We've just set off on a 9 hour ferry across to Italy a deviation from our anticipated route but one we both feel is the right decision.
So reflecting on our last few days travelling through Albanian the mix of sights and experiences not to mention emotions have been at times awesome, awe inspiring, humorous and terrifying!
Yesterday was a trial for me, I was absolutely petrified getting back on the bike to leave the hotel knowing that we would once again have to negotiate the cobbles, sweeping bends and hair pin bends to get down the mountain. Colin did suggest that I could go down in a taxi and he follow it and with hindsight that might have been a good idea but I thought if I didn't get back on at the top I would not get on at the bottom. It was a nerve wracking ride and totally knocked my confidence on being on bike, so much so that when we made it onto the flat roads and Colin did overtaking manoeuvres I began to have panic attacks.
As we were travelling along the main road at one point on the opposite side of the carriage way was a shepherd herding his sheep and cantering towards us a man on his horse!
We passed donkey's pulling carts piled high with sacks, also battered motorbikes towing similarly precariously balanced cargo. We stopped to refuel and as we were leaving a local couple arrived with their bike and trailer, the man looked over at us and with hand gestures and laughter indicated that we should do a swap which made the attendants roar with laughter, Colin pulled up beside them at the fuel pump and our bike totally dwarfed theirs. With much laughter we set off again and found ourselves crawling through the suburbs of another big town with policemen causing more problems as they directed the traffic! We seemed to be making very very slow progress until we went over a bridge and the donkey and cart which had been at the front of the queue pulled over to let the long steam of lorries and cars pass them!
All the way through Serbia, Macedonia and in Albania along our routes on very fast and busy roads there would be locals sitting on stools with either baskets or tables full of their produce to sell, these ranged from apricots,peaches, melons, bunches of grapes plus all varieties of fruit very entrepreneurial, except when the driver in front also travelling at speed, decided to stop for a purchase with no indication! As we approached Tirana on the roadside and roundabouts people were barbecuing corn on the cob and once again cars would screech to a halt for a purchase or pull off at speed afterwards again with no indication!
The journey into Tirana to find our hotel did nothing to ease my worries as the amount of traffic was enormous, at one point there was 6 lanes of traffic merging into 3, I worked out this morning on the exit from the city, that a gentle pip of their horn alerted all around them that an illegal move was about to take place e.g. cutting across 3 lanes of traffic with very little hesitation! Having said that the driving was careful not aggressive and any move was accompanied by a thumbs up or wave of the hand. We had two near misses one by a young girl talking in her phone who seemed oblivious to anything around her and cut up other cars and buses, the other was when we were in a car's blind spot but he at least acknowledged the potential of his manoeuvre.
Our arrival at the right hotel and the reception we received from the concierge who not only guided us round the back of he hotel for secure parking but instructed another member of staff to help with our bags. When he saw me take a bottle from the top box and have a drink he told the staff member to go and get me a cold drink of water. They could not have been more helpful of solicitous. We did feel very sorry for the young man who had the job of carrying our bags to the room, the only consolation was that we didn't get into the lift with him as riding in temps of 42 degrees had left us a little odorous!!
When we had drunk our complimentary drinks we returned to the receptionist and asked for a map and suggestions for where to visit. It surprised us that the only things he recommended were the local park, two squares and a pyramid.
On route to the park we passed a new mosque that was being built, it was enormous and impressive having been starts in 2013 and was still a long way off being finished. By this time we had no clue as to where we were so I asked one of the guards who pointed us in the road the direction, unfortunately this took us past a very posh cake shop and cafe which 'we just had to go in and look at!' Needless to say an expresso, water and a slice of cake later Colin felt refreshed enough to carry on in our sightseeing search!
We did find the park and the squares but to be perfectly honest they really shouldn't rate as tourist attractions. One of the squares was called Mother Teresa so we wondered if she was born in Tirana or Albania the answer when we looked it up was
We got lost finding our way back to the hotel and so stopped for a cheeky beer or two next to the market square and people watched whilst having a WhatsApp conversation and FaceTime with friends in Morzine France!
We were sat in front of a fish restaurant and kept seeing fish being taken to the restaurant on the corner, we decided to weave a fish supper, which probably wasn't the best choice!
In returning to the hotel we chatted with the Receptionist who gave us another insight into life in Albania. He told us that he was just 19 and had only been working in the hotel for 3 weeks. He shard with us that he really wanted to do design at university as he was into fashion but didn't think he would be allowed to, he will be told next week where he is going and what he will be studying- how incredible that someone else decides what career path you should follow.
Speaking to the waiter this morning we again commented on the linguistic skills of so many people we have met, he told us that everyone is taught English at school and most of the tv and music they watch and listen to is in English. He then said that he jokes about what language will be spoken in heaven, the answer "English, because the British are to lazy to learn to speak anything else!" Sobering but so true.
We were concerned about the time it would take us to get out of the city and then through customs so we set off by 8:30 and arrived at the port at 9:30! We couldn't work out what we should be doing but lots of other motorists waved us forward or gestured as to what we needed to do(politely!) and went through everything so smoothly we were on board by 10 ready for a sailing at 12!
We actually set sail at 2; I had read some reviews of the ferry and they all said it departed 2 hours after its scheduled time! The ferry is jam packed with returning Italian holiday makers who have literally set up camps for the duration of the journey by bring on board blow up mattresses, portable fridges and lying on towels and quilt covers; we've never seen the likes of it!
The disembarkation procedure was also an experience, all passengers bar the car driver got off as foot passengers; however their only way off the boat was once the back doors had opened they swarmed down the ramp taking no prisoners for anyone in their way, meanwhile back on the boat the cars revved and off they went backwards! They all had to reverse down the ramp although some decided they weren't going to do this and executed much more than three point turns getting very close to other cars, who showed their displeasure by honking their horns-just madness! Thankfully we were close to the ramp and a very observant staff member held up the three lines of reversing cars to allow us to manoeuvre out of our space and off the ferry. Having them negotiated around the abandoned cars who were waiting to collect their families we arrived at he passport control and much to the annoyance of the cars waiting in line we were waved through and within 5 minutes of disembarking we were heading into the local town to find our hotel.
Now 10:00pm on a Saturday night in an Italian town is interesting as well. Imagine the scene you are travelling along the road doing 30mph following a car when seemingly with no indication it decides to stop in the middle of the road so the passenger can go for an ice cream leaving their door wide open!
Similarly once you have your ice cream there is no need whatsoever to check your mirrors or indicate before you set off! Crazy time!