Day 18 - The Valbona Valley

I decided to sleep in this morning before heading downstairs for my breakfast at 8am. The kitchen was empty, but there was plenty of food left on the table including bread, jam, cheese, sausages & fried eggs. I soon devoured most of what was on the table & took a couple of boiled eggs with me! After brushing my teeth & heading back downstairs I spotted the mother of the household in the kitchen, so I went in to say hello. She offered me a cup of tea which I accepted (first drink of tea since arriving in Albania!). She also asked if I wanted a 'picnic' which I knew was the term used for a packed lunch when heading off hiking. I accepted & she gave me a large loaf of flat bread (which she baked yesterday) & some salad & cheese. It was left to me to make up my own sandwich.

I first decided to visit the nearby restaurant at the hotel 'Rilindja' for a coffee. Whilst having my coffee the man who I'd met yesterday appeared, & we soon got chatting about my plans for the day. We also discussed my plans to hike over to Thethi tomorrow. He did seem keen for me to hire a guide from him, but I said I would think about it.

After my coffee I walked to the nearby lake & sat for a while, still a little tired from the last few days travel. I then walked westwards along the main road (where I'd walked yesterday) & crossed a bridge & began to climb to get some better views of Valbona. Still a little tired I decided to head back to the restaurant at the hotel 'Rilindja' for something to eat (I'd already eaten my picnic!)

Preparing my 'picnic'!

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

Whilst having my late lunch I spotted the man at the bar who I'd chatted with earlier (& met yesterday). I decided to ask about organising a guide for the morning & asked how much it would be. He told me it would be 50 Euros, which I thought was a bit expensive. However I decided to accept his offer & he told me my guide would be the young guy working behind the bar! I was happy with this as he spoke very good English.

I decided to head back to my guest house for a much needed rest & also to sort my backpack out for tomorrow. I will be leaving for Thethi at 7am.

Day 17 - Shkodër to Koman & Koman to Fierzë (by boat) & onto the Valbona Valley

Unfortunately when I arose this morning nobody was around to cook my breakfast, only the night porter who could not speak any English! I just left & walked around the corner, where the minibus would be to take me to Koman.

The minibus was already waiting & the driver was sat having a coffee so I joined him. We eventually left Shkodër at 6:50am (400 Lek). We stopped a few times to take on more passengers & also to pickup an almighty large reel of plastic tubing that had to be tied to the back of the minibus!

Shkodër to Koman by minibus

I arrived at Koman at about 8:30am where there were already a few other people waiting for the boat including a group of American tourists. There were also a few local boats which appeared to be ferrying people across the lake. I decided to visit the nearby café (the one at the top) & was a little shocked at being charged 100 Lek for a coffee! (Normal price is 50 Lek).

Locals waiting to travel across Lake Koman

Locals about the travel across Lake Koman

Locals travelling across Lake Koman

The boat arrived at 9:15am & I climbed on board with the Americans & quite a few locals, (I was expecting a slightly bigger boat). All the luggage was stored at the front, & most of the passengers sat inside, whereas I chose to stay outside on the deck where the Americans seemed to favour also. The fare was 500 Lek.

My boat to take me across Lake Koman to Fierzë

Travelling across Lake Koman

The boat left at 9:30am & it was an amazing journey going through the gorges as we criss-crossed along the lake. It was also very entertaining watching the locals boarding & leaving the boat, like the man dressed in a suit stood at the edge of the lake waiting to be picked up, & the local off loading his motorbike! Most of the time there was never any indication as to where these locals were going to or coming from, as you hardly ever saw any houses.

Travelling across Lake Koman

Passengers along Lake Koman

Passengers along Lake Koman

Passengers along Lake Koman

Travelling across Lake Koman

Passengers along Lake Koman

It took just over 3 hours to arrive at Fierzë, where there was a minibus already waiting to pickup travellers. I was one of the first to jump on board, & soon after so did the Americans. Shortly into the drive it became apparent one of the American tourists could speak Albanian as she soon started to have a long discussion with the driver. I initially thought the minibus was only going to stop at Barram Curri (which is where I was going to spend the night) but I soon realised it was going all the way to Valbona, so I stayed on board with the Americans. Once we passed Barram Curri the road became very tough going but the views were amazing, & the river below was stunning. We finally reached Valbona after about 90 minutes of driving, where we all then jumped off the minibus & paid the driver 400 Lek. All the Americans headed off to a nearby restaurant, I decided to walk through the Valbona.

