Albania bound

 Up early, with a quick trip to the bakery that robs money from tourists to buy bread.  Check on the fire, nothing you wouldn't even have known it was on fire for pretty much the whole day!! 

Sandwiches made and off we trot to the bus.  You never know how long the journeys are going to be, especially with bother crossings involved.  The bus arrived and on we got after the driver telling us something that we didn't understand.  This time we sneaked our bags on..if they are good enough for Ryan air hand luggage they are good enough for bus hand luggage.  

Sat quite smuggly we are then told we are on the wrong bus 🤣🤣 that will learn us.  So a quick change and we were on our way.  A very prompt start.  We head been told that the buses weren't that reliable but so far so good.  We first stopped at budva and then Podgorica.  The views were incredible, rolling hills, lakes and we managed to sit on the right side of the bus!!! 

We arrived at the border in good time, a policeman came on collected everyone's id and we waited.  Not long at all and we were moved to the next border.  Here we could go to the toilet for free, everywhere else was paying and buy coffee.  We had a longer wait but still all went smoothly.  We got our passports back stamp less and of we went.  I guess it was another 30 to 40 mins and we arrived at our destination.  Where we were dropped off at the 'bus station' or in the middle of a roundabout🤣🤣

A 15 minute walk and we found our hostel.  It was eerily empty apart from an older lady with no English.  We tried Google translate and no joy.  We were showed to a dorm where there was Aircon and WiFi so we just hung out! 

Eventually after messaging the guy turned up to check us in.  He said we had booked a private room so did we want to move.  Definitely had booked a 6 bed dorm and we were happy so we stayed.  Unbeknown to us we paid alot more than the guy that later came into the dorm so that's why I think the guy tried to give us a private room. 

Anyhow we organised some stuff, chatted to the other guy in the dorm who is here to do an 8 day hike across 3 counties.  I could literally only just lift his pack and he was going to carry that for 8 days...fair play! 

After it had cooled down a bit... Like 0.0006 of a degree we headed into town.  The main area is all pedestrianised with lots of little cafes with tables and chairs outside, it has a nice vibe.  The aim was to find a bank, although Albania is in the EU they use lek ( where as Montenegro is outside the EU they use euro!! 🥴) and some food.

We wandered around the most exciting thing we found was aperol spritz for 3€ obviously we couldn't not, but it happened that someone else had already drunk it all..ah well stocks would be replenished tomorrow. 

We found somewhere to eat partly swayed by aperol for 4€!!! I asked for a recommendation as a vegetarian and was told grilled vegetables with feta, right that will do, kezza went for meatballs.  When the plates came out they were like a starter and there was definitely no grilled vegetable in sight.  Although tasty they were just cooked.  

I tried to complain the waiter choose to ignore me.  However the chips were great!! After a ugly conversation with the waiter whos skills in customer service are far and few between we paid and headed back to the hostel.  The streets were now coming alive with more places opening and more people.  Definitely a nice vibe. 

Popped in to the supermarket to pick up some treats and a couple of beers and headed back.  Hung out in the hostel for the evening.  

We have very strange bathroom facilities here.  Our dorm is on the ground floor with a bathroom opposite.  It has 3 showers and a toilet, no doors on any showers or toilet just shower curtains!!! So you have to whistle while you go!!! Very pertuliar...or you can run upstairs and use a doored toilet!!!