Albania: A Hiker's Dream?

It's time to upload some of the vidpos I made while in Kosovo (or in Albania, in this case) but haven't had the time to upload. Obviously, even though I did a lot of work-related stuff while I was there, I had a bit of time to get out and see other stuff as well. I really, really, really would like to get back to the Bajram Curri area to do some hiking.

The Digital Harinezumi 2 Triple +++ Goes to Albania

Every time I travel into Albania, I’m captivated by the bunkers. I think there’s an opportunity being missed to turn some of the bunkers, the larger ones at least, into some kind of hotel space. Imagine, a field full of bunkers, each one decked out a bit differently with some sort of attached, private toilet and bathing area. I think it might be kinda cool. Where are those millions of dollars when I have strokes of inspiration?

Tuesday News

North Korea pardons US reporters (hearing this brought me to tears)

Serbs' Claim of Kosovo Organ Ring Is Investigated

Albania: First and Last, Always!

Macho-Minded Albania To Break Gay Marriage Taboo

Macedonia Part 2

Saturday, June 27th Continued

The cave church of Radozda was small, but worth the hike up the many steps. It made the oily cheese & ham crepe I ate for breakfast move a little uncomfortably in my stomach, but that's what I get for being a good sport and eating what I'm served. After walking back into town and returning the key to Dva Biseri, where I wish I had eaten breakfast, I hopped in the little Chevy Spark and drove back towards Struga so I could get back on the main road that would take me around to Albania.

Much how Lake Tahoe straddles California and Nevada, Lake Ohrid is shared by Macedonia and Albania, with Macedonia being in charge of the bigger chunk. In fact, here are a few other statistical comparisons of the two lakes (gleaned from Wikipedia):

Lake Ohrid
Max depth: 940 feet
Area: 138 sq miles
Shoreline: 54 miles
Elevation: 2273 feet
Residence time of water: 70 years

Lake Tahoe
Max depth: 1645 feet
Area: 192 sq miles
Shoreline: 71 miles
Elevation: 6225 feet
Residence time of water: 650 years

I attacked Lake Ohrid in a clockwise manner, starting up at the top and heading west. The border crossing between Macedonia and Albania near the lake took forever. It was the first time I had crossed into Albania with a car with Macedonia plates and it took longer than expected. When you enter Albania in a Kosovo-plated car, the guards practically roll out the red carpet (having a US passport doesn't hurt, either). There was extra paperwork to fill out as well. Additionally, the natural chaos that seems to come with Albania affects the border guards, so the whole process isn't as organized and structured as, say, driving into British Columbia at one of the major crossing points from Washington.

About an hour later I was on my way, heading once again clockwise around Lake Ohrid. My first stop was in Lin, Albania, a tiny town just inside the border and plopped right on the lake. It was a spur-of-the moment decision. Lin has a pre-Byzantine church that's surrounded by a chain link fence and locked up. There is a person with a key who does charge some sort of entrance fee, but I decided to head to a cafe and have a coffee instead.

Per usual, driving in Albania is a rather loose and fast affair. There was a lot of traffic on the road from cars with foreign plates, and I think because national elections were on Sunday, people working abroad were coming back home to vote. The road took me through Pogradec, which was where I was planning to have lunch, but it was so frenetic and crowded and dusty and ugly, I decided to skip my stop. Instead, I stopped just before the border heads back into Macedonia at Tushemisht. Lunch was nothing spectacular, but I was able to spend the leftover lek I had from a previous trip.

I entered back into Macedonia and continued my way around the lake. I stopped at Sveti Naum, a monastery founded in 905 by St. Naum, and I poked around a bit. It's perched right on the lake and there are fantastic views. There are also peacocks running around the grounds making noise and flapping around. One can stay at the monastery for 37 Euros ($52). I considered it, but it was early yet and I decided to continue.

