City of Berat
Catching a bus from Gjirokaster to Berat is the first time we encounter traveling in a "furgon." They were different from the large coach buses we'd been traveling in up to this point. These mini-buses resemble large vans and seat up to 20 people. All the seats are captain style, with no benches and windows going the length of the vehicle. The seat design reminded me of the carpet in rollerskating rinks in the 90's. There are buckles but no seat belts and round air-conditioning vents overhead, similar to airplanes, but those don't work either. However, the seats were comfortable, and the air temperature felt good since it was early April.
The furgons gather at a central location with a sign of the city name where they will drive on the windshield. Our bags get stored in the rear, and we load in the van. I was worried about feeling stuffed in, but it wasn't like that. The bus wasn't full so I put a bag in the seat next to me. As we drove, people who got on the bus when we did get off in smaller towns along the way. It looked like the driver knew who these people were, and they didn't pay for the ride. Other people would wave the bus down and hop on and off. They would go from one end of town to another or between smaller ones. It was definitely a convenience for the people who lived in small towns or villages that didn't have a transit system.
We pull into the bus station at Berat and look around for the host of our new place. He said he would pick us up, but we weren't sure who or what to look for. We waited for the time he said he would be there. Tanya went into the station to ask for a password to WiFi so she could send a message to our host. They talked, and he showed up soon after...in a small two-door car. Yeah, he would have to make two trips because the five of us and our luggage wouldn't fit. The two youngest and Tanya went first with most of our bags. My oldest and I went the second time. I was not complaining since it was free and a courtesy from him.
The drive was pretty close, and we pulled into a sectioned-off area behind a wall a block away from the main street. Three camper vans and another car with a rooftop tent were parked there. I didn't know there was camping in town or that we were staying by a campground. One side had a large open area for vans or RVs to turn and back in. Our place was a motel-style building with only five rooms, and we had two. Dividing the two was a small restaurant/cafe run by the owners, but it was closed this early in the year. In front of our building was a yard with a walkway leading to it and areas built for tables and chairs for the restaurant. The wall that surrounded the complex had trees against our side. A few tables with chairs were out, providing a nice place to relax in the shade. The little building we were in was comfortable. There was a small "lobby" when we first entered that had a couch, coffee table, and a small desk. It looked like the lobby wasn't used for anything, and my oldest asked if he could use the desk. The host said yes, and it became his "office."
Tanya and I talked to a German couple who were camping outside. They were excited to learn about our adventure and were impressed our whole family was doing it. We told them we were going to Germany later in the year, and they advised us where to go if we could. Tanya and I love getting guidance from locals on what sights to see and what to honestly expect from visiting certain areas. One could have a great trip by only reserving places to stay and then getting directions on where to go from the locals. Our host was also a tour guide so he knew plenty of places to visit and did his part in trying to convince us to book a tour. Tanya and I quickly felt good staying here since we were around those who liked to camp. They are our kind of people.
Our kids also quickly loved it here because a few tortoises were crawling around the yard. The host family also lived here and had a cat with one-week-old kittens. They were very gracious and allowed us to see and pet them. Looking for the tortoises and feeding or carrying them around became a highlight for the kids. One of my boys liked to lie down and put one on his stomach to see if it would walk on him, which it did. We had a history lesson outside, and they put a couple on the table. I didn't know tortoises had such a curious nature, but I could tell they were trying to figure out the laptop and what was happening. I was glad there was a walkway going through the grass. It was easier to see if one crawled on the path so we wouldn't step on any.
The first day we arrived, we rested from traveling. I worked on the blog outside at a table while Tanya napped. The kids got caught up on schoolwork and could do some gaming. The main thing appreciated here was a good, reliable WiFi signal. We try to have enough time to recover from traveling between locations to plan better. A grocery store was nearby, so my oldest and I walked over to see what they had. The store's name was Big Market, and we found it ironic because it was a little small. Of course, this comes from our American minds, where we shop at huge grocery stores. There was a park across the street from the campground with a playground with many tables and chairs. Either it's encouraged for people to use the park, or since residents will be walking around anyway, they have plenty of places to sit while they're out.
When it was dinner time, we walked to the area known as the "City of a Thousand Windows." This is a part of town where buildings go up the hillside to the castle's base overlooking Berat. They were all similar in design, with white walls, large windows, brown wooden shutters, and terracotta shingled roofs. It was beautiful to see and looked like a scene from the 18th century. At street level, the buildings were shops and restaurants, with mostly hotels going up the slope. This was "the strip," and we walked next to a river as we went down the street. We were looking for a simple eatery, not a restaurant, so we kept walking. A small place that served pizza, calzones, and sandwiches caught our eye.
We ordered and he made the calzones and my sandwich fresh. The pizza was already cooked but hot. It was delicious, and we're still getting used to paying after we eat in small places. In America, if it isn't a sit-down restaurant, we pay either before the food is ready or when you get it, but here, it's always after you've eaten. We ate slowly and lingered here, taking in our new surroundings. There was a large square across the street from us with a Greek Orthodox church at the far end. There were also a few mosques nearby. So far, Berat had the largest Muslim population of any place we'd visited. The mosques had loudspeakers that would announce a call to prayer, which you could hear anywhere we were.
