Worst room ever

One of the reason we stopped in Ulcinj was the Lonely Planet apartment recommendation as ' the steal of the Adriatic....consider yourself king of the castle as indeed the previous owners were'

But - we were stopped by a guy in a beaten up car (first clue) and suckered in to 'just looking' at his apartment.

He had a small hovel in the old town with a separate hovel in the garden. He wouldn't let us in until he and his wife had moved some stuff and tidied up. It was a store room and like the garden full of crap that should have been thrown away years ago (second clue). It even had an old cooker full of wellington boots!

While we were in the room the door blew shut and the door handle fell off. His son had to climb on the bed (in his dirty shoes) and climb out of the window (third clue)



When I say beds they were actually wooden crates with a bit of foam thrown over them (fourth clue)

The promised private bathroom was actually the family bathroom full of their stuff including nappies, a potty and hundreds of old shampoo bottles ( fifth clue)



When we got back around 11 someone had been into our room and hung a dirty carpet out of our window.

The family house was locked so we couldn't get to the bathroom. His wife was in but despite using the broken door handle to bang on the door there was no way she was going to open it. We both had to pee in the garden

The guy returns about 1.30am and cant get in either so has to throw stones up at his wife's window. He gets in but of course relocks the door

Marilyn needs a pee at 3am but can't get out of the door. She wakes me to find the handle, mend the door and let her out. I drift off to sleep and then realise she hasn't come back. I get up, again, and a pathetic little voice says ' I cant find anywhere to squat in the dark'

This place cost us 20 Euros the same price as a really nice modern room with ensuite bathroom. I have no idea why we stayed there

Oh and we both got bitten to death





Ulcinj is wonderful town. Great beaches, the old town hasnt been developed, we saw a brilliant hamburger sunset and had a superb fish dinner

Why is that dreadful Palin woman giving Mccane such a boost. I do hope this is just a blip. If only she was related to Michael
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Back in Tirana

There is something very exciting about this capital and the whole country. We have travelled across it South to North and East to West. People are better off than they have ever been, not difficult given its history, and there is a great feeling of expectancy.

The people are very friendly and justifiably proud. Typical is a young guy we met on his way to Tirana to start an electronic engineering degree. When I asked him where he would like to work he said 'Albania of course, I love my country'
Mushroom bunkers where built all over the country

One of their biggest problems is pollution. Rubbish is dumped in piles everywhere, waterways are filthy. The river though the centre of the capital is an open sewer. In the middle of the country there is a massive Russian owned steel works that sends a yellow cloud over the city and through the valley. Even travelling through made our eyes sting


Albanian free expression
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Difficult things that turn out easy

Getting into Albania from Macedonia looks complicated and we couldn't get much information.

At the border we help an old Albanian carry his market produce on the long walk between the two countries (although we did think this might be a scam to get his drugs through customs)

He is known by the border guards and some guys with cars. Consequently we get through customs easily, share a car and are dropped outside a really nice hotel in Pogradec




Hard Albanian bartering using hand signals -

To taxi driver 'how much'
Taxi driver '10 euro'
'5?'
Taxi driver 'OK'

To hotel receptionist 'how much for a double room'
Hotel receptionist '35 euros'
'how about 30'
Hotel receptionist 'OK'

Bus driver, having agreed 750 Leke
'should be 600'
Bus Driver 'OK'

Pogradec is on the Albanian side of Lake Ohrid. The lake on the Macedonian side is crystal clear and full of fish. Off Pogradec it is filthy and looks and smells full of sewage - doesn't stop the local kids swimming in it though


There is building everywhere in Podgradic, including a sewage works. The streets are being pedestrianised with block paving so it will one day look just the same as everywhere else in Europe. Three massive modern hotels have been built and several apartment blocks.

The only problem is we seem to be the only visitors and there is no infrastructure. Not even a restaurant. Just guys BBQing outside bars.

Around 8pm the locals come from nowhere and the streets are packed. At 10 its deserted again

Carpet cleaning



Waiting for the furgon to fill up before we begin the 3 hour drive to Tirana

Lake Ohrid is home to many unique and endangered fish. Catching trout is illegal on the Macedonian side but fishing goes on and is widly availiable everywhere. These guys caught an eel. killed it and threw it back - European eels are endangered


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Macedonia is great and Sarah Palin is frightening

Macedonia is our favorite.  It beats the other Balkan countries we have visited on all the important points -  friendly people (mostly) , wine,  beer, food, weather, swimming and price

Skopje is a wonderful city with a great river,  lots of bars and a proper old Ottoman Quarter.

Lake Ohrid is beautiful with some lovely beaches and great swimming.   Amazingly given its size its spring fed.

Why is it that the hassle you get from taxi drivers is inversely proportional to you need to take a taxi?

Got to get this off my chest - 

We seem to have been in a lot of places with CNN watching the developing US election.  Just as you feel that if McCain might not be a complete disaster he picks Sarah Palin as a running mate.   A woman who believes in creation and intelligent design and supports both being taught in public schools as if they were fact.   According to her global warming has nothing to do with human activity and she supports drilling, fishing and forestry across the whole of Alaska.   In her eyes anything that happens to her is a  'gift of god'.   It is quite possible that she could become President -   a President who dismisses all scientific knowledge and believes that her Christian God has a plan especially for her - this  would be a disaster  

Drying chillies and washing

Only read this after we had wandered into Albania

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The different faces of Serbia

Although this region seems normal with its European coffee culture there is something else going on. There is little love lost between countries people will happily tell you about the land their neighbours stole or that the neighboring country is dangerous and you shouldn't go there

Dancing in the park


There is also big worries about Russia. Not only because Russia is pushing its military might but we keep hearing stories of Russia gaining influence through bribery or the funding of opposition organisations.

Pro-Russian demo

CNN reporter talking about the Indian floods ' there is concern about cholera because people are using the rest room outdoors'!!!!


Marilyn standing on the Bucharest/Belgrade line just before she realised hardly anyone obays the 'do not flush in the station' rule



Our new Lithuanian friends

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