Montenegro: Kotor

Kotor, Montenegro: a tranquil scene
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Thanks to the wonder of Dubrovnik, Kotor had a tough act to follow.  Further, since Croatia was sensational overall, Montenegro had to step up.  Well, it did.

Montenegro held their referendum on independence from Serbia on May 21; it was narrowly approved and Montenegro declared independence on June 3rd.  They became the 192nd member state of the United Nations on June 28, becoming the newest country in the world, the fourth least populated country in Europe, and also the world's smallest slavic nation.

The World's Newest Country

Kotor, Montenegro: view of the gulf from the castle
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We happened to be one of the first batch of tourists to visit newly independent Montenegro, since our visit came a mere nine days after they joined the United Nations.

The first impression of Montenegro was not good.  After receiving an unimpressive passport stamp at the Croatia - Montenegro border, our minibus took us through Herceg Novi, a commie-looking seaside city.

What we didn't know was that, according to my Serbian friends, Herceg Novi had the hottest nightlife on the Montenegrian Riviera.  Guess we missed that sweet action.

Kotor, Montenegro: local kid on a deserted alley
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However, Kotor could not have been far behind.  Once we neared Kotor, our bus took us around the numerous twists and turns of the Gulf of Kotor, commonly referred to as a Europe's southernmost fjord, but, in actuality, is a submerged river canyon.  Not that I know what the difference is.  All I know is the views of the gulf were sick.

Once we arrived at the ghetto-commie bus station, positioned next to a shelled out seven-story factory, we decided to follow a pleasant (and not pushy) old man to his home in the old town of Kotor, yet another example of a UNESCO-protected city.  En route to the old town I was excited to get a blurry pic of two guys crossing the busy main street with a pig carcass on a stake.  Yum yum yum!

Kotor, Montenegro: our seashell girls
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Our room, situated in the last alley next to the 1000+ year old city walls, was delightfully rustic, not to mention huge.  There was a vintage commie bathroom, a huge bed, two killer comfy chairs, and a sweet toy rifle.  The bathroom left much to be desired, but that was not unexpected, especially being in Montenegro, which is still a few years behind the infrastructure and conveniences of Croatia.

Kotor has about 13,000 residents, including an unlimited amount of supermodel-like females.  Its history dates back over 2000 years and changed hands between numerous invaders, such as the Venetians, the Kingdom of Hungary, the First Bulgarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and more.

Kotor, Montenegro: me and my gun
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We wandered around the quaint alleys and cozy squares, populated by numerous churches and pizzerias.  We purchased some seashells from three adorable girls near our room who were beyond excited at our purchase and the subsequent tip.  However, our attention swiftly turned to the imposing castle WAY above the old town.  Apparently you can walk up to the castle along the city walls.  So we did.  And we were hurting.

Halfway up was an orthodox church with excellent views of the gulf, but, as we continued on, huffing and puffing, we were treated to sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, some of the best panoramas I've ever encountered.  We made it to the top and entered the castle via a footbridge that was missing a large board enabling us to see straight down a long way.  Very Eastern Europe.

Kotor, Montenegro: orthodox church near the castle
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The interior of the castle was slightly freaky, but the views above the castle walls practically made the entire trip worth it.  After our exhaustive trek back down to the old town, we wandered some more, admiring the simple life of the old town.

The summer festival was beginning that night, so we took a seat and checked out a bunch of teenage girls doing their best hip-hop moves.  It's safe to say they won't be appearing in a rap video anytime soon.  The town was absolutely packed to the brim.  Everyone was enjoying the various performances and getting ready for the crazy nightlife to begin.

Kotor, Montenegro: me on top of the world, or something similar
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Rachel wasn't feeling up to going out, so I was on my own.  It wasn't an early night.  I made my way through the various squares, filled with outdoor bars and huge crowds of young people.  I went outside the old town and wandered along the waterfront as I ate a delicious bag of freshly popped Montenegrian popcorn.

My final destination of the evening seemed to be the most popular outdoor bar in Kotor.  In all of my travels, next to Iceland, I can't think of another place with more beautiful girls.  Absolutely stunning.  Almost every girl that walked by could have been a supermodel.  So I think I'm going to start a model agency based in Kotor.  You'll see.  Anyway, I was standing at the table, drinking a fine pint of Niksic (Montenegrian Beer) when my waiter started talking to me.

Kotor, Montenegro: old town from the castle
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He could not understand why I was in Kotor, drinking alone at his bar.  I told him Rachel was sleeping and I wanted to sample the nightlife.  He then basically told me he was going to introduce me to his friends at the next table so I would have people to talk with.  And he actually did.  I had a great conversation with two Serbs, one of whom, Slavica, was a reporter in Novi Sad, Serbia.

The company was great; I got to ask lots of questions about Serbia and the rest of the former Yugoslavia and I also got to admire their impressive English skills.  We ended up partying into the night, with my arrival at the room coming around 5 a.m. or so.  Kotor rocked the house.