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Hilarious! Sounds like some great plans, I’d love to visit that part of Europe. Really looking forward to reading about your time there!
Thanks Ali! The trip begins tomorrow night 🙂
Dude, Bon Jovi rocks! 😀 Totally made my day! Btw concerning you’re post on music and concerts, you should go see them if you ever get the chance. Best live gig I ever saw when they were in Helsinki last summer.
Hey Karo – I remember a friend of mine went to a Bon Jovi concert in Boston a few years back and told me the same thing. Perhaps I’ll end up somewhere where they’re playing and if I do, you can bet I’ll be at that concert!
Hey,
I just came back from Montenegro Study Week; it was my second visit of Montenegro. As it will be very hot when you will be there and it’s a must to go to Durmitor national park on the north. It is fantastic, nature is just bursting – amazing, and it will be chilly (above 1000 m altitude). Places I do not recommend are Budva, Priština – packed, no vision, not nice at all. But when you will be on the coast go to Kotor, it’s a nice tiny town, very beautiful, you can make very nice hike on the fortress any behind the wall with a superb view. Not far from Kotor is a Njegoš Mausoleum – pretty astonishing monument and from there you literally can see all country. On the link you can find some pics I took.
Have a nice trip!
https://picasaweb.google.com/114773468229053434886/Montenegro2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMDx5-ObxvO1cg&feat=directlink
Hey Miha – I’ll definitely be visiting the park and I did plan to skip Budva as it didn’t seem like my kind of place either. With Kotor, I’ll be spending a few days in that town as it does seem to be a nice little place to explore. Thanks for sharing the photos as well!
I’m speechless after this video but still feel the need to comment. Wandering Earl and Duck has a nice ring… does the duck have a name?
Happy travels, can’t wait to hear about the upcoming adventures!
Hey Jes – No name yet, I’m working on it thought 🙂
I cannot wait to read about Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo! Want to get over there so bad. I was only in Belgrade but it was March and there was still snow on the ground. Heard that place goes off riverside in summer. Eat a pljeskavica for me and have a great time!
Thanks Larissa! I’m quite curious about this part of the world as well so let’s see where the adventure leads…perhaps you’ll want to make it over to this region yourself in the near future!
ps – Bon Jovi is my 1st husband. It was love at first sight from 14th row (back in 2010 for us). Just thought I should let you know.
@latinAbroad – That’s acceptable although I think Bon Jovi is many people’s first husband 🙂
Please marry me.
That is all.
😉
¡me encanta estooo!
Aw. I want more nekkid Earl.
Sorry Earl, I forgot to include the name of the video – dammi i colori . Maggie
Hi Earl,
Albania is only as dangerous as anywhere else in the world; I know because I was there!
It is in fact the most interesting country. It is spectacular to look at as most of it is mountainous so everything you do has a backdrop of mountains. The food is absolutely delish……the figs brought fresh from the village each morning are a taste sensation and there are three varieties I bought daily. Eat them with fresh yoghurt for breakfast to start another fantastic day anywhere in the country. With dinner, fresh caught fish and salad overlooking the sea you will think you’re in heaven. Tirana is a fascinating city ……..watch this amazing video shown at Tate Modern in 2003 on the subject of two of Albania’s most famous citizens – Edi Rama ( artist & former Mayor/Tirana ) and Anri Sala artist & friend of Edi) then take your camera for a walk in Tirana. You have never come across anything like this on your travels!
Then there’s the music. Be sure to listen to the most famous song, Ali Pasha and discover the story of the man himself.. It won’t be hard because Albanians love this song and you are never far from a version of it but the best is perhaps a live performance so if you can be there for MARATHONA ………… You will be grabbed to dance as well so get ready!
I hope these few suggestions are useful and have a wonderful time there. Faleminderit!