Arrival at Fierzë

I wasn't sure whether to pitch my tent or look for some accommodation, but after walking for about 15 minutes I came across the sign for 'Quku i Valbona' guest house & so decided to check it out. Before I reached the house a passing car stopped & a man asked if I was looking for accommodation (his English was very good). He offered me a room for the night (this being  'Quku i Valbona') for 15 Euros (with breakfast), & suggested I could pay 2 Euros to pitch my tent. We said our goodbyes & I continued to walk to the guest house. On arrival I was greeted by a women (who again spoke very good English) & when I mentioned I had been offered 15 Euros for the night, she seemed a little shocked? She said she would have to speak with her Mother, however after some discussion 15 Euros was agreed. (I later learned the man I had met in the car was her brother.)

After settling in I asked if there was any chance of some food, as I was starving! I was soon presented with some lovely soup & salad by the Mother of the household. Her daughter (who had greeted me) was now living in England & was back in Albania visiting, & her brother was the boyfriend of the American women on my minibus who had spoken fluent Albanian! During my meal I discussed my plans to hike over to Thethi & asked if they thought I really needed a guide. They seemed to think I would & suggested I should speak with the brother of the household.

Great food in the Valbona Valley (My guest house)

After my meal I ventured out & walked along the main road through Valbona (in the direction of Theti) for about an hour & was truly amazed by the landscape. I filled my bottle with the crystal clear cold water from the Valbona River.

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

The Valbona Valley

I finally headed back to my room for some much needed sleep as it had been quite a long day, what with two bus rides, a boat ride & a small hike!

Day 16 - Durrës to Shkodër (incl Mesi)

Unfortunately I could not have a shower or even a wash this morning as there still wasn't any water! I'd planned just to leave without having any breakfast, but as I was walking down the stairs a man appeared (who clearly looked like the twin brother of the hotel owner), so I decided to follow him into the bar area & have my breakfast after all. It did feel slightly awkward & he clearly knew of the previous day's events. He seemed very keen to take the keys from me before handing me a coffee & a croissant, but no orange juice this time!

Before leaving I used the nearby toilet in the bar area, (knowing it would not flush). I wasn't going to say anything but as I was about to leave I thought I would. The man looked a little confused at first, then disappeared briefly, before coming back to tell me all was fine now! He could see I looked baffled, which is when he took me to the outside hallway & showed me a large switch which turns the water on & off! He seemed to think I should have already known this! I explained the water went off at 10pm last night, & how was I supposed to know about this switch! I just shook my head in disbelief & left, but not before handing him the postcard his brother had given me yesterday with my thoughts written down about this crazy place!

When I arrived at the bus station, I could see the bus for Shkodër already waiting to leave & so I jumped on board, it left on time at 7:30am (400 Lek). Along the way I spotted what appeared to be some Chinese fishing nets along the river bank, I also noticed quite a few signs for camp sites. I arrived in Shkodër at 10am, (next to the football stadium & market area). I was hoping to somehow continue to Komani, as I had no intentions of staying in Shkodër. I had a coffee (whilst being bombarded by taxi drivers wanting to take me to Montenegro!) at one of the nearby cafes.

After my coffee I headed off around the stadium & I asked a few locals about catching a bus to Komani. They pointed me in the direction of some parked minibuses, but they were all going elsewhere. I was later given further directions, (whilst stopping for a beer & asking again!) before finally finding the location of where the actual minibus leaves for Komani. (If I remember the road is called 'Marlin Barleti'.) However, a local fruit stall seller informed me there were no more buses until 7am tomorrow.

The market in Shkodër

I soon realised I would have to spend the night in Shkodër, & so decided to look for a hotel. I visited the nearby place called 'Tradita' (Skenderbeg Rd) & was greeted by a very friendly young lady. I asked her if she could confirm there were no more buses to Komani. (As I was a little shocked at their asking price of 35 Euros for a room!) She had to consult other staff members & somebody else on the telephone? At first it was suggested there was a minibus leaving for Komani at 1pm, but then it was later confirmed this wasn't to be! The minibus was confirmed at 6:30am tomorrow ('Marlin Barleti')

I was a little disappointed my room did not have air conditioning, (just a fan). When I questioned this with the staff, they just told me the building is 'very traditional', I was clearly paying for all the décor. It was all very nice, but I would't rate the location.

