Kosovo

Last weekend Ryan (team member) and I had a chance to go up to northern Albanian and then into Kosovo with some other Albanian men to play football (soccer). Although the trip was only 250km or 155 miles, it took us a good 10 hours on the way there and 12 hours on the way back. Now you might be asking why it took so long? Well, we were traveling with 12 other Albanians and they like to stop every hour for something to eat or drink and to buy more cassette tapes. Also, northern Albania is notorious for its treacherous roadways through the mountains, along which there have been many fatalities. Anyway here are some pictures with descriptions below…

The Team:


Kukes, City in Northern Albania:




Communist Monument in Kukes:


Old men playing Chess in Kukes:


Mass Graves of Murdered Albanian (they were murdered during the ethnic cleasning in 1999):


Entering Kosovo:


Bombed out building near UN Headquarters (there is still very heavy security in Kosovo):


Mosque on Kosovo (both in Northern Albania and in Kosovo there is a strong militant Muslim community, there is much darkness here):



Pictures still hang on the UN fence of those still missing from the war in 1999:


Albania Alps: