CAPITAL ALBANIA

I tried to catch the ferry from Ancona on the central East coast of Italy but I had arrived a day early so headed south to Bari where I was sure more frequent services were available. Making 9.5 hour train journey I arrived in Bari tired and without a map or any information. Like any good backpacker I headed straight to a 5 star hotel for directions and advice. Here the receptionist told me I could catch the 11pm ferry no problems. With advice from my favourite Italian Federica of how unsafe Bari is I made a mission for the ferry pronto.

I took a perch up on the top deck in the heat of the night and wrapped myself up in all my warm clothes...making it all worth while bringing them with me!

I arrived in Durres, Albania around 9am. I was coxed into a cab for €5 to get me to the bus station.  It was my first lesson in F.Off. Especially after I discovered the bus stop was less than 200m away....reminded me of Paul and his Rickshaw driver in Delhi. But I managed to wriggle out of it and walk the short distance without much bother. I made for the bus to the capital city Tirana and a mother commendered me to sit with her daughter to speak English and learn about her Opera singing - she was on the bus going to her weekly lesson.

ON arrival to Tirana I was engulfed in the heat. It was probably around 35degrees and dense with city dwellings to contain it. I found my hostel by cab (and a good thing as I met an Ozzie at the gate who had walked around for 45mins looking for it!)

Both jaded from our journey's Ozzie Jack and I went out to find food with the limited map the hostel had provided. After doing a few blocks around the markets looking for a restaurant (they only drink in Albania it seems) we found a hidden gem for locals. Here Jack had a half chicken and chips whilst i had an Albanian Salad of cucumber, tomatoes, onions and feta with a hearty meat soup - which we thought was going to be a stew...you judge for yourselves. We nestled into the fan cooled diner watching the locals and chatting about travels.

Later that night we along with Melbournian Raleigh (watch out she is likely to be a commercially successful recording artist aka Pop Star!) for a spot of dinner in the strip of restaurants and bars across town. It was nice to have a good dinner out and drink a few wines with these guys. Even calling into a hidden gem and Albania's "hippest spot", The Living Room. The bar looked closed but after walking up three flights of stairs through fully stocked bars on each floor we found the roof terrace with a few foreign business folk on a Monday having a brew. A Malibu and Pineapple for <£3 heard no compaints from me....and funnier still its called "The Living Room" the name of my old work haunt in St Katherines dock!

The next morning the heat continued to blight and so I took to the streets with my new travel buddy Israeli Hanna who took me under his wing for the next bus ride to Macedonia. We walked around the capital taking the token photos. Looking at the construction of a city which is bound to be a must visit in years to come. The central square has a monument to Skanderbeg a national hero and at the moment is entirely isolated with dust and large fencese courdening it off. I can only imagine next summer this will be a busy tourist spot where people will gather to enjoy the central city as a mosque, clock tower and church surround the monument.

Finally Hanna took me up the Sky Tower. All 13 floors to be the tallest in the capital city and overlooking the large expanse that makes up Tirana. It was a great birds eye of the city.

At 4pm I left Tirana having met such friendly Albanians all eager to say Hello and Thank You and smile, with a feeling that this place was about to go off in terms of popularity. Onto Macedonia for me through the winding valleys towards the border lake of Ohrid.

I am sad not to have spent more time in Albania but feel this will be somewhere I will seek to return with my backpack.