After settling in I later rented one of the hotels bicycles (included in my 35 Euros!) so I could explore Shkodër, (the tyres needed a good pump first!) I first cycled in the direction of Rozafa Castle & left my bike at the bottom of the hill (outside a café) & grabbed a bite to eat before walking up. At the top, the views were amazing & the castle remains were very impressive (especially the Cathedral). When I reached the bottom of the hill again, I noticed my bike had vanished! (I panicked a little) The café owner soon appeared & led me around the back where she & her family lived & presented me with my bike! Apparently they were concerned it may have been stolen as it wasn't locked up. It did have a lock attached but the hotel staff never gave me a key! I thanked the family for their kindness, & jumped back on my bike & headed in the direction of Mesi.

Rozafa Castle in Shkodër (Most remains are Venetian & Ottoman)

Overlooking Shkodër from Rozafa Castle

13th Century Cathedral in Rozafa Castle in Shkodër

It was a wonderful bike ride out to Mesi, albeit a little dusty & bumpy in parts. I passed a few factories, & was amazed at the amount of other cyclists I saw, (most were female & probably worked in the factories). On arrival in Mesi, I took a few photographs of the bridge (it was a shame about the surrounding area), before riding back to Shkodër. When I arrived back, I decided to ride around the centre of Shkodër for about an hour & stopped at the mosque & the Orthodox Church for a while.

The Mesi Bridge - 18th century

 Shkodër

I finally cycled back towards my hotel & visited a nearby take away place & stuffed myself with lamb chops with a double helping of chips & salad! It was all very nice, but I got the impression, things were a little more expensive in Shkodër?

Whilst back at my hotel room, I was suffering a little with the heat. The room was like an oven, even with the fan so I decided to steal another from one of the other rooms!

Really looking forward to my boat ride on Lake Koman tomorrow!

Day 15 - Durrës

I slept in a little this morning, before making my way to the bar area of the hotel for my breakfast. However, I wouldn't really have called it breakfast, the owner presented me with a glass of orange squash, a croissant (from a packet) & asked if I wanted a coffee! After my snack I decided to go out & explore Durrës. I had three keys, one for my room, one for the front door & one for the main gate! I did think it was a bit odd that I was clearly the only person staying in the hotel, when 'Lido' was full?

I first visited the Amphitheatre (very close to hotel), which was very pleasant to walk around. The mosaics of the saints & angels in the chapel were amazing. I later walked along the sea front only to be a little disappointed. There was obviously a lot of building work in progress, the new 'pier thing' looked like it will be an impressive structure when it is completed. All the restaurants were virtually empty, & it was approaching lunchtime?

The Amphitheatre in Durrës (2nd century AD)

The Amphitheatre Byzantine Mosaic in Durrës

After my walk along the sea front I headed back into town & treated myself to an ice-cream at one of the patisserie shops along Tregetare Rd. For my lunch I had a 'Pleskavica' which was some kind of meat filled pancake with melted cheese, which was very nice. The restaurant was called 'Qebaptore Gjakova' & the owner spoke excellent English. After lunch I decided to make my way back to my hotel & make use of the free Wi-Fi.

The old tobacco factory with a freedom fighter statue in the background

The tobacco factory memorial in Durrës

Resisting the Italian invasion in 1939 - Durrës

Old building in Durrës

'Pleskavica' in Durrës (Meat filled with melted cheese, very filling!)

Fatih Mosque built in 1503 in Durrës

I arrived back at the main gate of my hotel only to find I could't open it with the key! I rang the doorbell to no avail. After a while one of the neighbours appeared & he soon realised there was already a key in the gate on the other side. He then just stuck his hand through the gate & turned the key! When I finally let myself in, there was clearly nobody around, very odd!

After entering my room I happened to notice the few Euro coins I'd left on my bed were gone. I immediately thought of the cleaner as I remembered seeing her in the morning, & she had clearly been in my room to clean it. I had a good look in my backpack, & thankfully all was fine. I decided to go downstairs into the bar area & use the Wi-Fi, hoping the hotel owner would show up eventually.

