Week In Review Sabbatical Style: T-10 days!

10 days left! Can you believe it? I'm starting to get my head around it as I make my last stop in the Balkans--Thessaloniki, Greece. From here I basically start the long stretch of flights home (and by long I mean 7 legs of flights long). Thankfully I'll stop to see some friends along the way in Milan and in Sevilla. I had some things set aside for the week in review last week but then didn't have wifi for a long stretch. As I'm getting towards the ends of things I thought I would see I would try to give a little overview.

So, here you go! It's the week(s?) in review:

• I decided to pop over to Corfu for a few days when I was in Saranda, Albania. It's just a short ferry ride away and was absolutely beautiful. The number of tourists walking around was a bit shocking after spending a couple of weeks in Albania. 
• The "easy" bus connection I needed from the port to the otherside of the island turned out to be a little less easy than I was told. I got a little lost finding the bus stop and arrived just as the buses were leaving. No problem. I was told they were really frequent. Except, when I asked (at 1:30) I was told the next one wasn't until 4. Boo. So I walked around in the heat, with my bag and killed the time. 
• 2.5 hours later I showed up to confirm where the bus would stop at 4:00. The guy told me, no--the next bus is at 6. It's already 5 o'clock. Yep. I forgot about the 1 hour time change. Time to wait...again
• Part of the way I ended up killing the time was sitting around with 5 crazy, old Greek taxi drivers. I shared my cookies with them and they tipped me off about the new road to Thessaloniki. They said it was ridiculous to go back to Albania to make my way to Thessaloniki (which would take a whopping 16 hours), that I could take a direct bus from Corfu to Thessaloniki in about 5 hours.  
• I chose that one. Sorry, Gjirokaster and Korca--maybe next time. The Greek bus was only half full, had AC and passed through lots of lovely countryside (and on new roads to boot!). 
• Only downfall? On the only half full bus, the super curious toddler ended up sitting right behind me. Along with almost constant screeching, every once in a while I would feel little fingers squeezing my arms from behind or poking my freckles. Telling myself there was something wrong with him made me more patient. 
• Throwing out my 5 phrases in Albanian got one of two reactions consistently: proud amazement OR deep belly laugh. Every time I said good evening to my hotel owner in Himare he laughed in a way that I am sure if he had any liquid in his mouth he would have spit it all over the place. 
• In Corfu I decided to do a little sea cave exploration. I'm not a very good swimmer (I realized that, along with riding a bike, I have basically forgotten how to swim), but I didn't let that hold me back. In the end I explored some of the caves not by boat or by canoe, but by tiny inflatable square. 
• The owner of my hotel in Paleo, Corfu gave me a list of native dishes to try while I was on the island. The sofrito was especially delicious!
• I finally fulfilled an item on my Albanian to-do list: swimming on a beach with bunkers. (The former ultra-communist leader had them built all over the country after he effectively isolated the country from absolutely everyone.) 
• I sat in the shade near the Roman agora here in Thessaloniki and had a read through the latter part of Acts and Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians. Seems there is a legacy of friendliness/loveliness in the people here. 
• Because I didn't go back to Albania as planned I have one major problem. I have $200 worth of Albanian currency on my hands. And NO ONE wants to exchange it. I checked into it before buying my bus ticket, but the bank teller incorrectly told me I would have no problem exchanging it at the main bank in town. I went to five banks, seven travel agencies, stopped 2 groups of people on the street and asked one security guide. No luck. (If you have ideas, send them my way!)
• In Corfu town I went into the church there and got to see the mummified town saint (...kinda creepy) but then was introduced to a super friendly priest (monk?) who had spent time in Canada. Along the same lines, I have noticed a lot of really young priests/monks both in Corfu and here in Thessaloniki, which surprised me. 
• And finally, the story of walking home so full of free-ness yesterday (see last post): I walked past the bus station and saw a guy who suddenly and visibly had something dawn on him. He threw his hands up in the air and started mumbling to himself frustratedly. He asked me something in Greek, and when I said I didn't speak Greek he told me in English that he got nervous about a situation with his girlfriend here in town and came to see her (he lived in a village outside of town). He came to try to change her mind, but she broke up with him anyway. Now, he told me, he didn't even have money for the bus ride home, was hungry and, was sad. "You know how is love." Poor guy. 
• He asked if I might have 2 euros to get him home on the bus. The smallest bill I had was a 5, but I just gave it to him, told him to get something to eat with the change and asked if he needed a hug. I gave the guy a hug, told him everything would be ok and was on my way. 
• Today I went to see the town's white tower. And who did I see walking around? The sad guy! Long story short, he is a heroin addict. 
• Poor guy.
• (I didn't really care about the 5 euros--I mostly just felt stupid for giving the guy a hug!) 

