Hey, what’s up?

Welcome to Chapter 2 of my Eastern Europe travel blog! The next country I visited was Albania. We took a flight from Istanbul to Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Upon arrival, I decided to take a cab because it was ridiculously hot, and I couldn’t imagine waiting for a bus in that heat. The cab was nice and comfortable, but the driving skills? Quite the opposite. I swear, every Albanian driver seems to think they’re competing in Formula 1. I’m not sure whether they’re reckless drivers or if that’s just their normal way of driving. Either way, I came to Albania for a holiday, not to meet my Creator ahead of schedule.

Nevertheless, we only had half a day in Tirana, so we wasted no time and started exploring the city as soon as we arrived. Our first stop was St Paul’s Cathedral. I’m not particularly interested in cathedrals or churches, but since it was along the way, why not stop for a quick photo from the outside? Might as well appreciate the architecture while pretending I know something about it.

Next, we visited the Namazgah Mosque. It was beautiful, but the architecture was quite similar to what I’d seen in Turkey. There was even a fancy Turkish shop next to it. For a moment, I wondered if I’d actually left Istanbul. Anyway, we took a few photos before moving on to our next destination.

Lastly, we headed to Skanderbeg Square to do some people watching while enjoying the sunset. It had been such a hot day that most of our energy was already drained. Besides, we only arrived late in the afternoon, so there wasn’t much else we could do apart from frolicking around the city centre. Not that we had the energy to do much anyway. At this point, even walking felt like an extreme sport.

The next day, I went for a morning jog around Tirana Lake Park, which was quite beautiful. Afterwards, we took a bus to Shkodër. Honestly, public transport in Albania still gives me PTSD. There’s no proper bus station, and they don’t even provide the bus registration number. Instead, some random guy would ask where you’re going and tell you to wait on some random street. And the bus itself? Basically a moving sauna! I paid for transportation, not a complimentary weight loss programme.

We somehow managed to make it to Shkodër, a small city located near Lake Shkodër, which, if I’m not mistaken, is the largest lake in the Balkans. The lake is so massive that it almost looks like an ocean! Honestly, if nobody had told me it was a lake, I would’ve believed it was the sea.

If I’m being honest, despite Albania being a historically Muslim country, I felt that Islamic influence wasn’t particularly visible in everyday life. There was even a beer festival next to a mosque, and I noticed some mosques surrounded by bars. I found it a little sad, but I guess it reflects how secular Albania has become over the years.

That aside, we went cycling to Rozafa Castle, which is located just on the outskirts of town. It was, well, a sweaty experience, of course, with the sun shining mercilessly above our heads. To make matters worse, we had to cycle uphill to reach the castle. Damn, that’s a lot of cardio in one day. At this point, I wasn’t sure whether I was on holiday or training for the Olympics.

Rozafa Castle looks like an ordinary castle from below, but the view from the top was absolutely stunning. You could see mountains, rivers, bridges and the surrounding town. There’s a small entrance fee, but I think it’s definitely worth it for the view. They also have this lovely photo spot where you can stand between a doorway shaped like a window, with the beautiful scenery in the background.

The following day, we headed to Lake Koman and the Shala River. We first took a van from Shkodër to the meeting point, then switched to a bus to reach the jetty, followed by a boat ride across Lake Koman. Damn, that’s a whole lot of transport in one day. What’s next? A helicopter? A donkey? At this point, I was expecting someone to hand me a parachute. Thankfully, the views along the way were absolutely mesmerising and jaw dropping.

At Lake Koman, the water was crystal clear, and there were plenty of people sunbathing along the river. I was dipping my legs into the water when I suddenly spotted a snake! The water was freezing cold, which was perfect for the hot weather, but after seeing that snake, I’d rather be roasted alive under the sun. We spent most of our time enjoying the beautiful scenery, did a bit of hiking and then went straight back to admiring the views.

Overall, Albania wasn’t bad at all. Most of the people were friendly, except for some of the bus drivers. Just ignore them. Would I recommend Albania? Definitely, but perhaps hire a private driver instead of driving yourself or taking the bus. I repeat, DO NOT TAKE THE BUS. Consider this a warning from a traumatised survivor. Albania is one of those countries worth ticking off your travel bucket list at least once. Would I visit again? Hmm, probably not. Once was enough for my cardiovascular and mental health.

Next up was Montenegro! And yes, the bus journey was once again absolutely horrifying, but I’ll save that trauma for the next blog. At this point, I think public transport in the Balkans deserves its own horror series. Anyway, stay tuned for my next adventure, and thanks for reading!