You are trying to figure out where the next bus to the Fushë Krujë is going when you are already hopeless; you try to ask the local man where to. As you suspected, he doesn’t speak English, but you understood you have to continue and pass the Skanderbeg statue from what he said. After that, you have to ask three times more, and you can finally see them!
Krujë to Fushë Krujë is about 30 minutes, and there you have to change for another bus towards Tirana. At this point, you have been in Tirana for already third time without even exploring the city and not even today. It’s pretty easy to find the right bus to Sarandë. The ticket cost 12 euros, which seems ridiculously cheap if you think how far you can get. Bus driver enjoys the small talk, so you don’t have any other choice than to engage in socially polite obligations and chat for at least 5 minutes before you can put on your headphones and dive into the artistic skills of Taylor Swift, whose music is always related to your life somehow.
Six endless hours later, you are leaving the bus; the sun is already reaching the surface of the sea, and you have another 30 minutes to reach your destination. It’s getting dark, and the bus heading to Ksamil is nowhere; you are knackered, hungry and lonely only thing you want to do is get over with this day and lay in bed. In the very next minute, you are sitting down in the old car with an old taxi driver and heading towards Ksamil. You don’t know if you overpaid or not, but the journey cost you 1000 lek.
In the morning everything will be ok again. You will lay on the beach, read a book and let the sun to kissed your skin because it is always better than some jackass again. Well, at least that was what you thought the weather, unfortunately, didn’t agree with you whatsoever.
The first day in Ksamil was perhaps the laziest one you had so far on this journey. You were watching Netflix, one hour when the weather allowed you to jump into the sea and two hours sitting in the nearest restaurant with the plate of hot pasta with seafood in front of you.
The rest of the time you spend on the beach, skinny dipping during sunset and then just pack your half wet belongings and leave for Tirana city.
Oh, Tirana, last night and the day before tragical return to London. You are arriving at the Tirana bus station at 5 am. Your hostel is just about an hour of walk far so you should get there before the sunset. The weather is slightly rubbish, and your feet are already soaked; after 45 minutes of walking in circles, you finally give up and take a taxi.
Mosaic home is about 2 km from Skanderbeg square and the National Museum. You paid for a bed in mix dormitory room for four people; what a surprise that all of them are men. Well, to be completely honest, it was much more uncomfortable for them than for you. You are falling asleep quicker than your head hit the pillow.
Last day. Last day before you head back into reality. You are taking it slow after breakfast, and two cups of coffee later, you are leaving a hostel. You have to cross a few ruff streets to get to the heart of the city. Frankly, the only thing you want to do is pass the day till your flight. Cities, all of them seems to be identical; you would trade anything for one more day hiking in the mountains or skinny dipping during sunset or even for that date night in Kruja.
Nevertheless, you are walking passing the huge white mosque, St. Paul Cathedral, with the Mother Teresa statue, drinking another cup of coffee and finally leaving for the airport.
It has been a month since I am back in London. Albania definitely took part of my heart. And even though I am planning so many other adventures in the next few months, it feels I am not ready to give up on this one yet. So perhaps next year, I will be again walking on the Accursed Mountains hills.
