RETURN TO SOFIA IN BULGARIA, 6 MONTHS LATER
On a hot day in June, from Orio al Serio (Bg), I take the plane of the low cost company Wizz Air at 1.25pm which takes me at 4.25pm to Sofia Airport in Bulgaria (there is an hour of time zone) . The price of a one-way ticket, including taxes, is 19.99 Euros.
I get off the aircraft, after the same, he had repeatedly expressed the feeling of not making it, thus dying before landing, while logically
beautiful Bulgarian by my side, who I had chosen as a traveling companion, like in the old days,
had given terrible signs of a heart attack following the above events and
after a roar of applause never heard before had welcomed
the non-trivial landing.
An impossible heat and mugginess welcome me back to Bulgaria after the freezing weather
last December.
By my side as always only impossibly beautiful Bulgarians came to
visit Italy or some Bulgarian super-hot accompanied by some Teedel
on duty who sought his fortune in Eastern Europe.
Nothing has changed since I left Sofia over 7 months ago.
This time, however, I move with more ease, thanks to my past experience and
very quickly I go to passport control with an identity card with
the stamp (even if I know that it is not always allowed), to pave the way for
posterity who will come here with the above document with renewal stamp.
I sacrifice myself for everyone and
I pass the airport customs without problems.
I go to my usual airport bank to change money but this time the lady incredibly denies me the change.
This is my thought: "but if you changed them 7 months ago ???? "
I do not allow myself to be disheartened by events and
I take the usual bus n. 84 (cost 1 LEV) using the currency I had left over from the previous trip.
After about 40 minutes I get off at the east edge of the center (it's the closest stop and it's less than 1km from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral).
I quickly walk to the center where, after visiting it, I exchange 30 Euros at one of the many EXCHANGES.
Nothing has changed since December:
almost no tourists and only young people speak English.
I'm also looking for the postcard
with the stamp, but nothing to do: incredible, there are lots of postcards but not even
a stamp. Crazy stuff. I continue undeterred. I know it like the back of my pocket
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria) and walk back to the usual bus station, located adjacent to the railway station, north of the city about 2 km from the center.
There I go to the usual counter no. 96, from the usual
Lady who logically does not recognize me.
Book
I book my ticket to Skopie (Macedonia) for 7.00 the next day (there are several minibis every day).
I'm still looking for stamps, still losing a few pieces of
cartilage of the knees and then I bend my head and, on the main road a few tens of meters south of the central train station, I take tram n. 7 (cost 1 lev. Remember to validate the ticket once you get on the bus), which comes from the east and runs south (even n. 4 and 6 initially follow the same route).
I get off at Makedonia Square and a few tens of meters west on Makedonia Boulevard n. 2nd, individual
the Hostel Mostel (minimum price: 6.90 Euros per night, including dinner, breakfast and free internet).
From the outside, the property appears dilapidated.
As indicated I find
the rusty iron door. Sound, I open the opsoleta door with difficulty.
Another world opens up to me: a wonderful wooden courtyard, a hostel full of
Young people.
The whole world seems to be here. I haven't walked in that door yet
already the beautiful girls who run the hostel bring me to the table.
They offer me right away
a full plate of pasta and a pint of light beer thankfully.
I don't have time to say that I preferred water, because I am overwhelmed by events.
I drink beer with difficulty and eat spicy pasta with as much effort.
It burns me
everything but I can.
Finished the pasta
immediately the girl of the hostel gives me the map of Sofia and explains me for 15
minutes what to do in Sofia.
She speaks fast English and sometimes I get lost but worse than me she understands
the Japanese who is traveling the world alone without knowing almost anything
English.
Ostes then leaves me alone with the Japanese girl. She hardly speaks anything
of English and she does not understand what I am asking.
But then she finally pulls me out
her map of her and here is her world tour in 5 months: Patagonia,
South America, Morocco, England, Spain, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia,
Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy.
All this alone. Crazy stuff: what an extraordinary encounter. I fold it for a moment
head but then the Ostes looms.
I pay my 7 euros including dinner and
breakfast and then I am accompanied to the clean and tidy room.
Definitely the most beautiful Hostel I have ever seen.
Tomorrow a very hard day awaits me with a double bus and I arrive in Pristina,
city symbol of the last Balkan war, where you can still breathe the smell
acrid of battle. Can't wait to be there.
But for now I'm here ...... without a stamp in spite of myself.
