Return to Bosnia on Route to Croatia

Heading north from MonteNegro on the way to Croatia we passed through Bosnia for the second time this trip. We made a stop in at Lake Alagovac again and stayed for a night camping on the shores of the lake, it was a little smoky this time as the Balkans have many forest fires burning because of the heat wave this summer. For the second time this trip and so unlike us, we (we being I) took the opportunity of having wifi the night before heading into Mostar, to book a room using booking.com. The morning after, when we stopped for coffee and to check emails before heading into Mostar we found an email...why were you a 'no show' at your booking?...crap I booked the room for the wrong night! I think we do better travelling by the seat of our pants. We were able to stay on at the hotel (we paid 50% of the no show) and had a great dinner in the city before heading out the next morning. From Mostar we rode through some nice countryside and stayed a couple nights at the Una national park before saying goodbye to Bosnia for the last time this trip.

A couple fishermen showed up near our campsite on the morning we were leaving...and set A FEW lines up, hoping to catch the big one

And then they waited, and waited and were still waiting when we left. They had traveled 100 km to fish we hope they had luck

A large part of the area we drove through, after leaving Mostar, had been devistated in the Balkan war in the 90's. we drove through hours of nothing but houses that had been destroyed 

Many were just left behind because the owners couldn't afford to rebuild. It was like driving through a living memorial to the war

So sad, in some cases whole villages were ruined and now only a few homes are rebuilt

The map of Martin Brod in Una national park, lots of water!

Our campsite with the tarp up, just in case it rained...the weather was turning...but as it turned out the tarp was good only for sun protection 

Traditional ways of life are alive and doing well in Martin Brod. A local couple is taking the dry corn kernels from the husk(she is catching any the machine missed). The kernels will be ground for flour, polenta and fed to the animals

A restaurant owner shows off the dinner he is about to cook up for us

Bosnian fish and chips, enjoyed with a Jelen beer

Ken enjoys catching his own fish but this second only to BC and Baja

The clear waters on the Una river, really really clear and cold

Minerals in the water form pools as the water cascades through the village of Martin Brod

As the water wears away minerals it form caves below the surface of the pools, here the water is so clear the cave scubadive when the water is high enough 

The meeting of the Una and Unac rivers

Mt Vaqushes, LePushe, N Albania

Ken standing on top of Mt Vaqushes.

Our camp at the Alpin Guesthouse in LePushe, a nice view to wake up to.

Check out what it looked like on top of Mt Vaqushes, the green peak on the far left.

Click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXzCVM1gyNU

 

 

                 

                    

           

MonteNegro to Albania and Back

Our original plan was to spend a couple of weeks lazing around on the beaches of Croatia, however when we attempted to book an apartment or even a guesthouse we soon realized that Croatia is no longer the quiet country with sleepy little coastal towns that we fell in love with, in October, on our last trip to Europe in 2012. The local papers in Bosnia actually were printing articles telling people to stop going to the sea in Croatia, it was full, the Croats had turned off their phones and were not taking any more reservations...stay away. So, we made a new plan! Why not the beaches in southern MonteNegro, where we also stayed in 2012? 

After coming to terms with the fact that we were going farther south, despite the intense heat, we got on TripAdvisor and booked a room for 10 days, with Booking.com, in a guesthouse on the beach in what we thought was southern MonteNegro...oops, turned out it was in northern Albania, just short of the border. We were going to Albania. (Close to where we also stayed in 2012). 

The one thing we remembered about Albania from our previous trip was the garbage, everywhere, and it hadn't changed. The guesthouse was good and the family running it was super friendly and helpful, H and H Hotel. The beach however was crazy busy, 25,000 other tourists mainly from Kosovo and Italy, not our scene! Luckily, we were let out of our contract, and we left after four nights. On the road again. We headed for the mountains in northern Albania, the Albanian Alps. We had two destinations in mind, Valbone and Vermosh, both recommended for good hiking. In Valbone we did a short 3 hour hike with a couple, Tobi and Johanna from Heidelberg, but we didn't quite make our second destination as we found LaPushe, a nice camping spot, another breathtaking hike (in more ways than one). If you like to hike, the Albania Alps is the place to go. The hikes are not yet too busy, Swiss people are marking trails (the Swiss have to have experience in doing that) and not to mention the awesome scenery. After Velbone, on our way to LePushe, we had to take a small ferry through some mountains where there was no road. Thank goodness! A great experience with yet again more beautiful scenery.The Albanians are SO very friendly, they will do anything for you but unfortunately they have to do something about their infrastructure, before the tourism gets too big, or they may have more problems than just the garbage.

