Montenegro

Shortly after writing the last update, I went to a gallery in Dubrovnik that was showing an exhibition of war photography. It was very interesting, showing scenes from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. However, the most interesting thing that I found was a number of books on the Balkans wars, which I spent quite a long time reading. It started to give me some understanding of what went on in the disintegration of former Yugoslavia. It is complicated (as any local will tell you), but I did start to see some of the events leading up to the wars.
The next day I made my way to Montenegro, with my new-found friend Michael. We travelled on a posh air-conditioned bus and and suddenly the vegetation looked different, darker, and I guessed we were near Montenegro (it's local name, Crna Gora, like the English name, means Black Mountain). Sure enough, a few moments later we had to get off the bus to cross the border. The little band of us pedestrians walked a few hundred yards up to a guard post, leaving Croatia, then to another one to enter Crna Gora. In the group was a British lady, perhaps in her sixties, with a small back pack, who was making her way slowly down the country! Over the border we got on a different bus, this one without air-conditioning, and basic seating and juddered around on the roads.

Montenegro is part of the new country "Serbia and Montenegro" (which also technically includes Kosovo), although you'd be forgiven for thinking they were different countries. It has a different currency (Montenegro uses the Euro, as does Kosovo), it's own foreign minister and rather unique indentity. One person I spoke to clearly believed that it should break away from Serbia and thought armed conflict was even an option. Having seen photos from the Bosnia war, I hoped she realised what she was saying.

We arrived in Kotor by the coastal road, which winds around to the heart of the largest fjord in southern Europe. The old city is nice, the views from the fortress (1300 steps up) even better. The next day we went to Budva on the coast and it was there that I parted company with Michael. I found an appartment with kitchen and bathroom for 10 euro. Bizarrely I ended up bargaining for it in French (with the odd word of Italian), as the woman spoke that in preference to English.

After resting there a couple of days, I went on to Ulcinj, purely as a gateway to Albania. I met two guys and a girl who spoke English (two Serb and a Belgian) and we hung out together that evening. In conversation with them I was able to see some of the conflicts through Serbian eyes.
Ulcinj, although in Crna Gora, actually has 80% Albania population, so was a good lead-in to Albania. It was held by the Turkish (Ottoman) empire and was the haunt of many notorious and viscious pirates for quite some time. The turkish influence can still be felt. It was later part of Albania and in the 20th century was given as a present to Serbia/Yugoslavia by another government!