Sarandë — A Barely Mentioned Gem in the Balkan region
Oh, Sarandë. Probably is not under many people’s radar when it comes to the travel destination. You would be surprised what it has to offer. The country was completely outside of my travel radar until a fellow traveler I met in Montenegro recommending me to check it out.
“Jason, where would you recommend me to go next?” I asked
“Albania dude” Jason replied
“How so?” I asked
“People are super nice plus they got great landscape and coastline man!” Jason Replied
Albania is located in southeast Europe. Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south. The country was under the communist control for 47 years.
Everywhere I went, people were eager to say hi to me. Not to mention the big smiles on their faces. It really made me feel like home right off the bat. The lady at the fruit stand threw a few apples at me for free. That’s how welcoming the people were.
Attracted by Sarandë’s beautiful coastline, I journeyed to the southern end of Albania. It took around four and a half hours by bus from Tirana (The Capital city of Albania).
A Paradise for the animals
That cool guy over there is a Goat-herder herding goat. Our little goats are a bit shy compared to the other animals.
As I was trying to pat them, they quickly moved away, perhaps they sensed my devious intention. Some goats actually have stylish hair. Like this one here, leonardo dicaprigoat. Oh yeah, watch out for the goat poo landmines on the ground.
Did I mention there are so many cats! A short walk down the street, you can encounter two cats in less than 15 seconds. The best part? They are not afraid of you just like the Albanian people.
On the side, cows were leisurely eating grass. As I walked past them, they raised their heads and looked at me as if they were wondering “what’s up dog?”. We can definitely learn a thing or two from the cows’ unassuming attitude in today’s anxiety-filled society.
Seriously Artistic
Most people associate wonderful arts in big-name countries. It is not the case. There are original arts here everywhere in Albania. A short walk down the coastline, I came across several statues.
A pretty woman bathing with an Octopus. When I saw this statue, here is the dialogue happening in my mind.
WTF, Seriously?
This should only happen in the Japanese tentacle erotica.
Oh Well, she seems to be enjoying it.
Beautiful Beach
Did I forget to mention the beaches? The water is clear and transparent. Peak season is in between June to August. It’s 2018. Everyone is trying to travel where it’s not touristy. I was there around November.
If you are comfortable with the water temperature of around 18 to 20 Celsius, you should come during this time. Make sure to bring a snorkel or a goggle to view all the amazing sea creatures.
After a few laps at the beach, I usually get pretty hungry. On top of a ton of sweets shops right around the corner, several bakeries are also available. My favorite has been the spinach pie. Chicken, cheese, tomato, spinach with broccoli flavors are also available. Starting to sound like a sale’s person, haven’t I? (Call this number below to get 50% discount @ 1234567890).
Outstanding hospitality
I had the pleasure of staying at Hostel Hasta La Vista.
Albano was my host. He is great at cooking delicious cuisine.
At the same time, he provides detail information as to where to go and would do his best to satisfy his guests!
The hostel is only four months old with brand new facilities. Several local markets and bakeries are in walking distance. Although the huge space in the basement is currently being renovated, Albano stated that soon there is going to be a bar and possibly an organic garden for the guests.
As I have been traveling for the past months, on most days I prepare my own food, so I was really used to cooking everything. Different regions and scenery inspired me to prepare food differently. Coastal cities have more seafood, naturally, I would cook more of such.
You know that feeling says you haven’t had your favorite dessert for two months. All of a sudden it is presented to you, every bite tastes heavenly. That’s how I felt when I had the prepared breakfast. I miss that human touch. As our society is moving towards automation, fast food, precook meals are becoming norms, the humanly prepared food is going to be missed.
My wow moment was when I got introduced to this fruit called Quince (Ftoi) during breakfast.
At first, I thought it was your regular blueberry or strawberry jam.
After a few more bites, I realized there was something different about the taste, I paid closer attention to the packaging realizing it’s something I had not seen before.
The taste of the quince jam has a slight hint of the orange but not quite and is sweet but not as sweet as the North American strawberry jam with chunks of Quince’s fruity meat blended. It goes really well with the local white bread.
There are still so much to see in Albania. As I speak to more locals, visit cities, I realized that there is that beauty in appreciating the simple things in life.
Modern Western pursue of happiness has mainly been material driven. Many have reached the peak of their success ladder. Few are truly happy. The lack of meaningful fulfillment has overshadowed many. Depression and loneliness are common.
The genuine smiles of the Albanian people left me a huge impression. Perhaps there is a valuable lesson for a simpler life.
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