Apologies to you all. This month is quite short and missing some of the things we wanted to put in.
We have both been off work ill with chest infections. Walking upstairs has been an effort. Thankfully we are beginning to feel better at last. Full of antibiotics and inhaler.
Comment.
This week we lost a friend and fellow biker, and a lady we didn’t know.
From the Times of India
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Woman biker and activist from Hyderabad, Sana Iqbal passed away in a car crash Tuesday morning.
Earlier in the day, at approximately 4 am in the morning, Sana met with an accident while traveling with her husband Nadeem. She suffered severe head injuries and succumbed to it while undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. Her husband, Nadeem, sustained rib injuries and is recuperating. The accident took place at Narsinghi Gandipet road in Telangana.
A well-known name in the biker community, Sana was famous for her 38,000 kms solo ride to spread awareness on suicide and depression across the country.
Sana, being a motivational speaker as well, addressed many Ted Talks, speaking on various topics from biking to depression to motherhood. Her efforts had brought about a change in many students’ lives, giving them hope that suicide is not the solution to overcome depression. Sana took to biking in order to battle depression caused by the hardships in her life. Sana had been riding bikes since a tender age but did not take it up seriously till late 2015 when she set on her cross-country trip on her white Royal Enfield electra named Arkadash that had a placard reading: “Solo ride across India by a woman on bullet to raise awareness against suicide and depression. Suicide is not the solution”.
We met Sana when she came to Udaipur, lovely girl and committed to what she saw as the tragic waste of young student lives. Her work really makes a difference.
The internet and Facebook went solid with RIP messages from many many people who had met her.
The same day a Dalet woman (used to be called untouchable) was working sorting rubbish at a tip.
She was nine months pregnant.
She made the mistake of touching one of the rubbish bins used by high caste individuals; they claim her contaminating it made it unusable.
She and her unborn child were beaten to death by those involved in the dispute.
When the loss of one life is more important than the loss of another life we are in trouble as a society.
In India a great deal of effort is going to education about the caste system and the injustices it causes. One day that poor Dalit women’s life may be worth more than two lines in the paper.
RIP to both of these ladies.
Part 5 of our story.
We arrived in Albania with open minds, a sense of mission and excitement still however puzzled by why we had been sent here.
We were ‘fortunate’ enough to meet some really wonderful people from the very first day. Fatos, on day one at the airport, a cab owner in his fifties who genuinely befriended us and showed us parts of Tirana that we would never have seen had we not met him (without any extra charges, we were his guest) he is a remarkable man, genuinely warm and friendly.
Descended from an old and respected Albanian family he hated the communists who stole all his family had worked for over the generations and left them penniless when they took over. He is now rebuilding, he owns several taxies and employs the drivers, his hours are as required, and long. He is determined to regain his family’s financial independence. We both believe he will succeed, he is a determined man. While we were there he showed us ‘his’ city. He took us up a cable car to look out over the city and to show us the many ‘pill boxes that are planted throughout the area, one of the communist defence measures from those sad times in their past.
We sat and drank thick dark coffee together in a park next to a manmade lake under red umbrellas, there we learned about Albanian pride and his faith in their country.
We learned something of their past and the belief they have in their heritage. I talked to him about my own faith in Jesus and he politely listened. Then explained to me that his friends say he is a Muslim, although he does not attend the mosque as often as he should, but his real faith and the faith of most of his countrymen is Albanian. They have been invaded so often with each conqueror bringing their own faith with them that they have learned that as long as they believe in Albania, and all it stands for then that is more than enough. He can trace his native language back to the times of the Old Testament; they are an old people with much to be proud of.
We talked, he a Muslim and me a Christian, my Bible teaches peace and love to all including my enemies, the Koran also teaches love but then goes on to say destroy the infidel (non believer) so in the end it teaches not to be tolerant of other faiths but to bring them to the truth, to destroy their false faith. We talked for a good while about this, about both radical Muslims and radical Christians who use violence to try and force others to change their beliefs, his view is that it means destroy the others faith to bring them to the ‘one true faith’ We discussed it for a while, both committed to his point of view until we decided that these were matters for wiser men, and went back to our coffee, if only the whole world could sit, drink coffee and talk as we did then perhaps we would have a little more understanding of each other than we now do.
