Average Speed: 17 km/hr (10.5 mph)
Distance Cycled Today: 90 km (56 Miles)
Distance Cycled Total: 3051 km (1896 Miles)
Mood: Lackadaisical
I actually did some research before leaving today. Not because I wanted to be better prepared for entering yet another country I know nothing about (Do you know what the national language of Montenegro is without Googling?). I was just trying to delay starting my day.
Last night, I had full intentions of going to bed early and waking up at the crack of dawn in order to get a long ride in today, but you know how that goes. I had left a bag of mine in Old Town Dubrovnik and needed to go pick it up... and then I forgot to leave. Rather, I hit the town with Jane and Madange again and wound up chatting the rest of the night away with two very entertaining Scottish brothers, Mark and Michael. Their lengthy and increasingly passionate rant against American sports had me wiping away tears of laughter.
It's not uncommon for Europeans to express their disdain for American sports. They typically condemn baseball as one of the most boring events in the world and football as an inaptly named wimpy version of rugby. They'll concede to basketball and hockey as being "real" sports, but that's about it. They'll stare at you in wonderment because you are unable to name a single soccer... errr... football club in Europe.
They make a solid argument.
Eventually I called it a night, but it was already past 3 AM and I still had to cycle over a mini-mountain back to my hostel.
And based on the lack of acknowledgment from my roommates this morning, I assume I didn't sleep quietly. Whatever. Who cares? I like to think I at least gave them a story about the noisiest sleeper they ever had to bunk with.
I barely made it out before noon, and had little motivation to make any distance whatsoever. To be sure, it was a quiet and lazy day, and I set my goal practically for the night: Kotor, Montenegro. Though I had never heard of it prior to my "research," it turns out to be another one of those Whatever-You-Do-Don't-Miss-This kind of cities: A smaller, quainter version of Dubrovnik's Old Town- A walled-in fortress, mazes of alleys, ancient buildings. Lots of cats.
Amazing.
The fact that a place like this exists and is still a living and breathing city brimming with nightlife rather than a carefully preserved museum is a bit mind-blowing.
And while I mentally tuned out for the first half of the ride today, I very much took in the second half: The ride around the Bay of Kotor was breathtaking. Ignore the traffic. Ignore the awful "courtesy honks" that motorists feel compelled to give you when they're three feet from your left ear.
Enjoy the beautifully intimidating mountains that surround the bay. Appreciate the flatness of the road that outlines the coast- flatness you haven't seen since Prague. Gaze at the ancient towns like car-free Perast.
And when I reached my destination, I tried to type my blog several times before I gave up. I'm actually writing this the following morning and pretending as if it were still yesterday.
Even that's hard to do. There are too many interesting people to meet. Too many conversations you'll miss if you insist on hacking away at a computer when you arrive somewhere.
And when one of my bunkmates from the Old Town Hostel (where I am currently staying) approached me an hour ago at a cafe while I was trying to get this write-up finished and asked if he could join me, I happily closed the lid of my laptop.
"Are you working?" he'd politely asked before sitting down, not wanting to interrupt me if I were.
There's only ever one answer to this question. It doesn't matter how badly I want to update my blog before my memories evaporate, or how desperately I want to get a jumpstart on the day.
Am I working?
"No. Take a seat."
 |
| Welcome to Montenegro! Put another sticker on that bike! |
I actually did some research before leaving today. Not because I wanted to be better prepared for entering yet another country I know nothing about (Do you know what the national language of Montenegro is without Googling?). I was just trying to delay starting my day.
 |
| Of the 18 pictures we snapped trying to find the perfect lighting, this one is the best. Ugh. Michael, me, and Mark. |
Last night, I had full intentions of going to bed early and waking up at the crack of dawn in order to get a long ride in today, but you know how that goes. I had left a bag of mine in Old Town Dubrovnik and needed to go pick it up... and then I forgot to leave. Rather, I hit the town with Jane and Madange again and wound up chatting the rest of the night away with two very entertaining Scottish brothers, Mark and Michael. Their lengthy and increasingly passionate rant against American sports had me wiping away tears of laughter.
 |
| A goodbye from Croatia. |
It's not uncommon for Europeans to express their disdain for American sports. They typically condemn baseball as one of the most boring events in the world and football as an inaptly named wimpy version of rugby. They'll concede to basketball and hockey as being "real" sports, but that's about it. They'll stare at you in wonderment because you are unable to name a single soccer... errr... football club in Europe.
They make a solid argument.
 |
| Mountains know no borders. Hello, Montenegro. |
Eventually I called it a night, but it was already past 3 AM and I still had to cycle over a mini-mountain back to my hostel.
And based on the lack of acknowledgment from my roommates this morning, I assume I didn't sleep quietly. Whatever. Who cares? I like to think I at least gave them a story about the noisiest sleeper they ever had to bunk with.
 |
| Old Town Kotor |
I barely made it out before noon, and had little motivation to make any distance whatsoever. To be sure, it was a quiet and lazy day, and I set my goal practically for the night: Kotor, Montenegro. Though I had never heard of it prior to my "research," it turns out to be another one of those Whatever-You-Do-Don't-Miss-This kind of cities: A smaller, quainter version of Dubrovnik's Old Town- A walled-in fortress, mazes of alleys, ancient buildings. Lots of cats.
Amazing.
 |
| Main Square |
The fact that a place like this exists and is still a living and breathing city brimming with nightlife rather than a carefully preserved museum is a bit mind-blowing.
 |
| The city ain't guarded by no dragon... |
And while I mentally tuned out for the first half of the ride today, I very much took in the second half: The ride around the Bay of Kotor was breathtaking. Ignore the traffic. Ignore the awful "courtesy honks" that motorists feel compelled to give you when they're three feet from your left ear.
 |
| Easy to enjoy the view of mountains when cycling on a flat road! |
Enjoy the beautifully intimidating mountains that surround the bay. Appreciate the flatness of the road that outlines the coast- flatness you haven't seen since Prague. Gaze at the ancient towns like car-free Perast.
 |
| Perast |
And when I reached my destination, I tried to type my blog several times before I gave up. I'm actually writing this the following morning and pretending as if it were still yesterday.
 |
| Said with Christian Bale's Batman voice: "They call me The Green Saddle..." |
Even that's hard to do. There are too many interesting people to meet. Too many conversations you'll miss if you insist on hacking away at a computer when you arrive somewhere.
 |
| Great location! Wonderful staff! Five stars! (they're giving me a discount to say that on my blog, but it's actually true) |
And when one of my bunkmates from the Old Town Hostel (where I am currently staying) approached me an hour ago at a cafe while I was trying to get this write-up finished and asked if he could join me, I happily closed the lid of my laptop.
"Are you working?" he'd politely asked before sitting down, not wanting to interrupt me if I were.
 |
| CHEERS FOR THE BEER, TARA KLINK! |
There's only ever one answer to this question. It doesn't matter how badly I want to update my blog before my memories evaporate, or how desperately I want to get a jumpstart on the day.
Am I working?
"No. Take a seat."
P.S.
Of course I forgive awful typos in non-English speaking countries,
but when it's on a postcard? C'mon!
I comend you to fix that.
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