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Hello World!

 

As you’re probably all dying for an update, I thought I should fill you in. I Can’t remember where I left off though… Macedonia, perhaps? I camped for two nights by Lake Ohrid and was grateful to be away from daggy cities and back to clear water. I had my first ever hitchhiking experience in Ohrid, and managed to be picked up by a limo! Man, hitchhiking is easy.

 

From Macedonia I went to Albania, after 8 different vehicles I finally arrived in Vlora. Transport in Albania is interesting, to say the least. Highways are generally one and a bit lanes wide, so if a car is coming the other way, someone has to stop to enable the other to squeeze past. The roads are generally NOT SMOOTH, and seem to be bitumened (?) in no sort of pattern whatsoever. Travelling these tracks is also an aural experience, as Albanian drivers don’t indicate with the conventional blinker, one simply notifies other drivers that they intend to do something (anything) by beeping their horn. More than half the cars on Albanian roads are old Mercedes with cracked windscreens, apparently ‘sourced’ from Western Europe at a good price. The Mercedes betray the surrounding poverty.

 

After the all day travelling experience, I was back to my beloved Mediterranean Sea in a town called Vlora on the Southern half of the Albanian coast. Vlora is not attractive, but I could travel no further. Fortunately, the only hotel listed in the Lonely Planet – though it had changed names since – was situated on the fringe of the city with it’s own private beach, and balcony overlooking the sea and awesome sunsets. How the locals, a  cast of thousands swimming only 200 metres away at main beach, failed to encroach on the beach is beyond me. I enjoyed a recuperating two days on the outskirts of Vlora before negotiating the Albanian Roads again.

 

Meandering down to the bus station at midday, I discovered that I had missed the 6am bus to Dhermi. Who knew? I managed to bargain down a cabbie who took me on the two hour drive up a seaside mountain, hugging cliffs and beeping to overtake (yes, it was a Merc). I arrived in Dhermi having crossed the beautiful Mount Llogorija (spelling?) and took to finding accommodation. But first a coffee. I don’t know why, but the old lady serving tried to butter me up by explaining that she was an “Albanian Mama” in mixed Albanian, Italian and sign language. I gave the obligatory “that’s cute” laugh and this was her cue to try to extort $30 from me for a capuccino. When I divided that by 10, and handed over $3 (bloody expensive for Albania) she stared at the cash and me and then the cash again and when she realised that she wasn’t getting another $27, she asked if I’d like to stay at her hotel.

 

Needless to say, I found alternative accommodation with a pleasant Albanian Granny who had rooms to let (dhoma me qira). She had, at an earlier stage in her life, spent a lot of time in Greece, and when agreeing on the price of the room, I heard her use the Greek for ‘euro’, I asked her if she spoke Greek. The barrage in Albanian quickly became a just as complicated barrage in Greek, but she liked me more!

 

 

 

 

I caught the half hour ferry to Corfu this morning and made my way to the Internet cafe after carting my bag through searing heat to find a hotel room. Everyone is here, and I had to settle for a cute little 60’s style room without an amenity of any sort. Still, it was cheapish.

 

I had no intention of being in Greece, as I wanted to travel up to Croatia. Though I couldn’t bear the idea of having to travel the length of Albania again, so I’m heading to Dubrovnik on ferries. From Corfu to Brindisi, then Brindisi to Bari overland, then Bari to Dubrovnik! Tres cool!