Beautiful coast.

Yesterdays hitchhiking successfully brought me all the way down south to Saranda. There i meet some friendly Albanians again, besides almost everyone who friendly salutes me, kids are particularly nice, first those two playing football then this whole bunch amongst which two speak fluent English. They ask me, like all kids. naive questions but also where i sleep. I tell then i have a hamac, they point to some trees and warn me about dogs :) The want to touch my muscles (hehe), know my name, my life... they are a curious, funny and happy living bunch. The Marines on their base right next to here are just the same. Except for their boss who shouts i should get out of here. I don´t get what they do here, they are just 3 4 old frigates, half of which are rusting, the other half is already half sunken.

I go for a nice plate of fish in a nearby restaurant in whichs backyard i then set up my hamac. Except for a couple barking dogs, the night is quiet here in the cities outskirts. I wake up go for a coffee in that same restaurant and head off to i don't know where. «j n’sais pas ou je vais ca j’n’l’ai jamais bien su, mais si jamais je le savais je crois bien que je n’irai plus» as la Rue Ketanou sings. As i pass a stopped bus, the gypsy kids sitting there advertise the ride! it is only 100 leke to Butrint, an archaeological site, I should really see it. They are quiet funny and friendly, a bit sticky but cool. So I get on to Butrint.

On the ride I meet an multilingual Albanian from Kosovo, he has worked in Geneva and speaks perfect French. Once arrived, I realize it is 700 Leke entry. 500 for me :) I would have paid 700 if i had known what was waiting for me. Maybe the best archaeological site i have seen in my life and all for me alone in those early morning hours. It has a very complicated history from the 4^th century BC to nowadays. Healing sanctuary, roman Mediterranean trade an culture city, religious center, Venetian military outpost...

From there i hitchhike my way to the beautiful fresh, sweet waters of the Blue eye, but before getting a ride i speak to my gypsy friends again :) At the spring i relax, swim in the cold water (about 10 degrees they say). Later an Albanian photograph shows up and take nice pics :) Then the man from this morning bus ride comes along. He worked in Geneva for Albanian education and integration.

I then rapidly manage to get to th beautiful Gijorkaster for sunset. And meet a serious Albanian entrepreneur who started solar and green energy here. He has a contract for street lights using leds. We talk a bit technical and of course exchange emails.

I find a nice room with a dude who is a bit in a hurry. Tonights shots of the nice sunset panorama of the surrounding mountains along with the snapshots of the massive impressive insides of the castle and the view of the old authentic stone roofs of the old city are unfortunately lost in a wrong manipulation during transfer from my memory cards... This castle, its old town and the surrounding mountains are and will remain my favorite in Albania.

butrint

Blue Eye