After dinner, we walked back a different way to see more. We saw a produce store and bought some apples and bananas. Produce is sold separately from grocery stores in their own stores. There was a larger grocery store than the one near our place, so we purchased lunch fixings and other items. None of these stores have a parking lot, so you have to park wherever you can find a spot on the street. I was glad we were walking because it was busy and I didn't have to worry about a car. It was after sundown, and we could better appreciate the look of the place lit up. The night scene was a different kind of beautiful. We returned to our place and had some digestives for dessert. We all love these, so it was an excellent ending to the day.
The next day, we went up to the castle. The walls are intact around the top of the hill, and considering the area within the walls, it is regarded as the largest in Albania. In fact, people still live in the castle's interior. We wanted to be there for sunset, so we didn't go until later in the day. There were a few ways to get there, but each was a steep hike up. Tanya found a shortcut that wouldn't take as long but was the steepest route. Luckily, switchbacking trails aren't new to us, so up we went. We had to go up a steep street before finding the trail that led directly up the castle. I preferred the trail over the street for some reason.
The trail led to an arched opening and some stairs. We rested once we got inside. The first thing I saw was homemade goods and other knickknacks for sale in front of a home and cafes with drink machines, not vending machines, out front. It was not what I was expecting. We walked up the road, where I saw several signs for hotels, and the shops made more sense now. A corner of the wall was coming up, and we could climb all over it. Before that, we sat down and had lunch on an ancient castle wall again. After this, we could walk the wall and climb what remained of a tower. Like the castle in Gjirokaster, there were no railings anywhere, so you just had to be careful. However, this just made it more fun to explore.
We walked down a road to a church building we wanted to see. Unfortunately, it was closed, but we could see beautiful views of the other side of the valley from up here. We walked to the highest point of the castle and explored the ruins. Tanya found a huge ancient cistern that still had water at the bottom. It was easily accessible, and stairs led down to the water. Something used to be built against the stairs but was gone, so the stairs were only a couple of feet wide. They were also about a foot tall, so my oldest and I carefully walked down as far as we could. Seeing all the black water and not knowing what was beneath or how deep it was was eerie. We left here and went to the other side of the castle that overlooked the part of town we walked the day before. It was the best spot for a sunset view, and we barely made it from all the exploring we did.
After the sunset, we enjoyed watching the lights start to come on in the city. Different parts of the streets suddenly lit up, and we started looking for what would light up next. After a while, it was dark enough for all the street lights and signs to light up, and it looked so cool from our vantage point. Some other guys there were enjoying the view, and they seemed like locals. We were right because they brought two boxes of fireworks and set them on either side of the overlook. My family and I got excited about this and asked what it was for. It was for the end of Ramadan. The guys were talking to someone on the phone, and it seemed like they were waiting for a specific time to set them off. In town, some fireworks went off by a mosques, and it was fun to watch them from above. That was their signal. The guys told us to move back and lit the fireworks. They didn't shoot up as far as I thought, so we had them booming directly overhead. We had not expected this when we came to the castle but were indeed glad we were a part of it.
We walked back to the strip and stopped to get some ice cream. The place had great reviews for deliciousness and price. We were not disappointed. Across the street was an area with benches next to a pedestrian bridge across the river. We sat down to try each other's ice cream and enjoy the nightlife. The ice cream was so good we got more on our way back to our place. When we arrived, the youngest two quickly searched for the tortoises. Throughout the day, we were messaging with a member of our church who was over the small branch in town. This evening, we made plans to meet up and walk through a part of the town we had yet to visit. He wanted to give us a tour and tell us about Berat. It sounded great to us.
The next morning, we met up with our new friend. He spoke in a thick Albanian accent, and Tanya and I were worried about whether we would understand him. The longer we conversed, the easier it was for us to understand each other. We walked through a part of town across the river from the "City of a Thousand Windows," and its buildings looked very similar. However, it was smaller and had fewer buildings. Listening to our friend talk about the area made an already interesting walk even more so. We discovered that if anyone wanted to restore a building in this area, they could only do it according to its original time period. The city wouldn't allow modern design around here. It did help preservation efforts for these older sections of town that survived.
As we walked, we learned of the city's communist history and what it was like to come out of such a time. There were monuments throughout the city of people who had been killed for standing up to the communist government. Our friend was born the year Albania was liberated, so his perspective was of how the country was trying to adjust. According to him, there was unrest for years, and Berat was one of the worst places. The communist government had manufactured guns and ammunition and left them behind when the regime fell. The people took them, and gangs quickly formed across the city. With this, gang wars started, and violence was rampant. In 1997, a civil war, for lack of a better term, occurred due to pyramid schemes collapsing and thousands of Albanians losing their life savings. In a nutshell, other countries contributed troops for humanitarian aid, protection of the convoys for that aid, and an overall restoration of order. Things have gotten better and are continuing to do so.
