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BALKANS WITH A Donkey - ALBANIA 2011 – image 1
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BALKANS WITH A Donkey - ALBANIA 2011

The adventure with Albania began quite unusual. We approach the border crossing in Sukobin-Muriqan. After reading various information about entering Albania by car, what to watch, what papers we have to fill in and pick up at the border and then keep them until departure, the first pleasant surprise. MARIQAN - SZKODRA - LEZHE - CROSSING ROUTE 100km. Albania, however, must have come to the conclusion that too many formalities are a deterrent and now they only write down the registration number of the car - they do not even check the passport, but tell them to go on. Well, here's the problem, the policeman wrote down the registration number and shows us to go on, and here is our donkey ride. Bryka, that is, something came out with gears again and we were left with "3 and 4". We drive up a few meters and we are confused about what to do next. Since a similar situation has happened to us, we already know how to manually start the remaining gears, but this is just the beginning of our trip, so what's next, go back to Montenegro or go further. We don't know a word of Albanian. However, someone approaches us, looks under the hood and explains in a generally understood language that there is a garage in 5 km. So we're going with our soul on our shoulder. After about 5 km, there is something, but after entering the square and having a look at "what they give here", it turns out that we can replace the tires at most. Nothing - shifting the gear manually and off we go. We get to the village - a workshop neither widu nor hear. After all, a small inconspicuous world - a workshop. As soon as we get along if they're only Albanian. Luck in misfortune is their Serb - so he does our own way and we explain what and how. Previously, the exchange of this element made us quite impressed, so this time we are full of fears, but here the saying is true - the poorer the country, the more people can cope with. The mechanic takes a look under the hood, in a moment comes back with the "gas belt" and as if nothing had happened, he puts his hands "on the hot engine" for 5 minutes and it's ready. However, he says that there are shops in Shkodra a few kilometers away, that maybe we can find an item there. We are happy to continue our journey.











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