scary-burning-face-fever

adam says:
so what will you ask the oracle?
adam says:
you have to ask it something
adam says:
or it's like going to a water park and not getting wet
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I will ask it what the purpose is behind my being so sick
adam says:
hehehehehe
Lisa - in Albania! says:
(mad face)
Lisa - in Albania! says:
seriously
adam says:
well you can't shout at it
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I had a CRAZY fever!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
haha
Lisa - in Albania! says:
ok I wont
adam says:
did you go to the doctor?
Lisa - in Albania! says:
yeah
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I needed anitbiotics SO bad
Lisa - in Albania! says:
and they are helping
Lisa - in Albania! says:
but I am still in quit a bit of pain
adam says:
They say when you shake hands with a greek you're supposed to count your fingers afterwards
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I guessit's a good thing cause it shuts me up for a while!
adam says:
i wonder what you're supposed to do after you expose your throat
adam says:
i'm sorry you're in pain here's a kitty to cheer you up
Lisa - in Albania! says:
aww thanks
Lisa - in Albania! says:
why, I feel better already!
adam says:
how many days have you been this sick
Lisa - in Albania! says:
well, about 4
adam says:
o that bites
Lisa - in Albania! says:
the 1st wasnt so bad
Lisa - in Albania! says:
then the 2nd is when I fell in the river and had scary- burning-face-fever, the 3rd I went to the doctors and today I am still sore
adam says:
tell me more about the river event
adam says:
i can't stop laughing at the phrase "scary-burning-face-feaver"
adam says:
sorry
Lisa - in Albania! says:
lol
adam says:
so the river
Lisa - in Albania! says:
well
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I was kind of sick, but decided to go out and treck the Vikos gorge with this guy I am travelling with for a bit, Fred
adam says:
the french guy
adam says:
right
Lisa - in Albania! says:
so we searched for the trail (it's the deepest gorge in the WORLD! over 900m)
adam says:
and you fell down it!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
so despite my uncanny femail instincts telling me walking through the river and through trees and stone was not a trail
Lisa - in Albania! says:
he insisted on trying to cross the river
Lisa - in Albania! says:
so I followed along
adam says:
its it a really big strong river?
Lisa - in Albania! says:
haha, no I didnt fall DOWN the gorge
Lisa - in Albania! says:
well, it had a current, but it was moreso that the rocks were really slippery
Lisa - in Albania! says:
he fell in too, only he didnt have mild strep when he set out on the treck
adam says:
so did the river sweep you down
Lisa - in Albania! says:
so after 3 hours of walking arround with wet feet (and ass if you were me)
Lisa - in Albania! says:
no
Lisa - in Albania! says:
but it pissed me off all right
adam says:
so your head didn't go under
adam says:
hahahahaha
Lisa - in Albania! says:
no
Lisa - in Albania! says:

Lisa - in Albania! says:
and then we had to cross it AGAIN!
adam says:
i think i'd like to hear this from you better but this written version is pretty good
Lisa - in Albania! says:
and that wasnt even the ight place to cross
adam says:
ha
Lisa - in Albania! says:
yeah, you'd get the faces to accompany it!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
so we came to sort of cliff rocks
Lisa - in Albania! says:
it was SOO SKETCHY!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I wish I had taken a picture
adam says:
hahahah
adam says:
me too
Lisa - in Albania! says:
cause if we had fallen from that, one of us would surely have died. I am convinced that would have been me
adam says:
fun
adam says:
now you have a story
Lisa - in Albania! says:
needless to say, I was putting to excellent use the more colourful side of my vocabulary
Lisa - in Albania! says:
....
Lisa - in Albania! says:
sure do!
adam says:
were you really mad?
Lisa - in Albania! says:
nah
Lisa - in Albania! says:
well, sometimes
Lisa - in Albania! says:
cause it was scary!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
and I was cursing myself for not listening to myself!
adam says:
yeah that's the worst
adam says:
christopher got us into all sorts of trouble
Lisa - in Albania! says:
but whatever we made it safe...but we were seriously traversing the rocks like rock climbers
adam says:
but the thing is i let him do the leading on our adventures because he always gets us out of the trouble too
Lisa - in Albania! says:
until we got to the safe part
Lisa - in Albania! says:
haha
Lisa - in Albania! says:
well thats; good!
adam says:
but then i was the one that went to jail
Lisa - in Albania! says:
as long as he gets you out of it
adam says:
in morocco not him
Lisa - in Albania! says:
oh yeha!?
Lisa - in Albania! says:
what happened?
adam says:
when you get to canada you can read it on my myspace account
Lisa - in Albania! says:
aah!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
yes!
adam says:
we offended islam
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I guess I should write about scary-burning-face-fever on my blog
Lisa - in Albania! says:
oh yeah?!
adam says:
and were wearing our cool white suits
Lisa - in Albania! says:
yeah, how is that offensive to islam>?
adam says:
just cut and paste this conversation
Lisa - in Albania! says:
lol
adam says:
BECAUSE WE WERE TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL
Lisa - in Albania! says:
good idea!
Lisa - in Albania! says:
I am going to do taht now actually....

