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"In The Land of the Eagles" a Albania Travel Page by illumina

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"In The Land of the Eagles" a Albania Travel Page by illumina

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illumina    
"Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken."


Real Name: Joss
Lives In: Bristol, UK
Member Since: Feb 06, 2006
VT Rank: 805

 

Page Views: 6,302            Last Visit to Albania: September, 2002      

In The Land of the Eagles

by illumina - last update: Apr 21, 2006

One of the smallest countries in Europe, Albania is also very mountainous and little known to outsiders. Albania is known as Eagle's Country, Shqipėri in Albanian.

I went to Albania in September and October 2002, as a volunteer archaeologist. We were digging at the World Heritage site of Butrint, just south of Sarande.

The steps that can be seen in this postcard actually run down to the shore from the hotel I was staying in, the Sea Eagle in Ksamili.

Butrint

This is a view out over Lake Butrint from the peninsula, looking towards Diaporit and the Greek border at the top of Mt. Mile.

Diaporit was the area I was working in, excavating a late Roman villa and bathhouse, and the overlying 7th century church.
As well as Sarande, Ksamili and Butrint, I also visited Gjirokastra and the Blue Eye while I was there.

I was lucky enough to be working with some Albanian students amongst the volunteers, and learned a lot about Albanian history and culture from them. I also managed to pick up just enough of the language to get by!

A few Albanian phrases:

(ė is pronouced 'uh')

Po - yes
Jo - no
Faleminderit - Thankyou
Mirėmėngjes - Good Morning
Mirė Dita - Good Day (Don't use after about 5pm or you'll get strange looks and be firmly told 'Mirėm brėma'!)
Mirėm brėma - Good evening
Natėn e mirė - Good night
Tungjatjeta - Hello (but this is very formal, and rarely used. I read somewhere it means 'May you have a long life'. Kosovans apparently use a shortened version 'Tung', but most just say good morning/day/evening.)
Mirupafshim - Goodbye
si jeni - how are you (formal)
C'kemi - how's it going (informal; the c is pronounced half way between ch and sh)
C'ka - more or less ok (in response to above)
poi jo - and you?
Gėzuar - cheers, a toast.
Sa kushton - how much (this is what I was told, but sa e:shte: may also be right)
molla - apple (this was the surname of one of the girls I worked with!)
avash - a turkish loan word, meaning slow down, take it easy! Usually doubled (avash, avash)
ik orė - go away
shqo para - go ahead (this is something I was told, not sure about the spelling)
njė - 1
dy (pronounced du) - 2
tre - 3
katėr - 4
pesė - 5

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

Pros:"Beautiful scenery, friendly people."
Cons:"Ugly concrete buildings springing up in hope of tourism; no rubbish collection (so ends up being dumped on the beaches)"
In A Nutshell:"A beautiful, mysterious land"
illumina's Albania Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 7 - Photos: 9
 
Restaurants
Tips: 1
Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 3
 
Tourist Traps
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
Warnings Or Dangers
Tips: 8 - Photos: 2
 
Transportation
Tips: 2 - Photos: 1
Local Customs
Tips: 10 - Photos: 3
 
Packing Lists
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
Shopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips
Tips: 12 - Photos: 6

illumina's Albania Travelogues
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
KsamiliOctober, 2002 5

Comments for illumina about Albania
omidamini Wed Dec 3, 2008 14:00 UTC
 Dear, You have nice Albania Page, Thanks, I hope see you in my country Iran, I am sure you will enjoy from here.
sourbugger Sun Sep 28, 2008 19:46 UTC
 great albanian pages - better than mine that come from a trip afew years before your visit (and it shows) .Bravo.
sachara Wed Mar 26, 2008 23:12 UTC
 Joss, thanks for dropping by my HP. Nice page of Albania, one of the countries which is on my wishlist allready for a long time.
nepalgoods Wed Mar 19, 2008 07:25 UTC
 To be a voluntary archareologist in Albania sounds like a big adventure! Happy birthday!
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