A backpackers view on Albanian culture

I'm at the moment in Ioannina, Greece, but before writing about returning to the European Union I wish to write a few thoughts down about Albania.
I already told about Shkoder fastly, but now after having completed my Albanian experience for this time, I wish to tell what I discovered about the culture. Since I'm only a backpacker going fastly through I offcourse haven't dicked down into the Albanian lifestyle and do not know much more than others about Albania.

But here is what I found out.

Firstly I noticed the language and was pretty fast trying to figure out what it came closest to. But earnestly Albanian is a little bit of everything and still nothing like any other language I've heard. They speak as if they are mumbling, using sounds from the upper mouth. I was surprised when listening to it and being reminded of everything from Spanish to Swedish to Serbian. And still having absolute no idea what was said. Albanians also have the tendency, maybe because they don't see many tourists, to think that if they just speak slow I would understand. This has given me many both funny and confusing incidents. One time at a hotel in Gjirokaster, when the woman in the reception continued speaking in a half laughing, half threatening tone about something according to the bill I got so scared that I had done something to make her mad that I mostly wished to run away immidiately. After half an hour she dragged me down to an office where a man behind the desk could speak english. I was so scared untill I noticed that she had simply made a joke and tried to explain it. They also sometimes try to speak english but often mix up words. When I at some point had to take a taxi which I from a Lonely Planet guide knew to cost around 200 leke I got stunned that the taxidriver asked me 3000 leke. I was laughing believing that he thought me to be some stupid tourist to rip off. This was untill I understood that thousand meant hundred and the price suddently became a bit more understandable. A good advice for going to Albania, if you do not wish to try out the very difficult Albanian language is to practise a little Italian. I found out that everywhere I went people spoke some way of understandable Italian. At least enough for a conversation.

An other thing that I through my stay have noticed. The accomondation can be dreadfull. In Tirana I got a really comfortable room and they showed out to be very nice. Though I had no light in the room and it was pretty expensive, it still stands as my ultimate accomondation in Albania. By claiming this I believe I should say a few words about my other accomondations. In Shkoder I went to Rozafa Hotel, I believe it's the only or at least biggest hotel in Shkoder. I already explained my entrance to this hotel, but what I discovered later in the evening as I was sitting watcing Sopranos was that I wasn't alone. I had visitors. A mouse was happily running around the floor, looking hopefully at my pack of biscuits. Even though I have no problems with mice, I still have the childhood memory of the bookserie "The little house on the prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in which I strongly remember one incident where her father got his hair cuttet off in the middle of the night by a mouse. So being rather fund of my hair I went down in the reception where they quickly gave me another room for the night. The next morning I simply couldn't get myself to pay 17euro for such an evening visit. The man in the reception concluded that I had changed room so no harm had been done, whereafter I threatened that I could close down this sad little hotel very easily with my knowledge. Even though that was a pretty empty thread it had the wished outcome and I got the price reduced to a merely 10euro. Continuing my accomondation experiences I'll move the story to Gjirokaster where I first got a warm welcome of the joking woman, whereafter I entered a room with no ventilator and a toilet in the hall, which at my first visit was overflown by water from something that should have looked like a morning cleaning. Already half into the day there was no more toiletpaper at the still pretty watery toilets and I found myself lucky to have saved some from a visit to a cafe earlier. I hardly slept that night because of the heating and a continues noice from a big hanging poster of a political candidate outside my room, blowing wildly in the wind. But no mice happily enough!

The last I will tell about my meeting with Albanian culture is the discoveries I made, being a single girl travelling. I had heard from friends that I should take care in Shkoder and not go to a cafe on my own, but except from my hotel experience I actually found Shkoder as the most interesting and cool town on my visit. I had no problems with anything except from some staring and whistling from men on the street. The people where really nice and I felt much more pleasant than I had expected. I went both for coffee and dinner on my own, feeling relaxed and comfortable enough. I also met some Albanian locals, where one of them had lived in Bristol, England most of his life. I had a nice talk with them and a great nescafe, before returning to my hotel. In Tirana on the other hand I couldn't help feeling on the toe all the time. Even though I mostly met nice people and the men where really helpful, stepping on eachother to offer me help, I still felt the more free life of the capital to be a presure on my comfort. I had an incident with a man who followed me for a while, getting to close, even grapping my hand whereafter I with a history of teaching behind me gave him the mean look and told him to fuck off, which he did considerably fast. I also in the furgon/minibus from Tirana to Gjirokaster had a rather uncomfortable incident with the drivers son, who while believing a was asleep had the nerve to lie his fat hand on my leg. He also fastly regreted as I sended him a very alarming look. So it is not completely save to travel as a single girl through Albania, but as long as you make them rest asure that you do absolutely not appreciate there gestures you will be okay. I feel very happy that I chose to visit Albania on my travel and that I did it alone, but next time I visit I will wish for company of a friend or two, since it is difficult to meet people on your own in a country where there are almost no tourists to gather around with.
Before ending this essay as it has become I will describe Tirana. It is absolutely not a beautiful city and you shall not expect to meet great culturel buildings and lathin quaters and so on, but it gives a complete idea of communistic design. Hoxha the communistic leader of Albania through many years destroyed almost everything with culturel value, since most of it went against his hope for an ateistic society. The main square and most of the city is build up in ultimate communistic idealism. After Hoxha, now when Albania starts becoming a democratic country, the Tiranians try to do theirs to fresh up the communistic city. This gives out a gigantic color boom. All the buildings are painted in varius colors and you have an idea of meating the rainbow on every street corner. The streets are destroyed, the asfalt somethimes even making small hills, while there just a little outside center has never been any modern roads. Here you find what you would expect from a poor suburban village in Asia. You see donkeys in the street and people are selling everything from biscuits and cigarettes to watches and mobiles. I was at first only interested in this poor and ugly city. It seemed not even close to beautiful. But then on my last evening I stayed out a little longer to get a goodnight coffee and I found that Tirana by night is not at all comparibel to daytime Tirana. The main square is lighted up and the colors give an expression of rich wonders. The governmental buildings aswell as the national library, the palace of culture and the only remaining old mosque in town are all delicately lighted and you start wondering if communistic designers had a fundness for the nightlife.

I will end now, but first a few private things to add. I finally had my mother on the phone yesterday and she was delighted to tell me that I have been accepted to International Culturel Science at Roskilde University Center. Hurra for me... She also told me that my cousin is once again expecting a child! So congratulations Jakob. I also want to tell my younger cousin Andrea that I'm almost finished with the sixth Harry Potter book and that when I have returned and you have read the book aswell, I expect a call like last time. Last but not at all least. I had some news today that turned my stomach into butterflies and the day into being already fantastic. Dear Mitja, I'm so proud and so happy. I miss you tremendously and would wish I could be there with you!
Anna

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