OH MY GOD. I just had THE best meal of my life! Why, you ask, was this simple little tortellini dish so blissful?!? Well my friends, for the past 2 days I have been inflicted with a severe case of "acute tonsilitous" (strep throat) and it's so painful that I can't eat. It all started...well I don't know when it started exactly. Fred and I chilled out in Cofu for a few days after having a wicked time in Albania -- Fred taught some Gypsy kids how to juggle (I took pictures) through the American Peace Corps. We sort of did a Peace Corps shuffle in Albania and it was great hanging out with them and seeing them work on community development projects and stuff....it made me want to look into CIDA internships again...

So anyway, Albania turned out to be an extremely friendly country! People were always willing to help us and I felt safe the whole time I was there! Just don't get me started on the bus system - oh wait - there is none. So we managed to take the boat to Cofu Greece, after witnessing and intense and colourful (to say the least!) difference of opinons between the two ferry lines and the weater was great! Stayed in a Youth Hostel called the Sunrock really good price, breakfast and supper included and it's right by the beach! The weather was great, probably like 27 degrees so I got some son tanning in.

So, remember how I was talking about strep throat? WELL. From Corfu we had to hitchike to Monodendri since there are only two busses a week....So cars were passing by and passing by, finally a Priest came to pick us up and dropped us off in the village since it was close to his -- this means he made a 15km detour for us! So, from the humid beach to dryer, colder mountain air = no good. Also, falling in the river on a treck that would lead us nowhere the next day certainly did not help. That's when the fever set in. Worse thing is, we only found the path to the Vikos gorge AFTER wandering arround for 3 hours cold and wet in the trees and rocks...so for two days now I have not been able to swallow without searing pain shooting throughout my body. I have been hungry for two days and pretty much unable to eat...but there is hope! I went to the doctor's today, and although he didn't prescribe anything for the pain, whatever pills he got me taking seem to helping a bit.

Alors, afin de boucler la boucle: right now, I just had the best meal of my life.

Twisted Tirana

After a groggy night on the bus from Struga (F.Y.R. of Macedonia) Fred and I got into Tirana at about 5 am. We didn't have a CLUE where we were cause the terminal stop is more like a fruit stand than anything, a nice taxi driver offered us a ride. Being a traveller I am a bit weary of friendly taxi drivers, I am sure you can understand why, but this guy spoke great English since he worked in London for a few years. So we go for coffee at his brother's cafe and the guy pulls out this crazy story about how he was shot and had to escape to London but got denied residency. Here's a crazy unrelated fact : Albania has the most violent mafia in all of Europe. That being said, all the people we haved talked to so far and have met are really great, super generous and really friendly.

So, Tirana is a really intersting city. There aren't necessarily that many things to see but it's really interesting to look at the architechture. The buildings have odd color combinations, the centre is a flat, wide open (hello communism?!) area with huge pot holes, no lanes on the streets (and no pedestrian crossings either, for that matter!) and people walking and driving in everywhich directly. It's a beautiful mess and I love it.

Macedonia sweet Macedonia!

ohrid
Originally uploaded by borderlys.

*sigh* I am so completely in love with Macedonia! The people I have met so far have an unsurpassed sense of hospitality, the countryside is eye-popping, jaw-dropping, stop-you-mid-breath beautiful. The call to prayer in the afternoon sun, orthodox priests walking down the street next to the farmer with his goats in the centre of town...

In Prilep I stayed with amazing couchsurfing hosts who really went out of their way to show me arround. I originally thought I would stay 2 days and spend 4-5! On the last day we hiked up to a MOnastary in the hills next to the city and slept there over night and it was so soothing. Then in Struga Fred (from France) and I biked to Ohrid (only about 15 kilometres) and walked up to the fortress where we sat and had lunch...fresh bread and local cheese with some cucumbers and sausage...it was a little slice of heaven. I did manage to burn one side of my face but it was well worth it! Later that night we wound up in some birthday party in the albanian community in Struga...it was crazy! People we so friendly, and so curious, and so proud....I really wish I didn't have to leave the country tomorrow (yes, canadians need a visa ?!?!) but I have a newfound interest in Albania, having seen such warmth in the Albanians last night...

Monk

Monk
Originally uploaded by borderlys.

As soon as I got to Bulgaria I got a good feeling deep inside...well really, I get that feeling everywhere, but the people I have been meeting and the places I have been going to keep taking my breath away....

Sofia wasn't all that impressive, yet I managed to stay there a good 5 days! Went out snowboarding and Rila monastary and met some great people in the hostels....I am definetely returning mid-May and hopefully going on a kayak/camping trip, if I can pull myself away from Greece on time. I guess we'll see.....