The Balkans - Albania, Saranda

On 18^th I had decided that whether it was raining or not I’m gonna go to see the Blue Eye close by on the bus way to Butrint. First this girl Kristina from Sweden asked to join me and then this German girl Johanna wanted to join too. So together we left to search for the 9.30 bus to Butrint and ask to get off at the Blue eye. Well the only bus we could find was at 11.30 and all the taxi people asked like 30-50€ for the taxi ride so we decided to hitchhike since it was said to be a common way to get around there, or at least our hostel owner woman said so. We walked to this crossroads going to the right direction and eventually after like 15 minutes this Isralien guy and this women from somewhere in Europe stopped for us. They were from the other hostel and the guy had rented a car. It took maybe 30 minutes to drive there and it cost 50 LEK to get in.

The blue eye was amazing. The water there was only 10 degrees. Me and Kristina walked a little away from the actually blue eye and went to water from there. Freezing! We spent there maybe 1,5 hours and then walked the 2 km back to the main road and almost instantly this minibus stopped and we paid 200 LEK for our journey back. Then together we went to eat and then it was a nap time. Me and Kristina went our after the nap for gyros and buy some wine and chips. Got ready, drank “san ilari” (absolutely no idea how to spell it) and left to watch some football. 

During the game we drank mojitos and just gossiped about life. Then we left for this Orange bar / club, drank tequila shots and some wine. Started talking to this French guy and Berry Sheqerolli. Kristina and the French guy went to swim and we stayed and talked about life and business. We left to supermarket and sit on the beach and spent there what felt like forever. Eventually we got back to the hostel at 5 am! :D

19^th oh god. My head hurt. I was so tired. I hadn’t even drank that much but im sure it was that tequila shot. Eventually at around one o’clock both me and Kristina got up and she decided to stay another night. We left to the Ksamil island even though again it was a shitty day. The bus ride there was some sweaty business and took like 30 minutes and cost 100 LEK. It probably would have been beautiful there in a good weather but it was shit. We were also cold at the beach so we spent there maybe an hour and left back. It started pissing down and thundering and we got so wet. We walked and tried to hitchhike our way back while people were laughing to us. Until finally these three German guys stopped for us and offered us a ride. They had been smoking weed there and they were really young. I was nervous that he was gonna try impress us and drive like crazy but he actually asked us are we afraid if he drives fast and instantly I replied that yes. He drove really slowly and carefully and didn’t start passing other cars or something like that. Thank god since there were so much water on the roads. Eventually we made it back to the hostel and everyone laughed at us when we went in and where so wet. Then it was nap time again and then me and Kristina left to eat after. 

She bought her bus ticket and I bought my boat ticket for the next day to Corfu for 19€.

The next morning I left around 9.10 and paid my third night and hugged the girls goodbye. I walked to the port and the flying dolphin left at 10.30 and it took around 35 minutes since I arrived to GREECE.

Fah-la-min-dair-it = THANK YOU Albania! It was fun and im so mad at myself that I was worried or had worries before going! What I didn’t do in Saranda was climb to the castle of Lekursi up on the hill. I didn’t do it since the weather was so bad all the time.

I was also nervous about the transportation in Albania because I literally couldn't find anything online before going! No connections to no where. There were buses of course but no timetables available, only the locals knew (or thought they knew) what time they went.

The Balkans - Albania, Himara and Saranda

The next morning, I woke up around 8 am and went to eat this nice breakfast. We left with them boys at 10 am to wander to find a public bus going close to the bus terminal. The local bus cost 40 albanian money and took maybe 15-20 minutes to get there. The “bus station” was this tiny area with like 20 normal big buses and 30 minibuses and 100 men shouting different places in Albania. We had been told that there is a minibus to Himara (or again could be spelled Himare) at 11.00. Well there was only one big bus to Himare at 13.00. No way we would have waited for that. After 15 minutes of different game plans and people walking behind us we took this offer for 40€ private car to Himare.

The roads were okey but the man drove like a maniac! Almost one collision with another car and I was sat in the middle of the back seat without seatbelt (the car didn’t have one). The first two hours were crazy and our driver looked so tired that I was sure he was gonna fall asleep so I kept staring at his eyes through the mirror to make sure he was awake. After two hours (in Vlora at the time) we stopped and he tried to call to different people.. Then he stopped in front of this bus. We were all like oh no. So I eventually that was as far as he took us and he claimed it as a misunderstanding through this women on the phone cause he himself didn’t speak any English. The timing was perfect tho since the bus left within 5 minutes and he agreed on paying the ticket for 200 LEK. So I paid my 4,5 hour trip from Tirana to Himare 1250 LEK. The rest of the trip so 2,5 hours bus going through this crazy high mountain road! I understood from the guys that it was only like 78 kilometers but took 2,5 hours.. Next to the mountain roads they sold everywhere the Llogara honey which was the local specialty.

So we arrived to Himare around 15.30 and it was pissing down. Again. This hostel I had searched was just around the corner and I paid 10€ for one night. I left to this Greek Souvlaki place when the rain stopped for a bit. Then I went to wander around the one tiny street and went to this club / bar which had a nice terrace and ordered the first frappe for 150 LEK. I worked there for couple of hours overlooking this nice nice view. At night I went to eat and then for a coke while watching some football. I had to leave to the hostel since I was so cold and I was freezing.

