Day 10 - Durrës, Albania

On the way home last night from Struga, Velle's car died on the side of the road. There's no such thing as NRMA here but luckily there was one lone service station only 100 metres up the road. We eventually organised a taxi to take us home (2 hours away) and left Velle's car behind.

Up at 5am to travel to Tirana, Albania. Crossing the border was easier than Greece as Vele and Sneza didn't have to fill out paperwork because they were Macedonian. We did have to bribe the Albanian police again to cross but this time it was only 100 Denars ($AU2.50). It's stinking hot here at about 38 degrees. 

Tirana is a mad house where people overtake in front of us where we have to stop to avoid headons, everyone honks their horns and police are on every corner pulling cars over. The city is wealthy in contrast to the country areas where people are very, very poor. Kids sell berries on the edge of the roads, most houses are incomplete and very dilapidated and people sell whatever they can to scratch out a living. There is an area just before the city that is a Gypsy camp where many makeshift shanties exist.

The city is fairly modern and cosmopolitan however people sell all sorts of things by the road including front doors. A Gypsy girl no older than five begs on a four lane major road between buses, cars and trucks. A little further down a Gypsy woman with a baby begs for money through my open window not taking no for an answer. Those traffic lights where she harassed me seemed to take forever to change.

We then drove further to the seaside city of Durrës. We are staying the night here. The beach is absolutely packed where thousands upon thousands of beach umbrellas ajoin one another to shade the many shapes and sizes that lie beneath. The water looks filthy. 

The streets are lined for kilometers with street sellers that seem to be selling the same things. The streets at night are curb to curb with people, many from Kosovo. One shopkeeper told us we were the first Australians she had ever met. The vendors light their stalls with power from an unknown source but many power leads lay across the footpath.

On every corner there is a guy with a wad of cash acting as an exchange office. There are several other people with old bathroom scales that will weigh you on the spot for a small fee. There are many Gypsies also here begging on the street with children that looked drugged as they appear unconscious regardless of the noise. Other Gypsies touch us as we walk by as they beg. This is their life and it starts from birth. Children are groomed to beg. There is no sick pay, holidays and they don't return home to a nice dinner, shower and a clean bed. They live in squaller. It's the same thing everyday - just begging. Along with them are people with no arms and others with deformities who beg for money. 

Makes us really appreciative of our lot in life. As I've said before, we've already won lotto.