Albania

I had been trying to arrange with Robert in Albania to meet up with him in Shkodra, but my email had been playing up and I couldn't send text messages from my phone (I would need to top up and no guarantee it would work then anyway). Eventually we agreed 2pm somewhere in Shkodra, so I thought the 11am bus (which someone in Ulcinj has told me about in French!) was a good option. The bus arrived at 11am, I paid, put my bags in and the driver just walked off! So I waited and waited and eventually realised it wasn't leaving until 1pm, so I went in search of a way to text Robert. A group of Albanians were standing nearby and I was able to use one of their mobiles to send. Eventually we left and finally we crossed the border into Albania.

In Shkodra I met up with Robert - although we'd never seen each other before, it wasn't all that hard to spot the other one as English ("Dr Livingstone, I presume?"). I had been waiting at a cafe where an Albanian I'd met on the minibus had bought me a drink (he wouldn't accept me paying for it), and from there Robert took me to a studio where he was helping record an album of children's praise music in Albanian. Then on to Lezha to his home.

Brief first impressions of Albania, although I have been before: a lot of dirt, especially unmade-up roads with poor drainage, and garbage lying around; very generous people, lots of handshaking; farm life still prevalent; good times with Albanian Christians.

Montenegro

Shortly after writing the last update, I went to a gallery in Dubrovnik that was showing an exhibition of war photography. It was very interesting, showing scenes from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. However, the most interesting thing that I found was a number of books on the Balkans wars, which I spent quite a long time reading. It started to give me some understanding of what went on in the disintegration of former Yugoslavia. It is complicated (as any local will tell you), but I did start to see some of the events leading up to the wars.
The next day I made my way to Montenegro, with my new-found friend Michael. We travelled on a posh air-conditioned bus and and suddenly the vegetation looked different, darker, and I guessed we were near Montenegro (it's local name, Crna Gora, like the English name, means Black Mountain). Sure enough, a few moments later we had to get off the bus to cross the border. The little band of us pedestrians walked a few hundred yards up to a guard post, leaving Croatia, then to another one to enter Crna Gora. In the group was a British lady, perhaps in her sixties, with a small back pack, who was making her way slowly down the country! Over the border we got on a different bus, this one without air-conditioning, and basic seating and juddered around on the roads.

Montenegro is part of the new country "Serbia and Montenegro" (which also technically includes Kosovo), although you'd be forgiven for thinking they were different countries. It has a different currency (Montenegro uses the Euro, as does Kosovo), it's own foreign minister and rather unique indentity. One person I spoke to clearly believed that it should break away from Serbia and thought armed conflict was even an option. Having seen photos from the Bosnia war, I hoped she realised what she was saying.

We arrived in Kotor by the coastal road, which winds around to the heart of the largest fjord in southern Europe. The old city is nice, the views from the fortress (1300 steps up) even better. The next day we went to Budva on the coast and it was there that I parted company with Michael. I found an appartment with kitchen and bathroom for 10 euro. Bizarrely I ended up bargaining for it in French (with the odd word of Italian), as the woman spoke that in preference to English.

After resting there a couple of days, I went on to Ulcinj, purely as a gateway to Albania. I met two guys and a girl who spoke English (two Serb and a Belgian) and we hung out together that evening. In conversation with them I was able to see some of the conflicts through Serbian eyes.
Ulcinj, although in Crna Gora, actually has 80% Albania population, so was a good lead-in to Albania. It was held by the Turkish (Ottoman) empire and was the haunt of many notorious and viscious pirates for quite some time. The turkish influence can still be felt. It was later part of Albania and in the 20th century was given as a present to Serbia/Yugoslavia by another government!

Island Paradise

From Zagreb I headed south to Plitvice which is a national park with lakes and waterfalls and is the most beautiful place I had seen up to that point in my travels. I had arrived in the early afternoon, and immediately tried to find somewhere to stay - not so obvious a proposition in a national park. However, there was an agent and I ended sharing a room with a Croatian lady in her 50s (about), with whom I did not seem to have a common language. I only stayed one night and headed on the next day to Zadar. On the coach I changed my mind, however, on discovering there wasn't much to do there, and went straight on to Split, which is a beautiful town. I was accosted by a number of elderly ladies as I got off the coach, offering accommodation, so I had a room to myself (11 of my nights in Croatia I have had a room to myself). I walked back into town and drifted about, eventually finding an internet cafe hidden away. I had been trusting God to sort the evening out (I often enjoy company in the evening) and at the cafe I met the only two people I knew in town - the two Australian girls I met on the coach. We found a restaurant and then I saw someone else I knew from Zagreb!
I had been looking forward to getting away from it all in Croatia and spend time relaxing and focussing on God, so I headed for one of the beautiful islands in the Adriatic, to a place called Bol on Brač island. It was lovely. I met a number of nice people who I hung out with in the evenings. The accommodation cost me about €13 (I would have said it in pounds but I couldn't find the pound symbol on this keyboard!) per night. I was there for 4 nights. The latter two nights I was in the home of a lady whose husband had died one month before. It was sad, especially as noone else lives in her road now, because the houses have been bought as holiday homes for out-of-towners and foreigners.
After Bol I went to Hvar town on Hvar island. It too is beautiful. I can recommend going on holiday to the islands, especially in September when prices are much cheaper and the weather is very good and there are far fewer people about. In Hvar I met some people I had seen before in other places, especially a couple of Swiss girls who had been my neighbours in Bol. I also met lots of French people there.
Hvar to Dubrovnik via a stay in Korcula for one night. On the ferry to Dubrovnik I met the Swiss girls again!

