Byatangajwe: 27.08.2021
MARE!
It was finally time, for days we've been waking up next to the sea. We can swim in the morning and have dinner at sunset in the evening. So far, we have only seen rocky beaches, but our newly acquired water shoes are holding up well :).
Yesterday we left Croatia (for now) and entered Montenegro. Despite an incidence rate of over 600, very few people here wear masks, and we haven't been asked for our vaccination proof yet, except at the border. Basti and I try to wear masks in buildings, and we are staying at a campsite with mostly German and vaccinated people (a coincidence and lucky at the same time). According to the authorities in Montenegro, foreign travelers must register with the police. The tourist cannot do this themselves (yes, we tried), but it must be done by the host, which is why we decided to stay at a campsite with a really nice host (we had the pleasure of drinking homemade schnapps again) and not go wild camping for now.
Fun fact: We have three German campers, each with a white van, and all three occupants look like Barbie and Ken. So a blonde woman and a blonde guy, all tanned and fit. I can't tell them apart and didn't know who I already said 'hello' to this morning :D. Oh, and the compass tattoo is a must, either on the car or on the skin. But enough gossip, they are all super nice, and you can have a good conversation with them.
Originally, I wanted to report from Croatia. Wild camping is not as ideal on the Adriatic coast as it is often portrayed on social media. But the blue/turquoise beaches really exist!
There is this coastal road that runs from north to south (and does not require toll), the sea is on the right, and there are many hotel bunkers and tourist areas. Croatia has really tried to market every millimeter. We chose the villages in between. So we mostly went steeply downhill from the main road and parked there. Surprisingly, it worked quite well. Next to us, Croatians, for example, were fishing or enjoying the summer themselves, and it was a nice togetherness, not a stressful overcrowding. There's not much more to tell, the weather was really warm and we mostly enjoyed the sun and the sea :).
Another quick tip for travelers with a car in Croatia: We spent five days in the country and only paid parking fees once, 10 Kuna (about 1.40€). In or behind or in front of every city, there is a free parking lot. Especially the Croatians themselves often park on the roadside or in the grass. In the small villages, we also parked in a vacation rental parking lot, which was tolerated for several hours. If we had to do a quick shopping in a city center, we never bought a parking ticket because there were no quick checks.
When you park somewhere on the side, check on maps if there happens to be a beach below you. Often, you can't reach directly to the beach sections and have to climb down a bit, but then you have a very beautiful and quieter beach section :)