By William Coleman
So Monday was an interesting day that brought with it some trials, tribulations and some very good lessons learned regarding having the right paperwork to hand when crosstown borders. Especially non EU countries like Albania and Macedonia.
As we left Dubrovnik we headed toward the border to Bosnia. As we left the city we managed to get some priceless views of entire town and I managed to get my shot of Old Town so I can show off to my friends, silly but worth it. With Croatia ticked off of the 21 country list we needed to cross Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and then finally Macedonia to stay on track.
We all knew that this day was going to be a mile heavy day and were not too sure what we should face when we came to the non EU borders. Upon arrival at the Bosnian border the way that your paperwork is checked is is done with a bit more paranoia. They seem to not trust anyone whatsoever, something we faced in Albania and Macedonia.
So when travelling through non EU countries so ensure that you have all of your paperwork ready and more importantly make sure that is it correct. Between the very strong language barrier and odd way of the world in these parts border crossings can be a tad troublesome.
Driving through Montenegro and Albania did present some driving challenges. For example none of the native drivers seemed to worry about over taking up a mountain on a completely blind bend. There were some very close one of which was a miracle there was not a high speed head on collision. Some of the road conditions are a bit hit and miss too. One giant pothole causes one of the tow cars’ tyres to blow out which lead to a late evening rain soaked tyre change.
When travelling through Eastern European countries you really do see the clear line between polity and wealth. We drove past a mansion with 2 pools in the front garden while an old man was being pulled along on and half broken kart by a rather thin look horse. It really is the other side of life in Europe. Driving through the capital of Albania was very challenging as it seems that the rules of driving are not followed that strictly. At one point there were 5 rows of traffic with no road markings whatsoever, things got a little bit Mad Max.
Apart from some questionable driving and off houses the natural beauty of Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania are stunning parks of the European continent.
