Kotor was a great spot to set up base camp for a few days while J and A explored the nearby sites. Kotor lies at the southern end of the innermost arm of the Bay of Kotor. Nestled between the bay and the slopes of Mount Lovcen lies Kotor’s Stari Grad or “old town”. Although this quaint old town pales in comparison to Dubrovnik, the old fortifications stretching up 1200m to the remnants of the Castle St. John make a sensational sight. A and J took the 1350 odd steps up to the castle and were not disappointed. The next morning they rented yet another hot rod car (a Suzuki) just for the day. A drive up the back route to Lovcen National park and the town of Cetinje awarded breathtaking views of the whole bay. Cetinje, the old capital, is home to one of the most interesting relics J and A have come across. Stowed away in the Centinje monestary in a secure and ornate casket is the mumified hand of St. John the Baptist and a piece of the Holy Cross (supposedly). They were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these rare artifacts when the local priest opened the casket. Apparently, this is very rare. Unfortunately, J and A were too chicken to take photos. Next, they travelled back down to the coast to see the very famous Sveti Stefan Stari Grad (which unfortunately has been bought up and is now being turned into a huge resort for the rich and famous) and to lie on the beach. A late stroll through the old town in Budva finshed off the tour and they returned to Kotor to catch a bus to Zabljak the next day. This little tour also yielded one of Jeff’s favorite quotes for the trip. As J and A zipped past one of the many beaches on the coast, Anelia suddenly leaned forward in her seat exclaiming, “there's a camel on the beach! Oh.. nope.. its just some woman.”
Pictures 1. Beach of Sveti Stefan 2. Sveti Stefan old town 3. Budva beach 4. Anelia and St. John's casket 5. Cetinje 6. Njegos Mausoleum 7. Bay of Kotor 8,9,11. St. John's castle walls 10. Kotor's old town 12. Kotor
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