We took a taxi for the hour and half drive from Ohrid to Tirana, Albania. Trains are pretty much non-existent, or should I say train schedules are non-existant. Buses or mini-buses, called furgons, are the most common mode of transport. Taxis are sometimes just a bit more and obviously much more flexible. They also allow you to stop for photo ops like this one. Our drive across the border and through the mountains of Albania was one of our prettiest yet. Mountains on both sides of us. Windy roads, beware of dairy cows and donkeys standing in the middle of the road. Shepherds watching over their grazing flocks in ancient olive groves lining either side of the road. Oh, and 12 ton Communist era concrete bunkers. Really gorgeous.
I love this picture. I think it really epitomizes Tirana. Growth. Construction. Skanderburg monument (Albania's national hero, fought valiantly against Ottoman invaders, who ousted control of Albania for over two centuries). Albanian flag (after visiting the Nation Museum and learning a bit about Albanian history, this flag means A LOT! Here are people that seem to have been struggling for independence forever. First the Ottoman Turks, then Germany, then Italy, then Russia. Finally independence in 1944). Mosque and minaret. Modern office building. This pretty much sums it up.
Cafe culture is alive and well in Tirana. Every other car on the street is an Audi, BMW or Mercedes. Girls and guys look like they just stepped out of an MTV video. Youth culture is thriving.
Enough said.
We're selling our values all over the world! I'm off to Singapore to talk at a conference about sex and love in Chinese and Egyptian media. All about love in Chinese (censored) mainstream TV; all about sex and finding the right man in Egyptian TV. So glad you are exploring this neglected part of the world. Looks like some wonderful places worth seeing.
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