On my way towards the town of Ohrid, I stopped at the Bay of Bones, which is a recreation of a village that had been established on the shores of Lake Ohrid during Roman times. It was good to get out of the car and walk around, but I'm not sure I would recommend it as a tourist stop. I also stopped at the Monastery of St. Stefan, another church built into a cave that required the walking up of several sets of steps. There were other people in the very small church when I arrived, so I waited a bit, poked my head in when I had a moment to do so, and went back down to the car. At that point, I was feeling pretty churched out.

I spent the night in the town of Ohrid in a small apartment in the old town. I didn't have a lake view, but I did have a comfortable bed and the area was pretty quiet.

Sunday, June 28th

After breakfast in my room (I bought some muesli and milk and a fantastically ripe melon the night before), I took a walk down to the church of St. Jovan of Kaneo. I love this place. I could not go to Ohrid without going here. Once I walked down to the church, I was pleasantly surprised that it was open, which it's never been when I've gone. The caretaker explained that many of the frescoes and icons had been damaged or stolen, and that it was a popular wedding spot. I walked around the grounds a bit, admiring the flowers and enjoying the lake view. As I walked back up towards town, I took one last look at the church and started to think about where I wanted to go next.

My circle around the lake was complete, and I had another day left with the car. As I walked back to where I had parked, the idea came: Macedonian wine country. I consulted my guide book and settled on going to the Popova Kula winery in the town of Demir Kapije. It took a few hours to get from Ohrid to Demir Kapije, but the roads in Macedonia are very good. Plus, drivers aren't crazy like Albanian drivers, so it was an easy drive. I arrived to the winery in the early afternoon and decided to spend the night. I splurged on a room with a bathtub. The first thing I did was to go to my room, take a bath, have a nap, and suddenly it was time for dinner.

In fact, I almost chose to sleep through dinner, but I did think better of it (sometimes when I take naps in the afternoon it's difficult for me to motivate for evening activities). The winery has a terraced restaurant, which was where I chose to sit. Macedonia has a rich agricultural region, and Popova Kula is smack in the middle of it. Driving in I saw roadside sellers with peaches and melons and zuchini and eggplants and greens and honey and other goodies, which is why I was so highly disappointed with my dinner. I ordered chicken in a peach sauce and was served a dry piece of chicken with a 1/2 of a canned peach on top. For breakfast the next morning, I was given toasted bread, a few packets of non-local jam and honey, and a coffee without milk (because they didn't have any). In an area so rich with agriculture, it was disappointing. The wines were fine, and the bathtub was nice, and it was quiet, but the food was blah.

Monday, June 29

The drive back to Skopje was easy. It took less than an hour. Because I had a few hours left with the car, once I returned to Skopje I drove up to the huge cross that towers over the town and enjoyed the view over the city. I then took the car back to Avis, had lunch, and went back to the bus station for the 3.5 hour ride back to Prizren.

This was a fantastic was to end my two year stay in Kosovo.

A Brief Trip into Montenegro

Soon after I left from Pristina, I encountered road construction and rain.

I had a very brief trip to Montenegro, shorter than I had intended. Entering Montenegro from Kosovo is unlike any other border crossing I've been through. First, I exited Kosovo and then I had to drive nearly 6 miles to get to the Montenegrin entry point. Supposedly, this inbetween space is (not hotly) disputed territory. There wasn't much between the two points, but there were a handful of buildings and houses that looked occupied. It was odd.

The drive into Montenegro from Kosovo was spectacular. The mountains were stunning. I didn't stop too much. My destination was Ulcinj, a beach town to the west.

I entered Montenegro in the evening and the mountain views were stunning.

Once it started to get dark and I turned on my headlights, I realized that the lights didn't work very well so I found a roadside hotel to stay in. The first thing I noticed about Montenegro is that it is better set up for tourists than Kosovo. There are fairly frequent roadside hotels and attactions (mainly monasteries) are well sign-posted. In the morning, I woke up and continued my drive to the coast.

A monastery alongside the road.

Bee-you-tiful mountains.

FYI, I managed to eat cooked real food as well. Heh.

