First impressions of Albania: Elbasan District

So our journey took us from Lake Ohrid across the border to Albania, where our next major stop was supposed to be Tirana. However, since the day was already quite advanced and we (at least when wild camping) like to set up camp before dark, we decided to find a place in Elbasan. On the map, we also found a parking lot near a park... in theory. The first kilometers through the Albanian mountains were actually beautiful. Lots of green nature, somewhat poor villages, but many fruit stands and friendly-looking people. In Elbasan, and I must admit, I (Anne) had my first culture shock on our trip. Maybe it was because we drove straight to the really poor neighborhoods, where there was garbage everywhere, endless piles of construction rubble, streets covered not with asphalt but with a mixture of plastic waste and construction debris, houses in very poor condition, and nothing seemed well-maintained or taken care of... and then there were the smells. Burnt plastic waste, wood stove, old car exhaust, animal dung, etc. According to the navigation system, our parking lot was supposed to be in this part of the city. We tried to find a way, but unfortunately, the potholes were so deep, the roads were so soaked from the rain, and there was so much plastic waste flying around that we turned back and decided to find proper accommodation. I know, in hindsight it seems a bit spoiled, but when you have a feeling of insecurity, you tend to look for things you already know. And I must admit that after traveling for so long, you sometimes value comfort a little more. So it happened that we found an (inexpensive) room in a huge (almost eerie) empty **** hotel complex and cooked our soup on the balcony with a gas stove. In the evening, Floh went out again, got a haircut for only 4 euros, bought some souvenirs, and explored the city, while I was in the hotel, working on my master's thesis and reading about Albania. During the very harsh communist regime, a stable economy hardly developed and the population suffered greatly from poverty. In the 1960s, a ban on religion was even imposed and Albania was considered the first atheist country. Unfortunately, many old churches and mosques were also destroyed during this time. Since the 1990s, Albania has been trying to develop a stable economy, but due to the very weak infrastructure, this is hardly possible outside of Tirana. In rural areas, continuous electricity and water supply cannot be ensured, which of course hinders the establishment of tourism and industry. Albania actually has many valuable natural resources, which for various reasons cannot be exploited. The country's most important trading partners are Italy (!!!) and China, and many imported goods also come from Germany. Corruption is a major problem in the country...

The next morning, we both set out again and Floh showed me his discoveries. Besides a historic city wall on a boulevard with palm trees and really cute little cafes, where there was no poverty, plastic waste, or bad smells... That was our first impression of Albania: a country full of contrasts.