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I'm not at the moment in Ioannina, Greece, but before writing about returning to the European Union I wish to write a few thoughts down about Albania.<br />I already told about Shkoder fastly, but now after having completed my Albanian experience for this time, I wish to tell what I discovered about the culture. Since I'm only a backpacker going fastly through I offcourse haven't dicked down into the Albanian lifestyle and do not know much more than others about Albania.

A backpackers view on Albanian culture

Anna Sofie Andersen
2006-03-16 19:52:12

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look. So it is not completely save to travel as a single girl through Albania, but as long as you make them rest asure that you do absolutely not appreciate there gestures you will be okay. I feel very happy that I chose to visit Albania on my travel and that I did it alone, but next time I visit I will wish for company of a friend or two, since it is difficult to meet people on your own in a country where there are almost no tourists to gather around with.

Before ending this essay as it has become I will describe Tirana. It is absolutely not a beautiful city and you shall not expect to meet great culturel buildings and lathin quaters and so on, but it gives a complete idea of communistic design. Hoxha the communistic leader of Albania through many years destroyed almost everything with culturel value, since most of it went against his hope for an ateistic society. The main square and most of the city is build up in ultimate communistic idealism. After Hoxha, now when Albania starts becoming a democratic country, the Tiranians try to do theirs to fresh up the communistic city. This gives out a gigantic color boom. All the buildings are painted in varius colors and you have an idea of meating the rainbow on every street corner. The streets are destroyed, the asfalt somethimes even making small hills, while there just a little outside center has never been any modern roads. Here you find what you would expect from a poor suburban village in Asia. You see donkeys in the street and people are selling everything from biscuits and cigarettes to watches and mobiles. I was at first only interested in this poor and ugly city. It seemed not even close to beautiful. But then on my last evening I stayed out a little longer to get a goodnight coffee and I found that Tirana by night is not at all comparibel to daytime Tirana. The main square is lighted up and the colors give an expression of rich wonders. The governmental buildings aswell as the national library, the palace of culture and the only remaining old mosque in town are all delicately lighted and you start wondering if communistic designers had a fundness for the nightlife.

I will end now, but first a few private things to add. I finally had my mother on the phone yesterday and she was delighted to tell me that I have been accepted to International Culturel Science at Roskilde University Center. Hurra for me... She also told me that my cousin is once again expecting a child! So congratulations Jakob. I also want to tell my younger cousin Andrea that I'm almost finished with the sixth Harry Potter book and that when I have returned and you have read the book aswell, I expect a call like last time. Last but not at all least. I had some news today that turned my stomach into butterflies and the day into being already fantastic. Dear Mitja, I'm so proud and so happy. I miss you tremendously and would wish I could be there with you!
Anna

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