So I woke up, drove a bit, stopped for breakfast and drove all the way to Ulcinj. I got there and wondered why in the heck I wanted to make it my destination. I don't like beaches particularly. I'd much rather spend time in the mountains. I didn't think Ulcinj was worth exploring or staying in. Disappointed by the chaos and ugliness, I thought for a bit about what I should do. Then it came to me: Ravioli!

Huh? Ravioli? Yep. Ravioli. Ulcinj is close to the Albanian border and a few hours from Durres, which, although also a beach town, has a really great ravioli restaurant. I figured that since I wasn't going to be happy staying in Ulcinj, I might as well do something I would enjoy. Ravioli it was.

The roads in Montenegro are pretty good. There was a lot of congestion around Ulcinj and through Podgorica (the capital), but Montenegrin drivers do a pretty good job of obeying the rules of the road. Albania is a totally different story, though. The roads can be rough and drivers are insane.

Albanian roads aren't exactly 4-lane blacktop.


In spite of the crazed drivers who pass at will around blind corners and in the face of on-coming traffic, I made it to Durres in once piece. After finding an ATM and taking out some leke, I found the ravioli place. And I ate ravioli. And it was good.

My experience has been that hole-in-the-wall Italian is almost always terrific.

And, basically, that was it. I drove back to Kosovo. The Albania-Kosovo road is long, windy, narrow, and well-trafficked. There is a new road being built from Durres to the Kosovo border near Prizren, but it's not yet finished. Despite the various stages of construction the road is under, it is possible to drive the road most of the way from Kukes to the border (Kukes is not even 30 miles from Prizren).

Albania has beautiful mountains as well.

There are several unfinished highway bridges in the Kukes area. Supposedly, the bridges were to be finished 18 months ago.

It didn't seem to matter that construction crews were actually working on the road. It was open to traffic.

The road was blacktopped in some spots. But occasionally there would be weird barriers like this...concrete blocks in the middle of the road that were spaced so a car couldn't drive through? I was able to go around.

Kirsten Goes Driving

On Thursday afternoon, I hopped a bus to Pristina to pick up my rental car. There's no rental places in Prizren, which is quite a drag because it takes 2 hours to get to Pristina by bus and 70-90 minutes by car. That's time I could have spent enjoying myself even more than I did.

At 50 Euros per day (about $70), renting a car to drive abroad isn't cheap (Kosovo-only rentals can be had for 20 Euros/$30). The price of gas is a bit steep, too (in the neighborhood of $8 per gallon), but it was worth it.

The first leg of the journey, Pristina to Prizren, was an easy drive. On the way back to my apartment, I stopped at the store to stock up on water and toilet paper (having a car has benefits that walking doesn't, mainly the ability to carry lots of stuff). I spent the night at home then left around 9am Friday morning. Destination: Ohrid, Macedonia.

A random church on the side of the road in southern Kosovo.

The drive into Macedonia was smooth. I left Prizren and headed east through the Sharr mountains and past the ski resort of Brezovice. Instead of using the main border crossing of Dimce (which is on the main road south of Ferizaj heading towards Skopje) and I crossed at Qafeshqipe, which is in the direction of Tetovo. Crossing was easy and quick. Upon entering Macedonia, I had to buy insurance for 3,5 Euros, and there's no toilet. From there it was a couple-of-hours drive to Lake Ohrid, called by many the "jewel of the Macedonian crown."

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ohrid is a beautiful town to walk around. In fact, I spent so much time strolling about, I decided to spend the night.

The Church of Saint John at Kaneo

Outer church wall detail

A night in Ohrid was 15 Euros. I'm not sure the name of the place I stayed. It was some random apartment that I went in to inquire about. It had a kitchenette and a terrific lake view. In the summer time, I think it would have been much noiser, but as it is mid-October and there aren't so many people milling about in the evening, I had a fairly quiet sleep.

Early Saturday morning, after a stop at a bakery where I picked up a mystery-filled roll, I headed around Lake Ohrid towards the border with Albania.

This is along the road to Albania. These truck had been here a while. Weird.

