Albania

 Up early at 7.30 to get to the bus station by 8 o clock to catch our ride to Albania. Tickets were sorted and paid for, duly stamped and then we were informed that we now had to pay an additional 1 euro bus station tax per person to actually board the vehicle. The bus arrived on time and the driver opened the cargo doors to deposit our bags for the journey. Smiling he accepted our small back packs and issued our receipts and baggage labels before demanding 2 euros per bag for the privilege. I could have kicked myself. We never put our bags under the bus. Our entire worldly possessions exist within that small canvas world and we never allow ourselves to be parted from them. The lapse must have been the due to the early start or the excitement of the trip but it cost us an extra 4 euros that did not need to be spent. On a crowded bus the backpack can take up valuable comfort space but at least it is at hand the whole time and cheaper it seems. The bus left at exactly 8 am. Out of Kotor and onto the main highway leading to the border. The ride was beautiful. Over high mountain passes and through idyllic ancient seaside towns till it arrived at the Montenegro Albanian border high in the mountains. The border crossing was busy, very busy, and the driver was becoming frustrated at the delay. The Montenegrin exit was smooth and unhurried as every passenger exited the bus past passport control. Passports rapidly stamped and back on the bus. At the Albanian border it was a little more chaotic. The driver collected everyone’s passport and left us on the bus. A few minutes later he returned and thrust the large collection of international passports into the hands of a young German backpacker seated at the front of the bus. The driver shouted something incomprehensible several times at the young guy who looked like he was being berated by a school teacher for not handing in his homework on time. After a while he realised after staring at the mass of official documents in his lap that the driver wanted him to hand them back to the other passengers. On receipt of ours I checked every page and couldn’t find the Albanian entry stamp in neither Crispy’s or my passport. I hope this doesn’t prove a problem when we try to leave Albania in a weeks time. Once across the border, possibly illegally, it was only a short 30 minute trip to Shkoder. Our next destination and home for 2 nights. It’s inland from the coast and on the southern edge of lake Skodar.A huge lake and a popular tourist destination for Albanians. 

The bus pulled up in downtown Shkoder and we alighted, grabbed our bags and looked for the nearest foreign exchange office. On this trip Albania is the only country not to use the Euro so we needed some local currency to get some lunch and a drink. The currency is the Leke and the current exchange rate against Sterling is very favourable at 138 Leke to the pound. Once we had the money we found a suitable eatery and settled down to a spot of lunch. Cafes and restaurants are not only providers of sustenance but usually have free WiFi to allow us access to google maps. Google is an invaluable resource on arriving in a strange city. It’s a tour guide and oracle that fits in your pocket. Once on the interweb google showed us where we needed to be. Shkoder is a modern cosmopolitan place with a great friendly atmosphere. Everyone seemed friendly and after lunch we set off for the 45 minute walk to our accommodation. The temperature was in excess of 34 degrees as we tramped through the city. It was hot and felt like a forced March. The bags were heavy and I feared Crispy was succumbing to the effects of heat stroke but she soldiered on without much complaint and eventually the camp site signs came into view. It was a welcome sight to the both of us as I was feeling the effects of the heat too. The accommodation is a camping and motor home site called Camping legenda just outside the city beneath the ruins of the impressive Rozafa castle. It is named Legenda after the local legend surrounding the castle and I shall go into more detail about this tomorrow if I can convince Crispy to scale its foreboding walls. She’s already climbed one huge pile of rubble on this trip and I may be expecting too much for her to do it again.

 The entrance to the site was at best underwhelming. A small dirt track between disused engineering units. I didn’t turn around to look at Crispy as we approached but I can imagine her face was a picture as we trudged down the unmade road surrounded by detritus. Turning the corner the campsite came into view and it was amazing. Manicured lawns, swimming pool and sun terraces. We are staying in a cabin in a mulberry tree grove for the next 2 nights. It is perfect with all mod cons. Crispy was very pleased. Within minutes she had donned her bathing suit and was splashing around the pool like a baby orca. We chilled in the bar and pool for a couple of hours trying to stabilise our body temp before walking back towards the town to buy some supplies. The only oversight on my part is that the cabin doesn’t have a kitchenette so we will be forced to ”eat out” for the next couple of nights. It’s no hardship and I’m sure we will manage.

Tomorrow I intend to hire bicycles and cycle around the lake. This was only planned as a staging post on our way to the coast but it is beautiful and I’m sure we will enjoy our time here.

Bare and Crispy signing off in a cabin, on a campsite, in Albania