Trailing Off....: January 2016

photo of communist Poland I found on line

“The first thing my parents bought were bananas,” our guide Gazi said as he explained what life was like when communism ended in Albania in 1991. I had heard this exact sentence six years ago when I was teaching in Wloclawek, Poland. In Poland, I had individual lessons with a very articulate man who had a high level position involving restructuring roads so that they met EU standards. He often talked about life before and after the fall of communism (1990) and reminded me often that as an American I would never have any idea what it was like. Too true. I've always had access to bananas. And freedoms I still take for granted.

We had a few hours to kill in Tirana, Albania before flying off to the more fashionable metropolis of Milan, Italy. S had done a quick search on TripAdvisor and found that of the only 10 or so recommended sites in all of Albania, a "City Walk with Gazi" was ranked near the top. This person was to meet you in front of the National Museum and give a two hour tour after which a tip was optional.

mosaic above entrance of National Museum

It was a miserable and drizzly Monday and we had little hope that anyone would be meeting us in front of the closed museum. But there he was with his tour guide badge. He welcomed us warmly and began what was to be three of the most interesting and educational hours I had spent in a long, long time.

Gazi is a couple of years younger than myself, so to put it in perspective: When I was a teen and worried about my ugly braces, who would ask me to prom, and how to get my bangs higher, he was living in a country that had banned religion, where people couldn't drive, where all the buildings were grey, where all news and information was censored, where there was little food and no bananas, where bomb shelters dotted the landscape, and where people were killed for speaking out against their leader.

I could have listened to and talked with Gazi all day. He was an absolute expert on his country and did his best to give us information in an objective, often humorous, but matter of fact way.

I didn't take notes and I only took a few pictures given the weather and the fact that it felt like we were the only tourists in the city.

So here are a few highlights from the tour, my recollection of their significance, and my general impression of this little known capital city.

Skanderberg Square is the main cultural area of Tirana. The guy on the horse is Skanderberg, Albania's most revered hero. Albania was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and forced to convert to Islam. He was captured and sent to Istanbul as a slave. Trained as a soldier, he became like a general and was well-regarded by the Ottomans. BUT he went back to Albania and led a revolt and helped convert the country back to Christianity (the Ottomans recaptured the area later). Unfortunately, I can't remember the significance of the flag, just that it has a double-headed eagle on a red background.

I can't really remember what he said about the 16th-19th centuries (I think it remained part of the Ottoman Empire), but it is the 20th century that really fascinated me.

Hoxha's house

Albania became an independent country in 1920 and for a short time had a leader named Zog who declared himself king after winning a presidency (something I imagine Trump would do, if elected). During WW2, the very small communist party led a rebellion that defeated the Germans who were occupying the country. The leader, Enver Hoxha, became the dictator for 40 years. His house, which is now empty, was considered a mansion compared to the tower blocks where everyone else lived.

Economically, during his period, Albania became industrialised and saw rapid economic growth, as well as unprecedented progress in the areas of education and health. He focused on rebuilding the country, which was left in ruins after World War II, building Albania's first railway line, eliminating adult illiteracy and leading Albania towards becoming agriculturally self-sufficient (Wikipedia).

But then he got paranoid and little by little the country became a giant prison. In the 70s, he cut off ties with all other countries (even China wasn’t Communist enough in his opinion) and the country became poor. Education was an on-going lecture about how great Albania was and how terrible other countries were. He built bomb shelters around the country. This one has been left as a reminder.

Travel abroad wasn’t allowed. Nor were cars.

Torture and death penalty were punishments for minor offenses.

He declared Albania the “first atheist state” and banned all religion. Men couldn’t wear beards as it was common among Muslims. Because the ban lasted so long, now most adults aren't very religious, but those who are have had nice churches built and there seems to be relative harmony among the Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania so she holds a special place in most Albanians' hearts, regardless of their religion. They are petitioning to have her remains brought to Tirana, but having been to her final resting place in Calcutta and seeing how revered she is there, I highly doubt that will happen.

The Pyramid Building (below) is a crazy eyesore that was designed and built by Hoxha's daughter as a monument to him after he died in 1985. It contained a museum which was mostly pro-Hoxha propaganda, but after the end of communism it became a conference building and then completely abandoned. Now no one knows what to do about it—to repurpose it and let is serve as a reminder or bulldoze the thing down. When we were admiring it, two teenagers casually climbed up the not-so steep walls to have a bit of a chat on the roof. What I find most ironic about this is that in the late 1990s, many citizens of Albania fell prey to a pyramid scheme that nearly bankrupted the country. People were so angry they broke into barracks and stole guns in case of a revolt. Gaazi told us he and his two brothers each had a machine gun until their father insisted they get rid of them.

There are many ways that this country is trying to distance itself from the Hoxha era. One interesting example is that a few years ago the mayor of the city (who is now the Prime Minister) thought it would be a great idea to go around and brightly paint all the buildings that were previously forced to be a dull grey. The result is.. well......

Now Albania seems to be in the zone of "let's get our shit together so we can be part of the EU" but is having its share of overdevelopment, lack of infrastructure, and a huge generational divide between those born before and after. Now that people know what a middle and upper class life can look like, they all want a piece of it, sometimes by any means.

future telecommunications company

It's a city of contrasts. There are markets that reminded me of southern Thailand; cab drivers who are more ruthless and cunning than those of India; and high-end shops and restaurants that would rival any of Tirana's wealthier European cousins. There are a lot of angry-looking men standing around smoking and not seeming to be doing anything important. And there are so many kind people, including the entire staff of the Jolly Hotel and the woman who showed us which bus to catch to get to said hotel.