RETURN TO SKOPJE IN MACEDONIA, 6 MONTHS LATER
I get up very early and take tram n. 7 (cost 1 lev. Remember to validate the ticket once you get on the bus), which comes from the south and runs north (n. 4 and 6 are fine too) and which takes me in a few minutes in front of the International Station of the buses of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, located a few tens of meters west of the national one.
Here with my ticket already bought the night before at the cost of 32 Lev I take the bus at 7.00 to Skopje of the company Matpu (e_mail: matpu96@abv.bg Website: www.matpu.com.
There are several every day. The red minibus with about 15 seats doesn't even go to push it.
The roads are winding and, after having crossed the not difficult border, in scarce 5 hours they are in Skopie, the capital of Macedonia, already visited last December.
GREAT EMOTIONS TO GET TO PRISTINA, THE CAPITAL OF KOSOVO.
At the Skopje (Macedonia) bus station, located adjacent to the train station, about 1 km from the historic center, I only have time to
change money and buy a bus ticket to Pristina (price 320 Macedonian Dinars, one way. There are 8 trips a day on this route. Website: web.www.sas.co.mk).
I am the only Extrabalkan on that Pulman and in two and a half hours through the mountains and countryside I finally reach the appointment with history on time at 1.30pm.
I am at
Pristina.
I immediately book the bus for tomorrow to Tirana. I have 2 choices: at 5
in the morning or at 15.00 in the afternoon. Which one did I choose for you ???? That of 5 in the morning of course.
Of course,
the trip takes 7 hours and I can't afford to arrive at 10pm in Tirana
also because the next morning I have to move very early. (Cost of the one-way ticket with the Arbeni Tours Company: 18 Euros. They also offer you a cold drink during the trip).
Then I launch into the center on foot. Everything is decadent and needs to be rebuilt.
All barracks. Many works in
course though. Here you can still breathe the flavor of
war: mine warning signs, photos of the dead, gravestones everywhere,
destroyed buildings, police everywhere, old cars and buses. After the incredible failure of the Sofia and Skopje stamps, I'm not going to try it here
not even, but I have a stroke of luck and see the post office.
I go in and the assistant has in hand
an ocean of postage stamps; I take three different ones. Then I go to the bank to change
the remaining Bulgarian and Macedonian money.
I continue my visit. The crazy heat kills me but I resist
and I visit all the small center of Pristina.
There is little to see but the historicity that
you breathe it reaches very high levels. Beautiful .... no tourists around .... difficult to find your way around, few marked streets ....
Then I take bus no. 7 for the Velania district, located on the Sunny Hill (ticket price to do on the bus: 0.40 Euros). I am looking for the Guesthouse Velania, located far from the center, but with a price of 16.00 Euro per night, including breakfast and free internet. The only one available at that price.
I ask dozens
of people and finally after an hour in which I wandered around empty I find it ... what a struggle.
Superb also this: spotless, elegant, double room all to myself with
television. For
go up to the room you have to leave your shoes down on the floor
earth ....... crazy stuff.
I think it's just me
here.
I am drinking tea at full speed and eating the hostel cereals while
I write this e-mail.
Wait
moment: another US warrior arrived alone: 3 months in
Balkans (Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, ect), 28 years old, unemployed, with a backpack weighing about 40 kg,
pazzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii .... What incredible encounters !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only in
these countries can be done.
But I have to make a small consideration: the thing that differentiates me from all these guys / and I meet abroad is that they are all adventurers like me, let alone women, but
they all have the same characteristic that I don't have yet: they are all
unemployed and stay around for months:
crazy stuff.
Twist at the Cibali: a Londoner has arrived
also alone who came to Pristina 4 days to attend a congress for Jehovah's Witnesses: Incredible !!!!
These extraordinary encounters have fatigued me. My destiny is the bed.
FINALLY, MY DREAM THAT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD SINCE I WAS CHILD HAS BEEN FULFILLED: I COME TO TIRANA, THE CAPITAL OF ALBANIA.
Here I am awake at 4 at Guesthouse Velania in Pristina (Kosovo)
I go to the reception and I call the
taxi as there are no buses at this time and since they are about 3 km away from the bus station. In a few minutes and with only 3 Euros I can reach it.
Then I take the
Bus that in 7 hours, 18 Euros, crossing mountains, lakes and the easy border between Kosovo and Albania takes me to the beautiful capital of Albania: Tirana.
