It s time to try something different folks

Transcription

1 It s time to try something different folks Beach after beautiful beach along the coast and no masses of tourists. (Photos by R. Pescod) Care for a 40-foot dive? Again, beaches galore! So you're looking for a place to go that has a sense of adventure, but also has those beautiful beaches and warm water, in a country where English is spoken by most people, in a country that has a history that varies from R o m a n a n d Ve n e t i a n r u i n s t o architectural ideas you won't see anywhere else in the world and photo ops that are truly unique? We think we found your place! It must absolutely go on your bucket list...and oh yes, you are going to enjoy the food as well. In between Greece, the country that has those beautiful islands and a capital city of Athens that is always too hot in the summer and always has some civil service employees on strike, so the garbage reeks or whatever, and to the north is Croatia - another mustsee country that features Dubrovnik, another city with history that has attracted simply too many tourists...is Albania! A country that is still being neglected by much of the world because of its history and the fact so few people have been there to tell its story. Well we have been there twice and it must be on your bucket list and the best part is when you go home and tell your friends, they too will think how courageous you were to go to such a place when it's probably going to be one of the highlights of your trips around the world. dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 1

2 The cafe section reminds you of Paris or Barcelona, only more lively and a fraction of the cost! We have some pictures here showing what the beaches look like and even some of the nicest ones are still almost deserted. Bryan Slusarchuk was associated with mining company Tirex Resources and started going to Albania 15 + years ago. When he first went there, he talked about how his friends in Canada thought he was crazy going to such an "unsafe" place and being quizzed, did he have to take body guards with him? How safe did he feel and did he feel lucky to get back alive? He does admit that when he first went there 15 and 20 years ago, you would find wild dogs running in the streets, people just burning their garbage in the alleyways and the like and not feeling like one of the most hospitable places in the world. On his first trip, landing at the airport, he said there was virtually nothing there. It was a gravel road into the capital city of Tirana and as we've mentioned the streets did not look that welcoming. The first night at his hotel at about 11:00, he heard shots breaking out and wondered if he wasn't in the middle of a civil war and wondered whether he should be diving under the bed. It turned out that it was simply the fireworks coming from the nearby soccer stadium and since then, over the last 15 years, Bryan has watched the country change dramatically as the population now mostly can speak English, the streets are in great shape, the highway improved, the cafe area of Tirana is as good (if not better) than any cafe you've seen in Paris, Mother Theresa airport is modern (yes, she was Albanian) and the beaches are worldclass...and yet, still deserted. Bryan, who goes back frequently, says most of the people visiting the country are from nearby Kosovo and Montenegro as hardly any North Americans or Europeans make it a regular spot on their travel ventures. If you know anyone who would like to receive any of our four newsletters, please Debbie at debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 2

3 Time for a little bit of history on Albania...which is probably why there is a bit of a 'taste in the mouth' for those that have read about the country in the past. Enver Hoxha was his name and he was the dictator between 1944 and Wikipedia gives him credit for "rebuilding Albania after the war, increasing literacy from 5% to 98% and making the c o u n t r y a g r i c u l t u r a l l y s e l f sufficient". That's the good news. The bad news was his secret police, his suppression of any opposition to his ideas, execution of those he was not fond of and rather large forced work camps for those that didn't go along with his thoughts. For some reason, this one individual in this small country actually had some political followings around the world as he talked about his adherence to anti-revisionist Marxism Leninism. Have you got that? I didn't think so. He was also at one point, a big follower of Mao Zedong, which ended around The bottom line was, during different years he had different friends. It was Russia for one long period and then his best allies in the Chinese for another. (The interesting tidbit these days is that they are huge friends and admirers of the United States...it was one of the few countries George Bush would visit and receive an exciting reception when he toured Europe). Because of Hoxha, we have some of the most interesting architectural/construction sites that you won't see anywhere else in the world...bunkers! At different times, Hoxha convinced the population that they were going to be invaded by the Chinese. Then for awhile, they were going to be invaded by the Russians. Then it became the Americans. Because of these fears that he spread through his control of the media, secret police and the like, during his reign over three quarters of a million concrete bunkers were built. From the tops of the mountains to right on the beaches, these bunkers were made out of rebar and concrete as places for the local population to hunker down should the bad guys arrive on Albanian soil. Bryan Slusarchuk tells us that they were made so tough, that the builders of each bunker were expected to be in them, while artillery was shot at them to make sure that they would hold up. dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 3