We left Fatos the next day to continue our travels in his country; we will never forget his kindness and warmth or his fierce pride in his country. We were made wiser for meeting him.
Later that first week we travelled north to meet a fellow Christian, Rob working to ‘plant’ a church and help bring Christianity to Albania. He is doing fine work with the youth and the children but the older parents are apathetic in the most part and even hostile to his efforts at times. We ate with him and his wife and listened to his stories of the children and his prayer to bring many to Christ.
Part of me wanted to stay and help develop the church there, but although it was tempting there was no word from God, no compulsion. No doubt had we stayed God would have blessed our efforts but we felt He wanted more from us that that, He had other plans for us. It may sound odd here and now but then, there, we didn’t ‘fit’.
Rob and his wife live in a town so they have many of the amenities that we in the west take so much for granted. Water, however it comes and goes depending on demand, a flush toilet assuming any water is available, electricity, again it comes and goes but compared to most this is luxury indeed. We had been given their contact details by our church in Durham with a promise that we would look them up while we were there. I (Kris) had known Rob many years before as he was a member of Emmanuel Church, but did not know him well and had lost touch with him, although aware of the work he was doing in Albania.
They made us so welcome in their home and although we had never met before we felt like they were our friends when we left after only two days. Their town is a mass of overhead wires and plastic bottle tips, dusty roads and seemingly no traffic control although the Albanian Police are always in evidence at any event or visit by a VIP.
We had decided to hire a car from the airport, it was the best place to get one but the amount of paperwork we had to fill in and leave a large deposit on our credit card before we were given a car made it seem a long process as well as the long wait for the owner of the car hire company to arrive to authorise the loan and we think to vet us before agreeing. But at last Chris was given the keys to our hire car.
I (Chris) was driving the hire car we had collected from the airport in Tirana so we wouldn’t be dependent on public transport; anyway, I parked it intending to visit a shop, as I stopped a local Police officer started across the road towards me obviously displeased with my manoeuvre, he looked at the registration, (the car was registered in Tirana) and he scowled at me as he approached my window. I knew I had done something wrong by the look on his face, our friend Rob who was in his car following us got out and spoke to the police officer in broken Albanian explaining we were English and had come to see his country, at this his whole attitude changed, he beamed at us and welcomed us to ‘his’ area, ‘park where you like but be quick.’ Again and again we were to meet such pride in their country from the Albanian people. We said goodbye to Rob and his wife the following day and headed north into a wild Albania of rivers and desolate mountain roads. Rob had suggested one of the places we visit was up in the mountains a place called Puke’, his wife advised us not to go. Wish we had listened to her. We set off for Puke’ and it was a winding twisting and turning road up into the mountains, Chris did a great job driving and encouraging our hire car to make the long climbs. We had hired a brand new Chrysler Spark in bright red, I think the manufacturers got the description wrong because I definitely don’t think it lived up to its name “spark”, more like splutter at times but it did get us there safely if slowly. We ascended the mountain roads and saw, just outside the town a huge building on the left set well back in the forest which looked like a prison camp complete with 3 phase electric and high double wired boundaries which were electrified, definitely spooky looking place. Four storey concrete block with small barred slotted windows, maybe a hundred we could see. When we asked the locals they appeared jittery, changed the subject but when pushed said it was a warehouse, yeah right as if we believed that one. When we got into the town we were immediately met by a young local man who looked like he worked for the kgb who had been elected to befriend us and suss us out, he was pleasant but tried to control what we were doing. He directed us to the only hotel at the top of the town (very small town) and we booked in. It was basic, there was a shower over the bath but the bath tub had many holes in it so not really useable. I had one shower, having slipped and badly bruised myself including getting a black eye I decided once was enough. We stayed one night had a meal and left the next day for lake skodra.
