Albania: The capitol Tirana- a city under construction.

Waiting for the bus to take me to Albania. Struga, Macedonia.

A bit hot, but happy. I met a woman who had lived 14 years in Texas while waiting. She was back to help with her aging parents. It was a nice surprise.

The bus was very clean, and there were two drivers who switched off when we stopped. I think there was only one near accident. The roads are a bit sketch but not bad.

Fresh chickens, fresh dead chickens! Who wants one? (Not me!)

The street where my hostel was just off from.


There is a water container on the building- these are all over.

Actually this is also where I took the picture of the chickens earlier. I love the grey skies.

Maybe this is what happens to the chickens that don't sell!

Everything is half constructed, and looking at their methods, I think it will be about ten years before this area is completed.

But there are some nice walking areas. Even trendy parts of town.

The canal. A lot of bottles were floating through.

A park. Anyone need a rug?

No one pays attention to the streetlights. There are some traffic cops at particularly bad intersections, but mostly it is like crossing the road in Saigon or China--- find a native and cross with them. The Albanians are very sweet at helping and will make sure you get across safely.

Commie-era pyramid which you can climb and sort of slide down. (See the kids on top?) Both times I went it started raining, so I didn't get to go up.

We were trying to get to a bazaar, and ended up following locals through a short cut, which appeared to be a garbage dump. Saw lots of interesting things. Nothing I wanted to take home.

Albania went bunker crazy back in the 1960s so these are everywhere.

Two Wisconsin brothers who wished they could have slept in the bunker instead of our hostel.

I wanted the shirt on the lower right.

Have to give bipartisan representation since I posted the Bill Clinton sign.

It is hard to tell what their architectural plan is in this town.

The Museum of Art. It was amazing. 200Lek ($2) and I was the only one there. Will post photos later of the art.

Hidden in the back by the garbage were statues of Lenin and Stalin.

And some commie worker statues also. Much like the art inside.

Happy tourist. I mean traveler. Or whatever I am. Pilgrim. Homeless, jobless wanderer.

I went to the University here, and into the art dept, where music wafted through the art-adorned halls.

This means for sale. That's my umbrella in the reflection. It rains every day here in the afternoon but it cools the place off, so it's a good thing.