One Day And Night In Albania
Albania has been one of the best experiences of the trip. But it's definitely been a different type of experience - good in a different sense. It's by far the dirtiest, run down, and poverty ridden country I've ever been to. It's pretty much a third-world country. (And it's actually the poorest country in all of Europe.) And yet it's refreshing and mentally awakening to go to a country in Europe, that's not at all tourist or traveler friendly. It's a change everyone on my tour group welcomed.
There's trash all over the streets. And over much of the country there's no real roads - in the sense that they are in any way maintained. And people all over the country are living in what are basically cement house frames. These "houses" have levels, staircases, and pillars. But they don't have walls, windows, or doors. No privacy, no protection from the elements, and the worst standard of living I've ever witnessed.
The water in Albania is not safe to drink. And when I got a glass from the tap it was tinted brown, and appeared to bubble. Both not good signs in my opinion. :-)
But interestingly enough, Albania has more Mercedes per population than any other country in the world. Although it's widely known that these are all "black market" Mercedes - which is a term I'm still a little confused on. Are they still nice to drive in? What differentiates them from "real" Mercedes? And if the answers to those questions are negligible, how do I get one in the United States?
Reflecting On My Own Standard Of Living
The reason Albania has been such a good experience is because it really makes you reflect on your own standard of living. What's your day to day life like? Is it easy to get clean water, shelter, and fresh, sanitary food where you live? Do you have to constantly struggle and stress for the basic necessities of life? Or are you comfortable enough to focus on other things like an education, creative endeavors, or even dreaming up and accomplishing your goals in life?
In the United States, I have a great standard of living. It's a relatively safe, clean, well maintained and economically friendly place to live. I have water I can drink. I live in a great house that keeps me warm in the winter and cold in the summer. I have access to fresh, clean and sanitary food. And work is really very easy to come by as long as you possess some basic skills and know how to present yourself.
In my opinion the major tragedy in poverty ridden countries like Albania, is that people have to be so focused on the basics of life. They have to struggle to find enough food, work hard for decent shelter, and just hope to stay healthy and employed. To them this is perhaps just life, it's just the way it is. And maybe they're ok with that. But coming from a relatively well off country, I think it's a tragedy that they have to focus on those menial things (in the grand scheme of life and the world) rather than learning, growing, creating, inventing, contributing, and expressing themselves to the world.
These things are the real essence of life, and what has always contributed the most to the progression of any society. These things are what has gotten us to where we are today. And they are what will get us ahead in the future.
The real tragedy of poverty has always been the inability or impossibility of hoping, dreaming and creating a better life and a better world. Albania helped me to realize this.
Realizations & Reflections
Traveling and staying one night in Albania (although in reality that's not long enough to really be able to accurately characterize a place) also really made me think about how many systems, committees, checks and balances, and rules and guidelines have to be in place to have a well run country. The type of country that is clean, well maintained, livable and economically friendly to its citizens. It takes a huge amount of work and time to create a world-class country. And it's definitely not something that happens over night! (Or even over the course of a few years.)
As we drove through Albania I saw people using donkeys to haul stuff around and get from place to place. And most of the donkeys did not look well fed or taken care of. I saw meat being sold out of what really was a bloody, unclean, hole in the wall along a shopping street in one of the towns we passed through. I saw so many dilapidated and run down buildings, and was shocked that many were still in use by businesses and residents in their current state. And I saw a country full of shattered windows, torn down fences, stripped cars, and burning piles of trash and junk.
But one refreshing thought in this rather serious journal entry, is that despite all these ails, Albania still has a beautiful ocean, a breathtaking coast, friendly people, and a gorgeous sunset.
I am very thankful to have been able to travel through Albania. Although one day and night wasn't much, it was enough for me to get a feel for the country and be very thankful that I was lucky enough to have been born in a clean, modern country. And I'm very thankful to have gone through Albania with a tour group Because you really couldn't ever manage to pass through or stay in Albania on your own.
Albania was a very special place to visit. And it was a real eye opener on this forty day adventure.
- September 8th, 2006
- By Daniel Scrivner
