A kind Bato dropped me back to the Bar station first thing, ready to catch the 9am train back to Belgrade through the Tara River Gorge. This time I changed seats in order to get the seat that had the windows down. Crossing my fingers that no one would have it reserved. The train left right on time. I was able to take pictures of the bays that we had gone to on the boat trip. The first stop saw people getting on, and oh dear they wanted the seats, but it turned out they were a russian family with the same idea of taking photos of the trip back. We were lucky that no one else wanted them and we made the most of the seating.
It turned out the son could speak english so we were able to enjoy a conversation of sorts.We all enjoyed the fact that we’d jump up to get photos only to find that there was another tunnel to go through. I really enjoyed their company, the first russians I have been able to relate to and it was a delight. Unfortunately, they got off the train after the canyons, but it was with cheery waves and much smiling we said goodbye. The Tara river canyons are the deepest in Europe, and have a UNESCO world heritage cover on some of the park,in Durmitor National Park.
The canyon was all I thought it would be, the cute small village turned out to be on a cove off of Lake Skadar , a huge fresh water lake that belongs to both Montenegro and some of Albania. A charming cove partially covered by the water lilies that I had seen. The train also tracks across Herzegovina and Bosnia briefly so I can truthfully say I have been there as well. I am fascinated by the people mostly men that stand up straight and watch the trains go by. I gather they are probably rail workers keeping an eye on the trains as they go through. They are usually next to a small house in out of the way places. That has been the case since I have been in these countries. Some even wear a peaked cap.
Instead of having a dining car or coffee trolley they had itinerant sellers that come through the carriages saying they have drinks of various sorts. mostly beer, water ,coke or a cola of some sort. They get on at the stations while the train is stationary and off as it leaves. This trip there was a guy that stayed with the train the whole time dishing out coffee as people asked and delivering to their seat on a small tray!