..So after I hopped on my bike in Macedonia, I was riding for 2 hours in cold and rainy conditions (was just too early and still clouded and few raindrops). But at least I made some kilometers and brought me close to the boarder of Albania. I found some small road on the map (and GPS) that would bring me back to Debar, so I was about to take it (it looked interesting and scenic ;). I asked some mining people along the way and they told me, it's gonna be rough. And it was! Another leap of faith to make it up the mountain on a road that looked as it hasn't been used at all! It wasn't so scenic after all, but led through a forest (on top of a mountain) and it got muddy and again I needed to put all my skills to use to keep the rubber side down. Well.. finally I made it over the top and the other side was smoother than expected (there were some houses and I felt "safe" again). From there it was just a stone throw to the boarder of Macedonia. I crossed and took the road towards North that looked the most interesting. I started really early that day, so I was feeling tired when I was getting to Kukes but I still continued. Then later on I spotted a parked Honda Transalp p in the corner of my eye and stopped and turned around. So I met Tom from Germany, who's also traveling on this own and down here for the second time. It was so refreshing to meet another foreigner (even a biker!) and he totally made my day(s). He started in Valbone this morning and told em about a ferry and the Teth-Loop (a place I thought, is a dead end). So pushed by all this good energy, I continued and made about 380 km this day (even got to Valbone and stayed in the place he stayed the night before). Got some good pictures of the bike out in nowhere and finally went to bed early. The plan was getting up at 4 AM and going to Fierze to take a special ferry (a Bus mounted on a boat.. truly the most adventurous Ferry I ever took). So all worked out. I was there in time, the people pushed my bike on that boat (I stopped breathing for a moment!) and then driving peacefully 3 hours down on the dam lake to save some road.. but above all: to have an awesome ferry ride! I met a local guy.. talked about this and that and got off the boat before I knew it. From there it was another 80km to Shkoder, where I unloaded my bike at a campsite Tom recommended me. With a light bike, I headed for the Teth-loop. Really interesting, but extremely challenging and I was a bit late to start it, but wanted to do it all! It was a smart move to drive it counter-clockwise and go for the hardest part first (that took me 5 hours!!). I really was in need for a massage, but after 75km (5 hours of riding!) of extremely bumpy road, I got my massage a ten-fold :P So I had a really intense day of riding.. 280km and quite a lot of them off-road (really off-road!). If you intend to do it, then let me give you the following recommendations:
1. be an experienced driver (I'd like to call myself as one)
2. don't take a BMW 1200 GS (or any other bike that weights 300kg)
3. DON'T attempt if it's raining or recently rained!
4. unload your bike (I made many dirt roads with luggage, but I was soooo happy to be empty on this one!)
5. don't bring your girlfriend or any other passenger along.
6. get enough fuel (and enough water for you)
7. make it your daytrip and start early (not like me at noon :P
8. be sure to have good tires and the bike is working fine (as mine ;)
9. don't check your odometer, as it will seem to not working properly (it takes soooo long to make a single kilometer on that road)
it just took FOREVER to get to Teth, but it's actually a bad-ass ride and some crazy tourists that got here with their tuned 4WD were also doing it. When I felt lost after 1 hour of not seeing any sign of civilization (only doing 15km.. that would take at least 3-4 hours to walk back), I came across a Minivan that told me that I can do it :) Now I'm completely and super done with Albania. Will head to Montenegro tomorrow (after fixing my number plate that fell off during that ride ;) and I'm trying to organize some skydiving, even if it has been 5 years since my last jump (these skydivers are so picky about their trade, even if it's so fucking easy to jump off a plane! :P ..they should try to paraglide.. that is by faaaar more complicated and needs much more experience than skydiving!
So yes.. camping on the lake next to Skodher and getting ready to continue to the next country.
just one day passed, but I feel like writing it all down right away (even if I'm soooo tired and it's only half past eight). Crossing the boarder this morning was very easy.. it's a combined boarder crossing and I didn't even realize that I entered Montenegro already :P Food here is good, but it's much more expensive than Albania (especially lodging). For a moment I got this feeling of being tired of traveling and that I'd like to be home to process all the impressions that I got in the last weeks. I also didn't have a plan for this country and if you don't have a purpose, things mostly don't get as epic as they can be. But then by following the roads that were marked as "especially scenic" on the map, I got my spirit back! :) ..at a certain point, the road was completely gone, except for maybe 20% where some cows were walking past. One more time I was so happy to ride a bike and not to sit in a car. I hold my breath and was driving through the narrow passage, without looking down. There are apparently only 600 000 people living in this country (how is this possible to maintain a working economy?) and a lot of this are just falling apart.. roads, houses.. lot of things lies just in ruins and gives this country a special touch (as I like ruins ;). People are though not so helpful as in Albania, but I feel a bit more home, as they are part of the EU (even if Switzerland is not ;). Just seems more civilized, but also much more touristy! (first I really was shocked.. like riding from Bolivia to Chile). In the meantime I figured out a few things to do and won't be bored here.. tomorrow (let's hope this works out), I want to go on a boatride to an abandoned prison on an island. I've fallen in love with it, since I saw the picture and now just figured out that it's here in Kotor bay. Yes, I made it through a national park to Kotor (where I'm camping out and still paying quite some money for it). On the way to here, I took small roads (really small.. like < 2m wide) and had to be careful driving (expecting a car behind every curve). Then I also passed this Mausoleum here.. didn't go in (golden ceiling and a monument but paying extra for it), but climbed just on top of that hill where it is and the views are breath-taking!! too bad the whole day today was somehow hazy and therefore I didn't get clear shots with my cam (contrast is really bad with this conditions). Right now I'm sitting in a restaurant on Kotor bay and I'm observing a bad ass thunderstorm on the other side of the bay (with huge lightnings :D I figured out where to do a little service for my bike (well.. mainly changing oil and checking tire pressure and chain tension). I'll do that myself, but I'll need some tools to do it.. so all prepared to do the task tomorrow. In Kotor itself is a fortress on a taaaaaall rock that I want to climb, before heading on to Tara canyon (rafting? or at least do the rope-thing across the canyon). Then further up to Durmitor national park and see if I can do little (horseback)riding, before going to Sarajevo. Won't have much time in Croatia and still the skydiving is on my list. Probably do some intense days of riding and in worst case, I sacrifice my buffer days in Switzerland.. it's good to have many plans and ideas. This is was is thriving me for great things.. FULL POWER! :D
Here are a lot of people with RVs (so older generation), but they're actually pretty nice (even if I would have hoped for younger generation). Still had some good conversations and it's nice to share good vibes (as finally, we're all one big family on this planet!)
