African Queen, Apocalypse Now...the Albanian ferry ride that's better than them all, Sound of Music - Albanian style....and, Wasn't that road just on the series, World''s Most Dangerous Drives?? Well, it should be!!

We arrived in Shkodra, from Lezhe on the quick, efficient and cheap Albanian collectivo called a furgon.

Transportation throughout our travels in Albania has been consistent, reliable and cheap. Drivers phone ahead to make sure another connection waits for any passengers moving on. Bags are whisked from one bus to another. Haven't been inside an Albanian bus station yet; don't actually know if they exist but their system works very efficiently.

Buses, furgons, airport-type shuttles can be found gathered, waiting in parking lots, gas stations or just queued in some disorganized fashion along a road or city curb.  Destinations are located in the front windows. Some go only when full, others leave and arrive on schedule. No problems whatsoever!

Riding in our furgon, we were dropped off in the town center and just steps from the small hotel that we had intended to look for. This large city has many mosques, pedestrian ways, women dressed in high fashion and men that seem to drink coffee most of the day.

Our 50 Euro room at the Kaduku Hotel in Shkodra

Shkodra is located near the Montenegro border. It is the jumping off point for travelers/adventurers exploring the Accursed Mtn range in the Albanian Alps and the tiny villages, located up near the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro.

The challenge of getting into this, off the beaten path, and not the manicured location most tourists go to, would prove to be MORE than half the fun...,we booked van transport, ferry, and drop off to our mountain village through our hotel.....

So, the brochure laid it all out....nice and organized....
Here's the real schedule! Welcome to Albania!

Brochure 8am pick up/Actual 8 am! (Yay, the only thing on schedule)....
Brochure - Arrive at Lake Kumoni Ferry; 9am/Actual time 10am.....
Brochure-ferry departs at 9am/Actual time...NOON!....
Brochure...short drive to Valbona village/Actual time...90 minutes, with coffee/beer stop!

 And, we were assured that returning to Shkodra would be no problem! In your dreams.

The van ride from Shkodra to the Lake Kumoni ferry should easily be a segment from World's Most Dangerous Drives... over 2 hours on a windy, cliff-hugging, broken pavement, pothole strewn trail better meant for walking than driving.

With very little traffic on the road, our driver could safely round blind corners while fully in the other lane. The views were ridiculously beautiful from our van...

....and these staggeringly, gorgeous views would be repeated, again and again, on the ferry and in the Albanian Alps over the next several days..

....it was as if the Cascades or Rocky Mtns and their valleys were somehow flooded, the fjords that resulted would be pretty cool!

 ...words cannot really describe the stunning vistas we came across.....a steal of a deal for only $15euros/person.....

We arrived (finally) and already way behind schedule at Lake Kumoni and the departure point for our ferry. Lake Kumoni was formed in the late 70's, when a massive hdyro-electric power project dammed the river, providing electricity to Albania.

 Reaching the top of the dam, we entered a 470 m dark, narrow tunnel (looked vaguely similar to NORAD or the entrance to the secret Stargate TV show),  and came out to Albania's version of a ferry terminal. Talk about the wild west!

There we waited; ordered some beers, along with something that resembled food - they said it was beef souvlaki. Yes, not so sure?

We met and talked with a couple of Albanians, who shared in this wacky adventure and watched the vehicle chaos unfold around us at the postage-size loading area below our deck.

Eventually, we got underway and enjoyed the 2.5 hr boat journey with a handful of tourists and some Albanian business people. The ferry was bright, clean and only weeks in operation.

Unlike, some of the battered, rusted alternatives we might have taken. We couldn't find out if this rusty ferry (below) was still running passengers or just freight at this point, but running it still was! The second picture is of an old bus converted into a boat.  Huh!

At the head of the lake, we were met by yet another driver and taken to our guesthouse in Valbone. The 90 minute drive included, of course, a beer and coffee stop that is never less than half an hour making a journey even longer than first stated.

The setting in Valbone was very much an Albania Sound of Music....quaint stone homes, towering peaks, cold, clear streams and the requisite giant, sheep dog....just needed a Julie Andrews to burst into song.

View from our room

Our overnight lodging.

