Albania (hotel, houses, college)

[scottl333]

Has anyone visited this country before?? I heard it is a beautiful country. Can anyone give some advice and tips about visiting this country? Thanks

[WildWestDude]

Judging from what I have heard and read since I have never been there.
It has many unspoiled green areas, a nice coastline and is quite affordable.
It might not be the safest place if you leave your hotel/tourist area.
Remember also that its a muslim country, so they will look down on certain things

[Galloway]

They are only muslims because they chose to covert so they wouldn't have to pay taxes when they were under Turkish rule. Today about 30% of the population is christian, you should be fine......

[wastina]

I was there during the Kosovo crisis and remember it for how screwed up it was.

The country has something like 20,000 concrete bunkers (little concrete igloos) which they used to defend themselves from the imminent attack from Western devils.

The highways had right-hand turns, to prevent them from being used as landing strips (during the imminent attack from western devils).

The highway to the airport had an electric line transecting it, resulting in utility poles cutting across the highway (the posts were set IN to the highway). I understand this has been fixed.

There is a factory that fills a valley: built by the Chinese, perhaps, under the great days of Communism. I remember turning a mountain zigzag and suddenly this valley, filled by a factory, opened up. I thought it was the bigger than Disneyland.

Albania has a funky history. It's definitely worth seeing before time washes it away (not the bunkers, though. They will be there for centuries).

[Elena121]

Originally Posted by WildWestDude

Judging from what I have heard and read since I have never been there.
It has many unspoiled green areas, a nice coastline and is quite affordable.
It might not be the safest place if you leave your hotel/tourist area.
Remember also that its a muslim country, so they will look down on certain things

Muslim country...hmm not exactly
Used to be a Christian (catholics and orthodoxes) one but as is said in a post, most of population did convert 600 hundred years ago so they could afford taxes and not let their kids to go fight for Turkey.
Actually has 1200 churches and about 600 Muslim mosques.
Is beautifully to visit summertime and is kinda of wild beauty.

[Viralmd]

Among the poorest, if not THE poorest, country in Eastern Europe.

[1979]

I went to college with a guy from Albania. It is the poorest country in all of Europe, it is Muslim. I believe it was annexed by Italy during WWII under Mussolini, but then giving its independence when the axis had lost the war.

It is interesting that poor countries have high birth rates, and developed countries have declining birth rates. Albania being poor, does match that it has a high birth rate.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Galloway

They are only muslims because they chose to covert so they wouldn't have to pay taxes when they were under Turkish rule. Today about 30% of the population is christian, you should be fine......

What are you implying? That a traveler is more likely to come to harm among Muslim hosts than in a Christian country? If I had to chooe the ten cities worldwlide in which I would feel safe walking the streets alone at night, all ten of them would be in Muslim countries.

Why in the world would a person not be "fine" if there are no Christians present?

And, 1979, the reason poor countries have higher birth rates is because they have higher infant mortality rates. They need to have 3 or 4 kids, in order to have two survivors, to care for them when they get too old to be productive.

[Neutre]

Originally Posted by scottl333

Has anyone visited this country before?? I heard it is a beautiful country. Can anyone give some advice and tips about visiting this country? Thanks

I actually know a couple of Albanians. All I can say is that they are very good looking -to me at least-. Both guys and girls.
Albanian music is also getting more popular.

[acrylic]

I was across the Bojana river from Albania in March when I was in Ulcinj, Montenegro. I mean, you didn't really see anthing different. Just a bridge and some houses, and that's all I really saw. Also, from up in the mountains, I could see across the Skadarsko Jezero into Albania. But again, the closest I got was across the river.

Ulcinj had such a high Albanian population. It kinda reminded me like when you're at any one of the US border states, and you see signs in Spanish? Well, in Ulcinj, there were signs in Albanian. It was kind of cool. Also, when I arrived in town, the mosques were all sounding out the call to prayer. It was something very interesting to hear. Though I believe the call to prayer wasn't sounded in Arabic, but rather in Turkish. Being that my dad and dad's family know Albanian.

Originally Posted by Neutre

I actually know a couple of Albanians. All I can say is that they are very good looking -to me at least-. Both guys and girls.
Albanian music is also getting more popular.

A lot of Balkan music sounds similar. I love Balkan music, especially from Former Yugoslavia. So I'm glad that type of music is becoming more popular.