The drive into Albania was easy. No traffic. The border was quick to get through. However, once one enters Albania, there's an extreme need to be aware of other drivers. I was serious in my claim before that driving in Albania is like playing a video game. The roads were decent, though, and I was in Tirana by mid-afternoon.

Tirana, Tirana, Tirana. Tirana is so much more cosmopolitan than Pristina. Pristina has a loooong ways to go before it becomes a capital city worth visiting just for the sake of visiting. Tirana, however, has charm, grace, and much less trash. Plus, the grocery stores are better (the measurement by which I judge all cities). My stop at the QTU netted me ricotta cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, canned stuffed grape leaves, dark chocolate, and a few other odds and ends.

The Sheraton in Tirana has a nice little movie theater on the ground floor. Each room (there are two, I think) seats about 25 people in big, cushy, plush, red chairs. The only film playing at the time I arrived was Iron Man, so that's what I saw. Not bad. I spent the night in the same hotel as before, the Hotel Europa. I looked at rooms in other hotels and even stopped at a travel agent for help with finding a place, but no one could offer me anything decent for less than 70 Euros. The Hotel Europa set me back 35. Not bad.

On Sunday morning, I was up early to drive about 3 hours to make the ferry that crosses Lake Fierezes. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 10am. I arrived at 10:15, and the boat left at 10:30. I should have budgeted 3.5 hours to make the trip, but, luckily, schedules in the Balkans are flexible.

The ferry runs from Koman to Fierze. Entering into Kosovo via this route avoids the twisty-turning-vomit-inducing road through Kukes. I think that the ferry route is actually quicker although travellers are limited to the scheduling of the 10 am ferry.

The seats on the upper deck were graffitied. I didn't venture into the enclosed seating area downstairs mainly because I didn't want to sit in a smoke-clogged, badly ventilated room.

The shores along Lake Fierze are sometimes compared to the fjords of SE Alaska and Norway. I wouldn't go that far, but the scenery is pretty stunning.

Albania doesn't have much infrastructure for tourists. For example, the roads into Koman and out of Fierze were slow going. Into Koman, there was 30-odd km of potholey, narrow, dusty roads that were impossible to go faster than 30 km per hour on. Coming off the boat at Fierze, the situation was similar exept that many of the drivers on the boat were in an extreme hurry to get to where ever they were going. These drivers passed in inappropriate places, rode their horns, tailgated....yeesh. Like a video game.

Leaving the ferry.

I passed back into Kosovo at Qafa e Morines. Once again, crossing the border was simple and hassle-free. I stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking Gjakova. I took my rental car back to Prizren, dropped off my luggage and cheese, took the car back to Pristina, rode the bus back to Prizren, took a shower, and collapsed into bed.

The mystery-filled roll I bought in Ohrid turned out to contain ham, mayonnaise, and ketchup. I got about two bites in and had to abandon it in favor of two bananas.

800 km

I've had a terrific past few days: three countries (Kosovo, Macedonia, & Albania), a rented car, and 800 km of driving. A bee-you-tee-ful weekend.

Pictures to come.

Albania in 5 Legs

My trip to Albania was wonderful. There's not much infrastructure for tourists, but after I figured out how to get around the country and how to find a place to sleep, I could not have asked for a better holiday.

Leg 1: Prizren, Kosovo to Sarandë, Albania

Getting to Sarandë was easy enough. On Friday, June 27 I left on the 7pm bus from Prizren and arrived in Durrës, Albania at 6am Saturday morning (25 € roundtrip, 11 hours). The bus dumped all the passengers along a strip of beach flanked by Kosovar restaurants. I stopped in one for a cappuccino and to give myself a moment to gather my bearings.

After my caffeine fix, I walked back to where the bus had dropped me off and snagged a public bus that took me to a little roundabout where an army of taxis and minibuses were waiting for passengers. I found the minibus for Sarandë, put my luggage in the back, and soon I was on my way south (12,50 €, 5 hours).

