Pirates of the Adriatic

It’s difficult to tell the location of this town but for the pleasant salty breeze off the Adriatic Sea. The call to prayer from the many mosques in town takes turn with the tolling of bells from the church in the olive grove next to our house. Our view over the town and sea is magnificent, beaten only by that of the churchyard cemetery which overlooks a rocky crystalline bay so clear that the dead could watch fish swimming fifty meters below.

The cemetery beach appears to be off limits as there is no way down the steep cliffs, so we walk a bit further where a ravine descends to another rocky beach.

The town surrounds a sandy bay and another ten kilometer stretch of sand begins a few miles from town, but I prefer the rocks. The water is clear for diving here and rocky outcrops are the perfect platform from which to jump into the sea. I promptly do just that and break my mask on impact. Jump blind or risk losing mask or glasses: this is the dilemma for the nearsighted jumper.

Our travel life is a bit different now. Until recently it was just us: glasses guy, Cambodian girl and our two kids, ND and NG. As of two weeks ago, my father is also along for the ride. And he wants to jump off the rocks as well. At 78, he still wants to keep up with us young folks. He climbs up the rocks, slips a few times, scraping his knees, and then does a belly flop into the water.

We recover with a cold beer in the shadow of the old walled city built on a rocky ledge above the sea and cemetery. Ulcinj is a multilingual city in Montenegro near the Albanian border and it’s difficult to figure out which language to order in as half the town seems to speak Albanian and the other half Serbian. I can proudly order a beer in both languages, so I do so and the waiter answers me in English.

Ulcinj has been a town of mixed ethnicity and religion for much of its 2500+ years of history. It’s most known, however, for being the pirates nest of the Adriatic Sea as it was for a significant period of time. Pirates based in Ulcinj raided ships and towns along the coasts of Dalmatia and Italy for loot and hostages. There might still be a few loose gold coins hidden in the sand and rocks, but I will have to wait for a new dive mask to find them.

The remains of a slave market still exists in the old walled city, where pirates once sold slaves that were not ransomed. Although much of it is in ruins, the old city maintains the feel of a pirate town. Rusty cannon balls are piled in a corner of the fortress and a few more appear to be scattered around randomly. The castle walls are so thick that embrasures appear as tunnels peering down to the rocky shoreline below. Hotel Pirate, a stone building on the cliff’s edge, is so atmospheric that it could serve as an actual hotel for pirates in a Hollywood movie. As we wandered by, I felt as if I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a pirate stumbling out the door.

It’s a pleasant town, but the real beauty of the region begins at the edges of town where to the south begins a cliff side walk through pine forests along the coast and where to the north a path takes us through farms and olive groves to a magnificent bay.

Tola and I hike a couple hours to the bay where within minutes of arriving she notices some fishermen pulling their nets out of the water and buys up much of their catch. I can’t say I’m as pleased as Tola with this treasure I’m a little reluctant to hike back carrying a number of flopping sting rays, squid and moray eels.

The problem is solved when we are invited by the fisherman to eat at the nearby lighthouse where they cook up the catch and serve wine and spirits as if we are at a 4-star restaurant. It is hard to imagine meeting more hospitable people.

With its crystal clear waters, beaches, nature, food, history and friendly people, this region of Montenegro is a real treasure chest. Even without the pirates.