20 - 22 September 2017 #Ulcinj

Huhu! Today there is a report from Ulcinj - try to pronounce it - until the end I have no idea how the city is actually called.

Ulcinj is located in the very south of Montenegro, close to the Albanian border, so the Albanian population is quite high.

The journey here only takes 2.5 hours but still manages to become the worst bus ride so far! The bus is incredibly old and accordingly shaky. The bus driver drives typically Montenegrin: fast and wild. So I quickly feel pretty sick and even after we finally arrived, I'm not sure if I won't have to throw up. In the same bus there was also an American from LA, who wants to stay in the same hostel. The guy fulfills all the cliches of an American, he tells me that it can't be that bad with the nausea, I still look normal. So I'm not too sad when he finds new friends in the hostel :D That's the beauty of traveling alone: you can choose your travel companions again and again and get rid of them if necessary :P

While the city looks quite run down, the hostel is really well maintained and beautiful, although it will never again match my beloved hostel Bongo in Belgrade!

Right upon arrival, the American guy and I meet two girls who also arrived together, one from Australia, the other from Cologne.

Together we go to the city beach, which is small but very sandy! That is a real rarity in Montenegro, as the beaches here are usually stony, similar to Croatia. And the water is wonderfully warm too!

In the evenings I often feel dizzy and weak. Quite unsocial, I go to bed at 7:30 pm while the party is going on downstairs.

In the meantime, I have changed my opinion about traveling alone: because you are alone in the hostels, you meet many more people, you talk to everyone, make small talk everywhere. The mostly superficial conversations are often very nice, but it is difficult to be alone in the hostel. Instead of loneliness, I am now more bothered by constantly having people around me. That's why I'm really looking forward to my small and beautiful Airbnb that I booked for 3 nights in Tirana!

On the 2nd day in Ulcinj, I borrow a bike from the hostel and ride to the 'Long Beach'. With 14km, it is the longest beach in the whole country and it is also beautiful: nice and wide, with a nearby forest and mountains in the background. Unfortunately, not only the water is a bit cold, but the sand is also full of plastic & trash.

In the evenings, the water is unfortunately gone, so after my day at the beach, I can't take a shower, and in the morning before departure it is still not back.

Overall, I'm getting more and more curious about Albania: will it be as beautiful as everyone says, or will there be mainly trash and poverty in the capital city?

Therefore, the next report will be from Tirana ;)