CAKOR PASS IN JUGOSLAVIA - DIZZYING DROPS, PINK SHEEP AND ROUGH RED WINE, 1976

"Heavy due and mist.  Kids all going to school past camp.  Fantastic views up steep mountain sides.  Very deep valleys, heavily wooded with incredibly perched farms and vertical fields - people tending herds by side of road, lots of carts and donkeys.  Very narrow dusty road, dropping away on my side of the bus in sheer drops!  Kept meeting other buses, looked out of window, so close to edge that couldn't see road at all!

Eventually at top of Cakor Pass, had black coffee and door-stop goat's cheese sandwich.  Then down hairpin bends again to 13th century Byzantine Church.  Peaceful convent beside - two rather formidable ladies in black wouldn't let people in with t-shirts unless covered up bare arms.  Lovely paintings on walls inside - four different churches all together (originally centre for Serbian bishops).

Walked around Pec - not interesting town, but people very friendly and bought fantastic chocolate eclair at sticky cake shop!  Poverty very noticeable; lots of women dressed in Turkish style baggy trousers and white headdresses; men in white caps.

People always waving as bus passes; noticeably more Arabic in features than northern Jugoslavs.  Countryside flatter here, the odd mosque in the distance, pink sheep by wayside, lots of people just sitting around by side of road, many houses seem only half built.

Stopped for lunch by few houses, kids appeared from nowhere when we began playing with frisbies - lovely little boy got very excited about the game.  Great send off.  Unfortunately had to return to hunt for Rob's lighter, but not found.  Paul opened bottle of rough red wine about 4.0!  Few of us had some - felt good on half a cup full!  Ate nuts and grapes with it.  (Nobody is allowed to sleep at the back; the new rule is to shout and nudge anyone who tries to fall asleep - mustn't miss the view or show that had a heavy night before!)

Camping at Skopje - bar and doughnuts just opposite tents!  Little attendant wandering round counting us - even in showers - didn't get away with 23 people!

MONTENEGRO - CHARLES BRONSON AND THE COMFY CUSHION, 1976

[It's a measure of the rough comfort of life on the road that I got excited about big comfy seats in a bar in Montenegro ...]


Mountains and lakes before Titograd with view of Albania in the distance!



THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER, 1976 - Part Two

"Through Montenegro countryside - big thickly wooded hills, green fields, quite poor looking houses.  Again gaping curiosity, but waves too.

Made camp early evening at Ivangrad by the hotel.  Lots of children and voices sing out of the dark now and again.

After supper went to hotel bar - fantastic big seats (Paul, Julie, me, Chris, Nikki, Pam, Neva).  Went down to disco (band playing mostly Greek type music).  Joined by Mark, Rob, Diana, Frances.  Other Jugoslavs latched onto our table.  Never seen so many males.  Charles Bronson looking one asked me to dance (and more besides although he only spoke German!)  Other fat man joined in with belly dance.  To avoid hassle, went and sat down again and pretended was married to Adrian!

One thought Paul wanted to dance with him when told him to move along!  By this time they were getting aggressive - one smashed, accused Frances of stealing his gold chain - (didn't have enough to pay for his drinks).  A bit of hassle with people shouting and conferring.  Paul threatened him with police.  He followed us back, so Fred and Rob took him back to proprietor and with threat of police he left.  We all repaired to the bus for a coffee.  Long chat with Rob - friendly advice, nice to have someone to trust."
River Moraca gorge, beyond Titograd

DEATH-DEFYING DRIVE UP SERPENTINE, AND FRISBIES IN THE SUN, YUGOSLAVIA 1976

LETTER HOME: "we climbed the Serpentine 26 hairpin bends - incredible views - hair raising to meet things on the road ... after a lot of backing (and praying) Geoff managed to clear the lorry - so near the sheer drop that looking out of the window there wasn't even a verge to see between the bus and limbo!  ... luckily we have a good driver else I would have died of nerves!  (He may be the alcoholic's guide to Kathmandu but he's a very capable driver!)"

THURSDAY 7TH OCTOBER, 1976 - Part One

"Lovely morning - ate breakfast on shore.  Met Norwegian on a recuperating holiday of swimming etc.

1st stop Kotor - old walled town.  Parked by old sailing ship. Little market. Lots of little squares and winding allies.  Surfeit of ally cats!  Bought some goat's milk cheese (Paul, Julie, Jan, Rob, Mark and me).

