We are now in Montenegro, I will go back and fill in the magical island of Hvar but I’m getting behind on our trip.

Today we had a brilliant day hiking through Montenegro (black mountain). Starting in Budva which is our beach town we’ve been staying in for 3 days in an apartment above the local community officer,  we got a cheap bus to Citenje and then a taxi to the start of Lovcen National Park. The visitor centre was closed and we weren’t sure we were in the right place but there were some snappy new signs so we picked a location and started off.

The sun was shining and it was easy going, though we were looking out for snakes and bears and wolves which we read were in the park. We hiked up the sacred mountain to one of the peaks through snow and sun to come out on top of the world. We could see the coast (about 40km away) and surrounding black mountains, including the mausoleum which is the local beauty but we didn’t have enough time or money to get there in the taxi (to the dismay of our hosts).

We hiked back down and around the peak through limestone rocks folded and faulted, telling each other scary stories through the deserted trails covered in snow in some places, until we came down to a low village with crumbling walls made only of stone. There were a few new houses dotted around the valley that looked like it was out of a Mediterranean painting it was so beautiful and traditional. We passed a couple sowing potatoes and after finding out we were from NZ they called us down to their small house for a drink. The wife got out the local beer and biscuits, and then brought out a plate of domestic cheese, ham and bread. The cheese was as creamy as butter, and Ben said the prosciutto was the best he’s ever tasted. We sat on their stone wall under the shade of trees after 4 hours hiking in their special mountains and found out more about each other.

The husband was a former seaman who had visited NZ and spoke perfect English so it was easy for us to chat. He showed us the stone hut he was born in that his great grandfather had built, right next to his new house built in the same style.

It was so idyllic and precious after our long walk. After reminiscing about Tito and former Yugoslavia he pointed us on our way and we headed back down to the visitor center, and hitched a ride to Cetinje with some Russian tourists.

Back at home we are now sitting in an internet cafe with our neighbours trying to track the best route from Budva to Ohrid in Macedonia, as we think it might take 2 days across Albania tomorrow.
Wish us luck!