17.05.2011 - Tirana (Albania) to Ioannina (Greece)

17.05.2011 - Tirana (Albania) to ioannina (Greece)
We left the lovely Sheraton hotel in Tirana at 7.30. No one dared venture outside the safety walls of the Sheraton hotel, too risky. We were even told not to drink the water, and we will have a packed lunch on the coach today, as we will not eat anything in Albania as we will risk Hepatitis B' & C! The poverty was such a sad thing to see, and makes one feel uncomfortable staying in luxuary while other live is squallar, even now that comunism does not exisit, people do not seem to think for themselves, or help themselves, filth everywhere, men litterally just standing around everywhere doing nothing, not bettering them selves in any way. It is also very common for the men (as you wil see in photos) to slaughter the cows, sheeps on the side of the road, like a butchery ion the road - there was even a man chopping off chicken heads!!! When it came for our 'bathroom stops' it was hillarious, they have these toilets where the ladies have to Squat....we no one was game and we pinched till we got to the hotel. It will be something to get used to. Another disgusting observation and a habbit we will get into for the next few days is....yu are NOT ALLOWED to throw the toilet paper in the toilet, it all goes into a bin next to the toilet.....URGHHH WHAT A SIGHT.... the sewerage system cannot deal with the paper....well, we will have to grit our teeth, as they say when in Greece, do as the Grecians doooooodoo...
As we took the scenic drive on a very trecherous road to Greece, the poverty kept showing. almost every single house being built was never finished. Here they cannot just ask the bank for a loan, so they litterally have to save ahead for any bricks and mortar that needs to be laid, and sometimes never. Apparantly in the early 1990's when the famous'pyramid' gambling options came up, people sold their homes thinking they will make money, and of course they never did and never recovered from the scam.
We headed to the northern mountains of Greece to the pretty resort of Ioannina. After crossing the two borders again, the scenery changed allot, or shall I say the housing and cleanliness. Unfortunately the weather is abit dismal, but was great to catch a nap on the bus, because buggalugs here caught the dreaded cold and flu from all the other passengers on the bus that is making its rounds...Anyway I had many older grey haired ladies mothering me and dosing me up...fortunatley we have a couple hours to recoup here in Ioannina as we arrived at 4pm. We also had to put our watches another hour forward. We were welcomed with Ozo, kalamata olives, feta cheese and tomoatoes....yummy, cannot wait for the greek cuisines.....tomorrow a very exciting day and so will the next few days be, as we will be going to Athens, then board a cruiseship for 3 days. Hopefully I will get to meet familoy members there who live on the island.....so watch this space.