I’m very excited to begin exploring a new destination. Having never been here, I decided to do little research beyond the basics. I wanted to experience this city as naively as possible, hoping that I would not be influenced by preconceived notions. Here are my first impressions of Tirana Albania.
Traffic
So heavy. I should not be surprised by this, it is the capital city after all, and a whole lot larger than I expected it to be. The traffic not only leaving the airport and going into the city, but also once in the core, is extremely heavy. Lots of honking because of congestion that seems to dominate many intersections. A police presence is visible every morning, keeping the vehicles moving as best as they can.
Chaos
Not from any singular thing, but more a mix of everything. The country ended a long communist regime only 30 years ago, creating a city that is still clearly in transition. One will see business men alongside dishevelled child beggars on a regular basis.
A broken red tiled roof of an old concrete house, next to a modern skyscraper. A beautiful small green park full of dog excrement and muck. Beautiful wide-open avenues and sidewalks, but one block away, a narrow and crowded street bazaar.
Modernity
There is such a large amount of construction in the city. The skyline is a field of cranes and scaffolding. There are many brand new buildings supplying a modern feel to this city. Pieces of contemporary street art appear on almost every block. I think I was expecting an older feel, some vintage aspects and perhaps a quaint old town, but have yet to discover anything like that.
Crowded
Not by tourists, but the general population of the city. I see surprisingly few tourists here actually. Of course, near the main square and a block surrounding that, but once I wander even a small distance away, I feel fully immersed in the local scene. Its great.
These are the first few things that jump out at me immediately. I am terribly excited to keep exploring this fascinating and vast city in Albania. With a sordid recent past, under such extreme dictatorship, I’ll be curious to discover how much of that remains in the atmosphere.
