I try to use public transportation wherever I go to reduce my carbon footprint (plus it’s cheaper than renting a car), but that often means there’s adventure to be had. That’s especially true in Albania!
So, after a week in Tirana, it was time to move on to my next adventure. Tirana has several bus stations, but the one I needed is called the North and South Bus Terminal. I arrived insanely early to discover that the “terminal” is just a parking lot. There is no building, no place to wait for your bus out of the weather.
Rather than stand around for an hour, I chose to take another bus from a different company. The fare was only about 7€, so I didn’t lose much. The “bus” was a 16-passenger van which seemed to stop at any point along the road where it looked like someone wanted to get on. We eventually filled to capacity.
Two and a half hours later, I arrived in Vlora. I then had a rather hair-raising taxi ride from a driver who didn’t know where my hotel was (he had me direct him using my phone’s GPS), but darned if he wasn’t going to get there as fast as possible. And red lights? Who cares! I was relieved when we stopped and I was still in one piece.
Eventually I made it to my destination: a seaside condo. That Adriatic sunset may just make the journey worth it.
