Pristina
The bus ride from Belgrade to Pristina, Kosovo was a long one (just over 6 hours). The bus was fairly full since there aren't many buses that travel this route. Overall the trip was fine, although we arrived 45 minutes late due to some delays at the border. I originally planned to take the local bus to the apartment I was renting, but I decided to spend a few extra bucks to get there quicker. After a few minutes of haggling with the taxi driver over the fare, we headed to the apartment which was only 7 minutes away.
I got my first introduction to the crazy drivers in Kosovo when the taxi guy didn't want to wait in the long line of cars in the left turn lane, so he drove in the middle lane until we reached the light (which had just turned red) & then he cut across the road to make a left turn. We somehow managed to make to the apartment without getting in a wreck.
The young lady (Diellza) that I was renting the apartment from was really nice & her family lived across the hall from my apartment. About an hour later when I was leaving to get something to eat, Diellza & her sister Rina were headed out for a walk & invited me along so they could show me around town. It was really interesting talking with them & hearing about life in Kosovo. One thing that I remember them saying was how much they love America (and Americans). In addition to the support we gave Kosovo in the war with Serbia, there has been a lot of financial aid along with many other outreach programs that we have supported in Kosovo.
A room in the main library in Pristina
You see American flags everywhere in Pristina
There aren't many significant tourist sights in Pristina, but there was plenty to see in one day that made me glad I spent some time here. I visited a local museum, saw the famous library building from communist times, and got my photo taken in front of the Bill Clinton statue located on Bill Clinton boulevard. Right around the corner from the Clinton statue is a women's clothing store named Hillary, although I didn't see any mannequins modeling pantsuits.
Famous library built during communist times
There seems to be a shortage of mannequin wigs in Pristina
They also have streets named after Bob Dole and George Bush
I found this really great restaurant in Pristina that was popular with foreigners. I had a huge meal (including dessert) which was great for only $12. My second night there was the first night of Ramadan and the main walking street and restaurants were deserted. The population of Kosovo is about 90% Albanian & 95% Muslim, but you see very few people in public dressed in headscarves or in robes. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few crazy drivers in Kosovo & you see people driving on sidewalks, parking in the right lane of a busy road, & overall very aggressive driving.
My next stop is Skopje, Macedonia for two nights, which is just a two hour bus ride away from Pristina. Here are a few more photos from Pristina.
Main walking street
Surprised to see a running store here, maybe they are going out of business with the 50% off sale
View from the apartment window
I got my first introduction to the crazy drivers in Kosovo when the taxi guy didn't want to wait in the long line of cars in the left turn lane, so he drove in the middle lane until we reached the light (which had just turned red) & then he cut across the road to make a left turn. We somehow managed to make to the apartment without getting in a wreck.
The young lady (Diellza) that I was renting the apartment from was really nice & her family lived across the hall from my apartment. About an hour later when I was leaving to get something to eat, Diellza & her sister Rina were headed out for a walk & invited me along so they could show me around town. It was really interesting talking with them & hearing about life in Kosovo. One thing that I remember them saying was how much they love America (and Americans). In addition to the support we gave Kosovo in the war with Serbia, there has been a lot of financial aid along with many other outreach programs that we have supported in Kosovo.
There aren't many significant tourist sights in Pristina, but there was plenty to see in one day that made me glad I spent some time here. I visited a local museum, saw the famous library building from communist times, and got my photo taken in front of the Bill Clinton statue located on Bill Clinton boulevard. Right around the corner from the Clinton statue is a women's clothing store named Hillary, although I didn't see any mannequins modeling pantsuits.
I found this really great restaurant in Pristina that was popular with foreigners. I had a huge meal (including dessert) which was great for only $12. My second night there was the first night of Ramadan and the main walking street and restaurants were deserted. The population of Kosovo is about 90% Albanian & 95% Muslim, but you see very few people in public dressed in headscarves or in robes. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few crazy drivers in Kosovo & you see people driving on sidewalks, parking in the right lane of a busy road, & overall very aggressive driving.
My next stop is Skopje, Macedonia for two nights, which is just a two hour bus ride away from Pristina. Here are a few more photos from Pristina.
There seemed to be a chain of cool stores here
It is amazing how every town has a Pedestrian Street!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is too bad that concept never caught on in the US.
ReplyDelete