Shkodër (Albania) | Back to Shkodër - Day 148 & 149

This is the view I had this morning when I stepped out of my room at the guesthouse in Theth. The sky is not nearly as smoky this morning as it was yesterday. However, the weather is moving in, and the sky is grey.

Theth is located west of Valbona Pass in northern Albania. The isolated village was settled 350 years ago and is now a Protected Historical Center. Despite the protection, considerable development is occurring in Theth as new guesthouses are constructed almost everywhere. Theth is the more accessible location compared to Valbona and can be reached via a single 2.5-hour bus ride.

After breakfast, I decide to wander through the village because the temperature is not very warm, and the bus for Shkodër leaves around 11 am. There are several other great hikes around Theth, including Grunas Waterfall and Blue Eye of Theth. With everything shutting down due to the weather, now is not the time. I pass this old stone building with a caved-in roof and admire how rustic it is. I wonder what its purpose was.

The Church of Theth beautiful building built in 1892, has served as a school since 1917. I make my way to the nearby cemetery, where I find Jerome. We walk around it. We notice that some graves are recent, simple dirt mounds with wooden crosses. "The ground is not even compacted yet," says Jerome. Yeah, and look over here. There are 6 or more people all buried in the same crypt. They appear to have different names. I wonder what the relationship with each other is, I say. We hypothesize that some are family members and others are children, but this doesn't account for all the situations we see. I wonder if, in small communities like Theth, where people likely don't have a lot of resources, it is probably less expensive to be buried in a common grave than to pay for your own spot.

The road heading south out of Theth is also undergoing major construction, but the fall colors caught my eye this morning.

The front of Dreni Guesthouse is undergoing significant improvements. A large slate patio with concrete is being worked on. Albanian workmanship is functional, but I have noticed that they certainly would not pass building code requirements back in the United States. For example, the shower at the last guesthouse leaked and flooded the bathroom floor each time someone took a shower.

The shuttle bus arrives at a quarter to 11 am, and I join everyone else and load up. The bus is jammed this morning. Even though Celeste, Glen, and Siem found another traveler to ride back by car, there is no spare seat on the bus. So the bus begins to limb along the northern route leading us out of the valley. About 20 minutes later, when we crest the top, the bus driver pulls off the road and tells everyone, "We stop here for 5 minutes." He then lights up. The view on the west side of the pass is stunning too. I love how the light makes it look like there is snow in the mountains. Notably, there is not. It is simply the light reflecting off the white granite.

We arrive early in the afternoon at the Wanderers Hostel, and tonight is the last night they are open for the season. I timed this trip perfectly and took advantage of a tremendous opportunity. I was looking to connect with people and found more than I was looking for at the Wanderers Hostel. 

When I wake the following day, it is pouring rain. Unfortunately, the rain shows no sign of letting up, either. So, after having breakfast with Celeste and Laura, I grab my backpack and head to my Airbnb. I decide to use this day as a rest day since the rain is only supposed to last for 1-day. This gave me time to do a bit of planning and laundry, which I needed to do.

I look forward to exploring the surrounding area tomorrow.