Three years or even three decades is not enough time to truly know and learn about a place, so to get a sense of Tirana in three hours is just plain ridiculous. Despite the cold and underlying grimness of the city, I found it to be worth the visit. Few people know of this place and its harsh history. And Gazi was adamant that he would much rather we know something of his country other than what we see in "Taken".

PS.
What blog would be complete without a picture of food? The type of place that seemed popular with locals is a korcare, a place with a few simple choices of grilled meats served with bread, yoghurt, olive oil, and a ton of onions and some pickles. We downed it all with huge mugs of local beer at a simple wooden picnic table. Obscenely cheap and oh so good.

A few other random pictures from the trip

local mosque located in Skanderberg square

W was the only president to visit Albania so they love him!

public water fountain

Hoxha didn't like this Roman bridge so he re-routed the river!

part of the Berlin Wall

more grilled goodness

Some cultures believe that the way you spend your first moments of the New Year will be indicative of how your year is going to be. So sad, drunk, and alone at midnight could translate to a year of binge-watching Netflix while squeezing the last drops out of boxes of wine. Lucky for me, at midnight I was relatively sober and standing on a balcony in Sarande, Albania with three of my favourite people whilst watching a firework display over the sea. At midnight we wrote a wish for 2016 on a piece of paper, lit it on fire, and drank the ashes with champagne. I kissed my husband, marvelling at our simple, yet fun life, and feeling a jolt of hope for 2016.

appertivo on the balcony including homemade olive oil made by their landlord

We met Jesse and M when teaching English in Songkhla, Thailand. We left in 2013 and they the following year. In addition to being the same age, American, and prone to wanderlust, they are also childfree, creative types. One big difference is that they have been together since they were 16!

attempting to launch a lantern on NYE

In Songkhla we became fast friends and I spent an occasional night hanging out in seedy bars with M until dawn, baring our souls or just singing along to youtube videos. She even arranged an entire Hen Party for me complete with picnic on a mountain, a massage at a legit spa, and a "pub" crawl. I've only really clicked with a few women in my life, preferring the company of guys or being alone, but she is definitely a kindred spirit. And thank goodness too, as there were NO other women teachers where we were living in Songkhla.

In Songkhla, 2013

Though we kept in touch on facebook, I didn’t imagine that we’d see them again. But then they started moving about in Europe, a few months in Italy, Spain, Croatia, and now Albania. From the comfort of a temporary home in a seaside town, they maintain their on-line business that sells jewellery made with a 3D printer, designed by M and based on her paintings M & J's website. They also do a bit of on-line teaching. Doing all their work on-line means they can move place to place when their tourist visas run out. We had the time and they had a 2-bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking the sea, so we decided to spend a few days there and visit Italy before and after.

view from their balcony of Sarande town

We arrived in the only airport in the country in the capital city, Tirana. The 7-hour bus ride to the seaside resort town was a terrifying crawl through mountains while the driver spoke on the phone and only used one hand to drive. The scenery, though, trumped the terror. Miles and miles of unspoilt land and the occasional village. I didn’t feel as though I were in Europe; it was a different feel of a place altogether. However, anytime the road was near the coast you could see the construction of villas and hotels like in most European resort towns, but further inland you saw more ramshackle housing, people selling chickens on the side of the road, and random piles of rubbish.

view from Butrint, Albania

On New Year’s Day, we got a ride from a random stranger and travelled the 20 minutes to the fascinating UNESCO site, Butrint. Not only is this place a stunning park full of trees and scenic vistas, but more importantly, it is a “microcosm of Mediterranean history spanning two thousand years.” It started as a Greek colony in the 4^th century BC and was quite a cool city during the Roman Empire. It has been seized by Normans, Venetians, and Ottomans. The area has been a veterans’ retirement colony, a bishopric, and a military fort. All of these layers of history weren’t discovered until an Italian archaeologist visited the area in 1928.

The Agora/Forum of the city

Needless to say, it’s an amazing gem of a place. Because it was the holiday, we were the only people there and the ruins seemed more alive and accessible than the overcrowded and (rightfully) protected Pompeii. We were also lucky to have mild temperatures and a deep blue sky. The fresh air, the trees, the mountains in the distance—it was just awesome.

3rd century theatre

Oh and did I mention it’s only a few km from Greece? This car is being transported there on an old-fashioned ferry.

On our last full day in Sarande, we hopped on a bus and travelled just a few km to walk on the promenade and enjoy the views of the Ksamil Islands. Again the weather was mild though definitely too cold to swim. We wandered up and down the promenade and finished our walk with a couple of cold Korca beers in a restaurant overlooking the sea.

One of the Ksamil Islands that you can swim to

I have to admit something. I was a tad nervous about staying in someone else’s living space for four days and being with the same people all that time. I find it difficult to maintain conversations during the 20-minute break I have at school, so I was worried about awkward silences, feeling annoyed or being annoying. Because I rarely socialize, I figured I’d lost the ability. However, the four of us got on spectacularly. We were chilled and never ran out of things to talk about.

photo shoot on our last night

I can’t imagine a better way to have started 2016. I was in a strange and interesting new place with creative, intelligent people whose way of life has inspired me. So here’s hoping to a year in which I can be a bit more out-going, explore and learn, and hopefully, put more words on paper.

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