Planning for the next destination to hide out for 10 weeks from here and - as usual - things are not looking like I'd hoped they'd be looking.
My original plan was to go to Montenegro. Never been there before, small place thought I'd check it out. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Looks like the plane tickets to get there are a few hundred dollars and no direct flights. That might explain why I've not been there before. Note that getting there via 8 hour train might be possible (if the trains are even running) but being stuck in a big box with a bunch of other people for an extended period of time during an epidemic - not ideal.
I found a rather nifty page showing the direct flights from Skopje (where I am now) https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-skopje-skp and that narrows down the options.
The EU is out. They are closed to non-residents and especially to Americans who have 'fucked it all up'. So it is likely I'm stuck in the Balkans for now.
I've been to Serbia before. Though I wasn't there long I distinctly remember not being terribly pleased about being there. Looking at info on the place currently shows they are having a lot of extra robberies. Probably good to avoid it right now.
Turkey is right out. If I never travel to Turkey again, I'll be OK with that. It was OK while I was there but it's just not my cup of tea. Plus, they are having war stuff and political crap going on that makes it a bit less stable especially in these unstable times.
Hungary is able to be entered 'under special circumstances' - that's a big ole red flag as I have no special circumstances. So that's probably out. Like the rest of the EU. Pity.
Checking out the rest of the map it is looking like I may end up going back to Croatia. A very unappealing dull option. Maybe (if transport between cities is going) I might end up in a different town but probably not. So another dull time in Zagreb. However, getting even allowed into countries now seems to be a rare thing so I'm grateful for that.
Ukraine is not great right now as they are wanting additional insurance to be purchased (roughly would cost about $100) which isn't bad but it's more BS to wade through. Plus staying away a bit longer (since I had to overstay my visa by a couple months last time due to CV) might be wise. Getting there from Skopje is pretty expensive - much more reasonable from Croatia. So if I have to go back there, doing it from Croatia might be better.
The fact that I'm needing to retrace my steps is annoying as hell. It is better than being stuck in a tube for a long, expensive transatlantic flight to a country I cannot afford where the clown in chief seems intent on killing as many people as possible - so I am not complaining.
