This is part of the sixteenth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from Albania or read our previous visit to Montenegro  

10/5/10 Entered Montenegro without problems, stamp in passports and check of motorcycle documents. We have been in the country as recently as 2006, just after it separated from Serbia, so decided to move through quickly, staying away from the coastal areas. Previously we have not found Montenegro to be traveller friendly with accommodation, expensive hotels, not many hostels or campgrounds along with the use of the Euro as their currency prices here seem more expensive than other countries in the region. Drove around Podgorica and up into the mountains to see the Ostrog Monastery. The upper monastery dates back to the 17th century and nestles into a cave in the side of the mountain at the end of a long winding road. It was a lovely ride until we discovered the motorcycle's electrical charging system wasn't working. Disconnected the headlight to save power and rode down past Niksic, unable to find affordable accommodation there, and continued to a small village where an enterprising local had opened his small roadside field to camping and had built a few tiny tent cabins, sharing his home toilet and shower, next to a small bar restaurant. Pleased to find anything at this stage we crash tented for the night.

11/5/10 Having diagnosed the problem this morning as the stator (part of the alternator) we pulled the motorcycle apart, removed the stator, which showed overheating, probably due to a short. It was about 15km's back to Niksic and the park owner offered a lift to an auto electrician there. In some of these less developed countries parts are still repaired rather than being replaced and we left the stator to be rewound for a country expensive, but reasonable 55 Euro, unfortunately when we returned to collect it later in the day, with the job finished, it still wasn't working but was shorting out, so it was another night at the campground, with evening drinks at the bar restaurant.

12/5/10 At 8.30 am I was back at the auto electrician's shop not expecting success but he had either worked late or been up early as he had again re-wired the stator, cooked on lacquer, all before my arrival, and it was now working properly. By 11.30 am we had it installed on the motorcycle and were on the road. As with many other breakdowns this one had given us an opportunity to mix with locals. Had allowed us to accept their generosity of transport to and from town while only expecting compensation for fuel costs. Had us view the other side of business, that of being overcharged, at least initially, for poor quality workmanship, but ultimately a good repair, and let us see how a struggling family had become entrepreneurial by opening up part of their home to be shared with visitors paying to camp. With rain forecast tomorrow we chose to leave Montenegro, riding out to the north west, into the mountains and alongside a magnificent hydro lake, through about 40 tunnels, then down alongside a narrow gorge, a great ride after the motorcycle problems. We left Montenegro without border problems.

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