It wasn't until after 6pm when the hotel owner arrived, I then explained what had happened. He soon called the cleaner on the telephone & began to shout at her whilst looking very embarrassed! When he had finished talking with her he asked if he could see my room. When I let him in, he proceeded to look under the bed for the missing coins! He did seem quite upset about the theft & did offer to pay me back (I tried to explain it was only a few Euros, & it was the actual theft that was upsetting). I later returned to the bar area, whereby he then presented me with a postcard of Durrës! (Not sure if he thought this would make things all alright!) He later left & about an hour later the cleaner arrived & started shouting at me & disputing my claims! I just ignored her & went to my room.

Back in my room, whilst in the middle of having a shower the water ran out! My initial thoughts were the cleaner had sabotaged the water tank! However, after checking all the other rooms I could see the whole hotel was effected. The hotel owner was nowhere to be seen yet again.

I am not sure if I will see the hotel owner in the morning as I plan to catch the 7:30am bus to Shkodër, although my breakfast was agreed at 6:30am on arrival. Something tells me he may well avoid me!

Day 14 - Milove to Çorovodë & onto Durrës

I had a relatively good night sleep in my tent & was packed up & ready to leave by 7am, (before the Chinese got up!)

After some deliberation I decided to head back down the mountain, rather than continue to Gjerbes. I was more than happy with what I'd already seen & achieved. I also decided I would try & hitch a lift back down.

After about an hour of walking (just past the main quarry site) I stopped at the sign which indicated 'Leshnies' to the left. (If I'd taken more notice of this sign on the way up, I might have realised how much further I needed to travel!) It was here I saw a minibus coming from the direction of Leshine & so I flagged it down. It stopped straight away & I jumped on board to join the other passengers (& a few bags of something heavy?) The driver soon raced down the mountain stopping on a couple of occasions, once to deliver the very heavy bags to an empty house, & then to deliver a scythe to somebody! At approximately 8:20am the driver stopped just outside my favourite restaurant in Çorovodë! I presented the driver with a handful of change & he took 200 Lek. He may well have ripped me off a bit, but I didn't care, one minute I was camping in the mountains & within an hour I was off the mountain & having my breakfast!

Minibus back down from the mountains to Çorovodë

The nice lady in the restaurant served up her lamb soup again, which was delicious as ever! One of the men who was in the restaurant two days earlier (who I'd spoke to) was also present & it appeared he was the husband. I am not too sure if he was surprised to see me, because when we last met I wasn't coming back to Çorovodë! Although he was a little pre-occupied with trying to fit a large flat screen TV on the wall, much to the amusement of his wife!

I thanked the couple & bid them farewell. I then visited the local amenity shop near the bus stop, (just on the corner) to grab some water & an ice-cream. I was served by a wonderful old man. At the bus stop I spotted a bus with 'Tirana' displayed on the front. I asked the driver if it was going to Durrës, which he confirmed & would be leaving at 10:30am. I had plenty of time for a coffee & another ice-cream! I soon got chatting with the man working in the tourist shop (next to the bus stop), the driver & a couple of other locals. I explained my last 24 hours of hiking etc, & they all seemed very impressed with what I had achieved! At 10:30am I said my goodbyes, & I set off for Durrës.

We stopped on the outskirts of Berati for about ten minutes where I bought two 'Tosts' (Albanian for toasties!) which were filled with cheese, meat & salad. I think the driver thought I was a bit greedy, but I was so hungry! The driver did indicate the bus would go to Durrës bus station, but I was sure it would only go as far as the interchange a few km's away from Durrës at a place called 'Plepa' (And I would then have to find another bus to take me into town.)

We arrived at the interchange (Plepa) at about 2:30pm (the driver told me we had arrived in Durrës). As soon as I jumped off the bus (fare was 500 Lek), I was approached by a taxi driver saying ‘Five Euros to Durrës, good price!’ I just crossed the road, spotted a local bus waiting, jumped on board & paid 70 Lek to take me into town! (It took about ten minutes to reach the centre of town, near the bus station.)

I decided to look for the hotel called 'Durresi' as mentioned in my guidebook as being cheap, but I failed miserably! After walking around for a while I decided I would treat myself (after my previous night under canvass) & visited the hotel called 'Lido', where I was greeted by a nice friendly young man (who spoke a little English), but unfortunately he informed me the only room available was 20 Euros & this was without air conditioning. He could see I wasn't impressed & offered to ring another nearby hotel, which I thought was kind of him.

Within five minutes another man appeared (wearing an England football shirt!) & said he had a room for 25 Euros, so I bargained at 40 Euros for two nights! He took me to his hotel by car (one minute drive!) The hotel was called 'Pepeto' & was really nice & the rooms were lovely (Wi-Fi, fridge, & air conditioning).

