The Economist’s correspondent also wrote about Albanian rail travel” which I appreciated just because it’s such an obscure topic here, let alone for outside readers.
I remember making my way through Bosnia in the spring of 2007 and being amazed at the mountains. I took an overnight train from Zagreb, woke up in Split and then took a minibus down the Croatian coast to Ploce. The Croatian coast is full of dramatic views because the road is literally on the side of a mountain with nothing but a couple hundred meters below you and the sea on the horizon. The minute we headed north towards Mostar in Bosnia, the mountains became more and more intense. I remember thinking that I had never seen mountains like that. When I found out I’d be spending two years in Albania, and after I looked through pictures of the country, I had a feeling the landscape would be like Bosnia. I was right. Mountains and geography are part of the reason why travel is long and grueling. Always a fan of rail travel, it was disappointing in that regard to be sent to Albania. There are only a few lines (Tirana to Saranda in the south, Tirana to Shkoder in the north, Tirana to Pogradec via Durres and Elbasan to the east). Most people who have traveled on a Deutsche Bahn ICE then taken any train in Eastern Europe will usually complain. In most countries, the rail systems are/were government owned and not maintained really well. Certainly they fall below Western European standards, often hilariously so. I used to joke that the thermostats in the cabin could have been replaced with M&Ms glued into where the button should be, after spending freezing nights or sweltering nights curled up on a far too narrow seat. I won’t even mention the bathrooms. But these are reasons that make them so alluring and endearing, especially for an American born far too late to experience what a connected rail infrastructure may have been like. Say what you want about the trains, but the lines can usually get you exactly where you need to go. And when they aren’t creeping or stopping at every tiny town, they’re pretty comfortable, too.
This article may answer a question most of us have wondered at one time or another: given that Albanians didn’t have private automobiles until the 1990s, how did they get around? Think about that for a second. As Americans where seemingly everyone has a private car, imagine not having any at all. Many Albanian families still don’t. Having a private car here is still very much of a luxury. That alone is a hard idea to wrap your head around, let alone trying to imagine what the roads would have looked like twenty years ago with all these first time drivers out there sans licenses. And we thought Albanian driving was suspect now… can’t imagine trying to cross the autostrada when people started driving. There are still a lot of problems with travel and driving here, highlighted by last weekend’s accident in the northern part of the country that killed 14. Two days ago, there was an accident at my site on the road I cross every day that killed a man. You always have to be so careful.
What I’ve read and what I’ve heard about Albanian rail is this: they are powered with late 70s engines from Czechoslovakia and furnished with a number of antiquated passenger cars from a number of Western European countries. It is important to note that usually a train is just one engine and two to three cars at most. I’ve heard they may or may not have bathrooms on them, which is a challenge since some rides could be upwards of five hours long. I heard that during the upheaval in 1997, people took to the tracks to remove spikes, part of a series of destroying things for no really good reason. People joke that the reason trains go so slow (I’ve heard upwards of 1 ½ hours from Tirana to Durres, which takes about 35 minutes by car) is that going any faster would cause a derailment. Like most jokes, I think there’s at least a half truth in there. I’ve traveled to the eastern part of the country which gets more mountainous the nearer you get to Lake Ohrid and the Macedonian border and I’ve been amazed as I saw train bridges a hundred feet tall or more as well as a number of tunnels. If the ride through to the east is pretty in a furgon, I bet it’s even more beautiful by train. A plan to go from Librazhd to Pogradec in the September is already in the works.
The most telling line is: “In theory they have 78 locomotives, but only 18 to 20 actually work, and the rest are cannibalised to keep the others going.” This is typical of many things here, not limited just to the rail system. Albania has a lack of knowhow, partly because of brain drain, and a fundamental lack of resources. It’s hard for the country to be able to fix anything by itself, even if it’s willing to. The article mentions a train linking Rinas, the airport, to Tirana. For an airport that serves over 1 million people a year, it would be great to connect the two places currently separated by a half hour bus ride. Like many other things, the project didn’t work out. The failed project
“ was a railwayman’s dream, the managers tell me, but far from being downcast their eyes are now firmly fixed on Brussels. An EU feasibility study has been completed and if the project is approved it could see up to €225m being used to fix much of the network.”
