Today was one of those days that always seems to be one of on our trips. We have spend all day travelling, more or less.
Last night Saya and I slept the whole night, more or less. Jannie, again, not so much. We have to get her something to help her sleep, especially considering its her birthday tomorrow (something she seems to keep repeating, for some odd reason, she is only turning 30). And we woke up quite early - at 7.30. We (I) planned our trip and expected to arrive in Ohrid around 14. 1½ hours to Tirana, 1½ hours to Ebasan and 1½ to Ohrid. According to our web guides and Lonely Planet, that seemed quite plausible, how wrong I was.
My morning rutine involves at least two cups of something with espresso in it. Today it was cappuccinos. Besides the fact that they make it with a really fat milk, they are really good, and for only 200 Lek (about 10 kr) that is fantastic. I went to the cafe right outside the hotel to get it. I used the tablet to get the addresses of where we had to go during the day. Where to change furgons in Tirana and where the next place we were going to live (where we are now) in Ohrid was placed.
The breakfast was the same as always. We have bought some small yogurts for Sayas motions sickness medicin, since it had worked earlier. Unforturnatly she was on to us, and we could not get it in her. We did cheat her, and gave her some in the juice which she drank without any trouble. We found some drawing books to her for the trip and was ready. We left Shkodër at 9.30 with a furgon. One think that we would advice if you ever come down to Albania and want to travel around, use furgons, they are dirt cheap and accessible at all times. Each time we had to use one, there was one ready right away and we where ready to go. Since there is no official busstations for the furgons, make sure you know where they are leaving from. Todays travel underlined the fact that they seem to be going everywhere there is a road in Albania.
Our ride to Tirana took about the 1½ hour and was quite uneventful. Saya got really tired, as always, we suspect that it is due to the motion sickness medicine. we had the backseats to our selfs in the small minibus, and Saya read, saw cartoons, and played around with us.
When we went to Tirana, we walked through the middle of town, to catch the next furgon to Elbasan. We found a cafe and got a coffee and some juice. The service was really slow and we ended up spending an hour in there. My time schedule was already failing. Then we set out to find the furgon place of departure. And we walked wrong, a couple of times. So we ended up spending another hour walking around. Eventually we found where we thought the bus would depart (according to the net). Either i had misunderstood, or they had moved the place, which cost us another ½ hour. Eventually we found the right place, and a bus was waiting for us, and we left for Elbasan ten minutes after that. The drive was really fast. This was due to the fact that half the road was a (new) highway and a so new tunnel that Google Maps do not have it yet. Again - Saya was just such a patient little girl, she said she really wanted to go to a playground when we arrived, and that was about it, no complains, no fits. We are very lucky parents.
When we arrived to Elbasan we where hungry, we had arrived there around the time we had told our host in Ohrid we would arrive there. But she said that we should just come and not think about the time. So we went out to eat. We went into the first restaurant that we found. It did not look like much, and something was lost in translation. We ended up getting a whole chicken, some lamb, a big salat and some chips. Luckily we were hungry and we (almost) eat everything. After our feast of a meal we went looking for a taxi to take us to either Ohrid of the border. The first one we found said that he would be able to get us there for 4000 Lek (at first we thought he said 40000) - we agreed. Our driver could speak very little english, but he was a very jolly and laughing man. The ride was extremely scenic. We followed (more or less) the train tracks. It would have been great to take the train, but apparently it is very slow and unreliable. We drove in the valleys between several mountains. Besides the breathtaking beautify of the place, something else became apparent.
You cannot go a kilometer in this country without passing at least one, café, hotel, car washe, bar, or restaurant, or all of the things in one. And it seems that is universal here, that there is development everywhere, and there is new bigger roads being build everywhere.
Saya and Jannie played in the backseat, reading books, sinning songs and had fun, until, all of a sudden, Saya just fell asleep. She slept more or less all the way to Ohrid.
Our chauffeur could not drive us all the way to Ohrid, but he arranged another driver to get us to there, from right by the border. We changed Taxies in a parking lot outside the border, with a sleeping Saya. While we waited for the other taxi, I went to get some sparkling water from the nearby kiosk. Since there was no one there I l put the money on the counter. I went back and drank one by the cap. The attendant came up and asked for money, apparently he did not see that i had already out money on the counter ( a bit more than they costed). Poor guy, a big long haired bearded man went into his shop and took something (apparently without paying) - how do you handle that when you are a young small Albanian guy? He did not look very happy about the whole situation.
After changing taxies we drove to Ohrid - a ride that took about 30 minutes. Upon arrival, after a little drive around, we found the place. We where greeted by our hosts who showed us the place, a two room apartment with a balcony. Really nice and cheap as well (200 kr per night - around 30 Euro). After that we went out to eat. This place is a lot more touristy then anything else we had seen before. But the view over the lake is amazing, a really beautiful place. After eating some salads, we went to a supermarket and did some shopping. We ended up with a lot of things. They have proper cheese here! And dark break and oatmeal as well! We have missed it so much.
After shopping we went home to get Saya so sleep, she fell a sleep really late (due to her nap) and here I am, writing this, while a match is being blasted out really loud nearby (Macedonia is apparently in the match). I have to get to bed soon, i have to get up early go get some stuff for Jannies birthday, I will write it here, because I am pretty sure she will not read this ;)