Tirane, Albania

We have discovered that Albania is where old Mercedes come to die. Thousands of them - rattle-trap and rusting - but a shadow of their original glory, ply the streets in a system of somewhat organised chaos.

Albania has been a democracy since only 1991, and the years of communist rule show clearly in Tirane's ... indeed the whole country's...crumbling infrastructure and chaotic transportation system. There are few regularly scheduled buses; cross-country transit is often via "furgons" - 9-passenger vans that gather at a place known only to locals abnd don't leave for their destination until they are full. But the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving as evidenced by these "furgon" owners, hordes of vehicles and humming streets.

We did our usual walk-about to see the sights; it only took about 2 hours. Unusual for us, we gave up before we figured out how to get to our next stop but Freddy, our hostel host, once again rescued us ...for a very reasonable fee. He drove us to the furgon "station" and put us in the right van...and away we went, headed for Berat.

In a seeming attempt to defy the one-ness they experienced under communist rule, the Albanians are expressing their "individualism" through the colours they paint their homes. Riding through the countryside we saw houses painted eye-searing shades of orange, green, yellow and pink! Not to our taste, but it certainly makes for colourful neighbourhoods.

14 Oct 2009