Today was going to be one of my most unique and unforgettable experiences in all my travel adventures. As mentioned, I hadn't had much success finding online information about how to get a bus for onward travel out of Novi Pazar to Pristina Kosovo.

My hotel had assured me yesterday I had a reservation on the 1pm bus and when I went into the agents office by the bus station they told me the same thing, to come tomorrow, and pay the driver.

I checked out of my hotel by 11, went for a donar for breakfast and use up my Serbian coins, and went in the direction of the bus terminal. Today seemed to be a Sunday market everywhere as lots of people were selling all kinds of odds and ends.

At the bus station I was an hour early. I didn't know where I was supposed to get this bus so just waited. An older lady came up to me and spoke some English. She told me she had been to Toronto, is Turkish, and lives in Sarajevo, as best I understood.

Then another guy came over and spoke some English. He told me his brother has liver or kidney problems and could I give him some money to help. I looked at the other lady who shook her head saying no.

I tried telling him my money was packed in my bag so he stood there waiting. So I found a 2 euro coin in my pocket to make him go away.

Then another guy who was British asked me about the Pristina bus and I think we were taking the same bus. The first guy came back and used the same story about his brother needing money (so why are you hanging out at bus stations?) and the British guy told him no before I had a chance to warn him about this guy.

1230 an Ozlem bus pulled in which was our bus company. He started saying Skopje which is in Macedonia so we didn't know if a second bus for Pristina would come or would he stop on the way

It wasn't a full size bus but more like an airport shuttle van. People rushed to the back and packed their luggage in. I wanted to check this was the right bus before I put my luggage plus I had big cases.

I tried asking Pristina or telling him that I had a seat reservation on the 1pm bus but he wasn't interested. Eventually a woman who spoke some English spoke to me and the British guy and said she was going to Pristina as well. She tried telling the guy I had a seat reservation but by this time the bus was already full. Even if I could get on there was no room for my luggage.

A guy that had tried talking to me before was apparently looking for people to take to Pristina in his car. We asked the lady to ask him how much and he was charging 7 euros same as the bus. I was wandering if it was safe, if his car had room for our luggage, or if he would break down part way.

I told the British guy I'd go if we went together as its safer, plus this lady can translate if she comes with us. As there was no way we could get on the bus the three of us went towards his car. What happened to my seat reservation my hotel and the bus company had assured me of?

He didn't have much room for all of us and luggage although it would be a tight squeeze. The British guy had gone back to try to get on the bus which didn't seem possible so we called him back.

Then he was telling me this didnt feel safe and he didnt want to get in their car. He thought the lady was working with them. I thought it was innocent as she had her own luggage and its not like people come to Novi Pazar that they would know to pull this trick on tourists.

He was firm he was not going in their car and I wasnt going to go alone. So we left and decided to try to ask a taxi and split the cost. He was talking about staying overnight and trying again on a bus tomorrow but I couldnt do that. I tried to push him into going together and splitting the cost as I cant stay another night here.

I'd guessed if it was 100 euros that would cost us 50 each. He still wanted to go back to his hotel and speak to the lady there who spoke good english to get advice. I didnt want to goto his hotel and if we were going to ask a cab driver lets just ask one now to find out how much

The first one we asked said 70 euros which was cheaper than what I had budgeted so that would be 35 each. The British guy tried pushing for 50 euros but the driver was firm on 70. I was fine with 35 each and it would be much more comfortable in a private cab than had we tried to go on the bus.

Then began a strange ride of driving round and round in Novi Pazar. I mentioned to the other guy we do know the difference between Novi Pazar and Pristina in case he's trying to confuse us, say we're in Pristina, and ask for 70 euros.

Then we went to his house as I think he needed documents to cross the border. Then I think his dad got in the car, maybe to give him directions, or to vouch for him at the border.

Anyway, we finally left the city and were heading in the country. Then they pulled over to remove their taxi sign, maybe to avoid problems at the border and we drove off again.

Suddenly they asked for our passports and we were at a checkpoint. There were no signs before as I guess since Serbia doesnt recognize this border and considers it part of Serbia there was no indications on the the Serbian side that a border was approaching before we reached here

After checking our passports which they didnt stamp, they wanted to check our luggage in the back. They wanted me to open both of my large bags which I had packed a special way and put extra straps on outside as the case is slowly breaking so I need it last till I get home.

I dont know if he was looking for guns but he emptied half the smaller case on the road. Then the cab driver was telling me to quickly put it all back as another car had pulled up behind us.

Bizzarely we had now made it to Kosovo after all the problems from the bus station. I still think the people offfering us a ride might have been innocent but maybe I'm just too trusting. Its better to pay the extra money to be on the safe side and I told the British guy we wont even remember the 35 euros by tomorrow.

At first it didnt seem like another country and was just like Serbia. Then we started to notice better road conditions and buildings in a better state of upkeep. I guess a lot of EU money has been flooding in and its easier to prop up a small country like Kosovo than a larger one.

There were lots of Serbian flags so we must have been in the Serbian enclave where the Serb minority now lives. We went thru another Police check but they didnt check out passports or luggage, and later a KFor check which is the Kosovo Forces Run by Nato

We passed thru the divided town of Mitrovica but we didnt see any of the army of the tanks dividing the Serbs from the Albanians along the river in the centre.

As we neared Pristina they asked what hotel we were at. We were in different hotels so we tried giving the names but they indicated they dont know Pristina.

Then they saw a big hotel and offered to drop us there. We said no, take us to the city centre and we'll figure it out from there. They kept saying they dont know Pristina

They dropped us on a road we think was near the centre as we tried to get our bearings. Turns out we were not that far from our hotels so began to head over.

Finally I'd made it to Pristina after not knowing up until the last minute if I could even make it out of Novi Pazar. I've never had a bus or border experience like that. I hope there are no small buses like that again as I'll have problems with my luggage, and I will never travel that route again.

I'm lucky I met the British guy or not sure what I would have done if I was stranded myself with all my luggage. Although lots of buses connect to Novi Pazar getting a bus out can be problematic. The easiest way might be a bus back to Belgrade.