We had stopped at a small lake deep in the mountains. There was a scree slope of about 10 meters down to the water and the inevitable dump of bricks plastic and general waste. I managed to slide then fall down it, not I hasten to mention, rolentarily. Nothing injured just a few scrapes and the odd bruise. I looked back up at Kris to assure her I was ok, and there resting in the rubble was a ladies shoe, it stood out because in Albania nothing useful is thrown away. Black and in apparently good condition but from it protruded a bone, not yet whitened by the Sun. Shocked at what I had seen and having drawn the obvious conclusion that the rest of her was buried under that scree and rubble slope I started back up. Trying not to look at it I climbed back to the top. Trying to remain casual in case we were being watched I walked over to Kris who was looking out over the lake from the road, I remember saying ‘Kris, get in the car we are leaving’ she knew from my tone it was serious; as we drove away I told her what I had seen.
We left that place in a very sombre mood. There was nothing we could do and to mention seeing it could quite literally have got us killed. Northern Albania can still be a dangerous place. We prayed for her but could do no more.
What a relief to be out of this atmosphere where everyone treated us suspiciously.
Lake Skodra ah what a small place but so different, welcoming, friendly and some of the most fantastic lake trout and Talapia we have ever eaten. We decided to stay and were directed from the restaurant to a little house down the street who also worked as a hotel. Hotel might be stretching it, we were given one of the family rooms in their home and made to feel like welcome guests. There was a small restaurant attached which we decided was where we’d have our evening meal, Lake trout Albanian style gorgeous. We were introduced to the “cooker” (chef) who happened to be the mother of our waiter; she was so touched by our kind words about the food she promised to make us a special breakfast before we left next day. Luckily we managed to find out that the special breakfast was goats head stew, we politely declined but not until Chris had half a pint of fresh buttermilk and nearly half a pound of cheese with his jam and toast. They were very warm welcoming people who opened their home to us to make ends meet.
When Chris returned the hire car there were several hundreds of miles on the clock and the owner was shocked to find out where we’d been, he said he thought we were just going to drive around the city. Wish I’d had a photo of his expression when reality hit.
Albania is a truly beautiful country; the mountains still have bears and wolves roaming them, lakes and rivers with deep green pastures. The people are warm and friendly, always willing to help a stranger in their land, they are also fiercely proud of their heritage, rightly so tracing their lineage and their native language back to a time before the Roman Empire.
We met so many people there we will never forget. One person I must mention is Dori (Dorita) she was working on reception at the hotel we first stayed at before we ‘broke out’ into the county after arriving. A very pleasant young lady engaged to an Italian. Our first morning at the hotel in Tarana we went into the restaurant and Dori asked Chris if she could “service him” taken aback but polite Chris said we would order breakfast (he was trying not to be too flattered). We then decided it would be best if I explained to her what she’d said as Dori wished to improve her spoken English. Once she understood the difference between ‘to serve’ and ‘to service’ and stopped laughing she said she now understood why some of the young business men had given her funny looks. She told her fiancée who thought it was hilarious. She was working to pay for her education and took every opportunity to practice her English, a habit that has remained the source of an on-going joke between us. That was the start of our friendship with Dori, she and her fiancée are now happily married with children. Although we were invited to the wedding it was too far to travel back from India to attend. Since that time we have stayed in touch and it remains a joke we often share.
While we were at the hotel we were lucky enough to witness an Albanian wedding taking place. The bride was beautiful in her traditional bridal gown; the groom in his suit looking proud and handsome.
We were invited to join them in the celebration after I had asked the groom’s brother if it was alright for me to take photographs of the guests and bridesmaids in the national costumes. Some of the guests were Italian so conversation went something along the lines of, a bit of English, a bit of Albanian, a bit of Italian and a lot of mime! It was a very happy occasion, they were amazed when they learned that Kris and I had also only just married and were on our honeymoon. In the end we were all wishing each other well and kissing brides and grinning bridesmaids, to this day we never got their names but they will always be part of ‘our Albania’.