Just after noon, I disembarked in Sarandë: tired, hot, and sticky. My immediate need was a room. I wandered around a bit...sweaty, thirsty, clueless. Then I saw a travel agency, which I thought could help me out with accommodation. There happened to be a hotel attached to the agency which had quite decent rooms for 10 € per night (Çakalli).

Sarandë at dusk

For four days and nights I lazed around the seaside. Early in the morning, I'd find a place to eat breakfast. When the heat and humidity became unbearable, I'd retire to my room and crank the air conditioning. Around 3pm I'd go for a swim in the bay and hang out a bit on the beach. Then I'd return to my room, shower, and contemplate dinner.

Empty beach

My only deviation was a trip out to Butrint, an archaeological site south of Sarandë and north of the Greek border. I wandered around the ruins very thankful that I had brought along some water (there is a small gift shop/museum on the grounds, but no water is sold). After walking around, I went to a restaurant near the entrance, the Hotel, Bar, Restaurant Livia, for lunch. I ordered sarmas (stuffed grape leaves) and a beet salad, both of which were absolutely wonderful. If I had been independently mobile, I probably would have spent the night here. The food was that good. After I finished eating, I flagged down a taxi and went back into Sarandë for a swim.

Other food highlights from Sarandë: Piceri Limani had the best coffee. Restaurant Orenti did a great eggplant/pepper dish (and the mussels weren't too bad, either). Krahui Shqiponjes served up a tender pork chop with yogurt sauce. I did not go hungry.

My hotel garden had all these small wandering jew plants

Leg 2: Sarandë to Vlorë

After 4 nights in Sarandë, it was time to move on. I was aiming to head to the seaside town of Dhremi, but due to the bus routes and scheduling, I ended up on a bus that took the inland route instead of driving along the coast, so I ended up in Vlorë instead.

I found a place to stay easily enough, the Grand Vila Bojko. Thirty euros per night seemed a bit steep, but the room had an air conditioner and a western European-standard bathroom (minus the shower curtain, of course) and I was so hot and in need of cooling off, I took it. Later I found out that rooms here usually rent out for 15-20 € per night, so even though the room was pretty good, I wouldn't stay here again. Plus, there wasn't any hot water in the mornings.

Vlorë beach

Vlorë, to tell the truth, didn't do much for me. Although the beaches were full of people, the water looked oily and dirty and I didn't go swimming. My eating experiences were disappointing: On the advice of a local, I took a taxi 10 km out of town to an Italian joint in hopes of a good ravioli. I ended up with a plate of spaghetti pomodoro made from tinned tomatoes (and why? fresh tomatoes are in season and are delicious); a small bony fish; and a glass of red wine that could have easily passed for over-sweetened grape juice. After two nights in Vlorë I decided it was time to move on back to Durrës.

The beaches in Vlorë are close to the port

Leg 3: Vlorë to Durrës

Bus travel in Albania in July can be a sweaty mess. Many of the buses predate air conditioning. My tactic is to try to sit in one of the four seats that have windows that open as road air is better than none at all. The trip to Durrës was only three hours, so it was bearable.

Durrës is a popular destination for Kosovars; whereas, in Vlorë, the foreign cars have either Italian or American license plates (I spied 2 cars from Alaska). In Durrës, it seems that some areas have more Kosovar vehicles than Albanian.

Instead of spending my time in Durrës hanging out at the beach with a bunch of folk from Kosovo, I thought I'd try my luck staying in the old town. I ended up at the Hotel Lido, which is an actual hotel with a chambermaid who supplies the rooms daily with fresh towels and makes the bed. The cost: 35 € per night including breakfast. Not as cheap as Sarandë's 10 €, but the hotel was close to the port and close to the castle and it ended up being a quiet and decent place to stay.

Trash isn't just a problem in Kosovo

Following the advice of the hotel staff, I had a late lunch/early dinner at a place called 4 Stinet (4 Seasons). It didn't look like much from the outside, but I was hungry. I entered the restaurant from the street side, walked through an empty room, and took a seat outside at a table on the water.

