Today was tough going. It was a no music day today because as always the iPhone gets priority with battery life so it became a life ponder day which focused a lot on last night's event. I also found out that Albania has mountains, very steep ones and it also has very dusty roads.
After today I would have cleaned and oiled Nigel 4 times in 4 days as the dust and rain combination is proving a nightmare.
It was a quick goodbye and thank you to Manud. It turns out he doesn't have a job and the rest of his family live in Italy. I felt sad to hear that but guessed it in the end. This still does not take away the fact that he has been the first person to offer me into his home on arrival. His neighbour offered me some grapes as I left that I declined but soon regretted my decision about an hour down the road.
As I cycled along the roads it became apparent that people are everywhere and there is no real explanation of how they got there or what they're doing there! I would cycle for a good 5 miles out of town with another 5 miles to go to the next and guaranteed the roads will be littered with people just waiting for a lift. Old men in suits normally, just walking. Don't ask me where to because there is nothing around, they just spawn from behind the bushes or by the tips of rubbish. It is so surreal but you are never alone in Albania no matter how much you try to be! I stopped to go to the loo, I had been cycling for a while and not seen anyone, checked my shoulders etc and stopped by some railings on the edge of a cliff. 5 seconds into the flow an old man in a suit comes walking up the side of the cliff about 10 metres down the road! I didn't get him but what was he doing there?
Anyway today was tough like I said, the legs were feeling it and the roads were starting to vibrate to my head. I bumped into two fellow tourers, Stefan from Switzerland and Jasmine from Germany. They were on holiday and we chatted by the road for a bit. It's always nice to speak to a few others in the same boat as you. It's funny, the first few questions aren't "what's your name?" They are "where you from?" "Where you heading?" "Where you been" and "Do you have a blog?" Typical travellers talk I guess. Jasmine was kind enough to give me an energy bar she had kept all the way from Germany so I saved that and it will probably be used for a lazy lunch. We said goodbye as it was starting to rain and headed on towards Pogradec which I was told was still a good 50km away.
Up and down some more and in and out of headwinds I soon became very tired. Grey clouds were catching me up and I was very close to calling it a day at 40 miles and stopping in a hotel. I could see a restaurant come bar come hotel come petrol station (very versatile are the Albanians) at the top of one of the biggest climbs of the day. I thought, ill get there and have some food and maybe see the prices of a room etc.
When I arrived it was clear that despite its inability to decide what establishment it wanted to be, it was still quite fancy. "Can I have a look at your menu please?" Last time I asked this I got 3 options, I was holding out for at least 4 this time. "Weeeell that depends what you want? We don't have everything in the menu, you want meat? We have meat and potato or you can have salad, what do you want?" The waiter then showed me into the kitchen. What I really wanted was to look at a menu! I've had two kitchen tours in two days! "I would like meat and potato please" "how much meat?" he said. What do u say to that? Taking into account the amount of calories I'm burning what am i going to say, "ill have 3 chicken legs, a lamb shank, half a crispy duck and a t-bone steakI" I asked for half a kilo of lamb with potato, I ended up with about 5 bones of lamb and some oiley chips with their "special" dip and 6 slices of bread. I didn't care in the end, I had a comfortable chair to sit on, free wifi and the rain began to unleash fury so at least me and Nigel were dry! (He was under the petrol station shelter)
I checked to see how far I had to go. Still exhausted I was pleasantly surprised to see that it all seemed to be downhill from where I was and I had only about 20km to a campsite just before Pogradec. I stayed in the restaurant for nearly 3 hours till about 6, waiting for the skies to clear and my legs to renew. This turned out to be the best decision of the day because when I cycled over the peak of the mountain I was gifted with a beautiful view of the lake that divides Albania and Macedonia and yet more mountains in the distance. Flying down to the lake side and only having a few miles left till I could get my head down I was greeted with the worst road to date. To call it a road is actually unfair to roads as this was more like rubble. Only JCBs and tractors were suitable for this surface and somehow all the cars take it everyday. It took me a while in the end to navigate around/through all the puddles and boulders but I got to my campsite eventually. I stopped at shop nearby to get something to add to my pasta as i had ran out of sauce packets. i looked around, the shelves were empty except from alcohol or sweet snacks like party rings and biscuits. I found a selection pack of party savouries like pretzels etc for a quid and thought if only i had another £4 then my bag on ready steady cook would be a real challenge! Absolutely drained, I payed 4 euros for the pitch and 1 euro for a pint. I had spent a lot today, over my budget but I really didn't care. I sat back in the warmth of their on site restaurant and watched another Indiana Jones and tried to reflect on more of what Albania had done to me.
Albania is a tough and honest country. Whether I paid in lek or euro, I have never been conned. The friendly and proud people will pop up from anywhere but always with a smile and a wave. Unfortunately there is as much opportunity for people of my age as there are packets of pasta on the shop shelves. So I went back to my tent and had my dinner of savoury party snacks and a bar of milka!
Living the dream some may say...
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