Shqiperia

So Tirana, my third capital city in three nights. And this one feels a whole heap more loke a capital city than number two. It's a big busy mess of a place. Cars everywhere. People everywhere.

It's a weird old place. It looks European but has the vibe of a Southeast Asian city with its street sellers and its risking your life when crossing the road. I think I like it though, it is one of those cities that's just doing its thing and not making any concessions to tourists. 

It was all looking a little bit religious when I arrived. Another of those quirks of serendipity had me arrive in town in time for a papal visit. A bit of a strange choice of state visit a country that (by birth) is 70% Muslim and of the remaining Christians two thirds are orthodox.  Added to that forty years of communist dictatorship has somewhat undermined the traditional belief system. Still everyone was excitable, there were popebased flags and big screens everywhere. Sort of like a rock concert. So we got involved. It's a bit weird seeing an older gentleman dressed in gold flying through the crowd striking his best Freddie at LiveAid poses.

What do you know about Comrade Hoxha? Not a fat lot? Here's a summary. He did some dictating in this Albania. He dumped Cold war Russia as an ally because he thought it was too liberal. He did the same to pre-Tianneman Square China. In the Dorling Kindersley Top10 Bonkers Communist Dictator charts he's sitting at Numbet three. One of the ways he crippled Albania's economy was by building a lot of bombshelters everywhere. Turns out there's one under the hostel. It was full of soot and cobwebs. I got filthy.

I had a break from the city yesterday and headed for Berat. One of those old towns that are all Unesco-y. Once again I got got by the African style public transport which dropped me on the edge of town, approximately half an hour from where my map started. Obviously I didn't realise that for half an hour and spent the sweaty walk internally whining that the city didn't look that pretty.

Albania, much like Bosnia Herzegovina before it, has again challenged by preconceived ideas. Turns out they lived here as Illyrians pre Roman and pre Greek. Turns out that they're a bit miffed that it is the Roman name that has stuck rather than the more catchy Shqiperia.

Back in Tirana again now. Trying to see what the city is like when it's not all Poped up.