We woke up to sunshine this morning but sadly that didn't last very long, and it was really chilly. Almost had to ditch our shorts!
There is a ring road that starts from Zabljak, the Durmitorski Preston, and climbs to over 1,900 meters at Sedlo Pass. David had warned me that it would be challenging and he wasn't joking. The road is really only a single line and seriously windy. The local drivers are crazy and drive incredibly fast, considering the road conditions. We got part way up on the 'good' road, before having to turn back because of snow - turning was a challenge in itself.
Once we had negotiated our way back down, we went to the Black Lake, which is supposedly one of th highlights of the National Park. It must be spectacular on a fine, calm day, with the reflections of the surrounding mountains. Sadly today it was cold and the cloud cover was low. We had to pay for parking and the guy collecting the money tried to charge us double, until we challenged him. Even then, the receipt he gave us was less than the five euros we paid - guess it's one way to make additional income from the tourists.
The decision was made (not necessarily unanimous) to drive from the other end of the Durmitorski Preston. I thought the earlier drive was scary but it had nothing on the second part. There was honestly nothing between us and the plummeting cliffs, especially when trying to avoid oncoming traffic. The views were spectacular, as were my anxiety levels! We didn't go to the top but what we did see some amazing vistas.
Heading South-West, we drove over more mountain passes and through beautiful valleys. Lunch stop was beside the Tara River, with its incredible clear aqua coloured water. The area around it is obviously a popular tourist destination, with a zip-line, rafting and various other adventurous activities. The bridge across the river was having some serious work done on it and was controlled by traffic lights. When we crossed, we were dodging the workers, tourists and the massive amount of scaffolding erected over the middle of it. OSH would have had a field day in New Zealand.
Berane is our stopover for the night and was where our previously booked accommodation had a fire and we had to change plans. We had chosen this area because there are a number of national parks nearby, but when we arrived, it just seemed like a large and very grim town. After going for a walk we realised that it isn't nearly as grim as first thought and the river Lim flows through the town, though one of the poorest areas in Montenegro. A lot of the local industry has closed down over the past 15 years and agricultural production has decreased as well.
Thankfully the host of our apartment sent us video instructions as to how to find the place. Not convinced that we would have been successful without them. It is in an apartment block that looks seriously dodgy from the outside, but is absolutely beautiful inside. Probably on of the nicest places we have stayed during these travels, which is a real treat.
As we travelled away from the mountains, the weather has improved and is significantly warmer. Our puffer jackets are packed away ready for our return to London, later in the week. Apparently there are bears in Montenegro but we haven't seen any. David assures me that it is a good thing.
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