It’s another issue entirely to wonder how the funds will be manage and distributed and what the time frame would be on any eventual project. Even when funds are secured, corruption and mismanagement hinder the process. As for the EU, it seems like membership is being dangled like a carrot. I think most Albanians have high hopes for what life will be like when Albania joins the EU. But their hopes are unrealistic. Money isn’t going to rain down and life won’t change overnight, which is something both sides need to get clearer on. Albania has a long way to go until it’s ready for the EU, especially with the growing acceptance that the EU overexpanded in the first place. In my opinion, Poland is the only solid newer member out of the whole bunch. But that’s a topic for another blog. The number one thing preventing Albania from joining the EU is corruption and lawlessness as well as a strong set of laws. The EU has seemingly infinite laws that members must adapt. Based on previous experience, Albanians won’t conform to EU regulations when it comes to gathering grass to feed cows after one day instead of seven days… so I have no idea how they would adapt and enforce EU laws here. But in the meantime, cooperation can ensure the process keeps moving in a forward direction.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Eastern approaches
Aside from being a great news weekly that I loved to read while spending summer afternoons in the hammock, The Economist also has an extensive website. One of my favorite blogs are Johnson, a blog about linguistics. The other week, Johnson examined the German habit of “pressing thumbs” for good luck, which I enjoyed immensely. The other blog I check daily is Eastern approaches which focuses on post-communist countries. It’s loaded with lots of interesting links and stories from all over the region while throwing in a book recommendation or two for good measure. So when the author was recently traveling through Albania, I couldn’t wait to find out his thoughts.
There are three pieces focusing on Albania: part one about Tirana, society and neo-Ottomanism; part two is on Albanian rail which I’ll write about separately; and part three about the northern border with Montenegro.
The first piece is a very brief summary of the last hundred or so years, combined with what the current situation is. Lately, volunteers have been discussing Turkey’s potential EU membership as well as Albania’s, of which I support Turkey’s bid to join the EU. One reason is that it can meet the EU requirements necessary for joining. It’s also the second largest supplier of NATO troops and is stabile and moderate for the most part. Having that kind of ally in a Muslim world that the West continuously alienates is a good thing and Turkey should be rewarded for what it has done. I’m not saying it’s free from flaws or not without problems, but when you compare other countries that are now members of the EU… it doesn’t leave much room for a lot of argument. People are against it for a number of reasons, usually having to do with the failure to admit the Armenian genocide (hint: take a page out of Serbia’s book when it came to Srebrenica and just own up to it) or the fact that they are, gasp, MUSLIMS! I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but the EU and its countries aren’t exclusive members of the old, white, Christian men’s club anymore. That’s a fact that will become more apparent as white Europeans continue to not reproduce. As colonial chickens come home to roost, European nations will have to deal with this identity crisis caused by changing demographics. Ever one for trumpeting rights and inclusion, the EU needs to put its money where its mouth is and accept a country that is religiously different from its member states. What the article does is bring up the idea of neo-Ottomanism as Turkey returns to the region it once ruled. I know several Turkish schools and even a few volunteers who will stay here in Albania to take employment at them. It should be interesting to see how things continue if Turkey is indeed trying to regain power in the region. My guess is that Albania will take whatever aid and improvements it can get.
The third post is about the Montenegrin border in the north of Albania. When I went to Croatia, this is the route we took. The border is less than twenty minutes outside Shkoder, the last large town going out of Albania. It’s kind of a weird border, especially when you consider that it’s a bus route for traffic going to through the area. The roads are windy and narrow and traveling on them was a mess because of the traffic. Every time you meet another bus, someone basically has to stop. It’s like that for quite some time since both sides of the border are loaded with villages. It’s not until later that you get on a “real road.” The border article is interesting because the Shengen zone continues to expand. A large part of the nightly news involves speculating on when Albanians will be able to travel in the EU without visas, something that should take a little bit more time. It’s an issue of interest to many Albanians because many leave the country to seek employment or have relatives abroad they want to visit. However, outsiders have concerns about an Albanian exodus if given the ability to travel visa-free. Already the country is bleeding youth. You have to wonder who will be active here if anyone can leave in the near future.
There are three pieces focusing on Albania: part one about Tirana, society and neo-Ottomanism; part two is on Albanian rail which I’ll write about separately; and part three about the northern border with Montenegro.
The first piece is a very brief summary of the last hundred or so years, combined with what the current situation is. Lately, volunteers have been discussing Turkey’s potential EU membership as well as Albania’s, of which I support Turkey’s bid to join the EU. One reason is that it can meet the EU requirements necessary for joining. It’s also the second largest supplier of NATO troops and is stabile and moderate for the most part. Having that kind of ally in a Muslim world that the West continuously alienates is a good thing and Turkey should be rewarded for what it has done. I’m not saying it’s free from flaws or not without problems, but when you compare other countries that are now members of the EU… it doesn’t leave much room for a lot of argument. People are against it for a number of reasons, usually having to do with the failure to admit the Armenian genocide (hint: take a page out of Serbia’s book when it came to Srebrenica and just own up to it) or the fact that they are, gasp, MUSLIMS! I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but the EU and its countries aren’t exclusive members of the old, white, Christian men’s club anymore. That’s a fact that will become more apparent as white Europeans continue to not reproduce. As colonial chickens come home to roost, European nations will have to deal with this identity crisis caused by changing demographics. Ever one for trumpeting rights and inclusion, the EU needs to put its money where its mouth is and accept a country that is religiously different from its member states. What the article does is bring up the idea of neo-Ottomanism as Turkey returns to the region it once ruled. I know several Turkish schools and even a few volunteers who will stay here in Albania to take employment at them. It should be interesting to see how things continue if Turkey is indeed trying to regain power in the region. My guess is that Albania will take whatever aid and improvements it can get.
The third post is about the Montenegrin border in the north of Albania. When I went to Croatia, this is the route we took. The border is less than twenty minutes outside Shkoder, the last large town going out of Albania. It’s kind of a weird border, especially when you consider that it’s a bus route for traffic going to through the area. The roads are windy and narrow and traveling on them was a mess because of the traffic. Every time you meet another bus, someone basically has to stop. It’s like that for quite some time since both sides of the border are loaded with villages. It’s not until later that you get on a “real road.” The border article is interesting because the Shengen zone continues to expand. A large part of the nightly news involves speculating on when Albanians will be able to travel in the EU without visas, something that should take a little bit more time. It’s an issue of interest to many Albanians because many leave the country to seek employment or have relatives abroad they want to visit. However, outsiders have concerns about an Albanian exodus if given the ability to travel visa-free. Already the country is bleeding youth. You have to wonder who will be active here if anyone can leave in the near future.
17 down, 10 to go
It’s been a busy summer, especially considering that I’ve been on vacation since mid-June. The first part of my vacation was dominated by World Cup viewing parties in various locations, including Corovode in southern Albania with my friend Daryoush; a particularly lively bar at the very end of Durres; and various locations with various people here in site. So far this summer I’ve had four visitors, 3 of which were long-term. I’ve loved having the company and watching the games, but it will be nice to have a little break before a busy August.
One of my best friends visited me in Albania for two weeks in July, and for that I’m grateful. Luckily, she’s used to the way things run in this part of the world since her father is from Romania. I hadn’t thought about how difficult it is for foreigners here – especially from cultural and day-to-day perspectives. I guess I’ve assimilated or flat out gotten used to so many things in this year that I don’t even notice it, so it was interesting to see Albania through someone else’s eyes. Who would have thought that a 90 degree bedroom wouldn’t bother me, but actually serve as a place for me to work out? Or that I’d drink 3+ liters of water a day in a constantly losing battle to stay hydrated? Or that I’d be fine with walking or suffering through public transportation in the over 100 degree summer months to get where I was going? Oh god, I’m going to have adjustment issues.
In August, my group will have MSC (mid-service conference). I’m heading up the planning committee which has kept me busy for the last couple weeks. Basically everything that could have gone wrong did, or anything that was inconvenient was the case. Luckily I haven’t had to do it completely alone but this is the last conference I’m going to plan during my service. One is enough when there is a group of almost thirty other adult, human beings all of whom are capable (at least in theory) of doing it. I put a lot of effort into my work and I get frustrated when everyone is content to sit back… even if by constantly volunteering I’m really just enabling passivity. No more.
To think that I’ll be celebrating another birthday in Albania is crazy. It feels like only a couple months ago that Kate and I were celebrating our last ones. It’s weird knowing that at this time next year, I’ll be home (and terrifyingly almost 27 with zero savings to my name, but that’s a panic-laden entry for another day). A lot has gone on this year on so many levels, the least of which involved talk of rings. I’ve undergone so much personal and professional development and I’ve had the chance to really grow here and learn a bit more about myself. I think the problem in America is that we are always so busy with everything else that we forget to nourish ourselves on all kinds of levels. We put financial gain over personal and spiritual growth, which is something that I haven’t agreed with in a long time. This experience just cements that. I don’t know where the road leads from here as my time in Albania grows shorter, but I’m working on finding it out.
In the meantime, I try to remember all these little moments that make up my life here. I take a mental picture and store it away; thinking about how in future years, I’ll look back at a Snickers ice cream cone, a sing along evening, or the sparkle in someone’s eye when you share a moment… and feel that specific nostalgia one reserves for events that are concretely fixed in past.
One of my best friends visited me in Albania for two weeks in July, and for that I’m grateful. Luckily, she’s used to the way things run in this part of the world since her father is from Romania. I hadn’t thought about how difficult it is for foreigners here – especially from cultural and day-to-day perspectives. I guess I’ve assimilated or flat out gotten used to so many things in this year that I don’t even notice it, so it was interesting to see Albania through someone else’s eyes. Who would have thought that a 90 degree bedroom wouldn’t bother me, but actually serve as a place for me to work out? Or that I’d drink 3+ liters of water a day in a constantly losing battle to stay hydrated? Or that I’d be fine with walking or suffering through public transportation in the over 100 degree summer months to get where I was going? Oh god, I’m going to have adjustment issues.
In August, my group will have MSC (mid-service conference). I’m heading up the planning committee which has kept me busy for the last couple weeks. Basically everything that could have gone wrong did, or anything that was inconvenient was the case. Luckily I haven’t had to do it completely alone but this is the last conference I’m going to plan during my service. One is enough when there is a group of almost thirty other adult, human beings all of whom are capable (at least in theory) of doing it. I put a lot of effort into my work and I get frustrated when everyone is content to sit back… even if by constantly volunteering I’m really just enabling passivity. No more.
To think that I’ll be celebrating another birthday in Albania is crazy. It feels like only a couple months ago that Kate and I were celebrating our last ones. It’s weird knowing that at this time next year, I’ll be home (and terrifyingly almost 27 with zero savings to my name, but that’s a panic-laden entry for another day). A lot has gone on this year on so many levels, the least of which involved talk of rings. I’ve undergone so much personal and professional development and I’ve had the chance to really grow here and learn a bit more about myself. I think the problem in America is that we are always so busy with everything else that we forget to nourish ourselves on all kinds of levels. We put financial gain over personal and spiritual growth, which is something that I haven’t agreed with in a long time. This experience just cements that. I don’t know where the road leads from here as my time in Albania grows shorter, but I’m working on finding it out.
In the meantime, I try to remember all these little moments that make up my life here. I take a mental picture and store it away; thinking about how in future years, I’ll look back at a Snickers ice cream cone, a sing along evening, or the sparkle in someone’s eye when you share a moment… and feel that specific nostalgia one reserves for events that are concretely fixed in past.
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