After a few long moments, a waiter came with a table cloth and a menu. It didn't take long for me to decide: Sallate Rocket and a pizza with eggplant (I can't remember the name of it exactly...something Italian). After living without salad for the past 10 months, I was thrilled to have a fat bowl of rocket, halved cherry tomatoes, corn, and shaved parmesan. Simple but awesome. I would have been happy with the salad alone, but I'm really glad I ordered the pizza, too: thin crust, light tomato sauce, grilled eggplant, and gouda cheese. Oh! It was like a song and was by far the best pizza I've had in the Balkans.

Sleepy dog

My second day in Durrës started without electricity (Albania has power issues, too). I ate an uninspired breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to a cafe for coffee. I am spoiled by Kosovar coffee. My coffee of choice-the macchiato (espresso with a bit of milk). However, Albanian macchiatos tend to be just a shot of espresso with a touch of milk foam. I tried going with cappuccinos, but they were inconsistent (some came with milk, some came with chocolate, some were espresso with heaps of foam). When I'm travelling, though, I have to take what I can get.

After coffee I walked around, took in the sights, and went back to the hotel for a nap. When I woke up, I decided to rent a car. The only car rental places in Albania are in Tirana, so I hopped in a cab and went to Avis. At nearly 50 € per day for a sub-compact rental, cars in Albania don't come cheaply. But I wanted the freedom of wheels so I signed a contract for four days.

I drove back to Durrës in my teeny, tiny, plastic car. When I arrived back to the hotel, I was hungry. A few doors down there was a small shop advertising fresh ravioli. Interested, I popped in to find a small restaurant with three tables. I ordered the ravioli of the day and was blown away. I don't even know how to describe what I ate. It was just ravioli, but it was phenomenal ravioli made with ground almonds, ricotta, and nutmeg topped with a red sauce made from fresh tomatoes. It was everything I had hoped the Italian restaurant in Vlorë would have been.

After stuffing myself, I walked to the old Roman amphitheater to see if I could get in to see a violin concert. I was turned away because I didn't have an invitation (it was a hoity-toity event), but as I was walking away one of the guards called after me and said that I could go in. It was magical. Evening had fallen, the stars were out, and the violinist was on fire. I went back to the hotel feeling very happy.

Leg 4: Durrës to Shkoder to Tirana

Ah...the open road of Albania. Albanian drivers are nuts. Driving a car is like playing a video game: You need to know when to dodge; when to shoot; and when to hold firm and barrel through your opponents. Sound scary? Driving defensively is a concept that is not part of the Albanian driving lexicon. I'll leave it at that.

There are abandoned bunkers all over Albania (they look like mushrooms)

Despite several (seemingly) near head-on collisions that would have had me regaining consciouslness in a hospital in Germany, I drove up to Shkoder, a town in northern Albania on a lake and with a lovely castle.

View from the Rozafa Castle in Shkoder

The Rozafa Kalaja sits atop a hill overlooking town. I walked up there at dusk and there were several couples floating around hand-in-hand. It's that kind of place. There's a museum and a cafe. It also looked like a stage was partially set up, but nothing was going on the evening I was up there. Shkoder itself was frustrating. After spending the night outside of town, I had to drive in to find an ATM. The streets were wide and packed with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. Several near-collisions with cars, bikes, and people nearly drove me crazy, but I did find the bank I needed, grabbed some cash, and got myself the heck out of that craziness.

A feasting cow

With no other destination in mind and a tire that kept going flat, I decided to return to Tirana, give Avis back their plastic car, and spend a few days exploring the capital city. It was nice to be in a real city. I've heard that many Albanians prefer Pristina to Tirana, but I can't for the life of me imagine why. Granted, Pristina has the energy of an up-and-coming worldly city, but it's so raw and disorganized and in transition. Tirana has theaters, museums, bookstores, cinemas, wide boulevards, open spaces, and bright colors.

