Wild swimming in Shkoder’s lake

13/6/22

We got to the bus station early, bought bus tickets and grabbed a bite to eat before boarding our bus to Shkoder, Albania. We hoped to travel all the way to Theth in one of Albania’s National Parks, but it didn’t work out. When we got to Shkoder, we were dropped randomly at the side of the road and when we walked to the bus station, we found it to be a car wash, with two men, a young boy and absolutely noooo buses! We asked in a nearby restaurant how to get to Theth and they told us it was impossible! We knew there was a minibus but not quite how to get it other than via a hostel, so we booked a night in a hostel and asked for a taxi into Shkoder from the restaurant. One of the punters in the cafe called a taxi for us and off we went. We checked into Wanderers Hostel (built for ‘wandering welshie’s’ I think!), left our stuff in the room, before Amanda did laundry and worked, while I headed to Shkoder Lake. It was early afternoon and I wanted to do something for the day!

I walked through a very cute pedestrianised, tiled street and then headed past a mosque, then a second mosque, before going down some country lanes, and eventually reaching the lane that would lead me to the lake. Down the lane was an old man who stopped at a farm gate, and told me ‘six close’. Another old man came from the direction of the lake carrying a long stick with a curved blade on the end, a tithe maybe?! He pointed me down the lane and said ‘swim place’. I passed a fisherman who was contending with cows while fishing since they were cooling off in the ponds, a few frogs and a cuckoo.

When I arrived, there were three men swimming and a few fishermen dotted about the lake. As I got closer, the three men turned out to be a dad and his two boys playing lots of games in the water! Ideal swimming companions for a solo gal – what a win!! I got in to find cool, but not cold water and many reeds! Initially every reed that brushed me I thought was something creepy, but I got used to it and was able to enjoy both the water and the beautiful mountain views on all sides!!

On my walk back, I saw an old guy ride a bicycle while pulling a horse along as well as a cat and a chicken have a standoff in the street! How bizarre!! I stopped for a coffee before going to a well rated pizzeria for pizza and local wine. The streets were absolutely packed out in the evenings with throngs of well-dressed people milling about. I met Amanda back at the hostel since she wasn’t feeling so good.

14/6/22

Another move day! Today we were heading for the mountains! We got an early bus from the hostel after the usual breakfast of bread, cheese, a boiled egg and some tomatoes. We were told that the ride was meant to take one and a half hours, but sadly that was not true. Four hours later, with many a windy road, we arrived in Theth, in the middle of the National Park! It was very beautiful and looked remarkably like Georgia!!