Albania reminds me a lot of Georgia except the food isn't as good.
Nothing has reinforced just how comfortable I got with Serbo-Croatian(-Bosno-Montenegrin) than coming to Albania and suddenly realising I have considerably less idea of what is going on around me.
It's getting increasingly hard to answer when people ask "where have you been?". I need to generate a coloured map.
If you read and enjoy my travel posts through my website or Mastodon* and you are planning to travel to somewhere I've been and you can't afford an actual travel agent and you find travel planning too stressful or time consuming to fit into your life, I would be delighted to share advice. My specialties are land and sea (not air) transit, especially long distance European buses, and finding vegan food. I'm happy to also help with general stuff to do, and even more in-depth help with planning and realistic budgeting if you want because I actually love wasting away hours and days researching travel stuff. #rhiarofreetravelagent *or a feed reader you built yourself or another decentralised service
An English person today said to me, during the usual where-are-you-from pleasantries, "well you're obviously American". Saw the look on my face. "... maybe Canadian?"
Living a life of absolute unfettered opulence, I put my backpack in storage at the bus station for a couple of hours so I don't have to carry it into town and back for dinner. How I treat myself.
Various comfort food for myself and others over the course of the summer, in several different kitchens.
Amy added 13 photos to https://i.amy.gy/madefood/
A week on the beautiful island of Iz, off Zadar, at the vegetarian hotel Korinjak. Daily yoga and meditation, swimming in the sea, trips the tiny island in the bay, a few hours hiking across to the other side of Iz, and lots and lots of hammocktime.
Amy added 160 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-hral/
The 7+ hour hike from Skopje city center, over Mount Vodno, to Matka Canyon. It was a little more arduous than expected, and the trails weren't so well marked. A good portion of the route was under construction, with roads being widened by diggers and signs up to say people shouldn't walk there. There was no other way to walk though.. Circumvented the construction areas when possible. Took a more direct option for the last stretch leading to Sveti Nikola Church, high above the canyon, which turned out to be a very challenging downward scramble that didn't let up. It was a narrow trail that was laced with spider webs and catapillars dangling from silk threads. I was completely wrapped in them by the time I made it to the church. It was a serious relief to get there and find a cool water spring and places to sit there. From Sveti Nikola down to the water was a bit less hazardous but equally webby and steep. The Matka Canyon hotel was on the opposite bank (along with all other traces of human civilisation), and a friendly boat man gave people a free ride over. If you start on the other side, it seems, it's a 30mkd return trip. The hotel room was in the attic; small and with no AC but with a beautiful view over the lake and surrounding cliffs. To my immense surprise the hotel restaurant also had a labelled vegan option! All quite overpriced though.
Amy added 72 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
Kayaking in Matka Canyon, for about 3 hours, including a visit to possibly the deepest cave in Europe, much of which is unexplored. And food at some random restaurants in the Canyon, built into the cliff walls.
Amy added 112 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
A hike up to the Golden Cross above Matka Canyon. Back down for a swim in freezing water, welcomed into the higgledy piggeldy artist's house on the rocks by the aging hippie rocker resident and his robot butler. Then the several hour walk home through suburban Skopje, having missed the bus.
Amy added 55 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
A week in Shkoder, Albania. Walking tours, castle on a hill, afternoon bike ride to the lake and a swim, Marubi photography museum, cafe working, and a super nice hostel called North Hub. Everyone I met in Albania was very friendly and spoke excellent English. Shkoder is a super chill town, with spacious pedestrianised main streets, and lots of nice cafes. The lake and castle are in longish walking distance, or an easy bike ride. Everyone cycles in Shkoder.
Amy added 115 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-hral/
Welcome to Skopje. It's a weird and cool place. My first impression is that someone got a budget for improving the city center but they were only allowed to spend it on statues and had to use it all by the end of the month. Photos from a drizzly run, which made a nice change from the incessant heat and direct sunlight on every other day so far.
Amy added 20 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
Wandering in the sun and eating in Skopje. It's too hot, but by the river is okay. Other options for cooling down are airconditioned museums and the cinema in the mall. Ate beans and baklava in the Old Bazaar.
Amy added 52 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
A day of ~*~cuuulture~*~ visiting the museum in the old railway station which commemorates the 1963 earthquake that destroyed much of Skopje; the Mother Teresa museum (she was born in Skopje, when it was part of Albania); the Fortress, which is free and not particularly maintained but has nice views; and the really awesome Museum of the Macedonian Struggle which.
Amy added 104 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
Amy added 48 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-mk/
A day and a half in Tirana, Albania. Eating, wandering, and up to the Sky Tower restaurant (reputed nausea-inducing rotating Bar is closed for renovations) to watch the sun set over the city. Pretty cool place, I'll come back.
Amy added 34 photos to https://i.amy.gy/201907-hral/
Tirana is cool. Parts remind me of Tbilisi and parts remind me of London. Weird combo but it works.
Spent a week on Iz, Croatia, doing yoga and swimming and napping. Bussed to Shkoder in Albania, via Dubrovnik and Kotor. Backpack update: gave a skirt and tshirt to Aida, and threw away sandals which had disintegrated.
Spent a week in the very chill town of Shkoder, Albania. Small adventures, and cafe working. Bussed to Tirana (still Albania) and wandered around there for a weekend. Read a lot of Ursula K Le Guin short stories. Caught up on Montenegro blog posts.
Bussed from Tirana to Skopje, new home for at least a month. Ran around Skopje in the rain. Wandered around Skopje in the sun. Discovered 50% of vegan restaurants are closed for the summer. Did some work on BODS infrastructure. Ordered new (secondhand) headphones, but won't get them until the end of September. Worked out logistics to get my new (secondhand) laptop to me in August. Worked on a topic paper to RWOT9. Went to the archaelogical museum and cinema (Spiderman Far From Home) to get out of the heat.
Hiked to Matka Canyon and went kayaking and hiked back. Did lots of Skopje touristing. Did some work probably, maybe BODS..? Watched a lot of Red Dwarf.
Whaaat Macedonian is like half Serbo-Croatian and half not. This is fucking with me, I can't keep up. My Cyrillic-Macedonian menu interpretation was on form this afternoon though.