A Weekend With K: Part 1

For a tiny little country, Kosovo does have a lot to offer travellers who are flexible and adventursome. On Saturday, I decided to turn my 3-day weekend into what may have been my last opportunity to do some serious sightseeing around Kosovo.

Early Saturday morning I hopped on a bus bound for Pristina (armed with bananas and cheese rolls for breakfast enroute). My destination: Rent A Car Tosi. I've rented cars here before, always with mixed results. For example, the 4Runner they gave me for Montenegro had useless headlights, a back door that didn't lock, and a loose battery connection. This time I got a car with no radio, marginal air conditioning, and the thing turned itself off a few times while I was driving. Tosi advertises prices that start at 19,99 € (about $28), but it's more like 30€ and up for a local rental and at least 50€ for a car that can be taken out of Kosovo.

I got the car with minimal hassle and was soon on my way. My first destination was Trofta, a fish farm/restaurant/hotel in Istog (trofta is Albanian for trout). I'd heard that Trofta was the best trout restaurant in all of Kosovo and worth the journey. The fish was pretty darned fine. I ordered trout in oven with grounded vegetables, which wasn't what I meant to order. I actually wanted the baked trout with rosemary and garlic, but I was quite happy with my mistake.

Trout in the pond

Trout on my plate

The trout is now in my belly

If I had timed it right, I could have spent the night at Trofta. Not only a fish farm and restaurant, there's also a hotel and a handful of duplex bungalows. Full of fish and ready to continue, I jumped back in the car and drove to Prizren so I could pack up an overnight bag. My next destination: Brod.

Brod is in the Dragash Valley, about 90 minutes south of Prizren. The valley sits above Prizren and is flanked by the Accursed Mountains on the Albanian side and the Sharr Mountains on the Macedonian side. It's a beautiful area, is less densely populated than the rest of Kosovo, and has narrow and windy roads.

Brod is at the end of the road. At the end of the road in Brod is the Hotel Arxhena, a large hotel/restaurant complex that isn't quite finished but is still functional. A night is 30€ for a single, 30€ for a double (because you pay for the room), and 45€ for a triple, breakfast is included. The price seemed reasonable, so I decided to stay.

My first complaint: There was evidence of previous use in the toilet in my room. My second complaint: My floor was full of noisy children on a school trip with no chaperone in sight. Complaint #3: The bed was rock hard. #4: The restroom facilities in the restaurant were so foul, I nearly regurgitated my Sunday morning breakfast (and I don't usually bat an eye at bad bathrooms). Because of #4, in no way would I recommend that someone stay or eat at Hotel Arxhena. I don't even want to think about the state of the kitchen. Eeeewwww.

On Sunday, eager to cleanse myself of the hotel and its filthy toilets, I went on a hike. There's a path that leads up the hill directly behind the hotel. The scenery was stunning, and there were no other hikers. I saw one shepard with a flock of sheep and a pack train comprising three horses and four men. It was nice to be away from people.

A selection of photos from my hike...

After a 3.5 hour hike, I was back at the car and ready to continue. Where was I headed next? Brezovica for a meal of pork.

...to be continued