June 11, 2023
Dubrovnik to Herceg Novi
I had debated about staying in Dubrovnik one more night, but I really wanted to leave on Sunday because traffic is usually a little lighter. I don't know why it takes me so long to get ready in the morning, but it does. So my early start was not quite as early as I thought it would be. I had scoped out the best roads to take out of here yesterday and got some input from some people as well. Thankfully, since it was still early, I had a little less traffic on my climb out of Dubrovnik, but still more than I expected. There were just a couple steep sections that I walked in part to not burn myself out for the day. Despite this, it still took me way longer than it should have to cover the 33 miles. I did take a few longer breaks to rest up as well. Another little problem I didn't catch is that my phone didn't charge up overnight. I was so thankful to find a gas station with seating and a plug so I could get it charged for the day.
So, after I got to the main highway, you know, the one with no shoulder and not a lot of room to spare, it was a steady climb for a couple of miles. I had enough room with the cars, but when buses or trucks went by, even though they all pulled over to give me more space, more like to not run me over, it was still a bit scary. Sometimes if I saw a truck coming, I would just go ahead and stop for a minute and let them go by as it was safer. I will say the views over the coast were pretty awesome!
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I knew from another blog I could get off the highway for a bit by the airport and thought I basically had the ride plugged into RideWithGPS for directions. I got to a point it was telling me "slight right" off the bigger road. A local sitting there told me to keep going straight as it wouldn't go through. So, I listened. The ride was so nice to not be in a bunch of traffic and a little bit more country setting with huge mountains close by. Stunning!
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RideWithGPS couldn't make up it's mind if I was "on route" or "off route" so I was confused as well. I decided to check my map again and saw I should turn off ahead to get back to the highway. That's where things turned south. I turned off and shortly thereafter a cyclist came by telling me there was a group of about 20 cyclists coming down the hill. Okay. Why do I care? I started up the hill and knew immediately, I'd be pushing. It was so steep! Even the pushing was hard. I heard someone say, "We're almost at the bottom" to which I casually replied, "Am I almost at the top?" It wasn't a clear no, but by the response, I knew I had a ways to go. Oh boy, did I?! There were a few switchbacks, but the grade did get a bit better. By the top, I was wiped out and conveniently saw a shut down restaurant with some bar stools to recuperate. I had looked at the map 1/2 way up the hill and it looked like I could have stayed on the main road further after all. I briefly thought about going back down, but decided my best option was to just go the surefire way. I think where the man told me to stay on the main road, there was an alternate route for me that he probably didn't know about. I'll never know.
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After that break, I go just a little further and right before the highway, there's a store. Of course, that necessitated cold drinks and a snack and another break. I then actually had a nice downhill run for a while. Storm clouds were threatening and all I could do was keep an eye on them and hope I didn't get caught in a storm.
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I find a store and stop for another cold drink. As I'm getting ready to leave, I ask if there's a bathroom I can use. They tell me there's a gas station just down the road. And yes, I took another long break as they had a nice picnic area. Maybe all these breaks is why it took me so long today! 😂
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The guys there tell me it's "flat to the border." I knew better than to believe them as my maps showed a climb. It was very gentle at first, but eventually hit 8%. I cycled most of it, but had to push one section going fom patch of shade to patch of shade. This is a main border crossing on the D8 highway. I knew it could be backed up, but I went ahead and cycled past the line. It wasn't too bad and nobody seemed to mind. After all, I'm still going uphill! I quickly got stamped out of Croatia. I knew it was a couple of miles in "no mans land" but asked the customs guy just to confirm. He tells me, "It's all downhill." You could tell he was happy to be the bearer of good news. I suspect I'm not the first cyclist who has been happy to hear this!
Down I went. Quickly stamped into Montenegro and I continue on my way to Herceg Novi. Note to others: you can stay on the pedestrian path down by the water. I didn't know this so mostly followed the road which invloved one more little steep hill. I was cycling it just fine and then mid pedal stroke, my thigh muscles cramp. I could barely get off my bike, but thankfully, quickly subsided. So annoying. And hence, I casually pushed my bike for a while again, just to be sure it wasn't going to all out cramp.
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Found my accommodation, cooled down and showered before walking back to the waterfront area for a bite to eat. It looks like a fantastic place with lots of great swimming spots. I went ahead and grabbed a coke zero at a restaurant with a nice view just relaxing. I don't go to the nicer cafes often because of budget and because I'm by myself. It was nice to do.
Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 509 miles (819 km)
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