That's probably it.. will just go to bed right away and then get up (as usually) at 6 AM or before that.
1. be an experienced driver (I'd like to call myself as one)
2. don't take a BMW 1200 GS (or any other bike that weights 300kg)
3. DON'T attempt if it's raining or recently rained!
4. unload your bike (I made many dirt roads with luggage, but I was soooo happy to be empty on this one!)
5. don't bring your girlfriend or any other passenger along.
6. get enough fuel (and enough water for you)
7. make it your daytrip and start early (not like me at noon :P
8. be sure to have good tires and the bike is working fine (as mine ;)
9. don't check your odometer, as it will seem to not working properly (it takes soooo long to make a single kilometer on that road)
it just took FOREVER to get to Teth, but it's actually a bad-ass ride and some crazy tourists that got here with their tuned 4WD were also doing it. When I felt lost after 1 hour of not seeing any sign of civilization (only doing 15km.. that would take at least 3-4 hours to walk back), I came across a Minivan that told me that I can do it :) Now I'm completely and super done with Albania. Will head to Montenegro tomorrow (after fixing my number plate that fell off during that ride ;) and I'm trying to organize some skydiving, even if it has been 5 years since my last jump (these skydivers are so picky about their trade, even if it's so fucking easy to jump off a plane! :P ..they should try to paraglide.. that is by faaaar more complicated and needs much more experience than skydiving!
So yes.. camping on the lake next to Skodher and getting ready to continue to the next country.
just one day passed, but I feel like writing it all down right away (even if I'm soooo tired and it's only half past eight). Crossing the boarder this morning was very easy.. it's a combined boarder crossing and I didn't even realize that I entered Montenegro already :P Food here is good, but it's much more expensive than Albania (especially lodging). For a moment I got this feeling of being tired of traveling and that I'd like to be home to process all the impressions that I got in the last weeks. I also didn't have a plan for this country and if you don't have a purpose, things mostly don't get as epic as they can be. But then by following the roads that were marked as "especially scenic" on the map, I got my spirit back! :) ..at a certain point, the road was completely gone, except for maybe 20% where some cows were walking past. One more time I was so happy to ride a bike and not to sit in a car. I hold my breath and was driving through the narrow passage, without looking down. There are apparently only 600 000 people living in this country (how is this possible to maintain a working economy?) and a lot of this are just falling apart.. roads, houses.. lot of things lies just in ruins and gives this country a special touch (as I like ruins ;). People are though not so helpful as in Albania, but I feel a bit more home, as they are part of the EU (even if Switzerland is not ;). Just seems more civilized, but also much more touristy! (first I really was shocked.. like riding from Bolivia to Chile). In the meantime I figured out a few things to do and won't be bored here.. tomorrow (let's hope this works out), I want to go on a boatride to an abandoned prison on an island. I've fallen in love with it, since I saw the picture and now just figured out that it's here in Kotor bay. Yes, I made it through a national park to Kotor (where I'm camping out and still paying quite some money for it). On the way to here, I took small roads (really small.. like < 2m wide) and had to be careful driving (expecting a car behind every curve). Then I also passed this Mausoleum here.. didn't go in (golden ceiling and a monument but paying extra for it), but climbed just on top of that hill where it is and the views are breath-taking!! too bad the whole day today was somehow hazy and therefore I didn't get clear shots with my cam (contrast is really bad with this conditions). Right now I'm sitting in a restaurant on Kotor bay and I'm observing a bad ass thunderstorm on the other side of the bay (with huge lightnings :D I figured out where to do a little service for my bike (well.. mainly changing oil and checking tire pressure and chain tension). I'll do that myself, but I'll need some tools to do it.. so all prepared to do the task tomorrow. In Kotor itself is a fortress on a taaaaaall rock that I want to climb, before heading on to Tara canyon (rafting? or at least do the rope-thing across the canyon). Then further up to Durmitor national park and see if I can do little (horseback)riding, before going to Sarajevo. Won't have much time in Croatia and still the skydiving is on my list. Probably do some intense days of riding and in worst case, I sacrifice my buffer days in Switzerland.. it's good to have many plans and ideas. This is was is thriving me for great things.. FULL POWER! :D
Here are a lot of people with RVs (so older generation), but they're actually pretty nice (even if I would have hoped for younger generation). Still had some good conversations and it's nice to share good vibes (as finally, we're all one big family on this planet!)
That's probably it.. will just go to bed right away and then get up (as usually) at 6 AM or before that.
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