Again the countries that people tend to avoid, are all the more better than the tourist hotspots. The media has put dark light onto these places and they have so much to offer.
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A lake on the east side of Albania |
The first Albanian I met after crossing the border "Welcomed" me to his country, which is a small but very powerful gesture.
And when I realised my front rack rivot had broken again (the other side this time), I was beginning to take the rack off to try and improvise something to get the rivot out. Within minutes, a middle-aged Albanian man came running over to see what I was up to. His English was fantastic (he explained he learnt this on TV, along with Italian and Greek). He worked in the local hotel and came back with some tools to make my job easier, after we realised we couldn't botch it. He got on the blower to a metals gate maker. This chap kindly drilled the rivot out and replaced it with a nut and bolt, shook my hand and that was it. Within 15 minutes it was fixed!
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The food is very manly... |
There is a large segregation between the poor and the rich in Albania. You notice this as soon as you enter the country. There are child beggers at the border, which contrast massively with the abundance of E class Mercs and posh houses that you see. One thing that did surprise me is that the poor were still getting about on horse/pony and cart (I felt bad getting photos, so haven't got the evidence unfortunately). Through Tirane, I also witnessed the slums and on two occasions dogs ran out into the road and I had a few near-misses... A crazy city.
The lakes on the east side of Albania are things that dreams are made of. The water is crystal clear and is as still as to appear like glass. There is also a fantastic mist that lurks in the middle and tall green mountains that surround it. It is a place that would be perfect for a LOTR movie.
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Alongside the lake from LOTR |
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Why pay for the fish treatment. Come to Albania and get it free. Sorry Soph |
Apart from the lakes the Mountains are spectacular.
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Hair-pinned climb up to Tirane |
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The view from the top, with some of the locals |
Must get on Sophie and ride or I'm not going to get anywhere. Over and out.
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