Albania Mania – Bicycling

Gjirokastër–> Sarandë–> Himarë –> Llogora National Park –> Vlorë –> Berat and everything in between!

I arrived at the border between Greece and Albania on the 6th of March. Although I enjoyed the beauty, culture, and people in Greece, I was excited to experience Albania, where I was hoping to find more hostels available. Entering through the border at Kakaville was quick and easy, and I made my way to Gjirokastër. I was immediately stunned by the beauty of the mountains surrounding me. I kept thinking to myself that my geology professor would have been in heaven with the many different things going on in the landscape.

Gjirokastër

Gjirokastër was a great first stop. It is one of two UNESCO-listed ancient towns in Albania with historic preserves from the Ottoman Era. The Gjirokastër Castle overlooks the town and riverbeds below, with a stunning view of the surrounding snow-covered mountains. The castle contains cannons, tanks, ruins, and even an American spy ship that is said to be from the Cold War. During my stay, I spent my evenings at the Friends Hostel, located right in the town center, and would highly recommend it to anyone who travels here.

Sarandë

The most fun I have had so far in Albania has been in Sarandë. The city is primarily a tourist beach destination, but the weather is perfect. The large mountains behind the city serve as a barrier to bad weather, making it sunny nearly 320 days out of the year. What made it a great destination was the warm welcome and company of the long-term guests and owners at the Hasta La Vista Hostel. I was able to get a glimpse into the real life of Albanians through the many evenings with Albano, the owner of the hostel, and his Irish friend Mike.

Albano has a remarkable vision for the hostel, including plans for a new bar in the basement and a partnership with a sustainable farm near the hostel. I look forward to following their story and hope to return there in the future.

Himarë

Himarë was a quiet town along the coast. I stayed at the Himara Hostel, a beautiful spot with olive gardens where you can camp during the warmer season. I was welcomed by two adorable little puppies, making it the best welcome party so far. The following day, it rained in the morning but became beautiful in the afternoon. I was able to go for a long hike around the town to a great lookout point. The town has an old section with a beautiful castle up the hill and a newer section along the water.

Vlorë

I spent very little time in Vlorë due to the weather and accommodation. The city is a large port city and did not interest me much, although I am sure there are beautiful places around that I was not able to see. I imagine the waterfront is beautiful during the warmer seasons.

Berat

I am currently sitting in a castle in Berat as I write this. Berat is gorgeous, and I have found it to be a great place to stay for a few days. It is the second UNESCO-listed ancient town in Albania. There are many similarities to Gjirokastër, but with a larger surrounding area. I am staying in a newer hostel called Maya Hostel, which is the nicest hostel I have stayed at in Albania so far. If you are in Berat, I highly recommend staying here.

ROSE

I have really enjoyed the scenery in Albania. Albania is not yet a tourist destination, making it the perfect place for people who want to experience its culture, history, and incredible nature without the rush of other tourists. The land is mountainous with snow-covered peaks looking out over the ocean. The water along the coast is clear, with brilliant green and blue shades. The sunsets are stunning, whether you are in the mountains or on the coast. The Albanian people are genuinely excited and proud that you would travel to their country.

BUD

Albania is misunderstood.

I had heard many things about Albania before seeing it for myself. The Greek people I spoke with said, “Be careful and keep a close eye on your stuff at all times. They will steal if given the chance!” On the other hand, travelers who had been there said, “Albania is incredibly safe,” although there were also mentions of poverty, pollution issues, and poor roads for bicycling. Articles about violence in Albania lead people to believe that the country is very unsafe and filled with guns. However, Albanians see themselves as something very different.

For those who have been to Albania before, you may have your own experiences, but mine is this. There is undoubtedly poverty in Albania, as it is said to be one of the poorest, if not the poorest, countries in Europe. The Albanians have experienced a rough history, even in recent times, as they have transitioned from a communist regime to a free market in a democratic republic. This transition has resulted in isolation and disruptions to economic growth. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and is now waiting to become a member of the EU, although they have been tasked with tackling some of their corruption issues before this is possible. Some hope that they will join the EU in 2020.

Besides the initial stun from the beauty of the mountains, one of my first observations was that it was quite dirty in the cities and surrounding areas. As we know, poverty often goes hand in hand with pollution. Many farmers and homeowners burn their garbage, and other trash is thrown in massive piles a short walk out of the city. The infrastructure is not in place to deal with these issues, and there is little hope for any change at this time. When I scolded the owner of the hostel about throwing a cigarette on the ground, he answered by saying, “When we do throw things in the garbage, a truck will come to pick it all up and dump it a mile away, so that it blows right back to us. The garbage just circulates right now. We have no way of dealing with the trash, so until we do, there is little hope in dealing with this.”