I took in three movies (what better way is there to beat the midday heat?). I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie, The Kite Runner, and The Bucket List. The first two I watched at a small theater which had only 25 seats. It was like watching films in a private screening room. I also indulged in Chinese food, a French patisseries, and German sausages. I went to Tirana and I liked what I ate! Of course, my pleasure in travelling doesn't merely center on how well I am able to please my tastebuds and fill my stomache...wait, who am I kidding? Tirana did not disappoint.

The main square in Tirana

Leg 5: Tirana to Prizren

After nearly two weeks in Albania, it was time for me to head back to Kosovo. Although there are busses that travel from Tirana to Prizren directly, I had already booked my return from Durrës. After sleeping in, taking a leisurely walk, and enjoying my last few hours in Tirana, I cabbed it from Tirana back to Durrës and found my bus.

The bus left at 8pm. I was hoping to sleep on the return trip especially considering I had masterfully commandeered the entire back seat, which enabled me to lay down comfortably. Alas, it was not to be. I managed maybe 90 minutes of serious shut eye. The rest of the trip was spent listening to the engine and feeling the never-ending twisting and turning of the road. By the time I stepped off the bus in Prizren, it was dawn and I was wired. My next journey was about to get underway: travel back to Reno.

Albania=Success!

Wow...what a wonderful trip Albania turned out to be. Even though there's not much infrastructure for tourists, it was fairly easy to get around, eat, and find places to stay. I'll be updating with photos in the next few days.

In other travel news, I'm back in smoke-clogged Reno for the next two or so months. When I deplaned there was a 3-foot gap between the plane and the jet bridge cover and that first smell of desert air was so sweet (I'm not sure why it didn't smell smoky to me...I must have been pretty intent on working my nose around it).

Albania pics and trip description to come!

Prizren Goes NYTimes

Europe's Unlikely Charmer

A nice article from the NYTimes on travel in Kosovo. :)

In Albania Travel News, I'm in Sarande in southern Albania trying to keep cool. It's hot and humid, but there's pork. In fact, I had a nice fat pork chop for lunch. With french fries. And a delish yogurt sauce. Albania has been good to me so far. I thought I'd have to pay 10 Euros at the border, but they only charged me one Euro for the visa (hardly seems worth it, doesn't it?). My room in Sarande...10 Euros per night. Cheap! Thankfully the room has a small air conditioning unit. Tomorrow I'm heading up the coast to Dhermi. We'll see how it goes.

Fotografi

If you can read Albanian, here's an article that was published in a magazine put out by German KFOR about the photography exhibition I put on with my students' work:

Arti i tejkalon kufinjtë

The Serbian website (www.prozor-online.info) hasn't been updated yet. However, this article will appear there in Serbian.

(And now it's time to make sure I have everything packed for my trip into Albania. I'm so excited to be travelling somewhere new. I'll update as I can!)

To Shqipëria!

I can't wait for Friday evening: Suitcase in hand I'll be boarding one of the evening busses from Prizren to Durrës, Albania. I'm no fan of overnight busses, but it seems that either I take an overnight bus for 15 Euros or I pay to have a taxi take me in the morning for 90 Euros. After a (sure to be) sleepless night, I'll arrive in Durrës around 6am and then try to figure out how to get myself down to Sarande. There's not a whole lot of established information on Albania. Trying to find bus schedules online? Hah. I'm not even sure if Durrës has a bus station or if I need to find the right street corner from which to catch the Sarande bus. In terms of my sleeping situation, some of the fancier hotels do have websites, but I'm aiming for private room rentals (which I anticipate will be 10-15 Euros per night as opposed to the 35-Euro-and-up hotel rates). So I'll be travelling in a way that I never travel: without my first night's accommodation planned. I'm banking on the fact that there will be people who meet the bus with rooms to let (this is a common thing). Challenge.

I'm looking forward to two weeks of rest, relaxation, with a little adventure thrown in. Once I finish this little holiday and arrive back in Kosovo, I'll pick up my luggage, head to Pristina, and fly back to Reno. Sigh...sagebrush, Mexican food, GT (my car), family & friends, mail...it'll be good to spend some time in the US.