Here is the first
While in Montenegro, walking along the promenade in Budva, we saw an advertisement for a one-day sightseeing tour to Albania. And why not? Albania has been closed for a long time, a post-socialist country, and the money is small… After shopping in the Adriatic, we decided to discover another corner. We were required to provide passport data and arrive on time for the bus. At first we were warmed by the fact that we will ride all over Montenegro on the way to the border. And sitting behind the iron, we were interested in how the beach in words, you can agree to cross another border.
And so, the bus was full. From Ukraine we were alone, there were many Russian-speaking, Poles, Serbs, locals. To the border, we really crossed the entire coast of Montenegro with its resorts Sutomore and Bar. Throughout the time, the guide who spoke our language spoke well about his native country and Albania.
For another contingent, there was a guide who also told them the same thing. Throughout the flight we were given drinks from coffee to cognac. We love cognac. Albanian was advertised. On the way back, it could be bought right here on the bus.
We first got to the border by some secondary roads, which apparently no one had traveled in this direction before. And it was explained to us that the friendly Albanian people were very afraid of Tito, and did everything to protect their homeland, and no one had ever thought to go in this direction.
The border is simple. Several fired dot. Cafe with a decent toilet. Passports were taken away, and why? did not return.
The first stop, like seeing the first attraction - dot. As we were told, about 400-500 thousand dot was built in Albania (see photos).
As for us, all these dot, it has long been possible for everyone to privatize and arrange something like a dacha. Impressive buildings are solid, cement is not spared, ice, officers up to 7-8 meters in diameter. In the original, each of these is connected by underground passages with several soldiers, smaller in size. And all of them are directed towards Yugoslavia.
The first city of Shkodra. For the first time in my life I cross a wooden bridge by bus. They were accepted into the European Union! I look, strangely the local population lives in some barracks, such as immigrants. There are no traffic lights in Albania and there are no normal roads. Cognac takes its toll and the picture becomes more fun.
It is clear that they have a very careful attitude to the land, all fenced.
Along the way we were impressed by the many construction projects. Piles, first floor, filling, second, filling, third. Necessarily several flags, your own, English, German or some other.
Accordingly, our question to the guide. Its flag is clear, others of those countries where the owners earned money for construction.
Tirana - the capital. Upstairs on the roofs all have water tanks. Up to 200.000 or more people lived in Tirana at the time. The impression that you were in Kiev in the 70's. Asphalt is almost invisible, only potholes. Skyscrapers are true somewhere. Eureka decided not to change for them at the bar.
After checking the time and agreeing with the organizers of the tour, which is Mijovic Travel-Budva Montenegro, where the bus will stop, we were given free time, about an hour, to walk and buy souvenirs. Turning off the main street, we left. There were few shops on that street, and we moved away from the center. We walked past the fence, the gate, and there is a nice garden. We decided to take a walk. People on benches were resting by. Around the greenery, trees. We walked for 15 minutes. Looking to the right we saw strange people in camouflage and with machine guns. They rushed into the car.
Looking to the left, we were horrified. The park and everything around it was fenced with barbed wire, about 3 meters high, which was hidden behind tall greenery. We were warmed by the fact that the next street could be seen ahead. Yes, it was not here. There is no passage! It was hot. Degrees under 40. I wanted to drink. Gradually, all vacationers and passers-by went somewhere. We sat down and started brainstorming. Everything was like a zone. Without knowledge of the language, without passports, with a certain amount of money, with photo and video equipment, we were frightened by communication with the locals. Time was running out. I wonder how the guides would look for us. But suddenly an old man passed us and went, as it seemed to us, towards the parking lot of our bus. Park, buildings can be seen somewhere, barbed wire around. The old man approached the wire and climbed further through the hole in it. We did too. The next fence was 10 meters. Also a hole.
The last one was a fenced area, which was all visible and there were no holes! There was only a shop in the barrier, where the old man was. Did he really go to him for so long. We went inside and oh miracle! There was a passage to the next area, where the old man and his peers were already playing dominoes peacefully. The street was visible in the thickets behind the fence on the left. On the right were, as we understood, an embassy. We saw that you can get to the street only through the next checkpoint. People with machine guns were quiet there. Coming closer, we thought about what to do. Suddenly the gate opens and the car stops. We quickened our pace and we are already on the street. The guards looked at us and we happily headed for our bus. We realized that we were wooling at the embassies. It was only later that we learned that Albania was in an almost martial law situation, that Kosovo Albanians had a sea of weapons in their hands, and that we understood that they were not very friendly towards Serbs.
And we met the Serbs on our bus. They turned out to be very nice people. They spoke Russian. Since this language was taught in every school in Yugoslavia under Tito. They told us. That Albanians are not very predisposed to Serbs, so while vacationing with families in Montenegro, they did not take them to Albania. And they came here, like us, out of curiosity, because no one from the former Yugoslavia has ever been here.
After driving through Tirana, our bus stopped near a university. I do not remember exactly but in my opinion it is the same. Taking pictures with the monument to Mother Teresa against the backdrop of the Hilton Hotel, the bus sent us to lunch. Lunch was included in the tour price (50 euros).
Albanian cuisine is famous for its meat products, there is the best meat on the bone, perhaps meat with a smell, fish. In general, everything was enough and I liked everything.
The tour also included a view of the panorama of Tirana from the height of the tallest building, 20 floors.
Delivery to the top by elevator. The elevator is completely glass even the floor. It was breathtaking, especially on the top floors. At the top of the restaurant, it rotates on its own axis. Those who want drinks already for their own (the price did not include).
The guide was interested in a vacation on the coast. After all, the climate is good. Says the sea is not a bad service so-so, they are poorly developing tourism.
Return to Montenegro. Buying cognac. Border. Passports are given away, customs officers took 10 euros for a visa, I look, the visa is pasted, although we don't need it anymore…
September 2009