Albanian people are kind, honest, and happy to see foreigners. They are more or less excited and proud that others would come to see their country. In terms of the topic of theft, if I were to drop my wallet while walking through the streets of Albania, I believe someone would find it and do their best to return it to me immediately. The Albanians never close their doors and do not deal with much theft at all. It is a funny idea that the poorest country in Europe has less theft than most, definitely much less than the U.S.

In terms of safety and violence, I have never felt unsafe for a second since I have been in Albania. Although corruption is evident, I have not been able to see much of it at all. The cars you see roaming the streets show that wealth inequality is ever present, but that is all that I have experienced so far in this area. It is my understanding from local sources that gun violence is very rare now, as the punishments for having weapons are severe. I was told that people caught with guns (loaded or not) face a minimum of 25 years in prison. Even large knives are forbidden to carry.

Post-Intelligence Stupidity

When sitting around a table with foreigners, politics, fixing this world, and learning to live in this world become part of the conversation. It is almost unavoidable when asking questions about different places, cultures, and experiences people have been exposed to. Many Americans who have traveled have probably heard the statement from other Americans, “You should probably say you are from Canada.” I must admit, I have done this in the past to avoid a conversation about our current political landscape. The more I think about it, the more it concerns me because by saying that, I am not only lying but I am taking the easy way out and getting us nowhere. Whether we like it or not, the United States is regarded as the world leader, capable of nearly anything if we decide to. It is what we make it, and Americans should be proud of the things we have done well but should not hide from those things we are failing at.

These conversations help others understand different views and give you the opportunity to have your own beliefs evolve beyond what they are currently. People are looking to have genuine conversations with one another. To me, it is equivalent to deleting all the people displaying political opposition from whatever your beliefs are from your social media. Although it may “cramp your vibes” to see the posts and have the discussion with people of opposing views, the alternative is much worse. The extreme will only become more extreme unless there are conversations and dialogue with other views. These topics need to be discussed, and I believe that our politics have become so hate-filled that we are less willing to have these conversations anymore. We are more willing to take the easy way out. So it’s fun to see people thinking and talking about the big questions we are facing.

The concept of “post-intelligence stupidity” is ever present in the topic above. It became the topic of one of our conversations at a bar the first night in Saranda. We discussed this term in multiple different ways. We discussed the tendency for those who have begun to understand more and more about how the system works. They learn the reality of the hurdles that they must jump through and take the easy way out instead because they will likely be just fine. They will not be the ones who deal with the consequences that come from not having the conversations, not bridging the gaps, not helping those in need, and not interacting with love and kindness but instead with hate. Those who are educated and understand the system at any level have more responsibility to do more. It’s backward thinking that the more you know, the less you have to learn and do.

You can look at it in a different way. We have so much information now that we like to bog ourselves down with it. We often overcomplicate decisions when it may be valuable to break them down and look at them like a 10-year-old would. Look at the situation last year with over 100 Libyan migrants dying as they attempted to reach Europe. In this situation, many countries were very aware of the migrant ship sinking with the people waiting for help. Italy had the resources to help these people but instead deferred to Libya. Yes, the situation with the migrants and the politics may have been complicated, but tell a 10-year-old that hundreds of humans are sitting out in the Mediterranean Sea in need of help, and that child will scream, “We must help them!” If that is not the case with our 10-year-olds, then we have a much bigger problem to deal with. Post-intelligence stupidity may mean something different to you, but I found it to be an interesting topic nonetheless.

THORN

1. I have been challenged by the inclines throughout Albania. My setup with the carriage does weigh me down quite a bit while I am dragging it uphill. This was expected, although the inclines seem to be becoming more frequent. At the same time, the body is amazing in the way it becomes stronger and stronger with repeated use. Plus, the hardest spots to reach are almost always the most beautiful. That definitely helps make up for any of the pain that the carriage brings.

2. For one reason or another, I have always refused to wear rain pants. This may seem absurd (it most definitely is), but it has always been something I have gone without, even after countless houndings from my parents. In any case, my trip from Llogora National Park to Vlorë may have sparked a change in my ways from here on out. It was rainy as I woke up in the morning, and it seemed unlikely to simply blow over. I knew that the day’s ride was a short one and mostly downhill, so I was willing to risk spending some time in the rain. I covered my carriage with a large tarp, bundled myself up, and waited for the rain to slow down before starting on my way.

The rain almost immediately came back in full force as I started my descent. I found myself having a blast at the beginning because, well, how often do you get to bike down a beautiful mountain in the pouring rain? I have always had a thing for doing activities in the rain because each activity becomes different, and for that reason, I enjoy it a bit more than normal. Some of you know this firsthand if you have floated on the river in a rainstorm with me. The lesson here is that I would have had the same amount of fun dry and warm with my lower half covered in rain pants! (: