Blogs from North, Albania, Europe
October 18th 2011
Lounaalle Albaniaan Muutaman Budvassa vietetyn päivän jälkeen oli taas aika lähteä vähän retkeilemään. Jo aikaisemmin oli suunniteltu, että Albaniassakin olisi ihan mukava käydä – ei siis viipyä mitenkään useita päiviä vaan ihan vaikka päivävisiitti lounaan merkeissä olisi riittävä tällä kertaa. Jo joskus nuorempana oli usein mielessä, että eipä olisi lainkaan hullumpi keksintö lähteä pistäytymään Albaniassa. Joskus 80-luvullahan maa oli vielä suljettu ja vaikeasti lähestyttävä mutta siten tietenkin sitäkin kiinnostavampi. Eipä kuitenkaan koskaan ollut riittävästi sinnikkyyttä lähteä kokeilemaan, että miten maahan olisi päässyt. Tirana taisi olla ainoa paikka mihin olisi edes voinut kuvitella lähtevänsä ja sekään ei olisi ollut helppoa. Mutta haaveeksi jäivät nämä suunnitelmat silloin vuosia sitten ja Albania oli si... read more
July 31st 2010
Wstalismy o 5 rano, zeby na 100% zdazyc spakowac sie, zjesc i ustawic sie w kolejce na prom i pod zadnym pozorem nie spedzic kolejnego dnia w porciku. Pierwsze samochody zaczely sie zjezdzac juz o 6.00. Pol godziny pozniej bylo ich pelno - mercedesy, samochod z sianem, samochod z kątownikami, wypasiony defender na angielskich blachach z lopata na masce, autobus z Kosova, Nissan Patrol, ktory w poprzednim zyciu sluzyl jako austriacka karetka, pasat, ktorego kierowca nie umie parkowac tylem. Menazeria niczym w filmie Auta. A kierowcy siedza w barze i walą poranna wodeczke. Cudem udalo sie wszystkich upchac na prom, a wygladalo to mniej wiecej tak: i tak: Podroz statkiem trwala 2,5h, podczas ktorych obserwowalismy albanskie (ale z samochodow na angielskich blachach) pary fotografu... read more
July 30th 2010
Noc w Kruji okazala sie troche bardziej burzliwa, niz sie poczatkowo spodziewalismy. Samo odbywajace sie w naszym hotelu wesele nie byloby problemem, ale niestety do pokoju nad nami zwalili sie co bardziej pijani goscie, ktorzy od 3.30, gdy zakonczono harce, do 6 rano, gdy w koncu zmozyl ich sen, tupali, krzyczeli i robili absolutnie wszystko, zeby uniemozliwic nam spanie i pobudke przewidziana na 6.30. Na sniadanie dostalismy kawe inke, ktora nie pomogla pozbyc sie objawow niedospania, plaster masla, plaster sera i niewiarygodnie slodki dzem. I chleb. Nienajedzeni i nieobudzeni, szukalismy swiezego burka, ale nigdzie w poblizu nie bylo, a na poszukiwania nie moglismy pezeznaczyc za duzo czasu, bo musielismy przejechac na polnoc w kierunku Szkoder, potem na zachod w kierunku Kerres - wszystko pozornie elegancka czerwona droga - regional road, ale przeciez tu z drogami nigdy ... read more
October 3rd 2009
Still raining. Host beyond his call drove me to the bus, where I was almost embarrasingly the only passenger on the massive coach. The journey to Shkoder in Albania took an hour-and-a-half, including the border-control stop where I, without incident or payment (of any kind), received a slightly dissapointing passport stamp. I had been expecting a big Albanian eagle emblazoned over a whole page. We reached the town just as it got light, and I wandered back and forth in the rain trying to find the train station. I was certainly the only tourist there that day, and no - they don't speak English all over the world. Actually Kristoff spoke a little - he bailed me up in the street to practise, and we swore that we would meet up again one day in Australia. ... read more
June 22nd 2009
Teddy The Albanian Puppy We Rescued - Update Teddy will be coming out of quarantine on Saturday 4th July 2009 'Teddy Independence Day'. Teddy will have an absolutely fantastic life. Everything will be a new experience for him. When we found and rescued him at 10 weeks old he was in a dreadful condition, in fact nearly dead. He has now almost finished his 6 months in quarantine, just 2 more weeks to go! He has been happy throughout as he has known no difference. It will be an amazing experience for Teddy to have freedom and to go on his first walk on the day he comes out. He is a totally oposite dog to how we found him. He is no longer the frightened, starved, ill little pup that we rescued. He is now ... read more
March 24th 2009
That was my first go at speaking Albanian. I tried to say 'Yes', and inevitably started speaking Spanish again, since the non-English foreign language programming in my brain always comes up with Spanish. I then proceeded to say 'jo', which I usually say when I want to say 'yes' in German, but then realized that it means 'no' in Albanian. So finally I managed to find the right word: 'Po'! Great success! During the ten days that I stayed in Albania, I had very good intentions, but ended up learning only maybe three more words/phrases: falum nderit - thank you; sa kushton - how much is it; pa mish - without meat. Of course it didn't help at all that the Albanian language is related to absolutely no other language, since it is presumably of Illyrian ... read more
March 11th 2009
Just Look At Teddy Now!!!! Teddy the puppy, my friend Jilly and I recued from a slum in Albania, has recovered well in quarantine. He is now about 5 months old and is fit and healthy. He has grown tremendously and is now free of sarcoptic mange and his fur has fully grown back. For Teddy quarantine is like staying in a 5 star luxury hotel in comparison to the slum in Albania where we found him living in appauling conditions, starved and near death. He is now the lively, playful puppy that he should be. Teddy has frequent visitors and none stop treats. The kennal staff love Teddy as he is very a very sweet and loving puppy. He is particularly special to them beacuse they have seen the dreadful state that he was in ... read more
February 24th 2009
This morning, my boss strolled into my room and told me this: "Good morning...how are you doing? *beat* Well, I was thinking a little bit about going to Albania today..." I think you already know how this story ends. But God, you wouldn't believe what happened in-between! Although the Albanian border was only a good 30 km away, there was something that stood in our way... It was Tuzi, this tiny-ass, podunk little town only a few kilometers from the border -- land of the forgotten boasting a cow and goat population that was twice as large as the people who actually lived there. Nonetheless, we were surprised to find not only a functional ATM, but a supermarket and a post office to boot! Words cannot express how humbled we were, :P. Main street was still ... read more
January 19th 2009
At the end of December 2008 just after Christmas my friend Jilly and I drove 4000 miles on a return journey to Albania. We will never be able to forget the suffering and misery of the animals in this country that we saw during our brief stay. We saw stray dog after stray dog living on slum sights, horses and ponies tied on short ropes alone with hardly a blade of grass in sight for them to eat, live turkeys with their legs tied being sold at the side of the road, sheep with foot rot and other untreated health problems and donkeys pulling carts. The amount of litter was horrendous, it was everywhere, people obviously just dumped their waste in the streets and fields. Jilly and I fed every animal that we saw but some ... read more
July 1st 2008
We woke early to head up to Montenegro by early afternoon, after a disagreement about how we should get to the bus stop at 6 am (cat won) we walked up to the top of town, then sat backpacker hobo style on the side of the road hopping we were at the right place. A few wanders later to see if the stop was elsewhere a swanky new mini bus and some kiwis arrived and before long we were on our way up to Budva. We arrived in the north of Albania with a bump as the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid steel poles flying in through the windscreen, causing the car behind to smash into the back. Out the drivbers got after a quick exchange and a laugh they both happily got back ... read more
