Albania and Montenegro

As we ride through the Albanian mountains and get closer to Tirana, the weather improves and for the following days, it is again a succession of nice sunny days. Thanks to people who host us, we have epic experiences in the region.

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Welcome to Albania!

We enter Albania in the afternoon and spend our first night in a hotel in Bilisht, a small village in the mountains. The owners have a cute puppy that is however impossible to pet since it's a pit bull.

"Rocky", young but already with very sharp teeth!

Small break before Pogradec

All the way down to Pogradec

The road to Elbasan goes through a small pass. Fortunately, it's a sunny day and it is nice and warm to ride.

The mornings are cold, but it is getting warmer

Lake Ohrid

During the communist government of Enver Hoxha, Albania got covered with bunkers that are so well built that they can hardly be destroyed. Apparently, there are more than 700'000 over the whole country.

One of the 700'000 bunkers that are everywhere in Albania

Beautiful uphill ride before saying goodbye to the Lake Ohrid

Abandoned factories are legion

After one last pass, we arrive in Tirana where we rest for a few days.

Between Elbasan and Tirana

Shepherd and mountains, Gracen

The break is close!

Albania, aka the Land of Mercedes (they are literally everywhere)

On the street, Tirana

Baker and her son

As we are looking for a safe place to camp in the village of Milot, two boys lead us to the local church run by Barnabites. In a very approximate Italian, we first talk to a nun before asking the permission to camp to Padre Giovanni. Instead of staying outside, we are even offered to sleep in one of their buildings and invited for a delicious dinner. During the meal, we discuss about the Kanun, a set of traditional laws that still has very violent repercussions like vendettas in remote regions of Albania.

 Padre Giovanni (center) and a visiting priest, Milot

On the following day, we arrive in Vau i Dejës where we are hosted by Erin, a US Peace Corps volunteer who speaks an excellent Albanian. Erin is teaching English at the local school and everybody knows her in the village. For us, it's a golden opportunity to discover a small Albanian village!

English conversation club, Vau i Dejës

Nice dinner with Erin's neighbours

While women are watching videos on Erin's phone...

...men are tasting the home made raki!

Erin's apartment is on the fourth floor (you can see our bicycles)

We go to her school where the whole class follows us with attention. A pupil asks an unusual question: what is your perception of Albanians in your country? Quite embarrassing but they already know their bad reputation abroad. We get out of this tricky situation by telling that Albanians like to fight and we better have them as friends. In return, I ask them who has already met an Asian person. Big silence, nobody, even Erin's local counterpart teacher have never met an Asian before! No wonder they are all staring at me on the streets.

One of Erin's class

The school director, Erin and her local counterpart

Curious kids around the bicycles

Thanks to Erin, we meet with Casey in Shkodër. This very friendly American is doing a long term travel on his bicycle and his inflatable canoe (his blog). We spend the evening talking about our respective travels.

After only 10 days, it's already time to exit Albania. It was an interesting but short overview of this small surprising country.

We enter the region of Slavic cultures

Breathtaking scenery along the Adriatic sea

Small village before Budva

Islands in the Adriatic sea

Luxury resorts are flourishing in the region

We ride along the coast to Budva where we are hosted by Justine, a freelance English teacher. As we did with our previous hosts, we go to her school. However, this time, students are preparing the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English and come from rather wealthy families. The atmosphere is completely different but still laid back.

Justine (second from the right) and her class

A second day in Montenegro and we are already entering Croatia.

A small shortcut around the Bay of Kotor

Kamenari, Perast and Lepetane

Next stage: hopping in and out of Croatia and Bosnia, riding between the coast and the inner valleys.