The full Montenegro
Nestled in the mountains of Europe's second newest country, Kotor may be tiny but, at carnival time it's fit to burst, writes Tim Pile
The road to Montenegro from neighbouring Bosnia slices through a surreal landscape of rugged mountains, gaping canyons and cobalt blue lakes. Vehicles edge along precarious stretches of single-lane highway hemmed in by overhanging cliffs on one side and a sheer precipice on the other.
I should be enjoying the stunning scenery but it's hard to concentrate. The bus driver has a mobile phone in his left hand, a cigarette in the right and is using his elbows to guide the steering wheel. Strange thoughts cross your mind at such moments; what if he's calling a mechanic for advice about overheating brakes?
There's a brief pause in the capital, Podgorica, presumably so that our dexterous driver can buy more smokes and top up his sim card. Then the roller coaster begins again. The hairpin bends become sharper; the switchbacks steeper and it's a relief to reach my destination in one piece.
Having expected little-known Montenegro to sneak under the traveller's radar, it comes as a surprise to find the town of Kotor teeming with tourists. Fellow passengers warn that hotels are likely to be full and suggest I look for a "dragon" when we arrive at the bus station.
Either drugs are more prevalent on the Adriatic than I realised or something has been lost in translation. Mythical beasts are thin on the dusty ground but a burly Balkan approaches and asks if I need somewhere to stay.
Well, actually, he just says: "Come."