Vlora

Vlora

We are at Vlora now, a beach town. It was here Albania declared its independence in 1912. It also sits on the dividing line between Ionian Sea and Adriatic Sea, which is the narrowest passage between two seas. In the north, the Adriatic Sea is calmer, the beach is sandy and gentle, the favorite beaches for locals to enjoy their weekends and holidays. In the south, the beaches are rocky and the cliffs are steep, favored by adrenaline seeking international tourists. From Vlora to the southern border with Greece, the long stretches of beaches are called Albania Rivera. 

Albania, which was once tightly closed for a long time, is wide open now. But it takes time to build infrastructure and to become “mature”. Right now, beaches are mostly not enclosed. People wander around the endless beautiful beaches, the beaches by steep cliffs, with clear blue water, for free. On the way, we noticed some abandoned bunkers. Albania was once the most fortified country. It was the most efficient way to keep the people poor and the regime safe. Of course, they needed someone else to provide food and other essentials. That was China. The Chinese government, by massive international aid, successfully starved massive number of Chinese people. By keeping Chinese people hungry and feeble, the Chinese government were able to keep itself stable for a long time.

Governments are not the only ones who wish the people poor. We all wish others poor. We enjoy cheap food, cheap oil, cheap hotels, which all depends on the poverty of others. We enjoy respect, authority, and power, which all depend on the powerless of others. Of course, few would agree. Everyone, such as Epstein, Chomsky, or Musk, believes he works for the benefit of others. 

New hotels are everywhere. But the transportation from outside is still rudimentary. We arrived here from Berat via taxi, a two hour ride. It only cost 70 Euros, very cheap. But taxi is not an efficient means of mass transportation. Long distance buses from Tirana are frequent, but informal. Anyway, Vlora is beautiful but not crowded with tourists. The hotels are very cheap. Right now, we are resting in a beach front hotel, with only 80 Euros a night. 

The beach is several steps away. We went swimming in the day time. In the whole Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, accessible by my eyes anyway, there is only one person swimming. It is nighttime now, lightening, thunder and rain. Yet it is very soothing listening to the sound of waves.