Albania!
After leaving Nepal, I was blessed to be able to spend a week in Greece with one of my daughters. We toured Athens and spent some time on the island of Santorini. After she flew back home, I left to spend a few days in Rome. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time there fighting pneumonia and pleurisy. On the last day there, I managed to ride around the city on a tour bus and hop off to view the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, and the Coliseum. The next day I flew to my next mission assignment in Albania. The first thing that struck me was the incredible beauty of this country. Watching from the window of the airplane, I was instantly captivated by the landscape. Blue-green water washed up of the shorelines of the country which gave way to green mountains which in turn, gave way to snow capped mountains. My host family picked me up and we began the two hour drive over nearly impassable roads to my new home for the next six months. My host family are missionaries from Britain who have been in Albania for over twenty years. The villagers absolutely adore them, as do I.
Albania and Nepal have many similarities. Both are extremely poor countries. As in Nepal, the houses in Albania are surrounded by walls and metal gates, forming a compound. The houses are similar as is their way of living. The houses in Albania are quite nice, especially those built of stone with the red tile roofs and iron railings. They remind me of the houses in Greece and Italy. There are no grass lawns as every inch of tillable land is being used to grow food for the household. The Albanian gardens are beautiful. Olive, orange and lemon trees line the border of every property. Neat rows of vegetables are planted and cultivated. Grape arbors decorate the driveways and patios. Bicycles seem to be the main form of transport, along with donkeys and horse drawn carts. I have the privilege of living on the top of a mountain, with 360 degree views overlooking valleys and more mountains. When I look to the east, I can see the Adriatic Sea. To the southeast is Albania's second highest mountain. Snow capped mountains surround the entire vista, as well as green mountains full of olive trees. Goat herders walk with their large herds (100 or more goats) through the mountains as they've been doing for centuries. From my location, I can see many of the Communist era concrete bunkers and machine gun bunkers hidden in the side of the hills. Albanians are quite friendly with foreigners. Albania is 85% Muslim. During the most recent Communist regime, ALL religions were banned and all the churches, mosques, and synagogues were destroyed. As a result, for 50 years, the Albanians have basically lived with no moral code. This has led to two entire generations of people who think it is acceptable to lie, steal, and murder. Blood feuds have claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past few decades. The Communists left, the Socialists fell from power and a new government was created. Religion was allowed to reestablish itself. The economy is still trying to find a foothold. There is a great deal of human trafficking here, a booming drug trade, as well as a hefty presence of the Mafia. As in Nepal, many of the men seek work opportunities in other countries as there is little work available for them here.
One of the amusing peculiarities that I have discovered here is the belief in evil spirits and especially, the "evil eye". As one drives through the villages, you will notice big, fluffy teddy bears nailed to porch supports or hanging from balconies. When I asked my host family to explain this rather strange sight, they laughed and told me that the villagers hang them there to scare of intruders and burglars because the stuffed animals have the "evil eye". Of course! Everyone knows that a big, fluffy stuffed animal strikes fear in the hearts of dishonest men! Scary stuffed animals aside, I am enjoying this assignment immensely!
