July 23: Mirupafshum, Albania
Leaving Albania this morning, perhaps one of the poorest countries in the Balkans, I reflected on how sometimes the people who have the least give the most. The hosts at my lodging in Lezhe went out of their way to welcome me, despite a rather significant language barrier. As I rode up and over the mountains to North Macedonia today, I had plenty of time to think about how grateful I was.
Yesterday when I parked in front of the Hotel Liss 2, the receptionist there immediately came out to greet me with a smile on her face. She insisted on helping me unload my bags and carry them upstairs. And when we discovered a problem with the first room, she practically ran downstairs to get the key to another one.
I used an Albanian translator on my phone to ask her a few questions about the surrounding area. Although she apparently wasn’t sure what I was asking, she directed me to their dining room and offered to feed me. That night and the next morning, whenever I approached her to ask for help, she whipped out a tablemat and silverware and told me to sit down.
When it was time for me to depart today, the maid would not leave my side. She wanted to personally hand me every bag as I loaded it up and help me make sure each one was cinched up properly. When I repeatedly offered to tip both her and the receptionist, neither one would accept my money. And when I suggested we take a group picture, both beamed and asked me to stand in the middle.
As I headed south through Albania on my bike today, I took time to think of how inspired I was by the kindness shown to me and to consider ways that I can emulate their compassion myself.
The ride up and over the mountains was rather arduous due to heat, traffic, a muddy construction zone, and a bee that flew into my helmet and bit me. But Adventure Baby’s tires handled the mud beautifully and I continued to improve my lane splitting skills to manage the congestion.
There were plenty of pretty views of green rolling foothills, rivers snaking their way through grey rock beds at the bottoms of valleys, and villages off to the side of the road.
Arriving in Ohrid, North Macedonia, I discovered that my room for the night was in the middle of a quaint cobblestone pedestrian area with narrow winding walkways and occasional views of the blue waters of Lake Ohrid. I’m looking forward to exploring the town this evening and treating myself to a nice dinner.
