Berat to Ohrid

I left Tirana on monday morning after staying around for the Tirana vs. Shkoder game sunday. It ok very similar to conference level i guess but was decided by a last minute penalty awarded to Vlanzia Shkoder. It was at this point i realised i had been sitting in the away end all game cheering for Tirana lol. Monday morning i got the bus to Berat with two english girls i met in Tirana. I had attempted to get a furgon (local mini bus) which leaves when it is full. Fortunately i saw the bus passing before i sat in the furgon for too long and hailed it down. Got to berat which is absolutely beautiful. It does not seem to be blighted by the rubbish problem everywhere else. There is a castle on the hill which is the oldest inhabited citadel in europe probably the world. To get up there was a 15 minute hike up a very steep cobbled street. Brief look around the old town before a kebab for dinner. The hostel was run by a Jordie who had bought the house two years ago and was in the process if doing it up fully. There was another english couple who were working there while they try and get to New Zealand with no flights as well as a chef from Texas who had given up trying to hitch hike and settled for a few months. Next day took Scott (the owners advice) and took a bus to a local town to try and hike to the waterfalls. It had rained in the night so things were a bit muddy but not too bad. I found the river and started following the it to where the falls are. I had to several times cross on stepping stones, tree branch bridges as well as mud slides which wasn't ideal in jeans. In the end i didn't make it as the river was too high and the path was getting ridiculous. I headed back slightly quicker than would have been liked as i was chased by a dog. Found a cafe to eat the local lamb which was amazing, the restaurant was so quiet the waiter started bringing me all sorts to try while i waited for the bus. We had his home made gin which was unbelievably strong as well as a home made honey, apple and walnut desert. We tried to talk but ended up with just conversing in single words and hand gestures. Scott had said that when you try and understand albania you have to first consider that unlike the west where head rules the heart it is the other way round. This gives rise to the kanun or ancient code for albanians where a guest is treated like a god but inter family rivalries are often deadly. Everybody here treats you with such kindness, nobody tries to scam and they are proud that someone has taken the time to come and see their country. Had a dvd night last night as the weather was so atrocious watched 'old boy' which was pretty good for a foreign film. One for you to review waller if you havent already

Today wednesday i left berat on the bus at five in the morning to pogradec a town on the Macedonian border. I then walked across the border although i didn't get an entry stamp to Macedonia. Bus to ohrid a town on the lake which is stunning, there are so many amazing views to be had despite the weather. The guy running the place has to be the most helpful ever, possibly as I'm the only guest in a 40 bed hostel. Went out around the town this afternoon looking like a tramp as i only have two clean things left. Walked around the old town to the ancient theatre and a few churches, where a dog was walking along and then lunged for my leg. The leg (of the trousers) got shredded but fortunately they are baggy and it didn't get my actual leg. Absolutely paranoid about dogs now after the last two days so a trip to Bucharest is looking more doubt full.

On a brighter note the weather has picked up and hopefully it will hold out so i can go and climb the local mountain to a place where you can see both lakes in one go. We will see