I was riding in one of those big tourist vans; you know, the kind that are tall enough that you can walk down the aisle standing up, with big windows and they can seat about 20. We were heading to Kruja, the mountain stronghold of Albania’s most famous hero. I had started dozing off when we hit a road so bumpy that the van rocked heavily left and right.
Gasps from the riders. I can’t speak for the others, but it sure felt like the van was just gonna tip over on its side. That woke me up quick. Next, we approached a hairpin turn so tight that the van had to make a three-point turn and back up a bit before it could head up the mountain.
And up and up we went, lots of switchbacks later, all 1,167 meters (3,828 feet), to a lookout on top of the mountain. I had to wonder: who originally had the idea to take a donkey and climb up steep slopes to the to the top of this mountain before there were roads or even trails? But somebody got that bright idea because they built a Bektashi temple up there in the early 14th century. Albanian Bektashi combines elements of Shi’a Islam and other mystical traditions, emphasizing a love of God and the Prophet Muhammed’s household. They’re not as strict as many Muslim faiths; both the men and the women participate in ritual alcohol drinking and dancing during devotional ceremonies.
As usual, when I ask someone to take a picture of me, I ended up with a lantern coming out of my head. I’m careful to avoid that sort of thing when I take pictures of others, but don’t get that luck in return. The blue on the horizon in the two mountaintop pictures is the Adriatic Sea, some 30+ miles away.