Travels DAH on 30 Jul 2005 10:32 am
In Tirana, Albania
Well, we have been in Albania for about 24+ hours now, but there is much to tell. First about the flights. Our first flight, the long over-nighter into vienna, had some fun moments. Shortly after our early morning breakfast (which would have been around 1am EST) we we asked (i think) by one of the flight attendants to sing a song for them, I believe this was a result of our telling him we were a choir. Well, we all trecked back ‘into the kitchen’ and sang “I am gonna work so God can use me” for all to hear. It was a very unique experience, all huddled up in the rear of the Jet where the food is kept, I was in the very back, hoping that the door stayed closed which was the only thing separating me from the air rushing by at several hundred MPH outside. And as a reward for our signing we were treated to some Austrian sweet wine.
We then caught our connecting flight and made it into Albania. Albania is a very different country. It was similar to some of what I had seen when I was in Mexico, but not really. We passed all kinds of constrution on the way to our hotel, but it seems like 75% of it wasn’t being currently worked on. Tirana, where we are staying, was voted the dirtiest capital city in the world in 2004, and I can see why. It is quite dirty and run down. But the people of Albania seem to be very nice and friendly people on the whole.
Today we woke up a little earlier than usual due to an early early night. And did some walking around the city, during which the power went off (we found out that this is fairly rare in Tirana, although not in other cities, but most shops still had generators despite the claimed rarity of the outtages) after which we traveld to mount Pajti and rode up the mountain on the 3day old cable car that was just built by Austria. I think the reasons it was built were political, trying to convince Albania to join the European Union or some such thing.
I only have a short time before we are leaving for a dinner and then our first concert in the Opera House here in Tirana. So i guess i will leave the news at that for now.
on 30 Jul 2005 at 3:09 pm 1.Kristine said …
dave,
it’s such a treat to catch up with your journey step by step through your web journal! thanks for sharing the details of your experience. =)
i’m sure the trip will be amazing altogether, and i’m keeping you all in prayer. wish i could be there w/ you. i’ll look forward to hearing from you at some point in these travels. for now, i must be back to my homework in chicago. enjoy the first concert…
on 01 Aug 2005 at 2:11 pm 2.Megan said …
Glad you have safely arrived. How on earth did you all fit in the food room on the plane…(that was a fun mental picture) Have you meet any Princesses yet?