Wound way up Serpentine - 26 bends.  Fantastic view of mountains and sea and town of Kotor.  Across basin at top and then down an even worse road.  Met a double feight lorry coming up - 3 buses, 1 lorry and car coming down.

Stopped at clearing in trees - donkey and 2 women appeared with bundles of sticks on their backs - had trouble keeping them on donkey's back, but animal completely oblivious went on eating grass.
Played with frisbies.  Really quite hot.

Through Titograd then along spectacular gorge with sheer drops down to river - very green and clear - and upwards in great white cliffs.  Jugoslavs very wreckless drivers (as if roads aren't bad enough) - apparently lots of graves along road of not too careful drivers - didn't see any."

THE ADRIATIC - STUNNING SUNSET, STARLIT SWIM, STRONG BEER, CAMP CURRY - HEAVEN! 1976

"DEAR MUM & DAD,
I'VE JUST HAD AN EVENING DIP IN THE ADRIATIC - BEAUTIFUL CALM WATER, MOUNTAINS ROUND ABOUT AND LIGHTS TWINKLING ACROSS THE BAY.  ME & SHIRL (A MIDDLE-AGED CANADIAN WOMAN, A REAL LAUGH) WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO WENT IN - SWAM AROUND LITTLE BOBBING FISHING BOATS, ONE OR TWO STARS OUT AND NO RAIN!

REALLY REFRESHING AND OUT OF THIS WORLD ATMOSPHERE - FOLLOWED BY A REALLY HOT CAMP CURRY."

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 1976 - Part Two

"Lovely view of sunset as drove away [from Dubrovnik] - lights going on in old town; pink, violet and silver blue lights on sea - red ball of fire in sky.
(Passed a couple of accidents on road).
Lovely moon on sea, dark shapes of mountains and string of lights along shore.  (All along coast, lovely peninsulas and inlets and clustered towns on the edge of fingers of land).

Camped near Kotor Fjord.  Swam in dark just few feet from tents with Shirley.  The Adriatic!!  Really great - not as cold as Skye!  Swam around boats, looking across at far lights and ferry. 

Had a beer in the bar beside the camp - quite strong.  Walked down to see what village like - ferry attendants kicking football around - obviously cars have to wait while they finish.  Kicked it back to them, then it missed me and went shooting into pond - so swiftly left!
(Slivovic is the drink here).

DREAMLIKE DUBROVNIK - VIRTIGINOUS VIEWS, OVERLANDER PHOTOS 1976

LETTER HOME:


"Highlight today was Dubrovnic - as good as I'd hoped.  No traffic is allowed inside the old city walls and so it is lovely and peaceful, masses of small allies and old houses.  We walked round the town wall, quite high up and so the views were terrific - some of the wall drops away to the sea, worth feeling a bit of vertigo!"

GORGEOUS YUGOSLAVIA - LOVELY LADS AND STICKY CAKES, and meet my friends the Overlanders, 1976

EXTRACTS FROM LETTER HOME:

"One thing that is very striking to the girls of the group is the positive hordes of gorgeous looking fellas in every town we've been to in Jugoslavia!  Why was I never told?!  (The group by the way is very much over weighted with girls - 17 to 11!  There are three couples and I'm the youngest of the group.  Everyone seems to get on well) ...

There's often a group of us who sightsee together (the card sharps at the back of the bus!)  There's a super Aussie couple, Paul and Julie, another Aussie girl Jan who is friendly with the driver's helper Fred, who suddenly appeared at Paris.  Then there's a couple of nice fellas, Rob and Mark - Rob feels a protective responsibility towards a newly released school girl! and is a real laugh, and Mark is rather exuberant and is always the first to fall over clutching a vino bottle or to dance on the tables! ...

A great feature of Jugoslavia are the fabulous little sticky cake shops!  At one town we were eating these and I smacked my lips and said how much I was enjoying it - next minute the little man had rushed away and got a glass of water!  (It's the custom to have it with the coffee).  The chocolate eclairs, Dad, are out of this world!"

More on the Overlanders novel at: http://bit.ly/bEVp5V

DALMATIAN DELIGHTS - COFFEE, CAKE AND DELICIOUS DUBROVNIK, 1976

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 1976 - Part One

"Up early again - porridge oats for breakfast!  Lovely view out to sea - not raining!

