In the first report, I shared my first impressions of the country and made plans for further exploration.
Money. As I expected, the main expense was the purchase of a scooter. While I initially budgeted about 500 euros for this, it turned out that I had to shell out 750 for the vehicle itself, and with registration and intermediary services, it came to 860 euros in total. I paid the required 120 euros for housing, and it also became clear how much electricity costs. It’s not cheap: 22 euros (10 cents per kilowatt-hour). Grocery stores cost 100 euros, while I spent as much as 78 in various establishments, meaning, again, there is room to save. I switched my phone to a cheaper plan; it was 15 euros a month, now it’s 10. 30 euros went toward clothes, about ten for buses, and 32 for gasoline. Gasoline here is insanely expensive, 1.4 euros per liter, but the scooter consumes very little, and the money spent was enough for me to travel half the country, if not more. In total, I had to spend 1360 euros, and I expect that this is definitely the last month where I have to spend so much. Income during this time amounted to only 280 euros(((
Work at Montelibero. During this time, the company was registered, but I am still not officially registered as an employee and have not received my boravak (residency permit). However, the process has started, so at least I no longer have to pay the tourist tax. Road construction has begun, so I drive there from time to time to monitor the process, after which it may be necessary, for example, to encourage the contractor to act a bit less slowly. Several project participants visited, wishing to get acquainted with the country as part of a purely tourist visit. I was required to meet with them, show them the plot, and generally help them form an impression of the country, if they needed it. This worked out best with Valery Utrosin, who, following the tour of the plot, even decided to buy some more land.
Scooter. In principle, the roads in Montenegro are very good, but riding is still exceptionally difficult: mountains, sharp turns, narrow passages, and rocks can fall from the surrounding cliffs. I fell twice. The first time I got away with a broken mirror, but the second time I was quite badly injured myself; I am currently recovering, and the scooter is waiting for me in Herceg Novi. In the future, I will likely limit my activity to relatively simple roads where my driving skills will be sufficient for accident-free riding.
Montenegrin Medicine. This left the most unpleasant impressions. The ambulance will not come; you have to get to the clinic yourself. Doctors first look not at the person’s problem, but at their documents. X-rays are not available in every city; as a result, I still don’t know if I broke something or just bruised it. Since there are also many complaints about how casts are applied in local clinics, I see no point in paying for an X-ray, as no additional treatment other than a cast is expected in case of a fracture.
Trips around Montenegro. After buying the scooter, their geography expanded significantly. I visited Ulcinj, Ada Bojana, Lake Skadar, drove through the Morača valley to the very headwaters, visited Žabljak and Durmitor National Park, saw the beautiful salt lake near Nikšić, the Bay of Kotor, and Herceg Novi. Although the country is small, it took me 7 hours to get to Žabljak, and these 200 km are apparently the limit of my travel distance. I categorically recommend everyone who goes to Montenegro, even for just a week, not to limit themselves to a single coastal town, but to travel around the country; it is very diverse and beautiful. I especially liked old Ulcinj and Durmitor, but almost every town and corner has its own special charm.
I post detailed trip reports on my paid personal channel — they have little to do with ancap, but they create a nice bonus for those who find it appropriate to fund me.
In a month, I may post a third monthly report, and then I will definitely stop doing this to avoid becoming monotonous.