4 Photos by R. Pescod Some locals will tell the few tourists around that they were designed strong enough so that a tank could go over them and they would be in fine condition and if not, the people who built them were inside them and would suffer. Slusarchuk and others point out that the amount of work and high costs of building these structures came at such a cost that it could have probably built an apartment for every living citizen, had those resources been aimed that way instead of building the bunkers. The irony is that now that Tirana and some other cities are booming and some of the beaches are finally starting to be discovered, the work going into dismantling these structures is quite difficult...and costly. Just your typical cafe with your own private waterfalls. Has to be seen to be believed! He Says (David Pescod): For those of us who are lucky enough to have travelled more than our share, one of the most fun parts of that is who you are traveling with. With Rose and Preparium Alikaj, who is Chief Albanian geologist and Bryan Slusarchuk of Tirex Resources, we spent almost five wonderful days exploring the length and breathe of Albania...mind you, it's a small country, but from seeing the Greek and Roman ruins to the undiscovered beaches to the hidden and undiscovered restaurants and cafes, it had to be one of our most favourite trips. Of course it has to do with going to a country you don't know that much about, you don't know what to expect and are quite concerned that it might not be what you were looking for. But heading back from Saranda and the five of us singing old tunes from the 70's and 80's on the radio, it is one of those magical moments in a country so far away, you will never forget. Also the unique nature of the country and the history of Hoxha and the massive resources he spent building those bunkers all over the place. Three quarters of a million of them! You have to see them to believe them. Oh my goodness yes! This is a trip a person should make. dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 4

5 Between over priced and over visited Greece and between the now too-busy port of Dubrovnik, and Croatia and it is definitely a sense of adventure. He says: 8.8 out of 10 but have to admit the company helped make the trip. One of my favourite trips ever... She Says (Rose Pescod): Sitting in the Rome Airport waiting for our flight to Albania was not on my top ten list of places to see. Frankly, I was quite worried about going to Albania, NP. We stayed in the heart of Tirana at the Xheko Imperial Hotel. This hotel was owned and operated by dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 5

6 Albanians, and truly it was a beautiful spot. Strolling around the city centre I couldn't get over all the beautiful cafe's and shops. It is a hub for ladies shopping and the prices were great. Great value for your dollar and if you are not a shopper, there is plenty of green space for walking, jogging. Very close to the City centre there is a beautiful National park called the Grand Park with wonderful green s p a c e, l o v e l y t r a i l s t o d i s c o v e r. We had a road trip to the city of Saranda. Learning the history of the past 50 years with so much unrest and how the former dictator Enver Hoxha ran the country was an eye opener. He even made some of Rose and David Pescod the political leaders today look tame. We stayed overnight in Saranda and visited some of the highlights in and around the city. There are many castles to visit, one was the Lekuresi Castle with its restaurant and amazing view of the valley. About 18 kilometres outside of Saranda we drove out to Butrint National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Centre in the county of Viore to see ruins of ancient citadel. The are lots of steps and it is hot, so make sure you take water with you. The park is a place you can spend the whole afternoon. There is a great selection of restaurants in Saranda along the waterfront. Of course fresh fish on the menu always, the popular fish we ate was "levrek" in Albanian which is sea bass. The fish was brought out whole from head to tail and you got to pick your dinner. I had a hard time seeing it that way as I felt the fish was staring at me and saying "don't pick me", anyways it was delightful. Of course the meal also included a glass of raki, which I found quite strong, but when in Albania do as the Albanians. Raki is an acquired taste for sure. Returning to Tirana, we stopped in a village called Borsch someone directed us to a coffee shop in back of the gas station. Low and behold it was cafe with beautiful cascading waterfalls, tiered tables, absolutely stunning. The cafe's name is called "Uji I Ftohte" meaning Cold Water. A must to see. I have completely lost the fear of traveling to Albania. She says 9 out of 10. Deb s Ditty: I love deadlines I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by dave.pescod@plant4seeds.com debbie.lewis@plant4seeds.com 6