Albania First Impressions

While Turkey is a country that has one foot planted firmly in the East and one firmly in the West, Albania at first glance seems to be a country that's still trying to figure out just what to do with these new Nikes that the Fedex guy just delivered.

I landed at Mother Teresa International Airport this afternoon at about 1pm. I had been advised by the owner of the hostel I'd be staying at to catch a bus downtown as it was one-tenth the price of a taxi. I found the bus, but it didn't leave for another 40 minutes. Deciding my time was worth the extra 15 bucks, I hopped into a taxi and was able to eventually get him to the Hostel Albania. After settling in, I ventured out into Tirana to see what the town had to offer.

The streets were quiet, and most of the shops were closed, which I attributed to the fact that it was Sunday afternoon -- or because it was Ramadan. Either way, the city had surprisingly little going on, even for a hot, late summer Sunday afternoon. I wandered down to Skanderbeg Square, the capital's main square on which the national opera house and old mosque are located. The square is currently undergoing a major modernization and pedestrianization effort, which at the moment leaves it looking a bit like a war zone.

I followed a road down to the Bllok neighborhood, which formerly housed the Communist party leaders and was off-limits to the rest of the Albanian citizenry. In the last two decades, the neighborhood has been turned into the trendiest part of town, brimming with boutiques, bars, coffee shops and hotels -- a perfect representation of Albania's embrace of capitalism. Many of the buildings here and along the way have been painted super bright colors, although I've been told that the bright exteriors belie the crumbling interiors, untouched yet by Tirana's rebirth.

After strolling for a bit longer and picking up a sandwich at one of the few shops that was selling food, I headed back to the hostel to wait out the rest of the afternoon heat. Once the sun went down, I ventured back into town and was met with a much more vibrant, alive Tirana than had been around a few hours earlier. Cafes were bouncing with people, the streets were full of cars and music was streaming out of restaurants. I found a spot that looked friendly and planted myself amidst the cheerful locals, ordering what I hoped would be a couple of types of kebabs and a large local beer. All for around $3. Nice.

So far the city seems to be a unique mix of Mediterranean, post-communist, burgeoning economics and tentative democracy. The people seem to have an optimism that comes from emerging from decades of totalitarian regime without the reckless abandon that often accompanies such a transition. I'm excited to explore more of the country, as I'm going to take a day trip to Kruja tomorrow and then head off to Berat on Wednesday before moving on to Macedonia. I like what I've seen so far, and I'm intrigued to see what more this captivating country has to offer.