Hey Maggie – Thank you for all that information and I’m even more excited to reach Albania after reading your comment! We shall see how it goes…
On the blog for my trip in 2011 https://middleseamournfulness.wordpress.com there is a link to my 2010 blog https://middleeuropeanmelancholy.wordpress.com (also 6 months of backpacking in Eastern Europe). I spent 6 weeks in Ukraine in 2010 and 3 weeks in 2011. Fabulous. I didn’t notice you visited BiH. I will have a look at your posts now. I only visited Mostar and Sarajevo last year, but I was very moved to experience those places and talk to locals about the unimaginably appalling time they had during the war in the early 90s. Albania was especially fascinating too. I think its potential for expanded tourism is enormous. Glad I got to see it before the hordes arrive.
Loving your blog BTW 🙂
Take care,
Norman
Haaaa this is brilliant! Loving the personal touch of filming yourself in the bathtub….thankfully it didn’t get TOO personal……
Great to hear that you’re going to some places that I don’t really read about much on other travel blogs, have fun! 🙂
Hey Beverly – Don’t worry, I wasn’t about to go further with this video 🙂 And that’s exactly why I wanted to visit the Balkan region as you really don’t hear or read much about it these days at all.
Hi Earl
Great to hear about your Balkans travel plans. The best part of my trip in 2011 was Bosnia+Hercegovina to Montenegro to Albania to Kosovo to Macedonia to Albania again. That’s high praise because the rest of the trip included Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, Ukraine and Turkey which were all awesome too! I guess it’s because those countries are less touristed and feel a bit more adventurous to me (but probably not to you, having been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan!).
I would also highly recommend visiting the Ukraine some day if you get a chance. I went there in 2010 and 2011. One way to get in to Ukraine from Romania is to walk across the bridge at Sighet which I did last year. I also walked across the border from Macedonia to Albania. That’s my favourite way of going from one country to another! I have lots of suggestions for places to go in Ukraine. If you are curious about details have a look at my blog or email me.
Best wishes,
Norman
Hey Norman – I actually visited Bosnia-Herzcegovina last year and loved it as well, which is one of the reasons why I want to explore more of that region. And Ukraine is also on my list, and I want to make sure I go while I’m still in this region. I’ll have a look at your blog for some details about Ukraine and if I have any questions I shall let you know!
hahaaaa!! So did you enjoy the concert?
*walks away singing “Rubber Ducky, you’re the one…”*
Hey Michele – I had a great time at the concert…in fact, the next post will be about that concert experience.
Ha ha. I never thought I would see a blogger doing a video post from the bath tub. First time for everything! Really think ducky should have a name though Earl
Hey Natalie – I’m working on a name for that duck. I might have to take suggestions on the blog before I leave for the Balkans as I think I might take it with me now!
damn! was hoping to check out that argument with mr duck. tried unsuccessfully to download this video. hey earl.. you got any recommendations on vietnam? i will be spending one month there later this summer cruising around on me scooter.
Hey Jake – Vietnam has a wide variety of places to visit but for me, I particularly enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City and the mountain town of Dalat, as well as Hoi An and Hue, all of which are common places to visit. But I never made it up north, where there are plenty of more destinations worth a visit from what I hear. Buzzing around on a scooter seems like an ideal way to see that country!
Hey Earl- good to hear from you. have gotten recommendations to visit all of places that you mentioned. thanks for confirmation.
additionally.. will be traveling around with my new KELTY pack. ha ha. that is one that you recommended to me. purchased from amazon. hope that i find it as useful for me as it was for u.
Hey Jake – I’m confident you’ll love that backpack as well!
If you don’t mind another opinion, I agree with the places Wandering Earl says he enjoyed most. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was wonderful and the people were so friendly. I stayed in the backpacker district and it was convenient and had lots of cheap accommodations. One thing I would tell anyone going to HCMC is not to miss is the Museum of War Crimes. It isn’t like anything I have seen before and with such a crowd, the silence is striking, as everyone is absorbing and processing rather than speaking. I also took a tour to The Mekong Delta where I did 2 days on a boat with a stay in Can Thao. To be honest, one day on the Mekong is enough. I also did a day tour to the Cuchi Tunnels, which was very interesting and so significant to the history of the war.
