"The Albanian Acapulco" a Sarande Travel Page by SirAliztare

Whilst visiting a compatriot in Corfu we decided to take advantage of the proximity of Albania. For just 20 Euros one can take the return hydrofoil from Corfu town to the southern port city of Sarande. After the late-season overfamiliarity of Corfu, the street markets and architecture of Albania are a world apart, if not a trifle intimidating.

The seafront in Sarande is like Acapulco waiting to happen, and is strewn with bars and cafes to catch the flow of tourists who make the regimented day trip from Corfu to see the Roman ruins at Butrint.

Butrint, the Roman ruins a few km south of Sarande, are the reason you'll se bus loads of daytrippers in Sarande. We hitched a lift in the back of an old Peugeot van after hearing of the upcoming Miss Globe contest, and we weren't disappointed by the ruins or the beauty queens. After climbing out the back of the van in the late evening sun at Butrint we were presented with two gorgeous girls in casual clothes and sashes denoting them as Miss Macedonia and Miss Italy, and surrounded by a gaggle of entourage and police.

We decided to have a few drinks in the hotel nextdoor, before srtolling into the ruins to find the 2,000-year-old ampitheatre had been transformed, with the aid of scaffolding, into a stage for the beauty contest. We sat atop a rock a watched the girls go through their dressed rehearsal for the next day.

After three days in Albania with just the clothes on my back, a passport and some local phrases scribbled on the back of an envelope, my camera ran out of juice, so no pics I'm afraid, of the ruins or miss globe. But if you want to see a grainy video email me!