I did not want to apply for the Schengen visa, so I looked for countries which I could easily visit, minimum of hassles. I found two European countries accepting valid USA visas; so no Schengen visa needed - Shqiperia and Montenegro. Fantastic as I have always wanted to see Shqiperia and Montenegro, and here I could do both at one shot! These are countries on one’s bucket list but often forgotten!
I went to Shqiperia this summer in May. It’s a country which, like north Korea, has been isolated for decades due to its autocratic harsh communist dictatorship and its only in the mid 1990’s, that it became democratic and like all countries suddenly gaining freedom, went into economic decline for a decade. Now, the economy is doing well, there is a spurt of interest in tourism. So I decided to see it before it went the way of Santorini, Ibiza and other Greek / Italian / Spanish hotspots. This will happen as the beaches are pristine sand, unlike the pebbly beaches of Greece / Spain. The hotels are excellent – even 3 – 4 star ones and best of all there is not much traffic on the highways. There are no train services at all in the whole country. For us Indians, the forex rate is 1:1 on average. The food is good as many of these guys went off to Italy and Greece in exile – to the extent that only 2 million remained and 9 million lived abroad due to voluntary and involuntary exile. Now with democracy, many have returned and there are many Italian and Greek places. I needed to see it before the noisy countrymen of mine and the camera wielding denizens of China came and it lost its beauty and rustic old fashioned charm!!
Now ofcourse, you will be asking me: Where is this
place, Shqiperia ? Well, think about it or you can see the attached map. Ignore
the driving times shown.
When I told my friends that I was off to Albania – yes, the westernized name of Shqiperia - their immediate reaction was of crime and danger.
Everybody knows about the Albanian criminals being as dangerous as Sicilian mafia. Jokingly, I said that in an economically depressed country, there was not much opportunity, so the criminals had migrated to USA and Europe and theoretically it was now a safe place!
I spent 15 days there – normally in such isolated unknown countries, I would go with a group but I felt that at this age, I didn’t fancy getting up early and being out by 8,00 am sitting in a coach for a few hours. So, I hired a car and driver / guide. We toured the major spots across the country – see map at the end – and even went to Budva and Kotor in Montenegro for the day – rather an enjoyable trip.
Tirana Arrivals Terminal reminded me of any Indian airport 20 years ago – small and friendly. It has a 3-4 immigration counters, quick processing, and four baggage conveyer belts, a police office and spotless toilet facilities. Then out. All of it basically in a large hall. Right outside, there are around 15 taxi / car hire companies all lined up on the right side.
There is a traffic jam getting out as there is only one exit. It was only when leaving Tirana, I saw the size of the airport from the outside. The building is huge and under construction. The departure area takes up over 65 – 70 % of the space. Lots of shops inside and a large cafĂ© upstairs. But still only, I recall, 7 or 8 departure gates all in one line.
The journey to the centre took about 45 mins and we
passed through agricultural countryside; with this imposing building about which
the driver had no idea. The outskirts of Tirana were clean with low buildings
and many new office blocks.
I had planned the City walk for the next day in the
morning, based on the weather prediction! So I went to the new market, about a
20 minute walk from my hotel, built in 1931 to accommodate the growing market. Its
basically a large building in the centre of the square. Focus is on food
products and culinary experiences. Surrounding the central building, are many
restaurants offering traditional Albanian cuisine and handicraft shops.
Concerts and events are held in this area.
One notable feature in all Communist era countries
are the vast open spaces in each town or city of a country. These were created
for political gatherings, military displays and also for upcountry folk to walk
around and see the huge buildings and monuments, and gawk at the wealth of
locals. Tirana has the huge Skanderbeg
Square named after its national hero – he fought for the Turks who ruled
Albania at one time and then revolted, joined forces with Albanians and threw
the Turks out. As you stand in the square and look around you, one can see the
various historical layers of the city – from the ancient mosque to the “Face”
building. I was told that this area featured very busy multiple road traffic
crossroads. In 2016, traffic was banned and the pedestrians only square
created. The huge statue to Skanderbeg was erected in 1937 to mark the 500th
anniversary of his death.
The Skanderbeg Square has
important buildings all around it. From the left, there is the Opera House
which is closed for renovation. Left corner, we see the Clock Tower and the Et’hem
Bey Mosque. Commissioned in 1822, the Clock Tower’s height was raised from 30 m
to 35 m in 1928. It is a symbol of the Tirana Municipality. The Mosque is one
of eight 18-19th Century mosques that still stand today. Foundations
were laid in 1794 and was finished in 1821. Each of the four facades are
unique. Inside, there is a small prayer hall, The wall and ceilings are
beautifully decorated and worth visiting.
Past the Vodafone bridge, we came to the Tirana
Pyramid. Built by Hoxha’s children in his honour. There are four types of steps
to the top – 119, 114, 109 and 136 steps. The last one, 136 steps, are the
easiest to climb. Initially, it was a museum
from 1988 – 1991, and then a venue for various activities. Today, its
transformed into the largest digital technology centre for youth in Albania.
This is the Post Block Memorial – an installation
reflecting on the totalitarian state. Three elements – concrete pillars from a
prison known as the Albanian Auschwitz, a bunker representing the communist
dictatorship, and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
The whole area around Hoxha’s house was off limits
to ordinary citizens during his period. He built a house there, its
architecture in the 1930’s style. It was a taboo subject forbidden for
discussion. Today, that area known as Biloku (The Block) is full of cafes, luxury
boutiques, restaurants, clubs for the youngsters.
Luckily for me, Nirad Pandya, who has been my travel companion in Camargue / Provence / Yangtze cruise etc, came from USA and joined me for six days. It was perfect. I had planned the hotel bookings and itinerary and we hired the car and driver / guide from a tour company called Choose Balkans, whose executive Sirma Moila was a real gem. Very efficient and helpful, she spoke perfect English. Available at any hour, she resolved issues which we had initially with the car, the driver and other usual niggles. She is a tough negotiator and did not agree to reduce her rates despite all my pleas ! Overall, we were also lucky with the weather which was cold at times but stayed sunny for most days (we had one day of heavy rain) despite rain forecasts.
Albania is a beautiful country and go see it before the tourist hordes get there. Thank you Nirad and Sirma for making it a memorable trip.
Choose Balkans -- https://choosebalkans.com/ +355 69 880 1181
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