The end! A few pictures below. See you soon!

What's a few months? Right?

Beach bunkers near Ksamil

Beautiful west coast of Corfu 

The "Blue Eye" cave (the water was so blue that it almost seemed ridiculous)

My mighty, cave exploring, inflatable square!

Corfu Town, Corfu

The Rotunda (former Roman mausoleum turned church--really striking)

Roman Agora

Enjoying the sunset on the Thessaloniki port

Near Death Experiences On the Albanian Riviera

This morning I woke up and my right arm and shoulder were really sore. My legs get sore all the time still, from climbing up one castle or another, but my arms are rarely getting a work out these days. It took me a few groggy minutes to put it together.

Oh yeah, that's right. My arm is sore from HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE on the bus yesterday.

It was hands down the scariest bus ride of my life. In fact, it was the scariest thing that has happened to me in a long time. As a New Year's resolution this year, I gave up fear. I've been doing a pretty good job, if I do say so myself, but yesterday had me literally shaking in my Chacos.

I woke up, got myself all packed in my fancy splurge hotel in Vlore and made my way towards the "bus station," or rather the busy street where buses stop at specific and random places. After wandering around in the heat and asking a few people I found the place where my bus was supposed to pass by. I sat on a bench munching on some snacks and drinking gatorade (in an effort to not almost pass out from dehydration like on the last bus ride!) and then my bus zoomed by twenty minutes early. I threw up my hand to stop them, grabbed my bag and hopped on.

The "helper" guy on the bus threw my bag in the back and I crammed my way into the packed bus. It was not one of the 12 seater buses, nor a charter bus style one, but something in the middle. Either way, it was standing room only, which seemed a bit extreme because I knew the ride was going to be at least 2 hours. Then out of nowhere, the guy who took my bag produced a plastic stool. Speaking in gestures we went back and forth, you sit. No, you sit. No, you!

Eventually I sat.

But then I looked to my right. We were driving with the door open. After suffocating my way from Berat to Vlore by bus, I will admit that the air felt great. I didn't really mind until we took a turn and the little plastic stool turned over. JODER.

I'm pretty sure the people around me--the guy sitting backwards between the driver and the passenger seat directly in front of me, and the "helper" guy who was standing next to me--saw the fear in my eyes. The guy in front of me motioned like, look, don't worry, I'll put my leg like this so you don't fall out.

Kthanks. I'll just pretend that might actually do something to save me.

Then, in what was more helpful but also slightly more invasive, the "helper" guy braced himself on the arm of the seat next to me, and essentially braced me in as well. At first I was thankful, but then I started to suspect it was just his clever way of putting his arm around me for the duration of the trip. I gripped the arm rest of the seat to my left, tried to give myself space between the "helper guy" (futile) and held on for dear life.

The drive was beautiful. Breathtaking (in more than one way). I had great views of the mountains and the turquoise Ionian water, because yeah, the door was open. Coming down the other south side of the mountain pass we took hairpin turn after hairpin turn. Somehow they weren't even switchbacks though. They were more like knot turns that almost spiraled down the mountain. There were almost no guardrails, and no seat belts on board. I took some kind of odd comfort in knowing that even if I was sitting in a seat and not on a plastic stool next to an open door I would still die if we went over the cliff.

