I wasn't planning to go to Podgorica. I wanted to rent a car in Belgrade and head straight to Albania from there. But I checked with a couple of local rental agencies, and they all told me their insurance doesn't cover Albania, so I should look for a car elsewhere. Though honestly, I wasn't too keen on it anyway—I'd have to drive through winding mountain roads instead of a nice highway. The rental companies in Montenegro don't have insurance issues. Plus it's closer.

Whether it was Podgorica or Bar, which I stopped by on the way, both seemed pretty dull. There's not much to do, and the infrastructure and roads are pretty rough. At least I was just passing through.

Right after crossing the Albanian border, we suddenly hit traffic. Three kilometers took more than an hour. It would've been faster to walk. And throughout the whole jam, various Roma kept coming up to cars, knocking on windows, and asking for money, water, or food. A lot of the people asking were kids. It looks sad and feels uncomfortable. During the entire traffic jam, I never once saw a driver share anything with anyone.