Cycling trip Southeast: Leaving the EU
The time had come, and suddenly it was there: I had my first stamp in my passport. Thus began my third week.
Day 15 - Mostar - 65 km
I haven't gotten used to the early sunrises yet. So I woke up early, but that helped me realize that today I was leaving Croatia and the EU. And so was the mobile network. So I quickly booked accommodation and off I went.
To avoid major obstacles, I only plan road cycling routes now. But Komoot doesn't recognize roadworks. So, I ended up in one on the first kilometer and suffered my second flat tire of the trip. Again, the inner tube tore, without a hole or damage to the tire casing. A so-called snakebite.
This time the process was much faster. I was able to reach the border from the construction site in 10 minutes and enter without any problems, receiving my passport stamp immediately.
Upon arriving in Bosnia, Croatian flags were still hanging everywhere. All the cafes were also packed. Halfway through, we turned onto a much busier road. My small rearview mirror proved invaluable, allowing me to know which manhole covers I could avoid and which I couldn't, to prevent being hit by traffic. Generally, though, everyone kept a good distance.
While buying lunch at a small bakery, I encountered my next problem: money. I didn't have any Bosnian KM, but thanks to the proximity to the border, euros were accepted and exchanged fairly.
Refreshed, I set off for Mostar for the first time, music playing in my ears. Arriving at the apartment, I did my laundry and met up with the other cyclist from the previous day for dinner. The evening ended with a beer.
Day 16 - Mostar - Rest day
Well-rested, I planned my route on the Ciro Trail, a remote rail trail 140 km to Dubrovnik. Without internet or water for about a day, I had to prepare. I downloaded offline translators, maps, music, and movies.
To be prepared for further punctures, I bought more patches and spare inner tubes. I also stocked up on a basic supply of food.
In the afternoon I explored the city and the famous bridge. It has a very eventful history, and the scars of war are still visible everywhere. In the evening, I met up with the other cyclists again for a good, but too small, burger.
Day 17 - Ciro Trail Part 1 - 71 km
I woke up early, packed everything up again, and had a leisurely breakfast. The first few kilometers out of Mostar were on the busy road, but after 5 kilometers I saw the first Ciro Trail sign: 140 km to Dubrovnik, and I could leave the main road.
The route was well signposted and descended alongside the existing railway line at an average speed of 29 km/h until just before the Croatian border; 45 km had already been reached by 11 a.m.
Further into Bosnia, the Ciro Trail split for the first time into the original route and a road. I tried the original route. Unfortunately, the gravel was too rough, and I got my third flat tire after just 2 km.
I wasn't in the mood to repair it yet, so I set up my folding chair and had lunch. After 20 minutes, the inner tube was replaced. Much faster than the first time (90 minutes). Then I pushed my bike back onto the asphalt and took the steeper road up 400 meters in altitude.
Shortly before the end of the climb, I had to push my bike because it was too steep. There, I met an Australian cyclist coming the other way, who had been traveling for two and a half years, starting from Indonesia. At the top, I treated myself to an ice cream, and the last 10 km were a gentle downhill ride to a lake. I arrived there at 3 pm, marking the halfway point of the Ciro Trail. I unfolded my folding chair again and enjoyed the peace and quiet by the lake. An hour later, the other cyclist from Mostar arrived, and we spent the evening together, cooking and then going to bed early. This was my first night wild camping.
Day 18 - Dubrovnik - 88 km
The first night of wild camping was exhausting. I worried about every sound. I woke up early, packed up, and set off for the nearest supermarket, 25 km away. My water was running low from cooking the night before, but I just barely made it there. A very quiet road continued along the Ciro Trail. At precisely noon, the Ciro Trail abruptly ends at the edge of a settlement on a main road, right at the border back to Croatia.
The descent led to the very busy coastal road to Dubrovnik. Once there, I hid my bicycle among the many mopeds and strolled through the old town. After an expensive but good lunch, I had to cycle back up the coastal road and back a bit to reach my campsite. There I met a Brazilian who, after cycling through South America, was now crossing Europe and on his way to Japan. For dinner, I had a good pizza by the water.
Day 19 - Budva - 84 km
Well-rested, I continued along the coastal road to Dubrovnik Airport. There I joined the Ciro-2 trail to Montenegro. The road isn't paved here, so I took the quiet parallel road to the border. There was a scenic border crossing on the coast along the way, but due to a headwind, I stayed inland. Crossing the border took a while, but it was straightforward. I took a break on the waterfront promenade after crossing the border and immediately noticed that, unlike in Dubrovnik, the tourist season hadn't yet started.
The waterfront promenade turned out to be the continuation of the Ciro Trail when I suddenly found myself cycling through a railway tunnel. Shortly after, I reached the ferry to the Bay of Kotor. Free for pedestrians and cyclists.
I didn't visit Kotor and headed straight for Budva. It started to rain, so I stopped for a coffee break. They didn't have any Coke. I thought it had stopped, but a few minutes later, back on my bike, it was raining again, and the road turned into a construction zone. Traffic was barely moving, and eventually the asphalt disappeared, leaving me to ride through mud. After 15 km of roadworks, there was another steep climb, and I reached Budva.
The landlady didn't speak German or English, but showed me a garden hose to wash the bike and gave me a towel to wipe off the worst of the dirt.
Day 20 - Budva - Rest day
Well-rested, I used the rainy rest day to do laundry and briefly explored the old town in the afternoon. I also planned my route to Thessaloniki to arrive in time for my family's beach holiday.
Day 21 - Bushat - 99 km
To make it to Thessaloniki on time, I had to make up a day and woke up early, but well-rested. So today I had to get as far as Albania. There was traffic on the coastal road, but it was manageable. Nothing particularly interesting happened. A few kilometers before the border, I left the coastal road and headed inland. Shortly before a roadworks section with a long wait, I met an Irishman who had been cycling home from New Zealand for the past six years (with breaks). It was a very interesting conversation, and the only one I had that day.
The border was busy, but this time I pushed my way to the front. I joined two German motorcyclists. Shortly after, I was waved over to the pedestrian crossing, along with a local cyclist. We were simply waved through without any checks. Since it was a combined border control, there was no separate entry process. Unfortunately, it then started to drizzle.
From the border onwards, the terrain was flat, and I managed to cover 99 km to a campsite a little south of Shkodra. It had stopped raining by the time I arrived, but there was still a breeze, so I found the only sheltered spot. Unfortunately, this was right next to a lit path with pedestrians walking from the hotel to the restaurant, passing directly by.
Conclusion
Week 3 was very exciting. Four countries, three of them new to me. It was also my first experience cycling in the rain and arriving completely soaked. I'm really looking forward to Albania and North Macedonia. More on that in the next blog post.
