Pristina -- September 9

Most of the day was spent just relaxing around Kotor and fiinishing up laundry. We arrived at the Tivat Airport with plenty of time to spare. The airport is only about 10 miles from Kotor, and although thoroughly modern, it resembled a bus station!

We got some coffee (the first coffee we have had in a paper cup) and chilled before our flight. When our flight was called, we went through security and passport control. We started to become nervous as no one else was waiting for the flight to Pristina. A few minutes before scheduled departure, boarding began. We were amazed to see that we made up 50% of the passenger load. On a plane that seats at least 150 passengers, there were only 4 on this flight. In the US, there is no doubt this flight would have been cancelled. Obviously this meant we had plenty of room for our carry on bags, and also makes us wonder how long Montenegro Airlines will be offering a Tivat-Pristina route.

We arrived in Pristina in less than 1 hour. From the plane, we were surprised by the size and modern look to the airport. We exited the plane to get on a bus to take us to the terminal. The bus drove for maybe 100m and let us off. We were the only 2 passengers going through customs, and a grand total of 2 bags came out on the baggage carosel. Efren got a Kosovo stamp in his passport, but Craig did not. Of course Craig has been worrying for the past several days whether he is going to have problems when leaving the country.

We were promptly met by our taxi driver who for 20 euros would bring us to our hotel. There is an incredible amount of construction ongoing in Kosovo, and the main road from the airport to the city was closed. We therefore took the backroads and arrived at our hotel about 1 hour later. Hard to believe the taxi ride was longer than the flight! We were amused by the fact that our driver thought we were soldiers. Apparently there still are very few tourists in this neck of the woods.

Our first impressions of Kosovo are positive, but it was nighttime so it was hard to see much. However, it was impossible to miss all the auto-related business here. Seems like all we saw were gas stations (very modern), car washes and auto service shops. As we got into the city, these were supplemented by bridal shops, shoe stores, and hair salons on every corner.

We arrived at the Hotel Begolli and were shown our room. Much to our surprise, we had a 2 bedroom suite! Very nice for 50 euros. The decor was a bit dated, but since it was only 1 night, it didn't matter at all. The staff were very helpful and directed us to the restaurant we read about in our guidebook. The name of the restaurant was Liburnia, and although their directions were clear, we soon got very lost. Street names really don't exist here -- people rely on landmarks to provide direction. As we were struggling with the very bad Pristina map in the guidebook, an older gentlemen approached. He realized we were lost and quickly made conversation and offered assistance. He didn't just point the way, rather he walked us to the restaurant and chatted with the waiter to make sure we got a good table. The hospitality of the people of Kosovo was immediately apparent.

Once inside the very charming and traditionally-styled restaurant, we were excited to try Albanian food. The guidebook recommended Teva. We found it on the menu and ordered it (it was for 2) along with a zuccini platter. The food was amazing! And so incredibly cheap compared to what we were used to in Croatia and Montenegro!

After dinner we went back to the hotel and hit the sack. We needed to get up early the next day for our visit of Pristina and the Gracanica Monastery.