I then traveled to Dalat. Not many travelers go to Dalat, but it is in the highlands and is quite a bit cooler than other parts of Vietnam. It is where the summer palace of the former royal family is located and looks very different from other parts of the country. I did a horseback ride in the mountains one day and a tour of the city and the palace the next. It is so beautiful there.
Nha Trang is popular with many travelers, but from what I could tell it is for the partying and the beaches, which aren’t great if you have been to other beaches in South East Asia, such as Thailand. Hoi An was my favorite place and I stayed for a week. This is a town where many people have custom clothes made for them and is also convenient to other day trips such as China Beach and Marble Mountain. Hue is a definite in my opinion. I only had a day there and when I go back it will be a city I focus on.
From Hue I went to Hanoi, which was great too. You can feel the difference there compared to the south, as the people are not quite as friendly (in that they don’t go out of their way, in my experience, to the same extent as in the south). It is a beautiful city and I was more impressed by its architecture than that of HCMC. I was in Vietnam in Dec 2003-January 2004, and at that time there weren’t really cars in the south. Everyone (families of four, pigs tied upside down on sticks, chickens in cages and anything else you can imagine had to be transported) were on scooters. It was nearly a shock to my system to arrive in Hanoi and see all the cars. They even had a highway. I am not sure how that has changed in the country since. I assume things have progressed in the south to some extent.
The city is beautiful to simply walk around. I did see Ho Chi Minh’s body encased in glass (along with his home and some history) while in Hanoi, and I also went to “The Hanoi Hilton” which is actually an old French prison for the Vietnamese during colonization and later a POW prison for the airmen falling out of the skies while fighting over Vietnam in the war. This is the prison where John McCain and many others were held. It is mostly concentrated on the crimes of the French and the history of the Vietnamese imprisoned there, but there are a few rooms dedicated to the Vietnam War and the POWs imprisoned there in that time.
While in Hanoi, a MUST see excursion is Ha Long Bay. I did a two-night tour purchased through my hotel with one overnight in a cabin on an old boat in Ha Long Bay and another in a hotel on Cat Ba Island. I highly recommend finding a similar tour. One regret I have is not getting north of Hanoi to Sappa Valley. Every traveler I met coming south (as I was heading north) that had experienced Sappa raved about it. That is also on my list for when I return. I had a month and traveled from South to North. I am not sure how much time you have, but I came away believing two months would’ve been ideal to really explore and see all I wanted to see without rushing. I hope this helps! When are you going and for how long?
Safe Travels,
Christine
i dont mind.. and thanks for taking your time to contribute. out of the small circle of teacher friends that i have here in asia.. most have been to vietnam. it is definitely must-see destination. i have certainly been given many recommendations. actually this idea was suggested to me by my friend who is living in HCMC.
my trip there is actually coming up real soon. will be there from mid-july to mid-august. leaving one day before expiration of one-month visa. certainly agree with you that i will most likely find one month to be too short of visit.
seems like my trip will be opposite to yours. will be heading north to south. have never heard mention of sappa valley.. maybe that will be my first stop when i leave hanoi. thanks for heads up.
All the countries you’re visiting are incredible
I recommend Zabljak in Montenegro for the amazing scenery nearby as well as Kotor of course. Can’t wait to hear about it!
Hey Lizzie – Thank you for the recommendation…Zabljak is now on my list!
LOL! Nice to see something different on a travel blog! It’s the personal touch with keeps yours more individual too. Have a great time. Looking forward to “following” you.
Thanks Linda! Glad that doing something a little different didn’t turn anyone off from the blog (yet).
Aww ur so lovely lol!
Im looking fwd to this video series. Especially your trip to Albania. I have heard its very dangerous. I will love to hear your thoughts on the country.
