Montenegro

The minibus was full -- people were even sitting on laps -- there were no windows and no air-con on winding roads. Puking was inevitable, I was just happy it wasn't me. We pulled into the coastal town of Uncinj, happy to be out of Albania. The bus let us off several kilometres from the Old Town, and the Lonely Planet 'steal of the Adriatic' accommodation proved to be too good to be true. We found a room with a sea view and set out to explore. The Old Town was rebuilt after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1979 and has a very consistent look that is attractive but slightly sterile.

We watched the sunset and had an excellent pasta dinner before coming home. That night there were thunderstorms like I haven't experienced since living in Colorado. It was so loud it woke everyone up at one point. The next morning we caught a bus to Budva, a slightly more up-market town along the coast. After considerable searching we found a private room and went for a scenic swim overlooking the walled Old Town.

We drank raki and ate fish while overlooking the harbour. The next morning we collected our laundry and made for Kotor, at the top of a fjord. We found a private room in the Old Town and spent the afternoon admiring the stunning view from the top of the fortress. We came down and after a walk, came back to find the entire fortress complex lit up. It was stunning. We ate with the perfect night scene. The next morning we were up early to catch the bus to Dubrovnik . . . E