Tirana and a day off, Hotel Kruja

Got into Tirana, Albania in the early afternoon, had looked over a few possible hotels, one that popped up was a small family owned one a few streets away from the main drag, hotel Kruja. Looked good to me on arrival and seemed like a pretty quiet street so as it turns out it’s four floors, no elevator, the only room they had available right now was on the top floor, but they said it was an apartment and €30 which is about $35 US. So I just said yes of course, they offered me a free beer on the back patio one of course I was going to stay! (Remember in most of the world, the street level floor is zero, so the fourth floor is actually the fifth in our USA thinking.)

Very nice place, not fancy by any means but nice in that it’s on the top floor, there’s a bit of a view out a couple of windows, there is a little balcony and it’s very clean. Nice owners and I will spend two nights here as I was going to explore Tirana anyway and take a day off. Also will give me a chance to figure the logistics from here out, I do need to ride through the mountains but to do so I need to lighten my load which means I can’t camp because all the camping gear is what I will send back.

So it’s a catch 22, I have to find a route that will have housing along the way if I’m going to ship camping stuff back. And I’m inclined to do that, I’ll figure it all out tonight or tomorrow.

For now, a cool shower and just a bit of a break off the bike is inviting. (I know this about myself, given the option to camp or a hotel/motel, I will always choose the hotel/motel unless it’s stupid expensive, and I have yet to come across stupid expensive in the Balkans yet.)

Not much to say about the rest of the day, mostly hung around the room, eventually walked out to the main city park which was really beautiful right on the lake. Walked back toward the hotel and found a tavern that was big on serving meat, for about eight dollars US I got enough meat to last me and somebody else a week! Was really tasty though, good break from the Greek salads and pasta I’ve been eating every day. This is really the first meat meal I’ve had in a quite a while.

Tirana day off

Had a good sleep at the hotel Kruza. Got up in the morning and the mission was to find tape and figure out a way to get my bag shipped to get rid of 20 pounds of camping gear. Language is not English common. Found an office supply store and they had some tape. Went back to the hotel, wrapped everything up, found the FedEx store nearby but it was very expensive to ship. But then they said I had to pay in euro cash, so I had to go back to the hotel, get some US dollars and find an exchange to get Euros as the standard Albanian currency is Lek. The exchange rate was pretty good. Got my giant package shipped off when I got back to the room I was shocked at how light all the rest of my stuff is going to be from here on out! Now with the afternoon open, looked at things to do in Tirana, and took a taxi up to BunkArt 1. There are bunkers all over Albania that are left over from the Russian years and this is one of the largest. It should be interesting and then from here it’s a short walk to the tram ride up to Tikjak mountain.

Bunkart is an amazing museum of Albanian history starting from about 1939 and the invasion from the rise of the Italian fascists. Followed by assistance from the British to fight the fascists. Remember that Albania is directly across the Adriatic from the heel of the Italian boot.

My gosh that was one of the most interesting museums I’ve ever been to! In this huge bunker, with hundreds of rooms inside, many of the rooms been converted to linear history Albania starting about 1939. Fascinating history, something that we, or at least I, never really heard anything about growing up. But like much of Europe, there is another whole world of history out there that many Americans have no clue about because we tend to be so goecentric.

Glad I took the time to stop in Tirana and stop at this place. For me to begin to describe the history of helping it would be fruitless on this blog. But long story short, eventually communists roll down and from about 1978 to 1991, Albania was held back from any real progress and connection with the rest of the world by a communist government. 1991 is when things started to change.

After, I walked 10 minutes uphill to the Dajti Ekspres which is a cable car up to the top of Dajti mountain. Unfortunately right after I bought my ticket, they delayed any runs because there is a giant thunderstorm brewing up here. Hopefully it won’t take too long.

On the cable ride and into the thunderstorm!!

Met a nice young German couple on the way down, we’re in the same cable car on the way down. Agreed to share a taxi to downtown, they are doing a 6 PM free walking tour at the main square.

So I got a quick dinner of arugula salad and gyros before I go there and maybe see them on the walking tour. It’s free walking tour but then you give a tip at the end whatever you can afford. So glad I ran into them!

