Etappe 23: From Kotor to Shkodra

Today another long stage was planned. Shkodra is one of the largest cities in Albania and is located on Lake Shkodra, which the country shares with Montenegro. But first, I continued south by bike from Kotor. This involved climbing some altitude, which offered a beautiful view of the bay. Still in Montenegro, I almost got run over by some sheep that were being herded across the road by a shepherd and didn't expect me in the curve. A little further along the route, I was reminded again that you can't always rely on your navigation system and should sometimes just follow the main road. I had to push my bike on gravel paths and steep hills, including closed roads. But I also got to see mountain villages in Montenegro where tourists are definitely a rarity. Many surprised faces and, of course, no English. After this nice detour, I was once again glad to be on paved roads, which, of course, had to be shared with cars. back on the coast, I passed through the two more touristy towns of Budva and Bar, which each served as a short break. Then I had to ride through the mountains again, against the wind. The following plain of Ulcinj had something special. Maybe it was the lighting or the many agricultural areas. The population of the region is mainly Muslim, and nowhere else in Montenegro or Albania have I seen many women wearing headscarves. Although the majority of the population in both countries is considered religious (both Christianity and Islam), few are 'actively religious' (many churches and mosques, but few go regularly). The ride through this plain was surprising in that it went along the main road but was deserted. The border crossing at Sukobin was also half deserted, even though it is the only border crossing south of Lake Shkodra! Once I arrived in Shkodra, finding the hostel (6€, including breakfast) should not have been a problem even without mobile data. However, the address from Booking.com was outdated, so it took almost an hour in the dark after arrival until I was the only guest in the nice and large hostel. An exciting day with many challenges and the first time I felt like I had arrived in an exotic area and different culture!