A Metal Pyramid, Lots of Bananas and Free Cheese (Tirana)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Tirana
Date:	15/04/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice people mostly, fun bustle

Disadvantages: Not a great deal to see

I was busy reviewing Saranda when I realised that I somehow also forgot about Albania's unique capital during a spell of reviewing Albanian places some month's ago.

Sightwise there's little to see in Tirana but it's worth hanging around a bit to absorb the atmosphere. Having come in to Tirana at dusk in the summer, I was wondering what was going on - people were lighting trash by the road side, there was a mess everywhere, cars were non stop honking and then all of a sudden the minibus dropped everyone off at what seemed to be a roundabout.

Trying to find a hotel (nothing planned before and no hostels then - think one has opened these days) could have proved difficult as I was struggling to work out how to pronounce the Albanian for centre. An old Albanian guy plucked a playing kid from the cafe around the corner who began speaking to me in the most fluent of London accents, turns out the kid had spent a few years as a refugee from Kosovo there and had been sent back relatively recently. This little kid (think he said he was 8) was legendary and introduced us to the best value illegal money dealer in town and found us a budget hotel in a city notoriously expensive for its budget accomodation. He then left as it was getting late and said little kids shouldn't be in the streets after 10 as there is a tendency for them to get held at gunpoint and go missing etc but he was keen to hang out with us the next day with his mother! Somehow we didn't meet the guy again as we were available at different times.

Tirana is a weird place, devoid of any real sights unless you include an enormous main square, a metal pyramid and a central market, the cities constant beeping and ginormous piles of bananas by the roadside will mark you for ever though. One second, you'll have a palm tree lined boulevard with wealthy people in their latest designer gear, shades and cars such as Ferraris and Porsches and the next a road will have a hole so big it can fit a car in (literally)

People always seemed incredibly friendly, if I wanted to try a small piece of cheese, the woman in the shop would end up giving me an enormous block for free and in some cases it seemed almost impossible to pay for things. It;s very much a city of the cars though, it was pretty grey when I visited but I've heard that buildings have since been painted reggae colours in a government scheme. There's not a great deal of nightlife unless you want to drink raki with some very dodgy characters and I have to say I generally opted for the early night option whilst there, a rarity for me!

Summary: A short stay is well worth it