Balking at the Balkans...Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia

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Balkan trek

Just getting to the pick up point was a struggle, it was seriously early and the sun had not yet risen. It was the biggest group from the whole summer, 41 people. Far too big as it is hard to get to know everyone and clicks tend to happen. I had met Monique, Chicken, Nicole and Tanya from thr Greek Islands so we had our own sleeping corner up the back, the partying in the islands had wrecked me. Also we had to do stupid introductions like what kitchen utencil would you be...I chose cupcake tray. We arrived in beautiful Parga, Greece after way too many hours in a bus and we had amaxing pension accomodation where I got the double bed! I could even fit long ways! New and amazing experience! Haha We grabbed fruit and headed straight to the beach for a swim followed by a frogurt stop (frozen yoghurt) and then dinner at a local place with tons of food. I had a whole fish on lettuce leaf, plus a warm appertisers plate of mixed fried food, and beach views! :-) We grabbed ciders before heading up for an orientaion walk of the ruins at the top of the fort at sunset. Amazing views from the top. We had cocktails at the bar before walking along the hill back to our pension.

We had a quick breakie by the pool before heading off to Albania. The border crossing was a huge single car line up and it would have taken us longer had we not handed around a hat for 2€ "donation" each and a 6 pack of beers which got us through like magic! The first impression of Albania was a man sliding down hill towards the border on what was left of a shopping trolly after you took the top basket off....crazy insane occurance number 1! Our guide Matej explained Albanians believed bad spirits would inhabit unfinished buildings unless warned away, so they hung up stuff toys and teddies by nooses around their necks to warn off the bad spirits. Seriously creepy sighting number 2!

The history of Albania is very tumultuous and there are still blood feuds going on to this day between the oldest families. Scary stuff, especially as the borders to the rest of the world have only been open for the last decade. There are 600 000 thousand bunkers which were originally all over the country, and can still found everywhere, but a good percentage have been moved. Farming and agriculture is dangerous as there is so much unexploded ammunition still in the ground throughout the country from the history of civil unrest. So much of the very beautiful countryside of Albania is not used as it is booby trapped from various wars. The roads are also not well looked after and our driver had to navigate massive pot holes, tiny roads on cliff edges and tracks that were 'main roads' however drove more like 4WD tracks.

We made a stop at a bunker to take photos before heading to our lunch stop which was a fancy looking wedding reception-like place. We waited an hour or more for our food and we were complaining to Matej when he said that he had infact rung 2 hours ahead to let them know we were coming and the restaurant had a weekly booking for the busabout bus! I hate to think what they would have been like if they were unprepared! Chicken ordered chicken for lunch and got a whole cooked chicken which looked like it had starved to death before being killed. I got spag bol which was only delicious because I was starving. Back on the crazy roads, driving on the edges of cliff faces and more beautiful (but still dryish) countryside which was so different to Greece. The background looked like something out of country and western film.

We finally arrived in our "beach resort" which had barbed wire fences, a prison like entrance and lookout tours. Interesting. We are pretty sure it used to be a communist prison camp. What a terrific place for a beach resort? Strange, weird and wacky, Albania is sure an adventure. And no, there was not any beach bungalows by any means, it was concrete blocks of living accomodation. We dropped our bags and walked to beach where there was rubbish everywhere, ooddles of seaweed in water, and no one swimming. Hmm resort? I think not. We jumped in the pool instead before going for a walk to end of our prison camp, crossed tge barb wire fencing and then the whole landscape changed to a clean beach where they threw their rubbish into our resort over the fence! Haha There was deck chairs and umbrella's for miles, we saw a donkey on beach with a little pop corn stand and generally third world conditions in most areas.

Also we decided the genes for beautiful men and women did not reach Albania, lovely people but not the western ideals of beauty. We walked to find shops but found rubbish piled next to bins, not inside, vomit on streets, and overall it was ALOT more dirty than vietnam. It was strange to have such third world conditions in the middle of europe. Chicken left with two other girls, and Tanya and I went together in another shop. The guy immediate noticed our male chaperone had left and tried to look up my skirt as I left the shop. Arg. Interesting influences included the Albanian McDonalds, which was just a McDonald's sign above a bar and there were bomb shelters on the beach which had been converted into a cafe. We jumped back in the pool before playing a round of cards before dinner and dinner which was delcious vegetables. I had an early night as I was sick as a dog after Ios.

We visit the capital on the way out of Albania and saw the giant pyramid in the center of town which was built by an Albanian leader who wanted to be remembered by being burried inside it. Unfortunately no one like him and when it was built he was disliked even more so when he did die they didn't bury him inside and put his body elsewhere. So now there is a giant ruined pyramid in the centre of town. Hmm! There is also a massive skyscraper being built to show how Albania is joining the 21st century. Except they made massive structural errors and the whole thing is leaning and needs to be demolished. What number am I up to on weird Albanian things? No idea. But here is the last. Albania is by no means a rich country so as we left, on dirt roads out of the city with strangled teddies hanging from the many many unfinished buildings you can imagine my surprise at seeing a ferrari with a 'for sale' sign out the front of a petrol station. No joke. I was stunned. It was an incredible journey Albania and I am so glad I came. But thanks for the memories, that'll do pig!

Next day we were off to Budva, Montenegro where our super bus driver skipped the lines for border crossing and by accident hit a very mangy dog, who was skeletal anyway. This caused alot of drama for some of the people on the bus. However, it was a few days off dying anyway, poor thing. Budva was so beautiful, so different, much greener, much higher standard of roads, living and much more welcoming and so amazing. After a slow walk down to beach to old town I grabbed a cupcake and we couldn't find the entrance to climb the wall but we did find a beach on other side. Unfortunately I was the only one who brought a towel so instead we got fruit smoothies, bought nautical togs for my upcoming Croatia Sail trip and when the girls went home I went for a swim. We had dinner on the roof and I managed to slice my elbow open on the fridge door handle, so clever, arg. Dancing at a club in town followed and I came home via a taxi who tried in vain to overcharge me.

Our last day of tour was another long bus trip (this tour was dreadful for long bus times) to Dubrovnik where we had a quick shop, lunch and icecream before finding that the public toilets in Dubrovnik are squat toilets....no joke, the only ones I have seen in Europe! Quick race back on the bus to get to Split. We had a final dinner with our group before I got lost coming back, had a few drinks in Charlie's bar with some friends and an early night as I was still unwell. Croatia Sail tomorrow!!

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