After hanging around some time for organization purposes, we take the shit-bikes again to head in the opposite direction as yesterday.
Bones and muscles already hurt from yesterday and the bikes are even more uncomfortable today. We drive along the coast line through the city center again and further along the coast on a road that is neither safe nor beautiful nor comfortable. Our destination is Nimfa beach, a recommendation by our host.
The day is cloudy and there is thunder and as we’re almost there also some light rain. At one slightly steeper part of the road, my mum’s bike looses its chain. Everything normal.
We are honestly a little disappointed by this coast. The beaches are small, not special, right next to the road and always connected to some hotel. For nice beaches one should really just go to Greece or Sardegna (or maybe further south in Albania, I couldn’t tell).
The third world country style of Albania can be fun sometimes but also quite annoying. No timetables, no bus stations, you just have to know where and when the bus comes. How to find out? Definitely not in the Tourist Information because everyone is just unmotivated and absolutely useless for any information. The conversation with the Tourist Information guy after he couldn’t ignore us any longer was as followed: “Do you know when there are busses to Tirana?” “No, because of Covid pandemic, I don’t know.” “Do you know, where the station is?” “Hmm no I don’t know.” “Can you check?” ” Hmm.. noo.. maybe there!” (points somewhere to the road). Just to be clear: Covid does not exist here, and Tirana is the capital of this country!
Thank you very much and goodbye. Another conversation with an information center guy went similarly just that this one didn’t even get up from the table in front of the office where he was smoking with friends.
In general, the stereotype that Albanians are so overwhelming friendly and warm-hearted is, as far as I can tell until now, not very true. Most of them seem to be too lazy and not motivated at all to help out (especially the men). And even people who are being paid for being friendly and helpful are mostly not. I think maybe some villagers in the mountains have preserved that culture and will really share their last bread with you and offer you a bed if you come by (like probably in most remote small villages in the world). But here in the cities and even in the Guesthouses in the mountains we have not made the super hospitality experience.
We get a coffee at Nimfa beach and want to go for a swim afterwards, but we are told that the beach is private and we have to rent a whole day’s umbrella if we want to swim.. so no Nimfa beach. Back on the uncomfortable bikes.
We find a small beach that doesn’t belong to any of the hotels and go for a quick swim there. The water is nice and clear, but there is something special here. The first 30 cm of the water surface consist of freezing cold sweet water. Underneath, the water is warm and salty. Apparently there are fresh water springs under the rocks and the cold mountain water mixes up with the seawater. Swimming is way too cold but staying underneath these 30cm is warm and nice and I see some of the fish I know from Italy.
We get another grilled fish on the promenade and drive a little further towards the “old town”. If we didn’t miss it completely, the old town consists of only about 3 houses and a square, the rest is new. But this alley going up and further away from the sea is actually quite nice. Everything is very modern and European here in the center.
We go back home for a quick jump in the sea, showers and packing before leaving again for dinner and giving the bikes back.
There is another fish with salad for dinner (I could eat like this all year long) at a very authentic Albanian restaurant with only locals. My mum gets a few chunks of grilled sheep that is turning on a rotisserie in front of us. After dinner we have to walk home along the lively promenade and finally through our obscure neighborhood, still feeling safe all the time even next to the slums.
