As I mentioned in my former post, I didn't write here for a while, so you didn't get any travel news as well.
So... today MONTANEGRO!
Every year some universities in Poland are organising an event which is called " AUTOSTOP RACE"- it means that big ammount of people is trying to reach a specified place in Europe as a destination, and the first couple is winning. When I was starting hichiking I didn't really want to do that. I was kind of an individualist in my travels, even I was always travelling with someone. Races where always too commercial for me. But something happened( I don't know what) but it has changed my mind, so I decided to take part in this event last year. My first decision was to go from Wrocław( ACR) to Dubrovnik, but limit of the places was full after few minutes, and my internet is not the fastest one, so even I was waiting from 11:50 p.m. to sign at middnight- I missed it. Well, yeah, shit happens. BUT! I still had opportunity to take part in other race organised by Politechnika Śląska in Gliwice, and a destination was- Struga in Macedonia, and I have never been to Macedonia before, so it was a great opportunity for me! I asked my friend- Malwina to promise me that she will go with me( well not asked really, I forced her to promise! because it was her first time..). My decision to go to Macedonia was the best choice ever, amazing places, amazing people and new experiences! This race have only 200 places( 100 couples) to take part and it is enough. We were still meeting people on our road, so I can't imagine it with 500 couples! From last year I fell in love with this event, and every traveller should try something like this :) Many people with the same passion travelling to one place, having some small trips around together, partying for few days, and after that coming home... You can feel UNDERSTOOD by people. Travellers who have the same passion. And winning is not important, everything is just for fun( and it is all about luck anyway), no one is in a hurry... chill...
It was a short description about this kind of events in general, now I would like to describe you this year's event. GLIWICE- LAPETANE ( Montanegro) - 1392 km.
On the beginnnig when we made our first 20 steps we saw car crash and the first mind was just like " It is not a good sign!" after that it took us an hour to get to the right place to hitchike. Afterward we were hitchiking in four people- me, Malwina, Paulina- my cousin and her boyfriend Michał in few cars, later we have splited. There were two boys who took us to the worst place ever- motorway, but we didn't stay for a long time, because after 3 minutes Motorway Control has appeared and it was difficult to convince them to take us, but at last we used our bribe- a candy, and in the end one guy was sitting in a back with ledders, security signs and me, Malwina and driver in a front, driving all the time on emergency part of the motorway- 40 km/h. Well, it was fun and new experience. Close to Ostrava in Czech Republic I asked first woman if she can drop us off on the petrol station- and what was a suprise for me when I found out that she's my friend's cousin! Of course she helped us, and we were moving and moving still being closer to Montanegro... In one day we have just got to petrol station behind Vienna, and what a surprise! We met 22 hitchikers from our race! Long queue, isn't it? We started drinking beers and after that we set up our petrol station camping for free in 24 people there( no one kicked us out..) . Me and Malwina decided to wake up at 4 a.m to get out somehow from this anthill of hitchikers, and it wasn't only our idea- we left this station at 3 p.m... After that we had quite a good way, we have also met two girls- Kotlety and Cycki ( Cutlet and Boobs) and from Slovenia we were travelling together, the weird thing which has happened to us, as that we were just walking along motorway to reach a petrol station, and a small bus stop to take us. After few minutes a drivier locked all doors, and Cutlet who was sitting in front saw that he started putting money on her sit and was really afraid what he is thinking about, and what is really happening?! In the end we realized that he was just checking and counting his money to pay for gas. Unfortunately the night has come, it was also raining and fog was really thick, so we decided to stay in a camping in Croatia - 10 euros per night?!?! "THE BEST CAMPING IN CROATIA" no! Don't believe stupid adverts, but we didn't have any choice anyway.. We got a discount for poor students from Poland, that everybody has just paid only 9,37 euros.. In the morning we started hitchiking again and moving slowly towards Montanegro ( meeting amazing people on our way), also meeting problems. What kind of driviers people are if they are drinking beers during driving?! In the moment that they are also taking responsibility somehow for passangers... I never know what to do, and how to behave. I always promise myself that I will be just leaving cars like this, but you know.. sometimes it is just difficult. Few hours later our GREAT 4 has splited and till our destination there were only 2 of us. On our way we met a guy from Croatia who took us to the border with Montanegro, because we were his first hitchikers in his life, and he made 40 more kilometers just for us. We saw many couples on this way, and we were really afraid that we will find no one to Lepetane even we were so close, but after 3 minutes one car stopped and dropped us to the place where ferry was- 300 meters from our camping! The best is that the guy was a brother of famous singer in Serbia. Which place did we "win"? 50! After 3 days of hitchiking, there were still 50 couples behind us..
We stayed in Lapetane from Monday evening till Friday, and it was just a great time, with all the people we were partying, singing, dancing, playing beer games, swimming in very cold water ( as the owner of the camping said- I have opened the swimming season over there :) ) and of course travelling around. We visited two great cities- Kotor and Budva. Kotor is a beautiful city with lovely old town and defensive walls. This city is quite small and enought for one day trip, but it is also one of the best preserved medieval place in Europe. We had there some kind of group sightseeing, a lunch, beer games and after that we decided to catch a car to come back- in 6 people! And we did, when we asked the driver what will happen if police catch us, he just said: I am police. So everything was clear! Our next trip was to Budva, me and Malwina cought a car with rubbles, what was quite funny, because we were sleeping in empty house with rubbles on camping as well ! ( you will be able to take a look at photo later). A driver was an amazing person! Even he was at work he decided to stop in few places to let us take some photos, after that he passed Budva and took us to the place where we could see a beautiful view on Saint Stefan, he also said that he will come back in half an hour and will take us, but it was cold and not a lot of things to do over there, so we went to the city centre with some turkish. The day in Budva was amazing, great marina, brilliant weather and buildings and of course company! If you ever go to Montanegro, please never skip those places! On the photo you will see what I am talking about.
Our stay in Montanegro was full of rain and cold, but who cares if you have amazing people around and opportunity to travel! We decided to back home on Friday, and for a while we couldn't get out from Lepetane, but after 2 hours we did it! Our way was full of meetings with race participants. During first night we caught a track, everything was ok, till the time when driver fell asleep while driving! It was the most scary moment in my whole hitchiking experience! He suddenly woke up, and came back to his part of the road. After that he stopped, didn't say anything, turned off the lights and music in a car and went sleep. We didn't really know what to do, but we decided to sleep there as well, and we tried, but after 20 minutes he has just woke up and started driving. We still felt a bit unsure, and decided to get out when we see any camping. That's what we did. Stayed in croatian camping for a night, with a beautiful idea of breakfest on the beach, which has never happened, because of storm. Later our road was really fast, because in Split we caught a polish car going to Wrocław - 1286km! In the night we got there and got an offert as well to stay in our new friend's house for a night. PEOPLE ARE AMAZING! REMEMBER!
Thank you all for making this trip amazing! :))