While we were out, we visited a mosque. I had never been inside one and didn't know what to expect. We had to remove our shoes and leave them in small cubicles outside. The first thing I noticed was the thick pad under the carpet. It was very comfortable to walk on. This was for better comfort when kneeling to pray. The inside was sparsely furnished, so there was enough floor space for those who came for prayer. On the far wall from the entrance was a raised "pulpit." There was a balcony that overlooked the bottom floor as well. The ceiling had colorful designs made into it. Once upstairs, I noticed the detailed work was done in wood and not carved or formed in plaster. It made for a unique, however cheap, look since I could see screws and edges weren't flush.
Walking back toward where we met, we wanted to get ice cream at the same place we had the previous night. They were nearly out of all flavors and had yet to resupply the tubs. My family was a bit bummed, but our friend said he knew of another place. We walked past the place we were staying into a part of two we had not been to. He found the shop, and we picked out our flavors. I had planned on getting his ice cream, but he had other plans. He said something to the server, and when it was time to pay, he and both offered our money. She paid no attention to me and took his money. I looked at him, surprised. He smiled and said, "The guest doesn't pay in Albania." The server smiled and nodded in agreement.
We said goodbye to our friend and walked back to our place. It was close, so it was a quick walk. We had a few hours to rest until we needed to leave again. Later today, there was a small get-together our church was having. We talked to the mission leaders in the area earlier and planned on meeting them and anyone else who was there. They only had a few youths and were hoping some would show. When we arrived, there were only about ten people there. Only one youth showed, but the place had a ping-pong table and Foosball, so my kids were happy.
It was great to visit a group in a spiritual setting. Even though they read the scriptures and talked in Albanian, we could still feel the love of Christ among everyone. The head missionary couple was there, and later, our new friend, who was our tour guide, arrived. He was the president of the small branch in town. After the meeting, we stayed longer talking to the missionaries about our trip. Our conversation turned to travel in general and everyone's background. The one youth who showed up also stayed and played with our kids. We've been on our trip for less than two months, but it was nice to talk to Americans since all the missionaries were from there. Tonight was our last in Berat, so this was a great way to end the visit.
We returned to our place and packed our bags. Tanya and I had a potential bus schedule for when the furgon leaves for Vlore the next morning, so we planned to leave early enough to catch a city bus to the bus terminal. I say potential because we keep hearing about scheduled times, which are mere suggestions out here. We planned to leave the city before 10:00 AM for Vlore. I talked to our host the night before, and he could not give us rides to the terminal when we wanted to leave. He told me the only bus that arrives at the closest bus stop goes to the terminal. With our bags strapped on, we walked to the nearby bus stop up the street at 8:30 AM. The wait was about 15 minutes when it arrived.
Interestingly, paying for a bus isn't by giving money to the driver or even paying at the front. There is a guy only taking cash for a ticket. We weren't far from the terminal by car but too far to walk with our luggage. We saw many furgons when we arrived and looked for one we needed. Several drivers watched people get off the bus and started shouting their destination cities. We heard a guy say Vlore and walked toward him. I said, "Vlore," and he showed us his van. Our bags were loaded in the rear, and we got in. There were a few other passengers, but it wasn't full. We heard the vans sometimes would only leave if they were full, so we wondered what would happen with this one. Luckily, they decided to leave soon after we got on, and we left Berat at 9:15 AM.
I wonder if people understand English enough to know what's playing in the songs. We've heard plenty of American music playing in grocery stores, and our furgon played music on this drive. The problem I have is that the songs are not edited. The driver was listening to rap music, and it was spewing profanity. I don't know the language well enough to ask if it can be changed, nor am I aware if doing so would be considered disrespectful. Fortunately, the kids have earbuds they can put in and listen to something else. I share mine with Tanya to listen to music on my phone. It's strange because the driver looks to be in his 60s, with a rosary hanging from the rear-view mirror and a picture of the Virgin Mary above that.
There are always two guys who sit up front in these furgons. First, the driver but the other guy helps the passengers and takes care of anything else. Not long after we leave, the second guy works his way back, collecting payments for the drive. Again, it's cash only. When we get close to Vlore, he asks where we are staying. We communicate in broken English, and he understands. Instead of driving to the main area where the furgons park, they drop us off at the bus stop we will need. We thought this was an incredibly sweet gesture just to help us out. However, when we stopped, he rushed us off so we could catch the bus that had pulled in just ahead of our van. He is genuinely trying to help. We hurry our kids off, and I run to the rear for our bags. After the furgon leaves, we try to get everyone their bags in time to catch the bus, but we can't do it. We are okay with it since there will be another bus, so we gather our things to wait for the next one. We arrived in Vlore a little early, so it felt good to be ahead of schedule. What will this new city have in store for us?
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