There isn't much to see, but the thrill of being there completely envelops me.
Not even the shadow of tourists. I can even miraculously send a postcard.
I spend all day there and then I take myself to the beautiful Hostel Albania (price of Euro 11 per night including breakfast and free internet), located in Via Beqir Luga, in a quiet area east of Tirana, about 1 km from Skenderbej Square.
I WENT TO SCUTARI (ALBANIA) BECAUSE THIS CITY IS LOCATED ON THE ONLY EXISTING ROUTE TO GO TO MONTENEGRO BY BUS.
The next morning I wake up early to face the most difficult day of the trip: the transfer to Montenegro.
On foot I take about 2 km to Via Muhamet Gjollesha, where minibuses leave for Shkodra (Albania), at a price of 400 Leke. There are also several bigger and cheaper buses (300 Leke) that go to Shkodra starting from Rruga Karl Gega, just behind the train station.
But the minibuses arrive in the center of Shkodra while the buses leave you on the outskirts of the city forcing you to take another bus to reach the center.
For the self-injured there is also the train, more expensive and much slower (one ride a day at 1.10pm with arrival at 5.00pm.
After 1 hour and 15 minutes I am in Shkodra, a must to reach Montenegro.
Nice city where there are several Mosques in the center and the castle outside it.
ULCINJ IN MONTENEGRO IS THE FIRST TOURIST LOCATION OF THIS TRIP.
In the center of Shkoder (Albania) I take the bus of the Vllazen Lluja Company at a price of Euro 5.00 (there are several every day), which through narrow country roads and hills takes me in about 1 hour and 15 'to Ulcinj ( Montenegro), a pretty tourist resort located on the Mediterranean Sea.
The bus station is quite far from the sea but there is the possibility to rent a mountain bike inside it.
I spend a few pleasant hours on my bike and then return to the bus station.
I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE ARRIVED IN PODGORICA, THE CAPITAL OF MONTENEGRO.
From Ulcinj (Montenegro), with a Zejdin company bus (Euro 6, 00) I reach Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, in about 3 hours EUR).
I take my backpack to the Montenegro Hostel which is located a few tens of meters from the bus station and is actually a very clean and comfortable house owned by a young boy, adapted to a hostel (15 Euros per night including free internet and TV).
I spend the whole day in the center of Podgorica even if there is not much to see. Logically zero tourism.
DUBROVNIK, ONE OF THE MOST TOURISTIC CITIES IN CROATIA
From Podgorica (Montenegro), with a bus at 6.00 of the company Bozur (Euro 19, 00) I reach Dubrovnik in abundant 5 hours, one of the most touristic cities in Croatia.
The journey is pleasant as it crosses the beautiful Montenegrin and Croatian coast.
The Dubrovnik bus station remains outside the city, west of it.
By bus (ticket price: 10 Kuna at the ticket office, 12 Kuna on the bus).
The historic center is gorgeous and is enclosed within the walls.
Tourism is at a very high level and there are many Italians.
Even in the Tourist Office there is the girl who speaks Italian.
The sea is crystal clear.
And if you want to see a sublime landscape, you can go with the cable car to Monte Srd at 412 meters.
ARRIVING IN MEDJUGORIE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, IT SEEMED TO BE BACK IN ITALY
From Dubrovnik (Croatia), with a bus at 3.15 pm of the Autobusni Kolodvor company (103.30 Kuna Euros) I reach Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina) in 2 hours and 30 minutes, crossing 2 borders. (there are several buses at different times of the day that cover this route and there is even the direct bus Dubrovnik - Medjugorje).
At the bus station located, adjacent to the train station over 1 km east of the center of Mostar, I take a 30-seater bus at 19.10 from the Autoprevoz company (cost: 5 Bosnian brands), which goes up and then down on the surrounding hills reaching after about 1 hour in Medjugorje (Bosnia Herzegovina).
The small bus station is about 1km south-east of the center.
In a few minutes I reach it on foot.
And here is the Surprise. Dozens and dozens of little shops selling everything. The dominant language is Italian. Hundreds and hundreds of mostly Italian tourists. People praying everywhere. The Parish Church of San Giacomo is packed. I spend the night at the Pension An & Stjepan located a few tens of meters from the bus station. I have a very clean and comfortable single. (18 Euros per night).
