here in 1985 when it was still in Yugoslavia, a communist country. The war (1991-1992) hadn’t happened yet and, because it was communist, few people visited. I loved it because the old city is absolutely beautiful…and people just lived there carving wood or embroidering something and trying to sell their wares. You just wandered around and didn’t have to pay to go in; it truly felt like stepping back in time.

Now, however, it’s absolutely teeming with tourists and the old city has just become a money-maker. It’s still absolutely beautiful but it’s money-exchanges, restaurants, and tourist mementos everywhere! And who can blame them? They were sitting on a gold mine so who wouldn’t exploit it? Apparently, some of the Game of Thrones was filmed here and that made it even more popular.

However, I still got some nice photos with patience, clever positioning, and my new best friend (Magic Eraser).

Some of the churches and monasteries were beautiful too.

One positive change since 1985 is that they’re turning some buildings into museums; there was a wonderful one full of photos of the war (1991-1992). It was eerie to see the Dubrovnik I remembered…but war-torn!

I love that Dubrovnik is so well preserved (buildings are from the 5th through the 15th centuries) and that the walls are still intact. Tomorrow, we walk those walls so watch this space.

During this trip, we have been making a habit of staying in the “Old Town” of the cities we visit. They have all been charming and clean. Dubrovnik, however, is on a whole different level. There are not any ruins or archeological sites in the old town. It is complete. This is like a Disneyland level attraction. The city walls are finished, the buildings look old in a new and polished way, and the streets are shiny, clean, and crowded. I am so happy that I did not interpret our delay in Kotor as a sign to cancel Dubrovnik. Kotor was truly beautiful and charming and deserves another visit one day, but Dubrovnik is certainly a must see. I can’t wait to tour the wall tomorrow.