Broadway Hotel Tirana

... army to various victories against the Turkish empire. <br>On the road from the bus station (stop) there is a street of wooden shops (that ironically looks very turkish and was selling predominantly turkish goods!).

... Stranded with 6 others we were approached by some entrepreneurial taxi drivers who offered to not only drive us across the border, but all the way into Tirana for 30&#8364; each - not that bad when you realise it's a 2 and a half hour taxi ride (177km!!). With the price agreed I joined a Tasmania couple for the next two and bit hours for one of the worst white knuckle experiences I've ever had!!! The albanians (as a nation ...

... itself, but a case of what it's not clear. Not Slavic at all but presumably descendants of the ancient Illyrians, themselves apparently the progenitors of northern Europe's first distinctive culture at Hallstatt, modern Albania arrives on the world stage tentatively. This was a place so closed to the world for four decades under Enver Hoxha that not even other Communists were allowed to visit. Croatians in Dubrovnik are closer to Albania than ...

... beer was on. The promised Irish pub didn't seem to exist (although that may just be me being a total cretin) so I decided to check out "Charl's"- apparently a "buzzing student bar". They didn't have any Albanian beer either- just a solitary German one on tap, what the hell kind of student bar was this?. Students can't afford imports!. "I'm trying to write a book about beer in the Balkans" I said, sounding like a total cock in the ...

... In 1997 a private pyramid investment scheme collapsed and over 70% of ordinary Albanians lost all their savings resulting in nationwide violence. Forged from bullet cases collected by children after the anarchy of 1997, the Bell of Peace stands as touching memorial to the countries often difficult post communist years. Following the drainage ditch that is the Lana River in the direction of Mount Dajti you eventually come across the Friendship Bridge. I've got to say the bridge ...

... on their remodeling schedule. Pretty much all of the coastal road south of Vlore was under construction. All active, all at the same time. We scarcely saw any pavement at all during our first two full days in the country, unless it had been torn up and tossed over the cliffside. Grades were ridiculous, traction was poor and delays were frequent (although often welcome). ************ hick-up in the internet connection here in Tirane lastnight... here's ...

... but feel wowed by Albanians' resourcefulness, if you can call it that. Cars are not the only thing Albanians recycle. Strolling through the market is like a bargainer's wonderland in a junkyard. There was a day market next to the train station selling fruits and shoes (not in the same stall). Shoes were hung ceremoniously from their laces around the stall. You are in luck if the ones hanging are your size because they probably have only one in ...

... a street under construction right across from what seemed to be the main bus station. We got off the bus in a hurry, collected out bags and began to make plans on what to do next. Then, OH NO My cell phone fell out of my shorts pocket on the bus. By the time I realized this, the bus had just pulled down a side street. So, I ran like CRAZY around the bus station, thinking the bus pulled into there, but it had not. Where was the bus ...

... and money goes to the people that don't necessarily need it - Mobile cost about 200 lek per minute (about 2 dollars us)...it's so high because there are only one or two mobile phone companies in the country and they pay the government (or bribe...) a hefty sum to keep the monopoly While the country has things that it needs to improve...it was far better than I expected! Don't listen to what people tell you before you go there as it was great!

... ride. We just looked out for a guy yelling Shkoder. Sort of like organised legal hitching, which you pay for. So it was a fast ride in a small Fiat to Shkoder...also dusty and full of construction so we pooled all of our remaining Albanian Lek in a pile and come up with 1685. The going rate for a taxi ride to Hani Hotit (the border) is 2000 Lek but we begged a few drivers until one agreed to take us. (We weren't going to tell him we had ...