Stopped at small town, posted pcs and had turkish coffee and lovely cakes in small cafe (Me, Rob, Jan and Sally).  I said cakes good and made slurping noises - he went away and brought us some water as a result!

Everyone singing as sun came out.  Lovely views of mountains and coastline.  Stopped by small village quayside and ate sandwiches outside of bus for first time - snotty dog took a fancy to me!

Dubrovnic was fantastic.  No traffic allowed within old city wall.  Walked around wall- very high, lots of photos.  Great view out to sea, then rain came. 

Caught unprepared - sheltered under tree (and in it!).  Then got really drenched coming down from wall.

Wandered around old city - (incredible hordes of dishy males).  Lovely red-tiled roofs, lots of cats, some keen people playing basketball in rain.  Washing strewn everywhere, some very high up on roofs.

Had coffee in front cafe outside walls - very expensive."

YUGOSLAVIA - ZADAR, THUNDER, SPLIT AND SLIVOVIC! 1976

THE RAIN AND PARTYING CONTINUES - YUGOSLAV STYLE ...

TUESDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Grotty shower, drain flooded and muggins couldn't get hot to work.  Up at 6.0 - off in record time of 1 and a half hours.  Down Dalmatian coast, stopped at little town to shop.  Bought carrots at little market - lots of little fat women in black.

Coastline reminiscent of Scotland (Apin and brief glimpses of Loch Bracadale!)  Lovely small hamlets, peasant farming, lots of donkeys (donkey and horse pulling same rickety cart).  Lots of small trees and scrub.

Rain pelted down, thunder and lightning - had to stop while eased up.  Lots of card games (I was nearly hurled off table with the bendy roads!)  People picked at food (and drink) all day.

Stopped at Zadar.  Nice town, old streets and squares, flagged roadways and light coloured buildings.  Part of it for shipping, lots of boats.  (Lovely relief on the walls!!)  Bought booze at supermarket - beer nice.  (Lots of young people milling around - some canny looking fellas!)  Rob dropped his beer on the ground, foaming mass so beer obviously strong!

Stopped at Split.  Saw 3rd century AD (BC for thickies ie Mark) Diocletian Church.  Nice squares, stalls - grabbed by man to buy carpet - perhaps they come together.  Coffee at a little cafe with Jan, Rob, Mark, Paul and Julie.

Camped nearby - pouring rain again - always waits until the tents go up!  (Sang 'Singing in the Rain' today in bus!)  Sitting writing this in bus - Chris just announced that foamies escaping!

Evening in the bus.  Lots of Slivovic and beer.  Ann smashed again, wouldn't leave Geoff alone.  Nikki looking for Chris down the hill, commotion outside!  Man wandering around eyeing bus until all went to bed.  Nikki still insisting she wanted to go down the hill!  Hard core left were Jan, Fred, Rob, Hans, Heidi and me.  Got complaints about noise outside Mark's tent next morning - he was on cooking and so sent to bed early! 

Drank Whitbread Pale Ale!  None left for desert."

IS THIS YUGOSLAVIA OR SCOTLAND? - STUNNING SCENERY, FRIENDLY FOLK AND RAIN, 1976

IN A LETTER HOME: "I've really fallen in love with Jugoslavia, although the rain has been following us relentlessly until today!  It's getting beyond a joke, as soon as we stop to pith the tents, or step out to see the sights, it pelts down.  We've taken to singing 'Singing in the Rain' in the bus and other such optimistic songs! ... The coastline all the way down is reminiscent of Scotland and every now and then I see glimpses of Loch Bracadale and the Outer Isles!  The only difference is the very white rocky slopes of the hills and the little towns - all clustered at the end of peninsulas, lots of re-tiled roofs built in higgledy-piggledy fashion."

MONDAY 14TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Early up!  Made for Jugoslavian border.  Lot of people began to feel rough as journey went on!

At border, exchange lady could have shot us all happily - not too friendly.  Stopped at Ckricvenica for a coffee and shop - horrible coffee, nice friendly people though.  Walked out to small pier - clouding over again.

Coastline beautiful though, lots of inlets, steep chalk terraced slopes, roads winding round them.  Picturesque villages and fairly industrialised ports - a few ships.  People very curious of Swagman!

Made way to campsite.  Near sea, nicely situated among trees, good facilities.  Seemed deserted apart from us.  Someone (Chris) found dead green snake!  Sat in bus talking about films.  Early bed for a change.  It poured at night of course."