Dubrovnik is a beautiful town, very Italian in feel. I met the Swiss girls again walking around the old town! I have hung out with an American guy, Michael (who lives in Ukraine) and a Mexican. We talked for ages about history and politics and the whole region. This is one of the things that has happened a lot to me whilst travelling. You get a different perspective on things meeting people from other countries and travelling around. For example, I have seen evidence of the Balkans war, especially here in Dubrovnik, with bullet holes around and new roofs built. It was pointless shelled during the war (1991-95 I think it was), even though there was no military reason for it.

Tomorrow I am intending to go to Kotor in Montenegro. In doing that, I am leaving that main thoroughfare of backpackers. Having said that, Michael is going on the same bus.

Hungarian Farm

William and Hedi told me about a friend of theirs who helped orphans and suggested that I go down to see him and the work he was involved in. I was up for that so, I took up their offer. They rang ahead and he was happy to have me stay. William took me to the bus station in Budapest and I travelled down to Hercegszanto. I got a slightly earlier bus than had been agreed and when I arrived in Hercegszanto I got off at the last stop, which was hardly a bustling place. There was one other person there and no major buildings around. After a brief look round I decided to ask the girl who was sitting there where there was a telephone. I assumed she didn't speak English so I tried communicating using my Hungarian phrases in a guide book. With various handwaving etc, I was able to get my point across and she directed me (especially pleased when she remembered a few simple phrases from English). I walked to the phone box by a pub, but it only took phone cards not coins. After a little pause I plucked up enough courage to go into the pub with my ruck sacks and guitar and to try to ask for help. Outside a horse and cart rode past and a couple of farmers came by on push bikes. Inside a number of seasoned farmers sat talking and drinking. I went through my mime, feeling rather conspicuous, and a farmer in dirty overalls came to my aid. He took me outside and with his work-gnarled hands took out a mobile phone to make the call for me! He knew Pishta, the man I had come to meet, and called him for me. It was such an exciting experience, being in such a remote place in a foreign country - the kind of travelling I really enjoy.
Pishta is very friendly and generous and took me to his farm. I loved it there. They had six cats, three of them kittens. There were dogs around and various crops were freshly harvested. He has four children, and his wife Eva almost always seemed to be carrying their youngest around, a 2 month old, who happily travelled about watching the world from his vantage point of her arm.
As I went to bed that night I saw the stars brightly shining in the clear sky. It was great.
They are only about 1 km from the Serbian border and they have seen many things, such as the large movement of people between Serbia and Croatia when the Yugoslavian civil war started.

Pishta learnt English in communist days because he started to realise that he was being lied to by the government and saw English as an opportunity to find out the truth. His parents were Christians but he was taught by the State that there was nothing to support their beliefs. Gradually he discovered that the State was concealing things from him and as he discovered the truth, he too became a Christian.

He was a youth pastor (unofficially) for most of Hungary it seems. He used to have huge numbers of bibles at his house, which would have got him in a lot of trouble with the government if they had found out. In fact, he did get in trouble with the KGB, but this was because he was buying Soviet military uniforms and selling them at a very large profit to people at the American embassy! He declined the KGB's offer to become a spy for them.

His work with the orphans is great - he teaches them life skills as the Bible teaches, and gets them ready to integrate into life after they leave the state-run orphanage. He has also seen many of them become Christians and even get involved in missionary work themselves.

Amongst his hospitality to me he also took me to Pecs and showed me around. He also found out a number of Christian contacts for me throughout Eastern Europe. I felt that after the small step I took in Budapest, trying to find the church, a large number of doors opened up for me.

Yesterday was my 3 month anniversary from starting travelling. In all that time I had not left the European Union, and somehow it seemed significant that I was crossing the border that day into Croatia and leaving the European Union.

I arrived in Zagreb last night and hope to head for the coast soon.