Anyway, things got more awkward at the break at the top of the mountain. I decided to get a macchiato to fortify myself for the rest of the trip (some rakija probably would have been a better choice!). The waiter brought it over and said that the "helper" guy had paid for it.

Um, no, no, no, no.

I tried to pay anyway but the driver was honking for us to get back on the bus and the helper guy was putting the money back in my hand. I begrudgingly said faleminderit and found my way back to my stool.

As much as I was not loving that guy, you know what? He wasn't the "helper" (the guy who fetches the bags, takes money, etc. for the driver) after all. He said goodbye and got off a good 30 minutes before my stop. And when he was gone...my gosh did the hole of the open door look huge.

I was gripping the handrail of the seat next to me like my life depended on it...because it did.

And when I finally got myself to Himare, I got off that bus shaking. Whew. I felt a bit like I did after involuntarily jumping off a cliff in Costa Rica--I needed to lie down for a bit.

5 steps later, and still shaking, out of nowhere a bee stung me. WHAT?! I thought those things only stung you if they were provoked. Nope. I walked by a trash can that had some bees and then BAM. One dive bombed my foot. The only way I can make sense of it is that bees must be able to smell fear.

I've never been stung by a bee so I was surprised at how much it hurt. My foot started to swell and I started to panic. I know a lot of people are allergic to bee stings and I'm fairly allergic to mosquito bites so, not in the soundest of mind, I started imagining my throat closing.

Then I told myself to calm down. I whipped out the Benadryl stick I carry in my purse, smeared that stuff all over my foot, looked around to see if anyone was giving me sympathizing looks (nope) and set off to find myself a hotel.

The town wasn't what I was expecting (thanks for nothing Frugal Traveler) and the places I thought I might stay at didn't appear. I pretty much took the first offer I got--which ended up being a hotel hanging right over the edge of the water. I talked her down to €20 a night, had her bring me a fan and moved right in.

That's where my sob story ends. The water here is as beautiful as anything in Greece. The Albanians are consistently some of the nicest people I've ever met. I had fresh seafood for lunch at an outdoor restaurant right over the beach. It's way cooler here than in Vlore, Berat or Tirana. Everything is cheap. I have my own balcony 20 feet from the crystal clear water.

Maybe it's one of those "new appreciation of life" kind of things after the near death experiences, but I'm frankly amazed at it all.

Sunset in Vlore--the magic ingredient to sunsets this beautiful? Humidity. 

One of the few pictures I dared to take while on the bus. This chair leaned back over the open door. I was sitting on my stool in the aisle beside/under it where the stairs led to more than a "me sized" hole 

My balcony

My lunch

Albania: In Pictures!

Walking across the border

Tirana

"The Pyramid" in Tirana

Street food

Forgotten commie statues behind a building

Kruja

Looking down from the fortress in Kruja

Berati

View from the hostel

Ceiling in the teqe in Berat

Such a hike to get up to the fortress in Berat!

This was the only place to catch a breeze

Lots of people still live up there

Giant head of Constantine 

My "guide" took this picture after he climbed up a tower with my camera (you can also notice my gifted feather and flowers)

For those of you asking what I have been eating--I had to stop them from bringing more plates for this "traditional style" meal. Who knows how many more were coming, but all I really wanted was a salad to begin with. (More or less Greek salad in front, then stuffed green peppers (REALLY good), two kinds of burek (I couldn't stomach the burek--I reached my limit way back in Serbia), and a kind of stuffed eggplant in the back. 

They did bring me one more plate--but I didn't but up too much of a fight on this one (a sweet cheese pastry with stewed grapes and cinnamon). 

Chapel and museum

Household bits from the ethnographic museum

Berat

Vlore--this struck me as odd

Get a tatto on the side of the road? Why not!

OK, Vlore, sorry for calling you tacky. You are actually quite beautiful in places. 

This also made me laugh a bit. Gangsta Street Boy!

(See the Week In Review for a few more pictures)

Week In Review Sabbatical Style: Albania!

I know. I have been a really bad blogger lately. I haven't exactly been busy but my days have been full. A lot of this stems from the fact that I have been in hostel dorms all week, which means there are always lots of people around, which means that I have been doing a lot of what I do best--talking to random strangers.

