Today, Jenny and I drove to Kruja, a smaller town about a hour outside of Tirana, located on the side of the mountain. We went to do a little gift shopping. It is hard to imagine that the bumpy two lane road will lead you to one of the best tourist spots in Albania. And the road has improved greatly since my first trip there in 2002!
On the way home, we passed several individuals and groups waiting on the side of the narrow roads for furgons (small vans) that transport people from town to town. You can usually take a furgon from Tirana to Kruja for about 200 lek (a little over $2). But really, it’s like organized hitchhiking. Really just about anyone who might want to earn a little cash and has room for you might stop and offer you a ride! There is a certain amount of organization to the furgons passing by, but really no guarantees… as far as we know, there are no offices that set up furgon schedules or sellfurgon tickets or any specific furgon stops. It’s all old style, word of mouth and common understanding. As you drive along you see people gathered on the road, every one to two kilometers, waiting with their luggage, for the furgon they need to take them to the place they want to go. Like I said, organized hitchhiking. You just have to hope that you are not the last one aboard who ends up sardined between two guys who haven’t showered for a week and don’t own deodorant.
Filed under: Uncategorized
