>From Thessaloniki to Tirana in one day. Yes sir.
GR-MK
1st February began with the thickest fog accompanying us out of the Greek territory. At the border, the lady spoke in English with Slavic accent, but asked Manos to give her the prassini karta (green paper in Greek). Here you are the prassini karta. Then, though, she also strictly requested the kartelaki (small card). But we don’t have no kartelaki… No kartelaki? Oh god, no kartelaki. What are we gonna do now? Lady says – then here is the kartelaki, fill it in. It turns out it was nothing more than the ‘visa’ for Greek citizens entering Macedonia. How to put a stamp on their passport with a name they don’t recognize?
Bitola.
Without big problems we arrive to Bitola, our first stop. Bitola is ancient Manastir, second biggest city in the country, next to the beautiful Ohrid lake., cultural center of great importance for the Slavic Orthodox church but at the same time the place were the basis for Albanian language were agreed upon in 1912. AEGEE-Bitola is unreachable, their address book entries lead into an open space, the ABC communicated. We were not even sure to meet Mitko and Biljana, met by me at EDL Beograd and, at the end, we were so glad we did! They do want to give a new start to the local, but really needed some help. Old board members disappearing, not helpful or even counter-productive are almost a Leit-motiv in this trip, and Bitola is no exception. Outcome: address book changed, criteria & much more explained, PR material delivered. They will join the forces with Robert from AEGEE-Prilep, also EDL Beograd participant, also motivated to work on AEGEE and will have new elections soon. No sense in keeping two weak antennae so close one to the other, basically relying on the same university. Putting them in touch with strong AEGEE-Skopje is a must.
MK-AL
Mitko and his father explained us the best way to reach Tirana, much longer and much quicker at the same time. He warns us not to have a ‘Heavy foot’ (Teska noga) by overspeeding in specific parts of the road, as control might be there. “Tena Joker” should speak in Serbian with the Macedonians and in Italian with the Albanians, he says.
Towards Albanian roads it’s night, it’s winter, it’s ice. How much more adventurous can it get? At the customs (where we are the only ‘clients’), indeed, my Joker personality works. The policeman is so delighted there is an Italian that he does not want to check us (Check? Ah no! – Italia! – ah no, no!) but is at the same time extremely proud of the anti-drugs machine built by the Italian government, which takes Manos’ AEGEE mobile up and down, all three of us laughing.
We almost passed one extra month in Albania: the first stamp they put on our passports was 1.1.2009.
Manos ‘Teska noga’ managed to get stopped 4 times by Albanian officers, but indeed they never bothered us.
Tirana
When we arrive to the Albanian capital it’s late in the night. An Albanian driver with a Trento(!) car plate shows us the way to Jonida’s neighborhood. Jehona from AEGEE-Prishtina, subcommie for the region now, is waiting for us there. We finally find the Albanian roads with holes and water, but Jonida’s apartment is beautiful. Relieved, though more and more sick, we explain to the two girls what we know about the ‘soap opera’ of the local, with groups quarreling and eventually nobody active. Jonida adds input. We find out that the ‘losing’ group was led a famous personality and pop singer in Albania! The following evening we would finally put all pieces together around a table.
Sickness… Leaving for Shkoder in the morning.