Fight or Flight in Kotor

Liesel and I just got back from three rainy days in Kotor, at the bottom of the bay of the same name. At its best, when the sun is out, it's pretty spectacular. 

NOT an image I could have taken, this week

This week, was ... not quite that.

It rained every day, limiting our ability to explore, hike, and venture. Still, we had a great time, getting whatever Kotor-related experience we could, while still eating home-made feasts each night (ajvar, beets, cheese, fresh vegetables, fresh bread, olives, roasted peppers, pistachios) and watching all four episodes of Adolescence. I also managed to go to the health club each day — one of the benefits offered by our airbnb host — which was satisfying.

A few stories, over the next few days, but ... let's start with the little adventure I had after my last trip to the the health club, yesterday evening.

The FitStop health club was upstairs, in the second floor, right over a gas station/convenience store. You literally walk into the gas station, walk by the counter, up some stairs, and there you are. It's not the most advanced health club ever, but they were friendly, and they had treadmills, so I could work out while looking out the window at people pulling up over the tanks. Fantastic.

It was especially handy as, after finishing my run on Friday evening, I needed to gas up the car for our drive back to Podgorica Saturday morning, and get some cash at the nearby ATM, So on my way out I stopped at the counter, told the guy I needed $10 worth of diesel, and headed out to get in my car, pull it around, and operate the pump. Once I finished with that I left the car there, then walked over to the ATM to get some money, then came back, got in the car, and headed home.

About 5 minutes into the 7 minute drive, on the main road around the Bay of Kotor, on rain-slicked streets, a small car zoomed around me, slammed on the brakes — all this on the main (though only two-lane) road —put on its hazard lights, and a big figure got out of the driver's side.

All I could think is, "ummmm." Was this one of those Balkan car-jackings/kidnappings fearful Westerners make movies about? On ... on a MAIN street at 7 pm? Should I get out to prepare for a fight? Should I slam the car into reverse and hope there were no cars behind me? What ... what's happening?

As the large man approached my car I recognized him as the friendly gas-station attendant. I opened the door as he got to me — not particularly agitated, either of us, but ... ready — and before he could say anything I said, "but ... but I paid you for $10 of gas, right?" He stared at me for a second, and then his body sagged, and he said, "I'm sorry -- of course you did." I said, "no, I'm sorry -— I thought you saw me gas up my car, but I should have waved or something." He apologized about three more times, each time sticking his hand in the car to shake my hand again and again, while I tried to apologize to him. He explained that they had had a lot of people take gas and run, and he had forgotten about me.

It was all fine. He apologized — stuck his hand in the window again to shake mine — and, with some embrrassment, got back in his car and drove off.

This is another of those stories that is, on the retelling, not particularly dramatic. Still, you can imagine, as a foreigner here, in a rented (manual-transmission) car, a rainy night, small road ... there was a minute of thinking, "well, something is happening. I wonder what it is?"

I went home and we watched the last two episodes of Adolescence over another Balkan feast. Good times.

More stories the next few days. Free pizza, super-friendly cats, expensive hikes up the mountain-side, and more! Now ... back to my new Podgorica home for some dinner and a cheery Netflix show. Liesel heads home tomorrow, and then I'll settle in for the next month here. I can't say I'm excited about it, but ... I'll at least be able to completely unpack and make myself at home.