Once we arrived in Valbone, we realized getting back to civilization would prove a little more difficult than what we were told.

(Seems in Albania, the locals will tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what actually is! Haha!)

Thank goodness for our 2 Albanian friends, as they were feeling the same uncertainty about getting back to Shkodra.

In the end, with rain starting to fall, along with roads and trails higher up still blocked by snow, the 4 of us decided to head back the next day.

Having our Albanian friends, helped solve any language/communication concerns.  The only question was how to get to the ferry and when it ran.. ....In Albania, the answers to those questions can be as elusive as finding garbage cans on city streets.

Several hours later all was solved. A driver was found. We confirmed the ferry arrival.  We ate and slept well that night.

Next morning, on the way back to the ferry, we took a short detour to an old Albanian fortress room, where elders of the clans would gather to fight or defend. Impressive!

Our ferry came, we got on, drinking our champagne- sized beers, bought for 150 leke (abt $1.50 Can) from the frontier style store on the lake.

Trip back was as amazing as the day before. Sitting on the lowered loading ramp doors, feet dangling cm above the passing water at the bow, sipping whiskey/beer......was just another crazy, fun day in Albania... even the ferry captain had a glass or 2!  Where can you have such fun!

A trip for the ages...literally in the middle of nowhere.....organized chaos.....where else can you drink, sit on an open bow and savor life!

Once off the ferry, back at the dam, we hopped into a beat up old van...picking up 2 additional passengers, we bumped our way back to Shkodra...just had to laugh...

In the end...nothing really happened....but, everything did!.....We didn't hike, it rained, we needed to get back, didn't spend time in the area...but, we met some great people, got to places few go, saw the wilds of Albania, shared, drank, laughed....

Sometimes, this uncertainty, the unknown, the different, prevent us from living some truly, memorable moments!

The trip to the Albanian Alps was like a metaphor for our travels.....sometimes the destination is truly not really worth it, but the JOURNEY along the way is what makes it all so special - the travels!

We leave Albania shortly and will head into mysterious Montenegro.. a tiny country that shares the same coastline and rugged landscape as Albania...should be fun! Come join us!

Our final thoughts on Albania:

- Why Albania? Well.......why not? Stunning scenery, friendly people, easy to travel, off the beaten path adventures, cheap!

- women dress very fashionably - especially in the evening when they walk on the pedestrian way

- towns all seem to have an area where the locals just walk back and forth in the evening, in their best and newest clothes,  high heeled shoes, they parade from end to end - sometimes blocks worth.  While the women do this, in pairs or small groups, the men sit in the multitude of coffee shops and just watch and watch and watch.  Rarely do you see interaction between the men and women. Huh!

- very safe here. Never felt threatened.  People are only too happy to help and try their English.

- as a woman, Yvonne has had no trouble moving about in a partial Muslim culture.  She wears shorts and tank tops which are way less provocative than all the local young women!

- many more street beggars...... simply stick their hand out asking for money.  Often these are children who run after us.  Some have been very insistent where locals have stepped in and told them to leave us alone. This also happens in restaurants until the owner spots them.

- ordering coffee usually means getting a cup the size of a child's tea party size cup with a tiny spoon, lots of sugar and a glass of water to wash down the extremely strong coffee.

- this is a country where men still spit on the street

- very few garbage cans are found anywhere, hence, the large problem is very evident

- there is not much choice for breakfast.  It always consists of coffee or chai (tea), juice, egg, cheese similar to feta, bread and jam, plain yoghurt

- everyone seems to have a cell phone just like at home

- bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are used by many

- we've only met one other Canadian traveler. Most are European

We've had a wonderful time in Albania. Although, we could have easily spent more, it is time to move on.

We will talk to you next from Montenegro!!  Cheers!

A few more random shots that we like:

Road to the Sun (don't look down)...A road biker' s delight, Bus travel...how fast can we go?? Berat....Castles, churches and Mosques, Rafting the Osumi River..Albanian style...and, sometimes you just have to go backwards to go forwards in Albania!

Dhermi to Berat......