As is traditional we gave them a wedding present of money to help them start their married lives and they took our photograph to remember the two ‘just married’ westerners they had met at their wedding.
We walked that evening across to a bar/restaurant across a foot bridge over the main highway outside our hotel we met three young men and talked to them as they had some English, it seems two of them had just got back from being deported from the UK for having no papers; they were not bitter about it and intended trying again, to be so desperate must be so hard, all they want is a decent life with enough money to live on. In Albania unemployment is very high. However there is hope, the tourist trade is picking up as this country is discovered by travellers. Foreign currency is beginning to get in for building projects and development. Crimes rates are low, but beware of insulting people; this is taken seriously and may result in four other brothers turning up in short order to defend family honour. As I said, a proud people, we liked them a lot.
If you have the opportunity then please visit Albania before it becomes another Mediterranean resort country for rich westerners. It is truly magical in places, and yes it must be said, horrendous in others, but if you are prepared to respect their pride and their fierce independence and accept that they are struggling to get out from under the poverty and lack of investment left by the old communist regime then you will be welcomed and have a wonderful time.
We travelled deep into the northern mountains on roads that were little better than tracks, huge drops with no barriers on the bends and missing tarmac every few hundred yards. Fantastic scenery, wonderfully warm friendly people but no road sense!
Then to the North West lakes, beautiful but polluted with a thick shoreline layer of plastic water bottles and general waste, as was every lake and ‘dump’ we saw. It was also here that we ate some of the best ‘lake trout’ I have ever tasted. Simply cooked in a steel tray drenched with herbs, garlic and vegetables it was beyond doubt as good as any fine hotel fare.
Albania is struggling to join the 21st century, but has very little in the way of an
infra-structure with many seemingly random electricity cables strung through trees and across roofs. The same can be said for the intermittent water supply.
Buildings shooting up next to dilapidated road systems with little or no drainage travelled by donkey carts and seemingly mad car drivers. The whole scene can appear chaotic but somehow it works.
A note here, your most useful car accessory is without doubt ‘the horn’. Used to indicate all manner of manoeuvres such as ‘I am turning across you, look I am waving my arm at you’ or ‘I am over taking you’ (a long continues blast) but my favourite has to be without doubt, ‘Look out, coming through’ sometimes accompanied by flashing lights; you ignore the latter at your peril! This is a favourite tactic at junctions by the local taxis.
We travelled on an example of an Albanian major road as we were going North, we were driving on the main highway, two lanes of traffic doing about fifty mph when we saw coming towards us IN the breakdown lane a local car with its lights on using it as a short cut, this I stress is not unusual as we were to discover as we continued our travels.
Traffic officially travels on the right, or perhaps I should say traffic should travel on the right, it can rarely be counted on to do that so beware of blind corners, who knows what you might meet coming the other way with seemingly no regard for the rules of the road.
Some miles further on as we drove the tarmac stopped and the road became dirt for several miles then reverted to a tarmacked dual carriageway again, all without a single sign, nobody but me seemed bothered and just pressed on. I maintained an iron grip on the steering wheel and a fixed stare through the windscreen at the cloud of dust from the car in front.
I was told later that the road had been paid for by a grant by the EEC and that the money had run out at this point. By coincidence, the road contractor has built a fine looking hotel not far from the road, intended no doubt to take advantage of the increased traffic.
Driving in Albania is an education in automotive survival skills, for anybody who has driven in Italy or France, trust me, Albania especially Tirana has to take the first prize for sheer madness. In the two weeks Kris and I were there I honestly think I can count on one hand the number of times I saw traffic lights obeyed. ’’Beep beep beep…..Coming through!”
We both knew that although we could serve God there, it wasn’t where He wanted us. So why did He send us? Kris and I both felt strongly that God was directing our footsteps but we couldn’t understand why we had felt we had to see Albania if it wasn’t here that God wanted us to work. We returned to the original hotel we had stayed at when we arrived after our travels about the country.
