To Albania With Love

Sunset in Saranda

It is tourist season.  Many people, from all corners of the world, are visiting newer destinations in larger numbers every year. One of them is Albania. For some, it has even become their favorite country to visit. This is evident from the look of excitement on their faces and the passion they have when they talk about their experiences there.

Butrint Amphitheater 

Recently my son, Rubin, and his girlfriend, Cara, embarked on a trip there.  Cara is a Senior Communications Associate for Echoing Green, a not-for-profit company based in Manhattan.  She loves her job and is a good spokesperson for her company.  But she loved Albania as well, and I am confident that she would be an equally good spokesperson for Albania as well.

For the Fourth of July, when they came to visit us, we had a nice conversation that ended with the interview below:

Q1. Cara, you have traveled all over the world, as a tourist and for work.  You have been in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. During your last trip, you spent two weeks in Albania.  What was the reason you chose the Land of the Eagles?

Cara - Well, my boyfriend is Albanian, and we were obligated to do a proper visit to Rubin’s home country because he hadn’t been there for a full vacation since 2012. We had to go to see the rest of the family.  I had never been, but I heard so much about it. I was curious to learn about the culture, the food, and the people. My first trip to Europe was last year, and I was excited to see more of Europe.The Mediterranean and Eastern Europe in particular.

View of old Berati (UNESCO heritage site)

Q2.  Like every tourist, you carefully prepared for the trips you take. I’m curious to know how you prepared for this one. What were your first impressions when you landed at the Tirana airport, named after Albanian Saint, Mother Teresa?

Cara - To prepare, we gathered a lot of recommendations from  family. We had so many places we wanted to go, so we had to narrow it down.  It ended up being a long list of cities and we organized those in a spreadsheet...like I usually do for big trips. We ended up going to Tirana, Kruja, Kuçovë, Berat, Fier, Llogara, Sarandë, Gjirokaster, Korçë, Pogradec, and Elbasan, so I wanted to keep track of where we’re going and which dates we’ll be in each city.  I also looked at the weather to make sure what, and how much, we had to pack.

Kruja

I noticed that it was a small airport, but it wasn’t the smallest airport I’ve ever been to.  I have been to an even smaller airport in Boracay Island in the Philippines.  So Mother Teresa airport was pretty big by comparison.  And I actually liked that it was small because it was convenient and the lines went by fast, and the people waiting for you are close by.  You don’t feel lost like you do in bigger airports like JFK.

Q3. Albania is a small, but it is rich in nature and history.  Did you get a chance to explore this side of the country?

Panoramic Restaurant Beach in Ksamil

Cara - We saw a lot of nature.  And I was very impressed at how scenic everything was.  And the mountains were really close, which is something I personally love. The first week we spent with family and we learned a lot about the tales and mythological stories about the mountains and the castles. During the second week we traveled down to the coast.  We saw the water and beach, which were beautiful.  The beach in Ksamil was probably one the bluest waters I’ve ever seen. For that I couldn't stop taking photos because everything was beautiful. I keep telling people that ask me about the trip, “Albania is one of the most beautiful countries that I have ever been to.”

Koran in Pogradec 

Q4. During these two weeks you met our family as well as other Albanians.  You lived among them, enjoyed their food and hospitality.  How did you find their welcome? Is there anything you would like to share with us?

Cara - The family was very accommodating.  Everyone made sure we were taken care of and we were well fed. They went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable.  And during the second week, when we went off by ourselves, I still felt that we were welcomed even though we were not from there. Everyone was nice to us.  We got a lot of meals on the house and discounted hotel rooms.  I felt like everyone was trying to impress us, maybe to show that they have an emerging tourist industry.

Q5. If you have the chance to speak to your friends or any other audience from the west, that may not have any information about Albania but are looking to travel, what advice would you give them?

Monument of Agonothetes in Apollonia, Fier

Cara - I tell them how beautiful the country is and much we saw in a short period of time.  We saw a lot of nature, historical ruins, beautiful mountains everywhere, beaches, scenic areas.  Also how affordable it was.  We were able to eat really well and have three course meals.  The tourism industry was further along than we thought. Every touristy place we went to, we saw tour groups with people from all over the world.  Because I’m Asian American I noticed the Asian tourists. And in fact some Asian Americans were visiting as well, and I thought “Wow...they are like me. And they don’t even know anyone from here.”

Q6. What about the youth of Albania, who are looking to move abroad in large numbers, believing that they will have better opportunities.  What advice would you give them about life in the US and some misconceptions about living here?

A typical country salad

Cara - I’ve only lived in New York. I was born here, and it is all I know. I can say that moving to New York City, which many people want to do,  is harder than it looks because the cost of living is so high.  Obviously wages are higher, but the ratio of salary to expenses is higher as well. You need to reassess how you budget and save to make sure your priorities are in order.  You have to make sure you save enough to make the rent.  I personally don’t know how hard it is to pack everything up and move to another country, but my parents were immigrants, and I know how hard it was for them to leave their country and start from scratch.  My grandfather had a good job in Hong Kong, but worked as a dishwasher in the US. This is what you need to prepare for.

Considering Albania has a beautiful coast and similar opportunities, including the tourist industry, I personally would not want to leave. Especially if my family and friends are there.  That’s all I personally need.  You may come here and make more money, but at the end of the day you may not be happy.

Departing Tirana....until next time.

Q7. This time you traveled through central and south Albania.  The north is just as beautiful. I assume good time you had traveling through south only heightened your curiosity.  Do you think you will go back for a second visit to see the rest of the country?

Cara - Yes I would like to visit the north.  See Shkodra, where Rubin was born. I also just love mountains, so I want to see more of that.  On Instagram I saw a lot of people go on hikes there, and they posted beautiful pictures, so I would like to see that.  I would like to consider myself having seen the whole country not just the central and south.  I can say that I fell in love with Albania.