TIRANA, ALBANIA

2015-10-04, 18:46, THORIN

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We didn’t get a chance to spend much time in Tirana, as we were coming from Kotor on a mammoth trip of transport due to lack of any semblance of transport infrastructure between Montenegro and Albania, and we were trying to make it to Berat by sunset. Regardless, we spent a few hours in Tirana changing between Furlongs (vans driven by locals that are substitutes for public transport) and snapped a few pics, and had a cheeky Albanian fast food kebab.

We left Kotor around 7 in the morning, and had to take a public bus down to Ulcinj, where the once-a-day public bus to Shkoder (Northern Albania) had departed a few hours earlier. We managed to enlist the help of a taxi driver, who happened to have his father-in-law as a border guard. Regardless to say, he crossed into Albania with no documentation of any kind, ranting about why anyone would want to go to Albania. Once we crossed into Albania he dropped us off at Shkoder and we took a soviet era bus to Tirana (another 2 hour journey) for 1 or 2 euro (200 Albanian lek). We had done an exchange with a petrol station attendant who gave us 20 euros worth of lek at an excellent exchange rate.

Tirana was busy and dusty, dotted with derelict buildings. However, the city was bustling - wish we had stayed for a day or so. Next time!

Albania is dotted with empty and half-finished buildings - concrete skeletons of hotels that no-one ever finished. It is bizarre

Will be back here - fascinating place