All too soon our time in Albania was over, we had enjoyed our time there and experienced a country we will never forget, we had met people that we still keep in contact with seen sights that inspired us and that three storey warehouse on the outskirts of Puke’ that sent shivers down our spines.
In Puke Kris had fallen in the shower (at this time she was still severely disabled and unable to walk far) and then smack into the edge of a door in the night when we changed rooms, I had fallen down a scree slope and ended up bruised and soar, we must have looked a strange site that day as we checked in again to our original “base” hotel, dirty, battered and bruised but both grinning and happy having had a truly eye opening adventure in mountains where strangers don’t go and Bears and wolves are still common.
We have fond memories of Albania and still keep in touch with friends we made there, but for us it was not where we felt we were meant to be. In a way this was a disappointment for us as we both thought God was sending us there for a purpose, he was, only it wasn’t the one we thought it was; as we would discover later.
One day we may go back but if we do it will be as holiday makers.
Comments from Kris
Well the beginning of the month we went to Hyderabad for our annual IBRMC party Bulletiapa, it was great to catch up with old friends and make many more new ones. We stayed at a place called the Hidden Castle about 150 kms from the city so a long journey by flight and then over an hour to the venue. The flights were turbulent due to monsoon storms so we were pleased to land. I found it difficult with my ears the pain at times was immense but thankfully once we landed it eased. We had an enjoyable couple of days eating, laughing, chatting with old friends and of course drinking. This year Hyderabad outdid everyone by offering free beer on the last night.
I particularly enjoyed watching Chris and the guys in the tug of war, they made a valiant effort but alas the wet grass and slippery conditions meant they lost.
Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar
During the weekend I had the honour of being able to offer a seminar to the ladies on Breast Cancer Awareness. I had about 25 ladies attend my presentation a good turnout and they asked many questions. On the whole the feedback I received was very positive and 25 more ladies now know about the Self Breast Examination Technique that could save their lives, well worth it.
Thanks to the organisers who facilitated the seminar and made sure it was well advertised and attended. These guys gave me tremendous support and encouragement as did Chris.
We had decided to spend a few days in Hyderabad after the party to sample the food and sights. We found a Chilli’s American Bar and Grill and we went there two nights running. Food was excellent I had burgers and Chris had steak which looked amazing. Our first night we were tucking in and we saw a friend had arrived outside, it was Lee, his wife and her friend, we never expected to see them so soon we thought they’d travelled back to Delhi after Bulletiapa. They joined us and we had a fun evening amazing who you meet in Chilli’s.
Well Hyderabad was still in the middle of monsoon so we had periods of torrential rain and alas it took its toll on me. I got a chest infection but it did not dampen my enjoyment. Due to the monsoon storms and the high pollution in Hyderabad my chest infection did not ease and I decided to share it with Chris well that’s what love is. After several courses of antibiotics, nebulisers, oral steroids and other medication my chest is slowly starting to recover after three weeks. It’s sad when your on first name terms with the doctor at the hospital.
Chickens
I’ve been really worried about my chickens this monsoon, the water did not drain adequately, they’re bored and frustrated. Chris and I both feel putting them at the back of the house was a mistake and not a good environment for them so we have decided to make a new chicken compound at the front of the house. We’ve given them much more space, planted some shrubs for interest for them. Were in the process of wiring the structure, this has been delayed due to my ill health, but we need to move them as soon as humanly possible. The plan is to get them in and then get some new chicks to increase the flock. Once completed they will still have their chicken coup to lay eggs, lots of tree logs for interest and they enjoy watching the wildlife in the garden so they should settle quickly. We will then turn the area at the back into a kitchen garden which is a win win situation.
Well guys that all from us this month, the weather is changing and the nights getting colder but nothing like the cold in the UK so for that we remain grateful. Hope you’ve enjoyed the blog.
God Bless from Chris and Kris in Udaipur, Rajasthan