You’re goofy. In my world that is a compliment, so please take it as such. Congratulations on your new upcoming adventures. I am so excited for you, and you know I will be following along.
Be safe & happy,
Christine
oops. Didn’t mean to piggy back on this person’s comment, but no way to change it now. 😉
Hey Christine – Goofy works for me 🙂
Hey Michael – Not sure about dangerous. I know several travelers that have been recently and I’ve yet to hear anything like that about Albania. One of my friends just passed through last week and had a great time, apart from the long hours spent on buses just to cover very short distances!
HAHA !!! I love the duck. Not use to watching other men take baths, but I liked the newest blog. Have fun on your new trips.
Ozzy
Hey Ozzy – Well, I appreciate you watching this video and don’t worry, I’ll never go beyond this in terms of nudity!
I don’t know Earl….you’re a little off center LOL!!! But in a good way. Keep it coming
Hey Craig – Ha…I just assume that everyone’s a little off center so there’s no need to hide it on my blog 🙂
Haha definitely different! Also, that’s not what I imagined your voice or accent to sound like at all. You from New Yawk?
Hey Edna – Haha…actually, I’m originally from Boston 🙂
Earl, this video is great! So is your “life as a backpacker”!
You’re pretty good at comedy as well.. I would find myself smiling too much LOL.
Thanks Matt! I really enjoy making these videos and there will be more to come. Of course, future videos will also show a little bit more of the places I’m visiting and will not just be centered around bathtubs.
Everything is great but I just have one question: Do you always travel with the duck? 😀
Hey Mina – I’ve never traveled with the duck but I think I’ll start traveling with it when I go to the Balkans, as long as my friend let’s me borrow it!
Haha, great video man. We’re going to miss you by a month. Our Montenegro stay (3 months) doesn’t start until the end of summer. Next time!
Hey Ryan – When are you arriving in Montenegro exactly? If it’s August I may still be in the region depending on how slowly I move. Let me know and it would be great if it worked out!
Brilliant!! Love the duck! Well done!
I am heading to the Balkans too, but not til mid-August! Have great travels, and I may reach out with some questions as my trip approaches.
Hey Ann – Sounds good…let me know if you do have any questions at all and who knows, if I enjoy the region quite a lot, I might still be there in August.
Where was the argument with the duck? And…..I’ll bet you get dates from this video! LOL.
OMG!
Okay, I can’t decide if I should either…
a) Send you the email of a good therapist I know
b) Unfriend you forever, or
c) Tweet this.
I’ll go with (c). For now. 🙂
(Just kidding. That was pretty awesome. I hope the duck makes a regular appearance.)
Hey Dalene – Much appreciated 🙂 And I think the duck will make a regular appearance from now considering that it seems to be more popular than I am!
Excited to hear that you’re going to Montenegro! I just got back and was utterly BLOWN AWAY by the beauty of the country. Did not expect it at all.
The most spectacular scenery was on the road from Kotor to Tara Canyon, where we went whitewater rafting (highly recommended). On the way, we passed GORGEOUS mountains and fjords — absolutely unreal scenery. Our driver let us stop a few times to take some pics. 🙂 On the actual rafting trip, whenever we weren’t paddling, we were gawking at the cliffs surrounding us.
The town of Kotor was absolutely charming and a good base for the trip. Budva was more touristy and like a mini-Dubrovnik. Sveti Stefan was tiny but had a great view of THAT ISLAND!
I didn’t make it to Durmitor National Park but I heard it’s supposed to be really nice.
Have a GREAT time!
Hey Kate – Thank you again for all of this helpful information. I have no doubt I’ll love it over there and might find it hard to leave and travel to the neighboring countries. The rafting sounds great as does all the scenery…even more excited to get there now!
haha! Crakin’ me up for sure. Those plans sound awesome! Can’t wait to see the photos/video. Cheers mate!!
Hey Adam – As I said on Twitter, I can only thank you for not running away from the site after watching this video!