Pike Loti Tirana

Kruja was a short day trip out of Tirana.

There is a well preserved fortress that has now been converted into a museum on Albania history of Skanderberg - a prominent Albania figure in 14th century who lead ...

... and safty belt donont really exist...

Arrived in Tirane at around 2pm, i was standing with a sign on the street. A taxi driver waved me to come it, which was for a moment a wrong decision.. He braught me to the busstation again, where i tried hard to explain that i am hh and will not pay. They didnīt understand that, because nobody speaks any english down there. So the taxi driver asked a girl on the sidewalk, if she speaks english ...

... by men with Eastern European accents. We went into a backroom and he directed me to sit down on one of the two swivel chairs. I considered spinning around on it just to be able to say I'd span around on a chair on the Albanian border- but decided against it on the grounds this bloke didn't look like the kind of man who appreciated visual comedy, especially not in the middle of a freezing cold night. The room itself was filled with ...

... this verbal tennis match of wrestling stars was how the duration of the train journey would pass. We were still shouting names as we exited the station in Tirana and made our way down the street, but in opposite directions. As I went off on my way I was openly grinning from ear to ear. You couldn't make stuff like this up, it's just incredible, and it's these experiences that make traveling so fulfilling for me. I've visited many countries over the years and on one hand I've ...

I remember my first day in Albania, I asked a fellow traveler whether Albania has been safe. She said offhandedly "they are too busy helping you to rob you." In retrospect, this statement can not be more true. The people do not speak much English, the country does not have many jeweled attractions; people are pretty poor, but they are rich in ...

... in Tirana. Ejonta and I did an overnight trip to Durres, where we stayed at her brother's apartment steps from the Adriatic Sea. Too bad the one day we were there the winds picked up and blew sand everywhere. By the end of the day, we were the only crazy people still on the beach!

... one of the English speakers. We thank him for their help and they continue on their way. After a few minutes, another policeman comes rushing over. He speaks a little English so we explain again, brandishing our postage stamp-sized receipt. He nods intently and confers with the first policeman, who also nods intently. A moment later, four more policemen walk briskly towards us, one hand on their guns. The assembled law-men discuss our predicament with much ...

... down the road for a bit in search of water, and I got out my book :) Only took 40 mins. As we descended, the weather got hotter and muggier- I'd forgotten what it was like in Tirana! All very tired and hot when we got back, we were overjoyed to hear there was a tiny bit of water, so we all had v.short but v.welcome showers before heading downstairs for church. Most of the church was made up of the teenagers who had come ...

... relieved a bus wasn't going in my direction! Fortunately, within a few minutes a regular bus only half full appeared, going to Tirana! It seemed like the uncertainty of the day had come to an end. Well, nearly. What with it being a hot and sunny sunday, and the bus heading along the coast, there was no shortage of people wanting to get on. It was soon full, yet that didn't stop the driver from letting more people on. When some rather elderly types got on and unbelievably, no-one ...

... our progress. All hope seemed lost (there was no way they were going to let us inside--this was obviously a no-go zone!). But...we were told... We could stay overnight at this Monastery...and...for FREE! We had called ahead...made reservations...they should be expecting us... A stern-faced Italian Soldier met us upon approach, demanding "documents" (Passport). The "negotiations" began (obviously, it was unusual for someone to receive permission to stay ...