podgorica’s morning haze and the existential crisis of my running shoes

so i woke up this morning to a sky that looked like someone spilled gray ink over everything. 11.42 degrees celsius out, which is like being hugged by a fridge that forgot it had a blanket. i’m a marathon runner, so i guess i should be outside, but my body just kept wanting to bury itself in bed. walks are fine, walks are good, but the idea of running 5km felt like trying to sprint uphill in a carpet. weird.

anyway, here i am in podgorica, where the streets are less like a city and more like a puzzle someone forgot to finish. last night, i heard someone say that the central square’s fountain ‘sings’ at night. i think they meant it drips. or maybe they’re speaking metaphorically. either way, i tried to strike up a conversation with a squirrel. it laughed. or maybe it was choking. hard to tell.

could be useful? probably not. i couldn’t even find it on the map. podgorica’s GPS has a brain smaller than my motivation.

i took some photos with my phone. first one is basically the city as a giant concrete burp. brown buildings, some weird green stuff growing on them, and a river that looks like it’s arguing with the concrete. the second pic? a sunset over the river. or maybe a reflection of my despair. i’ll let you decide.

but here’s the thing. i kept checking the weather app. it said 11.78 max today, which is warmer than the previous sentence’s emotional temperature. i just checked and it’s… there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i don’t. i prefer when the weather cares. like, ‘hey, it’s cold, come inside.’ but podgorica’s just like, ‘nope, enjoy this existential blankness.’

neighbors? well, there’s a guy down the street who yells at his dog to stop eating the mailbox. i heard this from a tourist who was obviously too drunk to remember much after 2am. but it’s true! the dog’s name is igor, and he’s a hero. or a liability. i lean towards liability.

then there’s the bar next to the market. some locals told me that the bartender knows every secret of the city. or maybe just every secret of the espresso machine. either way, i asked about the ‘best view of the city,’ and he just handed me a cup of coffee that tasted like tears and mud. but hey, it’s podgorica. expect the unexpected.

reviews or gossip? i heard that the old cinema is haunted by a guy who plays blackjack on loop. didn’t believe it at first, but then i saw a seat with a chip in it. maybe that’s just a chip. but what if it’s a portal? what if it’s a portal to a better version of me? ask a local, they’ll say you’re overthinking. which is probably true.

oh, and don’t miss the local folklore stores. i saw a sign that said ‘ghost stories for sale, 5 euros per tale.’ i bought one. it was about a barber who sang opera in the 1800s. didn’t really make sense, but it was cheap. and i’m here for cheap.

if you get bored, podgorica’s neighbors are just a short drive away. like, kotor’s beaches or something. i didn’t actually plan to go, but now i’m Googling bus schedules. maybe i’ll run from there somehow. don’t hold me to it.

anyway, here’s a pro-tip: when you’re in podgorica, always carry a sweater. and maybe a sense of humor. because this place is like a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside a damp jacket. and the jacket’s falling apart. but you know what? it’s working.

also, someone told me last night that the river runs backward every full moon. i’m skeptical, but i’ll start believing if i see a boat floating upstream. or if my coffee tastes like regret. which it might.

links for the curious:
- yelp listing for that bar with the ‘tears and mud’ coffee: yelp.com/podgorica-left-brew
- tripadvisor review of the cinema ghost story: tripadvisor.com/podgorica-cinema
- local board about running trails: podgorica-runs

tags: travel, podgorica, human, vibe, messy

You might also be interested in:

• https://topiclo.com/post/nampos-story-from-port-town-to-steel-giant-and-the-weird-bits-in-between
• https://topiclo.com/post/saratov-the-city-that-surprised-me
• https://topiclo.com/post/how-to-find-an-apartment-in-okayama-without-getting-scammed
• https://topiclo.com/post/why-nerimas-blowing-up-the-real-reason-everyones-moving-here
• https://topiclo.com/post/religious-and-cultural-diversity-in-arequipa-what-the-streets-actually-say