Budapest II

I met up with another Brit, called Paul, who was also travelling indefinitely (I have only met about 3 other people who have no end date to their travels). Whilst going for a walk with him and another Brit, I saw a man walking past wearing a Vineyard Christian Fellowship children's ministry shirt. I assumed he was a Christian and spoke English so I asked him where he went to church - I had not been to church on a Sunday for about six weeks and was missing the opportunity to worship God with other Christians. He told me and gave me some vague directions - I was only half listening because my friends were walking on. He didn't know the exact address because it was to be their first Sunday in a new place. He took my mobile number and I hoped he would text me the details.

The following day I was deciding whether to leave the "hippy hostel" and when I prayed about it, God said to leave. So I packed up and set out with my two backpacks and my guitar. I headed for the church, since that was my main plan for the morning. I knew it was near the citadel, and anyone who has been to Budapest will realise that climbing up there with all my stuff was a challenge. I walked around trying to find this church, not even knowing where it was, and praying for guidance. I had just about given up. Then heading a different way, I found it! I was bout 45 minutes late, but was welcomed in. In fact, the guy I met at the door, William, told the congregation my story and they were very friendly.

Afterwards, William and his wife, Hedi, invited me to their house for lunch, and then later to stay at an apartment they look after. So for the next two nights I had an apartment all to myself! That was when the tiredness caught up with me and I spent a lot of time sleeping. I was very grateful for the chance to rest, and for the hospitality of William and Hedi.

Budapest I

After the wet day in the Tatras, we left the following day and the weather improved again. I might have stayed longer, but there were so few English speaking people around at that time I thought it wouldn't be fun to stay. And I was enjoying the company of my new-found friends.
So we travelled to Kosice (in Slovakia), then to Miskolc (in Hungary). Both are now in the European Union, but the difference between the two was quite marked. The train got a better engine as we crossed the border, and the farms looked neater and more organised.

Hungarian is not an Indo-European language, unlike the others I had come across on this trip. I had been OK in the Slavic countries, because I had done Russian at school for some weeks and a lot of the words are common across the countries. But here was a language that was very alien to me.

We arrived in Budapest in the evening. However, my English friends from Nottingham university were meeting up with 2 others and they had organised a hostel for all 8 of us. I was struck by how much more expensive the hostel was than Slovakia, on a par with Italian prices. After some difficulty finding a restaurant that evening, I split off from the others for an earlier night's sleep.

In the morning we discovered the hostel and double booked and we were out on the street (so to speak). We found another hostel on the other side of the river (Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, and we crossed over to the older one, Buda). It was quite an interesting hostel - they were burning incense in front of little statues and the various rooms had themes - the four guys in our group were in one which had a painted picture of a red-indian lurking among some plants. Despite having reservations about the spiritual emphasis of the place, it was generally a really nice place with great people and a relaxed homely feel.

Budapest is a great city! I really enjoyed it. It reminds me a lot of London, with it's spread out streets, cosmopolitan feel and lovely big parks. I felt quite at home there in fact. Being September there were fewer tourists and this helped a lot as well.

As a group we went to the Turkish-style baths. They are great! There are hot tubs, cold tubs, whirl pools (that actually spin you around - good fun), steam rooms, sauna, fountains, outdoor and indoor pools. And there is chess. Some of the men sit in the outside hot tub for hours (near the sign advising people to stay in no longer than 20 minutes because of the heat). One of the English guys, James, somehow managed to find a chessboard free and we had a couple of games too.

I had a good look around the castle area with another Brit (not part of our group), and whilst in one church had a good conversation about the reality of God; I was able to tell her how God was real and that I had experienced Him in my life - I hope she has started to see things differently now.

Other highlights were seeing the parliament building and other beautiful building and watching the sunset from the Citadel high above the city.

I liked the city so much that I parted company from the students as they headed on to Balaton, because I wanted to see more of Budapest.

High Tatras

Having met someone fellow Brits in Bratislava, I travelled with them to the High Tatras. They were very good company. There were five in the group and they immediately included me as part of the group. The journey from Bratislava was rather circuitous, involving going through stations where the names were hard to see ("is this the right station?"), but eventually we arrived at a place called Stary Smokovec (pronounced Starry Smokovets). One of the group had booked a hostel using their mobile phone from the train. It was great to be able to share the work load amongst us - instead of having to find food, accommodation, trains etc all by myself, we were each able to do the things that were our own strong points.
The weather had been nice on the day we arrived. The following day, four of us went for a hike in the mountains. It rained! A lot! I had managed to avoid being out in heavy rain until that point, but now the waterproof mac came out (the one that folds up to credit card size (well, not quite), but which is really hard to get back that small again!). It rained some more, and as my trainers started to soak through I realised that I was possibly going to complain all day and spoil it for the other three (who had a strange determination that enabled them to almost ignore the rain). So I decided that I'd turn back before having gone too far. In the cafe I watched the rain pour down, reducing visibility of what is a beautiful area, and decided I had done the right thing.
After a lazy day I saw the others return, cold to the bone and soaked clothes. But they'd had an enjoyable time.