Blogs from Albania, Europe - page 34

Some European cities beg to be explored. The less quiet, romantic, and dimly lit back streets of Lisbon and Budapest come to mind. Others cities, however, instill a deep desire to remain in your hotel room with the door locked and all windows shut tight. Tirana pertains to the latter. Albania’s capital does very little to diminish the already horrendous first impression the northern city of Shkodër delivered. Hot and layered with a coating of chalky grime, Tirana only confirms that Albania is a third-world country in an otherwise modern Europe. Overcrowded and polluted with an endless blaring of horns from backed-up traffic, only a rare cool and rainy day in summer provides relief from the loads of fermenting trash at every street corner that overflows from neglected dumpsters. No matter what the weather, there is ... read more

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 digged down into the Albanian lifestyle and do not know much more than others about Albania. But here is what I found out. Language difficulties Firstly I noticed the language and was pretty fast trying to figure out what it came closest to. But honestly 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 ... read more

Tirana, the capital of Albania, can only be characterized as a bustling, out of control city, where organization of the infrastructure and people just does not seem to exist. Example: When crossing the street, whether in a crosswalk or otherwise, you do so at your own risk because drivers have absolutely no regard for pedestrians. You are forced to quickly bob-and-weave in between moving cars that have had to slow down only because the roads are so bad that they cannot drive faster. Honestly, at some points you would think that you were passing through a war zone due mainly to the conditions of the sidewalks and the roads. I would say also that drivers in Tirana employ horns as one of their most useful tools. It’s even possible that most drivers use their horns more ... read more

Benjamin Franklin once said: "Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes". Well, I have another two certainty's to add to the list: Japanese tourists are everywhere, and cab drivers are scum bags worldwide. But rather than complain, I want to tell you the stories I heard for this enigmatic country. I have just spent three days (and two nights) visiting Albania. Whilst I was only there for a short time, I was satisfied in what I learnt, and absolutely fascinated. I stayed in Saranda, which is a port-city at the south of the country, near the Greek border. It is opposite the Greek island of Corfu. I stayed in an area called "exsamilia" which means 'six miles' - the six mile stretch of land under Saranda, which ends where Corfu starts. Deep ... read more

Relaxing by Lake Como, when I am approached by two young men in shirt and tie, both clutching black books under their arms. Shit! They’re after my soul! I try not to make eye contact, but they’re onto me. They say something in Italian, but my blank expression makes them change tactic "do you speak English?" (Their American). " No" I reply instinctively in my panic, but apparently in an English accent? Got me! With the formal greetings and niceties out of the way, the duel begins. They want my soul and they have the self-confidence to suggest they know they can get it. They have of course access to the truth. My questions are civil and testing, I want to learn about them rather than their cult (they are Mormons). 22 yrs old and have ... read more