We left the quiet beaches at Dhermi and headed for the inland city of Berat.  Rather than walk the 1.5 km uphill road back to the highway and bus stop, we paid a fellow at a beach kiosk to drive us. Much better than walking in 30 C plus high humidity. Well worth the $5!!

We flagged down the first bus heading north and up and over the mountains that hugged this coastal stretch. The ascent to the rugged summit took only 30 minutes to climb 1100 metres, numerous switchbacks, hairpin turns and views that beat anything we've seen or driven on yet. Simply stunning, such that only pictures can tell the true story.  The zigzag lines are the roads we traveled on!

Can you spot the bus on the top road? That's where we headed.

And stunning vistas.

So high up!

This Albanian road to the sun would meet any road biker's serious pain threshold. Finally, at the summit and down the other side with only a 10% grade, into pine scented forest and eventually back to sea level at Vlore.

The bus we traveled in.

If you are a road biker in serious need of a challenge, then the stretch of road between Dhermi and Vlore, as well as, Sarande to Dhermi, would more than foot the bill. Cheaper than Italy, with quieter roads (esp in the spring), fantastic scenery, small, clean mountain villages and decently paved highways, would make it a bike trip to remember!

 In Vlore we changed buses and headed to Berat, a UNESCO designated town. Ended up on our final bus with Formula One wanna be driver...cruising along at nearly 130 kms through village/town roads, avoiding potholes, oncoming traffic and work vehicles, we achieved warp speed with very little problem.

As has been the case, we arrived safe n sound to the wonderfully, ornate and well-kept historic town of Berat.  This town began in the 13th Century built beneath the castle walls. It has gone through some changes with the varying rulers and one serious earthquake, but for the most part, it remains as it was in its early years.

We thoroughly enjoyed wandering the many intricate pathways meandering through the Muslim and Orthodox sections of town. Have a look at some of these sights:

The old town of Berat has numerous rooms to rent in quiet, shade-covered homes. Just need to wander the many passageways. Plus, there is a great hostel, The Berat Backpackers is a unique place high on the hill facing the Castle.

We headed out for some river rafting fun on the Osumi River and the towering, narrower canyon walls that line the river we paddled. The highest cliffs are said to be 150 meters with vines hanging precariously over our heads waiting to be swung on... We passed 3 waterfalls that cascaded down into the canyon from great heights, one of which we stopped at to take photos.  It was quite magical!

So, our rafr trip cost $50 euros/person...we were told to meet at 10am and then head out for the 60-90 minute drive to where we were to put in for the 3 hour adventure. Back in town around 5pm.

Well, most of you know how this story really went (sideways, fast).....this is Albania...of course, things don't go like clockwork.

10am pick up, short drive and wait 90 minutes until rest of group arrives. Drive 2.5 hrs over narrow winding roads, ride the river... get off around 5pm, stop for beers and back in Berat around 7:30pm.

Aside from the haywire time schedule, it was a fantastic day. Our van ride out to the river included an Irish couple (retired), 2 Albanian women, an Iraqi doctor practicing in Sweden. By the time, we arrived at the river, we had really bonded...lots of laughs, discussions about Albania.....we decided we'd stay together as a unit for the trip down river.

Can't tell you how much fun our group had paddling together that day. Our raft guide, also happened to be the head of the rafting company.

We felt safe, and with the Albanian women translating our guide's commands/directions into English all made for a very fun Albanian wilderness adventure!

We moved on from Berat, but not before, we received a gift (Berat red wine) from the hotel we called home for 4 nights, along with a ride to the bus station by one of the hotel staff! Nice surprise.

Bus ride north to the beach town of Shengjin via Tirana proved uneventful, apart from getting into the wrong van that took us 30 minutes back on the road we just traveled on...(Hmm! Looks like we are back in Kansas!) ...anyway, after 2 hours of getting back on track...we headed north and arrived in Shengjin, just south of Shkoder ( near Montenegro)!

Visited the old castle in Lezhe perched high on its hilltop. A 2 km trek on groomed cobblestone streets.

The 'eyes' of the ancient mosque watch over the ghosts of the past and the whispers in the wind.... 

But, as we listen/watch a fabulous beach storm hit Shengjin......

It looks like it is time to head north for our last few days in Albania......