On 17^th of June I woke up at 7.45 even tho I was on my phone for quite late. Went to eat this nice breakfast and then headed out to wait for the bus to Saranda at 11.00. I was chatting with these Italian guys while waiting for the bus on the road (no bus stops). The minibus came 11.20, cost 500 LEK and took 1,5 hours to get to Saranda.

On the bus I realized that I hadn’t taken any screen shot of the potential places to stay! Damn. I remembered the names of the two I had searched for so I just thought I’m gonna go somewhere for a coffee to get wifi and check them out from a map. Then I closed my eyes for maybe 15 minutes and when I opened them I saw a sign Dolphin hostel. :D Lucky! Then on the crossroads waiting for the bus to move I tried to memorize all the shops around so I would remember how to walk there. Then the bus turned left and stopped and we were there. :D I walked to the hostel, door was open but there was no one anywhere. Soon the owner came and I booked in for two nights, 10€ / night.

I left to wander and to find mom and dad’s hotel since they were going there in three weeks. I found it and it had a nice swimming pool, so I went in and asked if I could use it. I laid there by the pool maybe 20 minutes, dipped in and changed my spot to face the sea and ordered a frappe. Frappe came, and a massive storm rose. Perfect. I walked all the way to the other end of the beach and worked there again for couple of hours until it was like seven o’clock and I started to be cold. 

I left out to eat around eight thirty and had wine at this nice place while looking this little girl making new friends. Wine was 2,5€ on the average.

The Balkans - Albania, Shköder and Tirana

The bust left from Budva to Shköder at 8.30 and there were maybe 15 people on board. The bus stopped at the capital Podgorica at 10.05 and set of again at 10.15 and the boarder we reached at 10.50 and it only took 15 minutes on the boarder with a full bus of people (lots came from in from the stop). Usually on these bus rides there had always been two people, one who is driving and the one who checks the tickets, takes care of the luggage, boarder controls with all passports and when people are getting off. On this bus there was only one. When we left from Podgoriga and were in the middle of nowhere this Chinese old man goes to the driver asking Kotor, Kotor.. So the driver stops, and tries to explain to him to go to the other side of the street (neither of them spoke English) and just put your thumb up. So he was left there in the middle of nowhere..

This one guy in the front of the bus agreed to help the driver at the boarder to give passports back to people. He was joking that choose which ever you want, welcome to Albania.. :D  

When getting to Shköder I spotted loads of cows and there were many people on normal bicycles! The bus was supposed to go to the bus station to drop people of but instead this driver dropped us off close to this Razafa castle which we later checked at 3.3 km from where we wanted to go. We got off around noon and that's when I met this French-German girl Marie. We were at the gas station queuing to pee and I was talking to this Turkish guy and when Marie came from the toilet she said something about the bus leaving and the guys face just dropped. He had all his stuff inside the bus cause this wasn’t his stop. He left running after the bus and we don’t know what happened to him.. The bus was so much in front already when he started running.

We left to walk towards the center and all the coffee places on both sides of the street were packed with men staring at us but not in a bad or flirty way (some of course) but like curious way. We eventually found this big round about and the first girls or women we saw there we asked for help and they showed us the tourist info but that was closed. We went inside this big hotel next to it asking stuff and the woman said it was some Muslim holiday so basically everything was closed (it was Friday) and they would open on Monday. Great. We decided to find the hostel that we had both searched and go ask if we can leave our stuff there for a while (and pay of course), go walk around and the leave for Tirana the same day. The hostel looked so nice (The wanderers hostel!) and they let us leave our stuff there for a while for free. We went to change some Albanian money and eat pizza. One pizza and two drinks costs us 5€. 

After we wandered around for a while, saw this big white mosque and decided it was pointless cause there was nothing. Only thing we could have done was to rent bikes and bike to the famous lake like 10 km each way but we didn’t feel like that at all. SO we went back got our stuffs and left for a “bus station” which was one bus parked next to the roundabout. We were there 15.05 and we understood from their sign language that the bus would leave at 16.00. It cost as 2€ for a 2 hour journey.

At Tirana again we walked at least one hour to find our hostel called D1 and arrived there little after seven at night. Paid 10€ / night for girls dorm, took quick showers and went to find some food. I ate lamb, salad and a big beer and paid 9€. Then we wandered around the main square which was set up as a football audience place, walked to this market place with coffee places and bars. I drank one glass of wine and Marie drank tea (it was really cold!). 

We went to hostel and I started reading about the next possible places to go. I had dumped Durres earlier since I had understood it’s just like a port. I was planning on going to Vlore when this guy at the hostel told that it’s also a port place and a big place with nothing and that the only hostel is far from the beaches. Great. Then this young British guy walked passed and overheard us talking and told that they were going to Himara the next morning and that I could join them. So Vlore changed into Himara in less than an hour. It suited me better since I got to sleep a little later since we left at 10 am.