Impression – The magic trees of Biogratska

Got off the train in Kolasin, Montenegro and immediately stunned by the view on the mountain ranges.

Almost missed my stop because two kids age 4 and 5 were teaching me serbocroatian (montenegrian?) while playing memory on my laptop, and having a chat with a young guy about what happens to “west-balkan” refugees in Germany. I wasn’t too positive I’m afraid. The whole wagon helped me drag my stuff together and get off the train in one piece, and with my backpacks packed & closed tightly 🙂 (luckily after delivering the stuff in Belgrad they were a lot emptier & lighter).

First day I hiked in Biogratska National Park. A forest untouched by men for 600 years, with many magic trees.

Trees like towers, tree stumps with lots of spiderwebs which make a beautiful sight in the last rays of sunlight. Some lost EU-financed project: and observation tower which was not officially accessible (and the view was actually not that spectacular.

So I go UP those mountains. I can’t help myself. If I see a mountain, everything in me urges to go UP.. UP.. UP…  And end up with coffee at a mountain hut near the top of Mount Bendovac. If I had known before of this “eco village”, I would SO loved to sleep in these little mountain huts, and then, hike on to the next mountain over the high valleys. The last few meters up to the top of Bendovac itself, I kept telling myself, up a Berlin staircase to the 4th floor is worse…
The sun is slowly going down, I always slightly miscalculate. So I leave. I look back at Mount Bendovac while doing a quickie around the center lake, realizing I was actually up there. But I made it down before dark, where I got a ride from a ranger back to civilization.

Back at the guest house, there’s a montenegrian kitty waiting. She blatantly puts herself in the door of the house where I sleep. She can. and WILL not be avoided or ignored. Her meow is… well…somewhere between ear-piercing and very demanding. Yep. She owns me and every other guest. My companion at breakfast & late at night after hiking. How come the freaky cats always pick me.