I later visited a nearby restaurant which happened to be called 'Pizza Blizz' where I had a really nice pizza for 400 Lek.

Back in my hotel room, so far I have killed two mosquitoes & the air conditioning is throwing out water onto the bed! However I have two beds, so that's ok! No such problem last night when I was in my tent!

Day 13 - Çorovodë to Milove

I was up at 6am & set off walking through the town & headed for Gjerbesi road. I visited the restaurant I had visited yesterday, I was really pleased to see it was open so early. (The place says 'Bar Restaurant' on the window & is on the right hand side as you are heading out of Çorovodë.) I was given Kos (yoghurt) & rice with lamb & bread by the lovely lady. It was certainly enough to set me on my way.

I reached the Ottoman Bridge (again) at about 7:45am . I was just about to take a photograph when a donkey & his owner appeared which was perfect timing!

The Kasabashi Bridge near Çorovodë

The road ascended very quickly, & I was glad it was a little shaded in parts. There was quite a bit of traffic heading in both directions, many were the lorries transporting the stone which is quarried higher up in the mountains. Along the way I met a few locals, who were bringing their cattle lower down to graze. With some of the looks I received I wondered if they had ever seen a foreigner before! I also spotted some lone farmers working in the fields. The further I hiked the better the landscape became, I imagined it being very dramatic in the winter.

The Tomorri Mountains & the road out of Çorovodë

Gredec Cliffs near Çorovodë

Mountain countryside in Radesh

Mountain countryside in Radesh

A young Albanian herds his cattle to lower pastures

After about four hours into my hike I spotted a water well (set back a little). It was a great place to stop & rest for a while. The water was lovely (freezing cold), so I refilled my bottles. After another hours hiking I passed a large quarry site, it was amazing to see all the large pieces of stone (some as big as cars) cut away from the mountain side. As I passed the large quarry site the views were amazing with Mt Kulmakut in the distance. I began to wonder if I was getting close to Gjerbes, I spotted a few houses in the valley below & decided to head down.

A stone quarry high in the Tomorri Mountains near Milove

The Tomorri Mountains including Mt Kulmakut near Milove

The Tomorri Mountains including Mt Kulmakut near Milove

I made my way down into the valley to a small house where I could see a man in his garden (carving a gravestone) & introduced myself (although he did not speak any English). Soon his two young boys & his wife came out of the house. I showed the man my map just to see if I could work out exactly where I was. The man soon confirmed I was in 'Milove', which according to my map was only half way to Gjerbes! I was a little disappointed, especially as I had been hiking for nearly seven hours with quite a heavy backpack. (Although the man did say it would only take about another two hours to reach Gjerbes) The man offered me a coffee, but I declined as I wanted to keep going. I bid the family farewell, I think the two young boys wanted me to stay as they were fascinated with my backpack!

A cemetery in Milove high in the Tomorri Mountains

I continued to walk further along the main road towards Gjerbes before spotting another quarry site, with a few lorry containers & a camper van. Nearby I spotted a patch of grass which I thought would be an ideal place to pitch my tent, as it had great views overlooking the mountains. Just as I was about to make my way over, a lorry arrived & a man jumped out. I asked him if it was ok to pitch my tent, to which he replied 'no problem'! Whilst pitching my tent a couple of young Chinese men came over to say hello (They actually gave me a bit of a shock!) They could not speak any English but they seemed friendly enough. I assumed they worked at the quarry & lived on site.

After a couple of hours sleep in my tent, I decided to walk around the quarry site. I noticed the lorry containers were being used as accommodation. I spotted a large wok through one of the windows (initial thoughts were food!) & decided to pop my head in where I then saw three Chinese men huddled around a laptop watching a movie! I asked if there was any food on offer, & one of the Chinese men just waved his hand as if to say 'Sod off'! I continued to walk around the site a little more & spotted two more Chinese men in another container (who did not seem the slightest bit interested in me!) living in what can only be described as pretty horrible conditions. I decided to leave the Chinese to it & head back to my tent. I assumed the local man who I'd met earlier was the boss looking after the Chinese? He appeared to live in a proper camper home, rather than some disgusting lorry container!

Back at my tent, I dug out my bread & cheese & got stuck in! It did get a little cold as the night drew in.

5 star accommodation in the mountains near Milove!