Around the World with Hardy(T)Around the World with Hardy(T)
After
a very nervewracking ferry crossing from Corfu,
we finally set foot on Albanian soil and head out by bus on the road to
Gjirokäster in the country's south. There are two things of note about
Albanian roads.
Given the state of the Albanian economy and the fact that every Merc
still had its 
or 
sticker on it, I suspect something fishy.
We are soon in Gjirokäster, the largest city in southern Albania
and birthplace of Enver Hoxha, the Stalinist dictator who ruled Albania
for 40 years. My first impression of Albania is of a country whose clocks
have been turned back. Old men in grey suits walk stone streets. Women gather
outside half empty shops and watch the world go by. We make our way up to
the world heritage listed 
Citadel, overlooking the city and Hoxha's former home and commanding
an excellent view of the Drino valley. Enver's statue is long gone but,
had he still been around, he'd have also been able to see the stadium of
Shqiponia Gjirokäster!
In Gjirokäster, we encounter our first example of the idiosyncratic way of life in Albania. Attempting to buy postcards at the government-owned Hotel Sayupi - remember this city has a World Heritage listing - we discover that you cannot buy postcards of Gjirokäster in Gjirokäster itself: all we can find are cards of obscure archaeological ruins, other towns and cuddly toys! Our stay in Gjirokäster is brief, though rewarding, but we are soon back on the bus and making our way to our first campsite of the trek - a place called Tepelenë in the Goramez valley. Here we meet our muleteers and enjoy a hearty meal by the camp fire.