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Mercs, nods and patchwork buildings15 Apr 2009
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| Albania may be Europe's poorest country, but it is also the Mercedes capital of the world, home to more of the prestigious German cars per capita than Germany itself. Three out of every five cars in Albania are "Mercs", some of them powerful and expensive models, others battered and rusting. Spare parts are hard to come by. Most are sold at roadside stalls, and they have usually been stolen from other Mercedes. The number of cars in Albania has soared since the collapse of Communism, when only party officials were allowed to have cars, from 5,000 in the early Nineties, to 500,000 today. Yet last year only three new cars were registered; down even on the paltry 99 the year before that, according to official figures. Many are stolen from other countries, the police here appear to turn a blind eye. One of the features of the buildings is the random colourful painting on the exterior walls. This is the locals answer to the rather stark concrete buildings of the communist era. Another interesting custom is to shake your head sideways to mean yes, and to nod, or rather lift your head to mean yes, can be rather confusing. |
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