Travel Through Albania on a Harley-Davidson
By Peter & Kay Forwood
Albania on a Harley (2/12/97 - 4/12/97)
Distance 294 km (77006 km to 77300 km)
This is part of the third section of our around
the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview &
Map
Coming from Macedonia
2/12/97 A very thorough check of papers out
of
Macedonia, (seems many stolen vehicles try to cross into Albania) and a
cursory
and friendly welcome into Albania. $US 5.00 for each, Kay, myself and
the
motorcycle for paperwork. A frequent visitor to Albania informed us
that
the "war" was now over and it should be safe to travel. We headed off
to
Tirana (the capital) cautiously at first but with the friendly smiles
and
waving we soon relaxed. The poorer but quite acceptable, even good
compared
to India, road meanders up throughout the mountains to Librazhd in
sunshine
before heavy rain set in, suggesting we stay the night at Elbasan. Our
new
hotel with spacious double room, heating and private bathroom at $US
20.00.
So far the quality of accommodation this trip is excellent, between $US
10.00
and $US 30.00, averaging about $US 18.00 a night for both of us. All
have
hot water and heated rooms and most with private bathrooms.
3/12/97 The 54 km stretch to Tirana rises to mountains
and follows a razor back ridge dropping either side to valleys of
magnificent scenery. Again raining, thunderstorms. Spent just two hours
in Tirana looking for suitable accommodation, walking muddy potholed
streets. It seems an
enigma of dilapidating government infrastructure with glossy private
enterprise. Decided to press on to Shkodra, just 35 km short of the
Yugoslav (Montenegro) border. Shkodra still has "mafia" problems left
over from the civil war
of just two months ago. On entering town we were advised not to leave
the
bike in the street. At our cheap hotel they would not allow the bike to
be kept in the locked compound but insisted it be locked in the
reception
area. At a restaurant we were advised to return to our hotel by 6.00
pm,
to be off the streets after dark. All this advice given by ordinary
citizens
without asking easily convinced us to take care. Reinforcing this were
the
50 odd rifle shots we heard between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm that night.
4/12/97 Violent electrical storms and heavy rain
through the night cleared for great riding weather as we left Albania
for Yugoslavia.
Move with us to Yugoslavia
or go to our next visit to Albania