Let's not forget MonteNegro, we had to ride through it, there and back to Albania. What can we say, the thing we remembered the most about MonteNegro, in 2012, was CRAZY DRIVERS, they just love to drive in the middle of the road. The small roads in the Tara Canyon were an accident waiting to happen. Ken had to be constantly on his toes, a different type of adventure riding. In MonteNegro we had extreme heat and we hit our first torrential rains with lightning flashing all around us (we even saw a stoke that started a small fire directly on front of us on the hillside). 

On our way back up through MonteNegro we chose to do a repeat performance of a ride we did in 2012, through the Durmitor National Park. Why? you ask? Because it was one of the great ones, and that is what we do...search for great rides. Besides, things always look different the second time around...after time and other experiences. Both Ken and I will vouch for that.

Tunnels along the Tara Canyon in MonteNegro.

A major accident we came upon, MNegro drivers refuse to drive on their side of the road!

A weird building, used for ??? At one time, now stands empty in Kolasin, MNegro.

A village in the mountains in N Albania in an area they call Kelmend, the land of the living past.

The Leqet e Hotit Pass N Albania.

It was really Hot in Albania and we were there.

Take a look at the air temp while we rode close to Podgorica in MNegro.

At the beach at Velipoje in Albania near the MNegro border.

A couple of Roma/gypsy kids going for water.

Early morning, it was just me, the lounge chairs and the trash on the beach.

Approximately 3 1/2 km of beach chairs, in some places 14 deep line the Adriatic Sea. Ours cost us 4€ for the day.

A hand written map of things to see and do in N Albania, written by our landlord at H and H, we kind of found our way around it. Do you think you could?

Blackberries, yum. We ate all we could in one sitting.

The Drin River is dammed to form the Fierza reservoir, the largest water shed in Albania. The dam is a little low during all the hot weather.

It is what we do, and Ken loves it! Drin in the background.

Tobi and Ken, after our day hike in Velbone, Ken is the short one!

Must I say more?

The Rozafa Ferry pulling in, and ready for us to load for the trip from Fierz to Koman, 3 hours of beauty on the water.

Ken looks on as one of the deckhands fills the boat with diesel from a can and a cut off pop bottle. The generator is for??? Just in case! This is the 20€ ride not the 32€...hmmm wonder why?

The captain and deckhands enjoy a beer as we set out.

A quiet moment on the Komani Lake ferry.

Unforgettable scenery!

You have got to be kidding! Three ferries and everyone is expected to offload on one small platform and drive away through the tunnel. Where do we go from here?

First one on, last one off.

Along the ridge of Vajushes Mt on our way to the peak.

Looking over the mountain range it is rock, rock and more rock covered with a little grass.

Sorry to our non-meat eating friends but on return from our hike dinner was being prepared at the guesthouse.

What a view to wake to. Vajushes Mountain is way in the background.

The Durmitor National Park, MonteNegro.

Villagers in Durmitor still practice ancient traditions and customs like sheep and cattle herding through the mountains living off cheese, bread and berries.

We rode from the other side of the canyon, down 600 meters and back up to where you see Ken now. It was a small paved road which was nothing but a dirt track in 2012 when we did it last trip.

Another unforgettable camp spot. We were threatened with thundershowers so we got a cozy cabin for the night.

A bench with a nice view of the VStrom...I mean the Durmitor NP.

That was it for MonteNegro and the Durmitor and that is the end of a really big bull...bigger and taller than some of the cars over here.