Balkan Odyssey Part 15: Albania Wrap-Up

by Neil Woodburn on

Balkan Odyssey will continue but before moving on to Montenegro, I though I’d just wrap up the Albania segment with a few thoughts.

First off, I highly recommend this country. A few years ago it was almost impossible to travel here as a result of the craziness and crime which resulted after 50 years of isolation came undone with the collapse of communism. Things have settled down tremendously since then. I felt safe the whole time I was in the country (although caution must always be exercised no matter where you go) and was treated wonderfully by those I met. Not a whole lot of people speak English, but it is still relatively easy to get by.

I opted for public transport instead of renting a car and was pleased with the ease of doing so. The only hassle was occasionally waiting for the minivans to fill up so that they could leave. Of course the worst thing about not having a car is the inability to stop and check things out that look interesting off the side of the road. I still regret not having had the chance to photograph my favorite sign, “Puke 15 Kilometers” because we drove by it too fast in a minivan.

Travel hindsight is always 20/20 and if I could do the trip again, the perfect trip would be as follows:

Fly into Corfu, Greece and take the ferry over to Albania. I missed most of the south and the treasures it contains, such as the picturesque Albania Riviera on the Ionian Sea, and numerous old ancient ruins. Part of the reason I didn’t go south was due to lots of unseasonable rain which would have certainly put a damper on the beach towns. In addition, to get to the south and back from Tirana is very time consuming; the ferry from Corfu drops you in the deep south so all that you need to do is head north with no backtracking whatsoever.

I would certainly hit Gjirokastra, which is also in the south. Everyone I met who visited this ancient town, the birthplace of Enver Hoxha and Ismail Kadare, loved it.

The next stop would be Berat, followed by Tirana.

From Tirana I would head directly to Shkodra to catch a four-wheel drive to Thethi. A few nights in this small mountain village would be followed by a hike over the mountains to Valbona. Then across the border to Prizren in Kosovo. After Prizren I’d head to Kukës. This is where I run into a problem. My last bit of travel would include the ferry across Lake Komani. I’m sure a couple of minivans would make the journey from Kukës, probably on some pretty rough dirt toads. Or, there might be a ferry/boat service running the length of Lake Fierza.

So, that’s Albania. I guarantee there are many great sections of this mostly undiscovered land that I failed to discover on my journeys. This is great news for adventurous travelers, however, as it will still be a long time before Albania makes it off the beaten path–although I have heard recent rumors about a Club Med possibly being built in the Albanian Riviera…

Yesterday’s Post: Bunker, Bunkers, Bunkers!
Tomorrow’s Post: Ulcinj, Montenegro

Red Corner: Tamerlane’s Uzbek Legacy

by Neil Woodburn on

In the pantheon of truly bloodthirsty leaders, the name Tamerlane hardly strikes recognition in the western world (indeed, as I’m typing this on Microsoft Word, the spell-check dictionary fails to recognize the name). Yet, historians claim this sadistic warlord was responsible for an incredible 17 million deaths as his nomadic warriors hacked and decapitated their way through much of the Central Asia in the late 14th century. His calling card was a gigantic pyramid made from the heads of those whose town he just sacked.

Like all great conquerors, Tamerlane built some rather impressive cities thanks to the loot his army returned home to Uzbekistan with. Fortunately, much of this legacy still remains standing today, waiting to woo the few tourists who venture this far off the beaten path.

Although travel through this region is not the easiest in the world, following in the footsteps of Tamerlane offers some very fascinating rewards. Samarkand, for example, was Tamerlane’s capital. Just check out the blue tile work in the above photo! This place really blew me away when I first visited. It’s hundreds of years old and still as awe-inspiring and mesmerizing as when it was first built.

Red Corner: Fine Moscow Cuisine

by Neil Woodburn on

There was a time when “fine cuisine” and Moscow were never uttered in the same sentence. When I first ate in the Russian capital in 1991, there were less then 20 restaurants for an entire city of 9 million. The food, as you might imagine, was very sub par.

Then came capitalism and anyone with money it seemed, was opening up eateries, which, as you might imagine, were also sub par since no one had any experience running private restaurants.

But today, oh boy today, Moscow is awash in fine eating establishments. Sure, there is still a selection of junk and fast food, but high end dining in Moscow, fueled by a flush of cash from rising oil prices, has finally made its grand appearance.

Fortunately we have Robin Buss from The Independent to tell us where to go and what to eat. While not the most in-depth article, it does provide a nice insight into Moscow dining and has a couple of interesting stories as well. I particularly liked the one about the guy who was turned down for a job at McDonald’s so he borrowed money to start his own restaurant and now owns 90 of them.

Red Corner: Fake Vacations, Russian Style

by Neil Woodburn on

Interested in sneaking away with your mistress for the weekend but can’t figure out how to lie to the wife? How about a fake business trip?

We here at Gadling certainly don’t advocate such infidelity, but as a service to our readers who do (shame on you!) there is a company in Moscow that specializes in fake vacations.

For just a few hundred dollars, Persey Tours will provide ticket stubs, fake hotel receipts, souvenirs, doctored photos of the philanderer at a distant location (see promotional photo above), and even a cell phone with the appropriate area code. Even the most suspicious of spouses will be fooled by such a detailed web of deception–as will friends or co-workers you want to impress with your “exotic” travel.

The LA Times article from which this story comes also covers the rash of other forgery services available in Russia. Although not really travel related, the remainder of the article is well worth a read. Who knows, one day you may suddenly need a fake diploma from the Russian State Medical University. Now you know where to get it.

Red Corner: Berlin Happenings in English

by Neil Woodburn on

It seems that every capital in Eastern Europe these days has its own English language newspaper or magazine.

Berlin is no exception. I just ran across the newest of such publications the other day, EXBERLINER. While its online portion is rather anemic, the website does list all the topics covered in the print edition available throughout the city.

The cover story for the July/August issue, Berlin Revisited: 62 ways to experience Berlin off the tourist path, sounds like a good start for exactly the type of magazine I want to get my hands on while traveling. The magazine also has regular features covering film, stage, music and seemingly most everything else happening in this bustling metropolis.

Berlin is big city; having a publication of what’s happening in English makes it all the more manageable. So, hats off to the publishers. Now, if they can only beef up their online site…