So we just got back from our PCV site visit. I woke up on Thursday morning and a driver picked me up at 4:30am to head to Elbasan to catch a furgon. From Elbasan we traveled to Tirana, the capital of Albania to catch another furgon to Bajram Curri. James, the current PCV that we were visiting met us in Tirana so we didn’t have to make the entire journey alone.
We traveled through Kosovo to get to B.Curri and arrived to skyscraping mountains, friendly (and abnormally tall for Albanian’s) people and lots and lots of handshakes. James went to this site just to “open it up” for the next PCV so he’s only been on site for 5 or 6 months. Actually the only reason he stayed in country this long was to do this site visit. Now you may or may not know but B.Curri is the ‘home’ of the mafia gangsters in the movie “Taken.” That is the furthest depiction of the truth that I’ve seen since Memories of a Geisha. I could, however, hear a distinct difference in the accents of the Northern Albanians compared to the southern or central Albanian’s I have been around thus far.
James was kind enough to introduce us to the members of the Bashkia where he worked, to some important members in the community and to members of some local NGO’s. The mayor took us on a ride in his car to Valbona, which is renowned by most Albanian’s as the most beautiful place in the country. I agree. Spearmint colored water ran through the river on the way up the mountain to the valley in between the tallest mountains in Albania on the border of Kosovo.
We stayed in B.Curri fo 2 nights then traveled to Kukes (or Kuksies, known by the Albanian’s) to visit the site where James did most of his term with the Peace Corps. We got to follow him as he said his goodbyes to his friends, colleagues and counter parts as he was leaving with us to Tirana and leaving Albania for good on Friday. James’ advice was inspirational, practical and very eye opening to the life of a volunteer in the northern part of Albania.
We don’t know for another 2-3 weeks where we’re getting placed for sure but I would love to go back to B.Curri and live/work for my two years.
