You get what you pay for. In the case of second-class train travel in Montenegro, I think you get a little bit less. I paid 2.30 Euros for the trip from Podgorica to Bar. Maybe if I had sat somewhere else, I would have felt like I got a good deal, but of course, I got to share the journey with a local family heading out for a day at the beach. Grandma, mom, little sister, and brother, a little monster who would just not stop kicking my knees and shins regardless of how many annoyed looks I gave his inattentive mother.
You always pay the price for riding on second-class trains. It was a bit reminiscent of the cattle car from Monaco to Nice. Feral people elbowing, shoving, pushing, and trying to find a comfortable place to sit or stand. That was a long 23-minute ride. Podgorica to Bar was one hour. One hour of shin and knee kicks. Why did I choose that seat?
The reason for the trip to Bar was to explore the Old Bar Fortress. The fortress dates back to the sixth century. The outer walls are exceptionally well preserved. Some of the buildings on the inside are also in great shape considering the age and the history of the region.
The fortress would be impressive anywhere, but the towering, rugged mountains surrounding the majority fortress and the Adriatic Sea in the distance make it even more dramatic. I think I spent as much time staring at the mountains as I did at the fortress.
On the way to Bar, the train passed by Skadar Lake. What a gorgeous lake. I need to spend about a month traveling around Montenegro in the future. Skadar Lake, Kotor Bay, and the mountains of the country deserve a much closer look. There are just two things holding me back, time and money. I know there is a magic box out there containing both of them, I just need to find the damn thing. I just need to avoid that bottom drawer. Yeesh.
Rolling Tsuchinoko 