Home » Albania » Patience......pushed

Donkey drawn carts make their way along streets with pot-holes the size of Liechtenstein. Half-built, but abandoned houses dot the landscape, which is that shade of green that's almost yellow, and sometimes is. Kids play barefoot in dusty lanes, while the muezzin's call to prayer competes with church bells for the attention of the faithful......

Patience......pushed

Conor_purcell
2005-11-18 15:50:12

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linger.

We hadn't planned on coming to Albania, but our Canadian 'roomies' from Sarajevo had told us about a 'dreamy, deserted beach' on the south-west coast, and we were determined to find it. We set off the next day, thinking it was straightforward enough - after all, our bus driver told us he was going that way.

He wasn't. 6 hours later, after a magnificant journey through the southern Albanian mountains, we were dropped off in Saranda, and told to catch another bus to Dhermi, just beyond which our paradise beach alledgedly lay. 34km, but 3 hours later, we were dropped of in Hemare, and told we'd need to take a taxi on to Dhermi, the next town. After 9 hours of buses, we were wrecked, but still determined to get there. Accompanied by two new Albanian friends, we got a taxi.

The journey was great - the road that stretches along the coast here hugs the side of the cliff - the other side is a straight drop. Bear in mind that the road is really, really crap, and barely wide enough to take two small cars, and you get the picture. Our taxi driver drove like a lunatic. He saved his best moments for passing people, and over-taking other vehicles, especially Italina motorists, when he'd beep the horn non stop, and shout various Albanian insults out the window.

On arrival in Dhermi (11 hours after leaving Berat) we discovered the place was full - there was a week-long dance party taking place! So no peace, no serenity, and tonight, no hotel room. After a fruitless search in the dark
for our intended beach, we decided to camp on the main beach, and got about 2 hours sleep thanks to the truly awful rave music going on down the strand. The next morning, we decided to head back to Saranda. After waiting 6 hours for the bus (don't wanna talk about it), we finally squeezed on to one, and arrived back in Saranda after 4 hours. We had planned on visiting the ancient ruins at Butrint, but it was too late, we were too tired, hot and filthy, and by now, wanting too leave Albania,

The next day, we bought our tickets for the ferry to Corfu, went off for breakfast, and arrived back at the terminal to be told the ferry was cancelled. Somebody obviously wanted us to stay in Albania. Not us though - we got a taxi to the Greek border, danced across, and were in Ioaninna, 50km and 50 min later.

Basically, our stay in Albania would have been much more pleasant if we hadn't gone wandering off the main routes, expecting regular bus routes. Once you wander way from these routes, waiting/journey times multiply, and in the summer heat, it gets to you. If the Albanian people weren't so nice and friendly, I might have killed someone. But they're great - not overly curious, but once approached, they'll go out of their way to help you. The people and the wonderful scenery are Albania's great assets. The journey times, roads and litter can all get you down, but I'd happily return some day, better prepared.......

For everything that went wrong on this trip, I'll just BLAME CANADA!