In the morning at 5 am I am already on my way to Mount Krizevac mt 520. I walk several kilometers on foot in the plains (about 40 '), heading north before arriving at the Via Crucis in Salita through a mule track with rocks and stones.
It is 5.30 in the morning but it is already full of people praying. Some go up barefoot, some even on their knees and my knees hurt just looking at them.
However, in less than 1 hour I am on the very crowded peak of Mount Krizevac 520 meters, where there are a lot of people praying.
The view over Medjugorie (Bosnia Herzegovina) and the adjacent hills is beautiful. I get off the same route as the outward journey and still cover a scant half hour on the plains towards the south - west.
I then go up in about 20 minutes through a mule track similar to the previous one to the Apparition Hill.
Here, too, dozens and dozens of people in prayer.
Then I return on foot first downhill and then on the flat and in less than 40 minutes I am back in the center and then at the bus station.
WHAT A THRILL TO THROW ON FOOT THE VERY SLIPPY OLD BRIDGE OF MOSTAR IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, ONE OF THE MOST MARRIED CITIES DURING THE BALKAN WAR.
From Medjugorje (Bosnia Herzegovina), with an Autonerc bus company (4 Bosnian brands) I reach Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina) in about 1 hour. There are several buses at different times of the day that cover this route.
In 20 'on foot I can take me to the center. It must be said that outside the center there is total abandonment with some buildings with obvious signs of the bombings.
The historic center, on the other hand, is well kept, well paved with small shops selling anything.
Here there is tourism. The top then is the beautiful old bridge that crosses the Narente river, demolished during the Juogosalvia War and perfectly rebuilt as it was originally.
SARAJEVO, THE CAPITAL OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WHERE AN INCREDIBLE MULTITUDE OF CULTURES AND RELIGIONS LIVE. A CITY THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED THE JERUSALEM OF EUROPE.
From Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina), with a bus of the Autoprevoz company (18 Bosnian Brands) I reach Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in about 5 hours. There are several buses at different times of the day that cover this route.
The bus station adjacent to the railway station is located about 2 km from the historic center, which can be reached thanks to the various buses and trams.
If, however, as I did, you book at Hostel Ljubicica (7 Euros per night), located in Via Basèar, adjacent to the historic center, you are entitled to a free shuttle offered by the hostel. In fact, there is the branch office of the same at the bus station.
The hostel is very large, but still well maintained and welcoming even if it looks dilapidated from the outside.
The beautiful old town, full of beautiful paved paths and where you can see Mosques, close to Christian and Orthodox churches, can be easily explored on foot.
ZAGREB, THE WONDERFUL CAPITAL OF CROATIA
From Sarajevo (Bosnia Herzegovina), with a bus of the Centrotrans Eurolines company (50 Bosnian brands) I reach Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, in about 8 hours, crossing the not difficult Bosnian - Croatian border.
There are several buses at different times of the day that cover this route.
Zagreb is very nice and if you want you can also walk around.
The bus station is far from the center but is well served by bus and tram while the railway station is practically in the center.
I sleep at the City Center Hostel (17 Euros per night), located in Tkalciceva n. 37, which is the street of the historic center most frequented by young people where there are many clubs and where the night never ends.
LUBJANA, THE CUTE CAPITAL OF SLOVENIA
From Zagreb (Croatia), with a train (101.84 Kuna) I reach Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenian, in about 2 hours, through the easy Croatian - Slovenian border. There are several trains at different times of the day that run on this route. The station is less than 1 km from the center, which can be explored on foot.
The Castle is located on the adjacent Hill which can be reached in a few minutes on foot or by funicular.
MY RETURN HOME IS MANDATORY THROUGH VILLACH IN AUSTRIA
From Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, with a train (10 Euro) I reach Villach, in Austria, in about 2 hours and 45 ', where I take a bus of the Intercitybus company (25 Euro) which takes me in 3 hours to the Venezia Mestre railway station.
Please note that the two aforementioned tickets can both be issued at the Ljubljana Railway Station.
The reason why I went incredibly to Austria to return to Italy is given by the fact that there is only one train a day that operates the direct Slovenia - Italy route.
For the rest of the day, you must pass through Villach if you want to go home.
At the Venice Mestre train station I take a regional train to Verona and then another to Rovato where my wonderful journey ends (total price of both tickets: 16 Euros).
There are several trains at different times of the day that run on this route.
My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:
http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2012/10/il-giro-dei-balcani-in-autobus-e-treno.html
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