In Albania, most of the population (and all of the Peace Corps Volunteers) depends on public transportation. Minibuses known as 'furgons,' which is the equivalent of a church bus, come in all shapes and sizes, models, smells, with or without or air condition and are a completely different experience each time you go somewhere. Since Bajram Curri is so isolated in the north, most public transportation leaving is on a larger minibus and is air conditioned. Since Bajram Curri is so isolated the number of furgon times a day is limited to about 4 or 5 chances. One at 6am and the rest a little before or after lunch time. The travel time takes from around 4-7 hours to get to Tirane, the only destination out of Bajram Curri.
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| This day we had about a 20 minute coffee break. |
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| One of the most popular Pilaf Stops, right outside of Kukes, on the Kosovo Border. |
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| Bathrooms at the Pilaf Stop. |
Yes, I said, 4-7 hours. Why such a big time difference you ask? This is where the beautiful, sometimes obnoxious Pilaf Stop comes into play. Now pilaf means rice in Albanian but this doesn't mean you'll eat pilaf, one might get some raki, a coffee, some Oregano Lays or just get out for a stretch. Some women stay on the bus during the pilaf stop but men are typically seen drinking raki (the homemade liquor), smoking cigarettes and eating some pilaf.
Up to the driver's discretion pilaf stops can be anywhere from an hour where everyone gets out, to the driver gets to get out and no one else does, to we stop for 10 minutes for a coffee. I guess you can compare it to a pitstop at a gas station on a road trip, but the 'avash avash' mentality still is in play on getting to the final destination.
I've taken a pilaf stop 20 minutes outside of our destination before. I've been on a bus that took 3 stops and on a bus that has taken no stops, all coming to or from Tirane to Bajram Curri. Since there aren't that many buses that travel form BC I've made friends with most of the drivers and they tend to look out for me. That doesn't mean that I don't try to dehydrate myself before the ride, just incase we don't stop. Having to pee on a bus, not knowing if it will ever stop, is not the best feeling in the world.
