Day 13 - Friends and Killers on the road!

On the road I met a fellow cyclist Daan from Amsterdam who is cycling to India in aide of an Orphanage, we exchanged gifts and stories from the road and set about getting his bike into good order... his ten speed system was working as a seven speed but clunky and slow after the rains, team effort, a little elbow grease and we had it sweet once more :D

Over the border from Albania to Montenegro. Roads immediately deteriorate but not as quickly as the driving... only had a short ride into the nearest big town 'Bar' and was expecting a warm reception as before but could not be more different! En route suffered many near misses, was hit by a truck pulling a 'punishment pass' and clipping the front pannier and finished a Km outside town by being run off the road with a 'killer Muppet' doing c80mph on the wrong side of a blind bend using the tarmac all the way to the edge on my side. After this I hobbled the broken bike to the nearest hotel Garmin could find, enroute I stopped to switch shoes as walking any distance in cycling shoes is slow and uncomfortable. However after being harangued by Kosovan's ogling my kit for the second time I gave up on opening my panniers and marched head down to the Hotel. Once there I had a little dinner in my room courtesy of my friend Sungwan (Day 4), and had an early night nervous of going out for dinner or socialising.

Thanks Sungwan the Sergeant 'Prescott' dinner, it was super spicy and great pick me up after a tough day :)

Next morning I plotted my escape from this unpleasant little country, the only time I have planned the route elevations and all...