Night bus to Tirana.

“Sure there is a bus!” is the ticket-office-guys answer. As we stumble into his office late at night, asking for a late bus to Albania.

Relieved because otherwise we would have to sleep in the Greek train station, we buy the ticket and start to wait.

We’ll go to Albania! That’s exciting!

A few hours of waiting and eating a little improvised dinner later, our frog-green Mercedes Bus arrives. We get in, a group of Albanian guys, one German girl, an American and the two of us.

We foreigners find ourselves at the back of the bus, all next to each other. Even though late, sleeping isn’t really an option yet. So we exchange some stories, finding our common language in English. As we chat away we don’t pay much attention to everyone around us, the bus stops for a coffee break at midnight, when the guy in front starts to make himself noticed.

Awful sound of snort being pulled behind up in the throat he spits in the corridor of the bus. Just like that. We look at each other and laugh. The girl behind me is shocked.

The guy wears sunglasses a jogging suit, matching pieces, something in his appearance, or maybe the fact that he doesn’t give a shit makes him interesting. My imagination is running wild, as I make up stories in my head. I come to the conclusion that it is reassuring me to have a Mafia-boss on board with us.

Every time he complains the whole bus is quiet and if he is not happy the lights get turned back on to find the cause of his anger.

For once we aren’t the craziest people in the bus. I like it.

Between one bit of sleep and the other we cross the border.

“What are you doing in Albania?” the Greek border officers asks us disbelievingly. “Visiting?” we answer, a bit confused. What else does he suspect us to do over there?
But then we discover their real intentions behind that question. “Albania? In Winter? Why?”
We laugh and tell them, we like the cold. Which doesn’t really help the confusion.

As we enter Albania, the bus driver tells us that we arrived, seemingly proud to present to us his country. Charmed by his attitude we appreciate the dark cold night around us. Feeling great to have arrived in Albania.

We still need to unload all the people along the road in different towns and village. Until we arrive in Tirana at 3’o clock in the morning.

Woken up suddenly, and thrown out into the fresh night, we do not need to wonder long what to do at such time in a strange place. Toilets and an open Caffe await us, which is all we wished for.

The coffee tastes excellent and I get the feeling I might indeed enjoy Albania.

Cheers for stopping by. Have a lovely week!

All photos and words are my own, taken and written by myself ©kesityu.