Me in about 25 other people joined the free walking tour. The great Square where it began was such a beautiful public place! All massive stonework, and then there was water gurgling up over the surface of the stone to keep the area cool when it gets so hot. Great idea, but potentially hazardous with flip-flops!

Great walking tour of mostly interesting historical sites in bits and pieces of things that are important to the history of Tirana, and Albania. The tour guide was really informative, a lot about the history of Albanian how the communist years from the 70s through the night to about 1991 really set them back in so many ways. They ended up being so isolated from the rest of the world because of it and that put them behind progress in many ways. It’s interesting to know that until 1991 when communism pretty much broke up around the world, they really didn’t even have cars here! Or very few of them. The average person did not have a car! And the communists during those years, destroyed almost all of the churches and mosques, so much of the history of Albania and its tolerance for many religions was erased in those years, so I think they look back collectively and are kind of pissed off about the communists.

One of the interesting double standards to be seen here, and of course we can see it in our own world of rich and poor right now, is there was an area called the blocks which is where all of the communist government officials lived. Maybe a 10 block square area that was walled off from the rest of Tirana. Well inside of there, beautiful homes, nice restaurants, definitely where the fancy privileged people lived. After 1991 when communism fell, the people of Tirana tore down the walls and of course “invaded” and the area was later gentrified, is now still a privileged area but with no walls. Full of fancy restaurants and bars in that sort of thing. The rich. The not rich. The poor. The way of the world…

One interesting sidenote is the street named for George W. Bush. He is the only American president to ever have visited Albania, so they named a street after him appropriately. Good on you, George! The guide joked that he is pretty sure that our current US president doesn’t even know that Albania is a country.

The walking tour was free and you give it to the end, there was probably 25 people, I was so surprised to see that many! But it was an English tour, so definitely some Americans in the group which I made friends with two young guys from Texas who just graduated from college and we’re on a two month tour of Europe. They of course have never known much about the Balkans as many people don’t and were glad to be here. I offered to buy them a beer after so we had a chance to talk and it was nice to have a conversation with someone in American English. Super nice guys, both already have jobs lined up in their career fields. Both from Houston, one will go to work for an oil company in Dubai, the other staying in her Houston as an investment banker with a focus on renewable energy, even though in an obvious oil state.

As I reflected on my own life while talking to them, it sure wasn’t like that in my life plan, I got out of high school, sort of went to college for a while, then moved to Alaska on a whim; sort of tried to finish college but it was many years until I finished my bachelor degree. I guess y path was a little more self-navigated and less predictable I guess, metaphorically sort of like this trip. I have a general idea of where I’m going but pretty much making it up as I go along. But I can’t help but be so deeply appreciative and humbly thankful for my wonderful life and my amazing family that I love and miss a lot!

It was a very long but super interesting day off the bike!

Leaving Tirana toward Ohrid

Leaving Tirana, like many cities, a little bit of a hassle but in the short time I was out of the busy traffic. I had considered staying another day as there were thunderstorms forecast for where is going, but it got worse the day after so I figured I’d better go, and so glad I did as it was a great day!

I’m heading toward Elbasan; then onward to Skopje, North Macedonia via Lake Ohrid. There is a brand new highway between Tirana and Elbasan, so I was able to take the old highway which was nearly car free. More hilly and windy but such a beautiful view most of the day.

Extraordinary views up here! I climbed 2600 feet by noon, took a salad break at a restaurant at the top, the only place around. I’m in the midst of a perfect day. Some clouds off in the distance but calm and sunny here. This is the kind of day that I like to remark to myself and to anybody else I guess; this is the kind of day that makes me want to do this forever; on a bike, beautiful scenery, beautiful day, feeling healthy and peaceful and thankful as I pass through this world…

And now begins a glorious 19 km down hill to Elbasan. Life is good!

Felt strong after a day off yesterday and passed right through L Besson, I knew there would be a hotel or to pass there are still continued on for a total of 70 km today and ended at a place called resort Balkan. And nice hotel with a pool and restaurant, right beside a dirty brown river. Stopped here about 330 in the afternoon and that was the time to stop before the thunderstorm rolled in. A top notch day in every way!!! Thankful…