The Gurney Wharf project started at the end of February, 2016, which so far is manifested as putting a fence along Gurney Drive, and now dumping gravel. So I will photograph progress from the same standpoint – in front of Bali Hai, which is around the middle of Gurney Drive.
At low tide the progress seems more impressive.
This blog mainly concentrates on providing information that will help in living or travelling in Malaysia. However, I do blog a little about trips abroad. On my recent trip to the Balkans I’ll do a series of short blogs providing one anecdote per country, and then a few assorted photos of the country unrelated to the anecdote.
My aims in Albania were to stay in the ancient town of Berat and explore it, and to travel down the scenic coastal road from Vlore to Saranda.
I managed to get from the south of Montenegro to Berat in one day, first with a local taxi, then a long distance taxi to across the border into Shkoder, the first town you come to in Albania, then another long distance taxi to the capital, Tirana, then a bus to Berat, and finally a local bus from the terminal to the town centre, arriving about 4.30PM Not bad considering almost no one spoke English, and I had no real information I could count on.
And why “Aching in Albania”? Because the streets in Berat were cobbled. Not like cobbled streets I am familiar with in other parts of Europe, but with really, really uneven stones. I had brought the wrong shoes for this trip anyway, but it was compounded by walking on these surfaces. After three days I had to leave Berat, because my feet couldn’t take it any more. Walking almost anywhere was painful. I don’t know how locals cope. I tried asking hotel staff, but they didn’t really understand what I was asking.
this is walking up to the hostel I spent a couple of nights at
From this angle it doesn’t look so bad…
…but then you look closely and you can see how rough it is
another path
the best approach was to walk on those centre bricks – they are a bit more even. But many paths weren’t constructed this way
going up the road to my hotel
OTHER PHOTOS IN ALBANIA
Almost the first vehicle I saw after crossing the border into Albania from Montenegro
hilltop on the outskirts of Shkoder
mosque in Shkoder
market in Shkoder
on the way to the capital, Tirana
Both Albania and Macedonia claim Mother Teresa
the bus from Tirana to Berat
on the way to Berat
hillside church in Berat
really nice restaurant in Berat, which I ate at a couple of times
my first dinner in Berat
my first dinner in Berat
my first dinner in Berat
my first dinner in Berat
wine tasting at a countryside winery about 45 minutes outside Berat
river in Berat
early dinner at the same restaurant as before – Antigoni
walking up to the hilltop
walking up to the hilltop
Berat from the top
I will now go up to the castle and medieval centre
medieval centre
medieval centre
I moved to a hotel and ate in the restaurant – a very good meal
restaurant
starter
main – and then later I had cassata for dessert
minibus from Berat to Vlore
I saw a few of these
weekend market in a small town we passed through
bus from Vlore to Himare
beautiful coastline
and up through some high mountains
and up through some high mountains
village
Himare – I swam here. It wasn’t so cold. Perhaps this is the Ionian Sea.
Himare
sunset
Eating at the hotel – dinner made by owner’s mother. And a better view than any other restaurant or hotel in town
coastal road to Saranda – pouring with rain
ferry from Saranda to Corfu
Saranda was quite big
This blog mainly concentrates on providing information that will help in living or travelling in Malaysia. However, I do blog a little about trips abroad. On my recent trip to the Balkans I’ll do a series of short blogs providing one anecdote per country, and then a few assorted photos of the country unrelated to the anecdote.
The guidebook recommended Ulcinj as a nice town on the coast of Montenegro, and the Hotel Haus Freiburg as a nice hotel to stay in. So in the morning before I left Bar I rang and booked a room at the hotel for that night, which was a bit of a struggle linguistically. From the name you can guess their aim is to attract German clientelle, and as it turns out this as the language I needed to communicate with them, too. Once I arrived and realised that, not only did everything go more smoothly, I was happy that I got to practice my German. The other time I got to use German was in Romania, when I was on the wrong train, and I needed advice from the conductor. He was Romanian, of course, and didn’t speak English, but spoke German. In both cases, their German was better than mine. But Germans’ German is too much better than mine, and harder to understand.
A FEW PHOTOS IN BAR, THEN ULCINJ, THEN TO THE ALBANIAN BORDER
at first I thought I had more Euros than I remembered – a 1100 euro note
church in Bar, Montenegro
church in Bar, Montenegro
church in Bar, Montenegro
bay from the hotel
hotel pool and hills behind
marina in Bar
church in Bar, Montenegro
Ulcinj, in the south of Montenegro
Ulcinj
Ulcinj
hotel where I spoke German
hotel
my room
pool
pool
beach at Ulcinj
beach at Ulcinj
sunset from the hotel
sunset from the hotel
sunset from the hotel
sunset from the hotel
sunset from the hotel
sunset from the hotel
the owner gave me these delicious fruit
view from the hotel
in Ulcinj
in Ulcinj
in Ulcinj
in Ulcinj
in Ulcinj
driving south to the Albanian border
driving south to the Albanian border
driving south to the Albanian border
Albanian border post
One of the main things that expats and foreigners complain about in Malaysia is taxis. I suspect the situation is worse in KL than in Penang.
So I won’t complain. Apart from getting kidnapped once by an airport white taxi, my main complaint was lack of functioning rear seat belts sometimes. But until recently I mainly drove anyway, so rarely caught a taxi. And if I was flying out from the airport, or arriving at the airport, I would book a driver I knew.
However, Mrs Tropicalexpat took to using Grabcar while I was away travelling. And I have to admit, once I’d tried it myself I am sold. I knew it existed, but I hadn’t really considered it before. Driving here, while improving, I think, it still something I do only when I really have to. Catching a bus is hit and miss, there being no timetable. You could wait for hours for a bus to come, and you could get pickpocketed on the bus. Coming back from Bon Odori earlier in the year I tried to use Uber. It was pouring with rain. Not a car around, so I had to walk home in the rain. I didn’t try since. Uber apparently gives you an estimation, whereas Grabcar gives you the actual price. Perhaps Uber will sometimes be cheaper – I don’t know.
But Grabcar simply involves installing the app on your phone, then putting in the destination to get a quote, and then clicking, “Book” if the price suits you. Pulau Tikus to George Town out of rush hour can be about RM5. In a car that is often quite new, with seat belts that work, so far sane and polite drivers who are perfectly honest, and directly to your destination without having to worry about parking. Sometimes the car is there in a minute or two, and sometimes I’ve had to wait a few minutes, which has been no hardship. By the way, Pulau Tikus to the airport is about RM25.
I am wondering – do I spend more time washing the car than driving it nowadays?
(I certainly spend more time writing blogs than driving – I just noticed this is my 800th blog. )
It rained until around 10pm, after which, of course it was higher in the sky, and thus smaller.
Tropical Expat 