Albania, Montenegro, Croatia

Hi again, from a place called Orebic, in Dalmatia, Croatia.

(I've moved all previous photos to below the first post, at the bottom. New photos to the right.)

We find it’s definitely getting cooler. Days still usually very pleasant – mid/high 20s, but cools down noticeably overnight. Just starting to think about the wisdom of long pants to dinner 

I(Phil) have been a bit slack with the blog thing over the last week. But we’ve been pretty full-on.

Before I go on, I apologise to those receiving unwanted emails. I hadn’t realised that when I post a new blog, an email gets sent to everyone either who’s signed up, or whom I invited. I detest unwanted spam myself, so sorry to anyone who’d rather not see this in their mailbox!

This trip is going to be remembered as the wedding ring trip! I lost my new wedding ring at Katarini/Olympia Beach, only a week after buying it! 400 bucks down the drain, or at least to the bottom of the ocean! I really liked it too! This time, straight over the finger! I’m not sure whether to try for 3 or not!!

Our trip across northern Greece was brief and fast. Motorway all the way, and strangely minimal tolls. Speed limit was 130kph and we had the cruise control set about 138. Seemed to cover a lot of distance in no time. It was great. Great also to sit down at Greek restaurant and note the incredible variety compared with Turkey. We both had pork for the first time in three weeks!! And the wine was so cheap – just 3 euro for 500ml, after the Turkish business.

We’re struggling to cope with changing currencies. We’ve moved from Euro (Italy) to Turkish Lira (about the same as the NZD) back briefly to Euro in Greece, then Lek in Albania (one of those where you need a few hundred for a cup of coffee!), Euro in Montenegro and now Kuna in Croatia (about 4 to the NZD).

Yvie (the car) has now travelled almost 6000 km. She tells me on average we’ve done 7.4l per 100km. So that must be about 450 litres of diesel. In Turkey that was around $2.80 a litre, Greece about $2.40, Albania about $2 – Croatia looks to be about the same. So that’s over a grand on fuel so far!

Back to the trip. We crossed the border from Greece into Albania on 13 September, and drove to meet up with our friends Gary & Sandy Blake in the southern Albanian city of Gjirocaster. We had a brief look at a museum, converted from the family home of Communist dictator Enver Hoxha (pronounced Hoja). Interesting for the way those large old houses were designed. Summer and winter living quarters on different levels, low ceilings to keep the heat in, Fijian-style eating arrangements.

Hoxha was proud to have created the world’s only completely atheist state during his lifetime. Through a campaign of oppression and murder, he actually succeeded in eliminating all religious belief, whether Christian or Muslim. It was also the world’s most isolated country – borders were closed unless you were coming from a communist area – and he even managed to fall out with the Soviets; they weren’t tough enough apparently. This regime came of course with abject poverty and a complete failure of the economy. After his death, his appointed successor couldn’t hold it together and he was overthrown – can’t recall the year (Gary?) but I think sometime in the 80s.

Gary and Sandy went to Albania in the early 90s, as missionaries with YWAM. We were both tremendously impressed with their heart for the country and its people, and the way the Lord has led them in a gentle way to share His love and concern for the people. Gentle, spirit-led evangelism. Some success in establishing churches, and winning people to Christ, before a major outbreak of anarchy forced them back home to the States. Apparently a pyramid scheme had taken a strong hold, and when it eventually and inevitably collapsed, it brought thousands of people down with it. Major rioting and damage ensued.

Gary and Sandy went back, then returned to the states for a number of years, returning, this time only six months ago to the capital Tirana – though sadly and oddly unwanted by YWAM.

So many impressions of Albania!

First, the traffic. Made Istanbul seem like the Wellington motorway on a Sunday morning! Unbelievable. Thankfully, though, not a scratch on Yvie. Mary Clare says she would not, and could not have driven. Driving not for wimps!

Second, the pace of change. Construction everywhere – incl some big hotel developments. Gary & sandy kept expressing astonishment at how much growth and change there has been in areas they used to know well.

Third, endemic corruption. They seem to leave the tourists alone, but citizens are subject to random interception by Police, and the extracting of cash. No government business gets done without significant greasing of palms, completely undermining commercial private initiative.

Fourth, dirty!

Fifth, Skenderburg, fifteenth -or was it sixteenth - century national hero. He united what were then six independent principalities into a single unit to stand against the Ottoman Turks. Though the country ultimately fell to them, he held them off for close to 30 years – this was enough to keep them from ever achieving their goal of conquering Europe. The Turkish leader apparently said that if it wasn’t for Skenderburg, “I’d have put a Turban on the head of the Pope”! They subsequently only got a little further north – about half-way up into what is now Montenegro.

Sixth. Has to be the highest concentration of Mercs (Mercedes Benzs) anywhere in the world. Some old but many new. Traditionally brought in because the engineering uniquely equips them to survive the horrendous road surfaces! On the other hand, real poverty! A woman, baby at breast, begging at traffic lights. A guy crossing four lanes of traffic on his backside, having lost both his legs, stumps visible. G&S told us that, though wheelchairs can be available, they are often refused as unfamiliar.

Dramatic landscapes – in fact right from northern Greece well into Montenegro. Fantastic mountain/hill ranges, many plunging steeply to the sea or land – sometimes seemingly endless. One got quite blasé about it in the end.

Food was quite similar to Turkish, lots of grilled meats, kebabs/souvlaki, kofte/meatballs etc etc.

We zipped through Montenegro in a couple of days. Actually, we’d forgotten we had to drive through it to get from Albania to Croatia! We had a quite slow trip north from Tirana, so ended up staying just across the border – place called Ulcinj. We had a look at the local beach, and were picked up by a man on a bike who had an apartment offer we couldn’t refuse. Large, beautiful unit and 25 euro! So we stayed – great meal again – chicken cordon bleu – then drove north in the morning. Again, it all looked fabulous. Mental note to come back. Again, fantastic hills, gorgeous coastline. Little island called Sveti Stehan looked gorgeous – hopefully photo below, and we had a look about the ruins of “Old Bar” – which was interesting but made living breathing Dubrovnik so much more fascinating.

We spent four nights in good cheap accommodation in Dubrovnik, one day on a gorgeous beach, one visiting the old walled town – those of you who have seen it before know how unique it is, then a day on distinctly average ‘3-island boat trip - relaxing anyway. Then we’ve driven north onto the Peljesac peninsular as far as Orebic, we’re we’ve found a nice beach and nice apartment, again at an end-of-season bargain price while we took stock and worked out how best to use our last week.

Looks like we’ll spend the day tomorrow on Korcula Island, then on Friday get a small car ferry across to Ploce on the mainland and drive north to Split. On Sunday, we’ll get one of the coastal ferries up to Rijeka and head straight west for Venice for a couple of days before handing back the car in Milan and catching our flight back to London.

The Pratleys have generously offered to put us up for our last couple of nights, Phil and Simon to a Santana concert at the O2 on Friday week, then on a plane home on the Saturday to arrive Wednesday 6th pm. Two weeks today – but much more yet to enjoy!!

Lots of love from both of us till next time.