Mostar to Kotor

Mostar proved to be worth the visit, not just for the history.  The mix of East v West is really different and the the Bosnian Coffee and Turkish meats alongside western culture makes the city a really interesting place to visit.  The relics of the Ottoman and Austrian empires are very apparent and the setting along the river, coffee shops and old town are well worth a visit for the day in itself.  

For part of my trip I wanted to watch as many different 'sports' around the world as I can and Mostar seemed like a perfect opportunity to start this with the famous bridge divers/jumpers. In the summer the local men walk over the bridge collecting money and when they have raised enough jump from the 21 metre high bridge into the river. Last year divers from several countries took part in the 448th annual competition plunging some 24 meters from the bridge,  The diving contest has resumed since the bridge was rebuilt 11 years ago.

Due to the high temperatures we decided to race on towards the Adriatic coast in Montenegro and left at 6 am on the 10 hour bus.  It turns out that cows in the Balkans are in proportion to the size of the people and about the only obstacles on the roads on the 3 hour long route between Mostar and Trebinje near the Montenegrin border.  The journey took us up into the mountains and through rural Bosnia, far removed from the tourists of Mostar.  Official figures suggest there is around 50% unemployment in Bosnia (although according to locals many people are employed ‘off the books’) and this was more apparent as the destruction of the civil war had not been removed.  The countryside was littered with new graveyards and the towns all possessed bullet holed/ruined houses and businesses, although everywhere had an incredible number of betting shops combined with sports bars that seems to be a big part of the culture.  The scenery was stunning with open valley plains joining the high peaked mountains covered in forest.  It was hard to believe the snow and avalanche warnings along the road side when the temperature was well above 35 degrees though! Dropping down into Trebinje offered phenomenal views of the town had the traditional red tiled roofs of the region with a picture perfect river carving through the town which lies only 28km from Dubrovnik.

The journey towards the Montenegrin border should have been completed in a super car on a top gear challenge rather than an old bus but we were relieved the driver was not Mexican or Italian as the road rose up over 1000 metres from the valley floor snaking upwards.   It was still unnerving driving alongside a drop straight down to the river at the valley basin as we crossed through what surely must be one of the world’s most beautiful border crossing check points looking straight back down the valley into Bosnia.  The strange number of small duty free shops in no-man’s land between the two checkpoints then led us into Montenegro.

As we rolled through the mountains of Montenegro growing slightly weary after 8 hours on the bus (although well prepared after 2 years busing around Mexico)  but still absorbed by the scenery and dramatic mountain range, the Dinaric Alps.  As we grew desperate for the sight of the sea the mountains suddenly plunged over a thousand metres and the road ran along the edge of the steep mountainside to reveal Budva.  We half expected to see a Christ the Redeemer statue over looking the town.  The beaches ran around the bay with a small island off shore and a forest covered mountain providing a stunning backdrop to the town.  From here we travelled 40 minutes north, through the mountain tunnel and out into the Bay of Kotor, headed by the town of Kotor, a walled city (similar to Split and Dubrovnik) to relax for the next few days.