I Like Albanians!

What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds. When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road. ~William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways

19 May 2010, Friday

After two days of touring the castle and museums in Berat I head off for a hike in the nearby mountains and a local culture experience. Berat is not so heavily touristed that it's lost its authenticity but still, there are a few other tourists wandering about. I walk to the bus station and catch a bus to Bogove, where, the hostel owner tells me, there are some beautiful waterfalls and a swimming hole that the locals enjoy. The bus is a big one, an old touring bus too worn out for tourists. By the time we reach the edge of Berat it's full.

Money

It's crazy dealing with all this different money. $1=@50 dinar. I got $80 out of the bank today. That's nearly 4,000 dinar! Imagine going around with $5,000 in your pocket. They have 10, 20, 50, and 100, 500, and 1,000 denominations. But no one can ever cash the 500 or 1,000 ones so you have to carry all bills 100 and under. It feels like $5,000 to me but in fact the 100dn is only $1.50. I went out to dinner tonight. It was 380dn. I left a 60dn tip. It felt so weird, like I was leaving him $60 but it was only a little more than $1.

Then I have euros in my pocket too because now that I've reached Macedonia I can start using euros. I hope to switch entirely to euros soon. I don't know what Albania will do - I'll probably have to continue using both euros and local currency for awhile. Small stores will only take local cash though you can pay for larger items with euros.