I’ve been to Albania 3 times but all the Albanians I met in Slovenia & Croatia are from Kosovo. So I packed up my bike bags and helmet, with the intention of renting a bike in Pristina. I recently tore the ligaments in my foot and was having trouble just walking. The rainy cold weather made it an easy decision to rent a car for 20 euro a day.
I stayed a the friendly HOSTEL HAN, “very” clean and yea the hosts were pretty fun too:)
I spent for first 5 days in Pristina visiting museums, walking (limping) around town, eating out and shopping. There’s only a few “real” museums, I really liked the Ethnology museum: traditional dress, authentic rugs and living niknaks. A must visit is the amazing Library building, inside I discovered the American Corner. In the American Corner there was a 6th grade class watching a video. The video was being periodically stopped by the teacher asking questions, ( in English). The video was teaching the basics of capitalism, they love America here, so it kind of makes sense. I’m a capitalist and it has been good for me, for society? not so much. The Rolling Stones & Kevin Durant were on the covers of the Rolling Stone Magazine.
MORE GOOGLE PHOTOS OF LIBRARY BUILDING
The Kosovo History Museum was being remodeled, but I still went in. There is a basement room full of Roman tile work, my tour guide was super (hot). Mother Teresa is Albanian and she is everywhere, statues, souvenir shops, post cards. The hostel host’s band the THE LAZER RATS were promoting their new song & video at a bar around the corner.
I visited the one mall in Pristina and the hostel guys told me 5 times there’s a KFC inside. I didn’t eat there, but I did get the photo. When I took this picture of the Roma kids, the kids started flipping me off. Then when I took the cab to the mall, they were still at the light, working. I jokingly flipped them off and they realized it was me again. They started singing and laughing. I regretted not giving them any money, next time I will.THE LAZER RATS VIDEO
for some reason the embedded map likes to slightly change the route, THIS IS the exact route
I visited spas, canyon gorges, vibrant old towns, arts & crafts towns, castles, remote villages, overnight in a monastery, Marble Caves. I had 3 weeks of adventure travel with the car. I took lots of interesting photos of which some even shocked the locals.
NEXT: visit the “best” mineral bath in Europe, eat farmed fish, hire local kids (& me) to pick-up garbage & more!
Thanks for reading.
Jeff
Remember to travel while you can, my ankle injury taught me were not forever.
This guys shirt describes some of the feelings of the young people in Kosovo & Albania
