Trip with Mama

It is difficult to know where to start. My mom flew into Tirana at night and the next day we headed to Berat. The next very early morning we took a bus that went to Korce and then a taxi to Thessaloniki in Greece. We then found that the train to Istanbul was full and we were stuck there until the next evening. The hotel had internet and we were able to contact hotels and let them know of our changes. Walking around we found a mini Chinatown and a nice waterside shopping area. We then got on a sleeper train headed to Istanbul. The train came to the border of Turkey at 2 am. Everyone that needed to had to get off the train to buy visas. It was straight out of a movie. In the middle of the night, we crossed the tracks to a dilapidated shack where one man called out our names to come in and pay. We arrived at 9am. The next four days were spent visiting the important and not so important sights. We went to the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, Topkapi Palace, Grand and Spice Bazaar, Hippodrome and a Bosphorus cruise. I also had to eat at El Torito, McDonalds and Starbucks. Of course we ate Turkish food and drank our share of apple tea. The sights were amazing and the shopkeepers annoying but all in all Istanbul was awesome. I received 3 marriage offers too and my mom was offered camels for me. No real prospects though. The train ride back to Greece was not as bad as there were some Australians offering gin and tonics and we did not have to get off the train at the border. The bus trip across Greece was exciting and beautiful. The main highway was closed so we took the mountain road in the rain. We passed a bus on its side on the side of the road. After about six hours we made our next bus by 15 minutes to get to the Albanian border. The next day was spent in the beach town of Saranda in the south of Albania and took a trip to Butrint which has ancient ruins. Back to Berat and Tirana. In Tirana my old trainer took my mom and I to the Opera/ballet. It was an exciting and tiring trip. I was happy to leave see my Mom and take a trip outside of Albania but also glad to be back and not on a bus. The pics are of the Ayasofya, Blue Mosque, the bazaars and inside the Topkapi Palace.