Today is Sunday though, so I will set myself down and deprive you no longer--here is your Week In Review:

• Where was I this week? I've been in Albania since last Sunday. I spent the first part of the week in Tirana, the capital, took a day trip to Kruja, moved on to the city of Berat and am now in Vlore on the coast. 
• The bus ride from Berat to Vlora this morning seemed like it would be straightforward. There were no connections, but there was also no air-conditioning and no window for me to open. With the heat index over 100 degrees it was already pretty miserable, but when the bus refused to start back up after stoping to drop off a passenger it definitely got worse. We sweated it out by the side of the road waiting when finally someone came along and towed the bus for a bit until it started up again. 
• I've decided that Albania is the Nicaragua of the Balkans. 
• After sweating my way from the hostel to the bus station in Berat, sweating 2.5 hours on the bus and then sweating through the streets of Vlore with my pack, I was doing my best to hold it together and not pass out. When the hotel I planned to stay at didn't appear I just decided to splurge and stay at a nice one--which has...air-conditioning!
• Walking around the castle ruins of Berat I somehow ended up under the care of a local who became my tour guide and photographer. He commandeered my camera and made me pose for pictures everywhere. He seemed to be enjoying himself so much (he was picking flowers for props and climbing towers and what not) that I figured, why not?
• Ice cream cone with 2 flavors of homemade ice cream--20 cents!
• The town of Kruja has put up a statue of George W. Bush. The lady next to me on the bus told the driver we were Americans and made sure he went by it. 
• Albanians love Americans. 
• I love Albanians. 
• The neighbors of my castle "tour guide" gifted me with a big feather. OK. 
• I went to make some calls this week, but only ended up getting to make one to my dad. He suggested I change my flight and keep traveling. My mom agreed. Do mom and dad really know best? Tempting...
• An American owned restaurant in Tirana (Stephan's Center) had a 4th of July BBQ. They had the best burgers I have had since probably before I left for Brussels last September. Impossibly, they also had Dr. Peppers! I came back the next day and pressed my luck to try the Mexican food. The quesadillas? A total win. 
• The best thing about my hostel in Tirana? They had a big, fluffy puppy. After seeing all the strays on the street and being tempted by their cuteness (but not tempted enough to touch--a fellow traveler had to get a rabies shot in Bulgaria!) it was nice to play and snuggle with a pet.
• I have been on a mission to learn to like olives on this trip. I've had somewhat mixed results, but I am happy to report that I actually enjoyed the olives on my vegetarian pizza last night.  
• I gave recommendations for Texas country to a British traveler in my hostel in Berat. I'm pretty sure just thinking about it made my accent a little bit stronger. There might be hope for me sounding like Texan (American? Native English speaker?) again. 
• Its surprising how many conversations I have had in Albanian/Italian/hand gestures/pictures this last week. 
• When chatting with some grandpas in the fruit market we discovered that what we thought were cantaloupes tasted nothing like cantaloupe. He cut open another melon that was green on the inside. The green one ended up tasting identical to cantaloupe. I bought them both. 
• OH! I also found fresh okra at the market! I impulse bought a quarter kilo of them. I channelled my inner southern woman, dredged them in flour and fried them up. The hostel hotplate was pretty pathetic, but they were tasty. 
• The air-conditioning in my hotel room right now is making me such a happy camper.  
• It's too hot to do much right now, so if you are lucky I'll get up a couple more blogs--check back later. 

OK, friends. That's the week in review. I'll see you in just a few weeks...well, that is unless I decide to take my parents' advice! Some photos below: 

Hello Tirana!

She-ra (yes, named after the He-man character)

"Chuck Norris is coming!" 

(Best graffiti ever?)

Which is which? The green one is the cantaloupe 

Market in Kruja

Kastle in Kruja

Berat: the Town of a Thousand Windows

I might or might not have actually started singing the "purple mountain majesty" bit of America the Beautiful at this sight

My fearless local/tour guide/photographer