Transitions

On our road trip, we have just entered our fifth country, and it is not always easy to quickly attach each memory to the country where it happened. My mind wanders back to "Where were we two nights ago?" Some of the days blend together with similar experiences at border crossings, winding roads and hotel hunts. Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria seemed to share more than just borders. There were lots of similarities in culture, food and religion. Then we hit Albania, with its own language, currency, religion and relaxed outlook on life.

Today we were making yet another transition to the country of Montenegro, and saw the contrast between the two countries immediately. Gone were the bicycles and motorcycle- contraptions. Gone were all the gas stations and car washes. Instead, the road wound down to scenic holiday seaside towns with beaches and views of the Adriatic.

Wanting to take in as much of this new view as possible, we headed to the town of Ulcinj, a town just near the Albanian border. This place is a top destination for Albanian holiday makers, and it's population is 61% Albanian. It had a reputation of being a pirate's lair and the center of a slave trade. This sounded like Montenegro gone over to the dark side, and we had to check it out.

The port and castle were damaged in an earthquake in the 70's, and since then the town has been modified to attract the hard-core beach goer. We felt slightly out of place and conservative in our clothes. 

On the road again, we were utterly captivated by views of the mountains and beautiful coastline. The old town of Kotor encapsulates the old world charm of this part of the world with its city walls, narrow streets and outdoor cafes. I'm glad we stopped in Ulcinj on the way, for it provided an appropriate transition from rugged Albania to the drama of the rest of the Adriatic coast.