The Real Albania

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Exploring the real Albania: You are never really alone.

Travelling can open your eyes.

I woke up with an overwhelming urge to write. I decided to go to the local park so I could be alone. I had been in the park for ten minutes before I suddenly became aware that I was being stared at by four strange men. They all appeared to be different ages. The younger one approached me and sat down, he tried to talk to me but he couldn't speak any english. The others slowly moved towards me. They all sat down. Their clothes were dirty and torn. I was still writing as they approached. I tried my hardest to appear as if I was comfortable, attempting to smile. English was very difficult for them. We exchanged a few gestures. They seemed fascinated by me. Why was I alone and what was I writing? One man was staring intensely, it was extremely unnerving. So many thoughts where going through my mind. I kept writing. I could feel my heart rate increasing as I became more uncomfortable. Two children joined us, they start playing and running around. Their laughter calmed me down. I tried to maintain a smile on my face. We sat in silence for a few minutes, then one of the men attempted to communicate with me. I tried my hardest to talk, using my book to draw pictures and tell them my age. They seemed happy that I agreed for them to sit with me. More people started to slowly arrive and before I knew it, I was surrounded by a whole family. I had become comfortable now. They sat with me and played their instruments. A few hours had passed and I still hadn’t moved from the park. I was asked if I wanted a drink. I said yes. It was still light and my instincts told me that I would be okay. Two of the family members took me for coffee and they even bought me some food. The younger of the two was around sixteen years old. He seemed to like me a lot, giggling when I looked at him. The other looked around thirty. He had a hunched back and unshaven face. I spent four hours with them. They showed me all their favourite places. They pulled me up the side of a building to show me one of the best views of Tirana. The older man started drawing a picture of me in my note book. The result is not what I expected. I appeared to be a tribal woman with no clothes on. I laughed it off and thanked him for his drawing. Feeling lucky to be having this experience. It was getting close to six so I told them I had to go. We parted ways but before I left, they showed me a small olive tree and the younger boy rang the peace bell for me. They asked me to meet them at 10 pm that night and they would take me out. Show me the real Albania. I reluctantly agreed. This was the reason I was traveling, to meet local people and really experience the culture. I went back to the hostel unsure if I would meet them later that night. I talked to another traveller staying in my hostel; he agreed to come with me. He didn’t want me to go by myself because he had heard that Albania was a dangerous place. He thought I was silly for even spending the day with these people. I didn’t care. I had a good day. I have learnt while travelling to have no regrets and to be open to new experiences. With this in mind, we left. The streets were dark; I could feel that I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. We approached the park (our agreed meeting place). I saw the family standing in the road; they appeared to be directing the cars to park. I suddenly realised that they were working. This is how they made money. I found out that the family had been living in the park for six years. They were homeless and begged for money to survive. They only had one bag of clothes between them. I suddenly became quite upset. I could see the family was poor and they had spent some of their money on me when they had so little. I spent time with them and listen to their stories. The English barrier was difficult but I understood most of what they said. I learnt a lot from this family. They never asked me for money and I never felt as if they would steal anything from me. I wanted to help them but I didn’t know how. I was getting tired and wanted to leave. The older man approached me, he took off his ring. He had a white mark where the ring had been. He took my hand and put it on my finger. I was reluctant to take it. I didn’t want to take anything from them. I also thought he might be proposing. He just smiled and pointed to me. I realised that it was innocent. I smiled and thanked him. It was a very emotional night but taught me a lot. You are never alone. It is often the random experiences that teach you the most about yourself. Never judge a book by its cover and if you want to travel and experience the real side of the country, you have to be open to all types of people. Even the scary looking ones. Very kind people who have nothing but still share what they have. I met these people five months ago and I still wear the ring every day. It is a nice reminder of my Albania experience. I am very thankful to them and I hope one day our paths will cross again.

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