Thethi-Timeless

Sometimes, just sometimes you make a serendipitous decision that unfolds into a magical moment. A little background is in order to explain how we "found" Thethi(th-eth) and how we left it. First, I had heard about a US Embassy trip to Thethi in August which I could not make due to going home to the USA. As a result the idea of Thethi and an adventure to the "hidden" valley (so difficult to reach; the invading Ottoman Turks did not attempt to pacify the local inhabitants, who were mainly Catholic and chose not to convert)fell by the wayside until Madlyn and I decided we needed a getaway trip...thus spoke Thethi!

The road map for Albania displayed Thethi in the Northeast mountains of Albania, commonly referred to as the "Albanian Alps" and situated in the valley of the Shales River. It was a projected four-five hour drive that included some of the most difficult roads (read goat paths)to traverse in Albania.In fact, there are twenty-seven(27) kilometers of four-wheel driving from Boge(where the asphalt road ends)to our destination; "The Harusha House" in Thethi. Now, taking advantage of the situation presented, I rented a large Toyota Land Cruiser for our journey. This is off-roading at its' finest!!

It was a fortuitous choice as mother nature brought in a major storm from the Adriatic Sea for the benefit of all in northern Albania.It was an uneventful drive from Tirana, through Lezhe, Shkoder, and Koplik, where we took the only right turn out of town and headed towards the mountains. After leaving Koplik, we drove along a reasonable one and one/half lane road that was paved and smooth; past neat homes and well tended farms; old terracing visible on the sides of the mountains; sheep and pigs in the middle of the road and then we hit Boge!! The rains came upon us and soon the now dirt and rock strewn road had rivulets of water coursing through the well worn tire tracks. The mountains were covered in fog and the "quaint" farms had given way to switchbacks and some serious drop offs if you strayed from the road. The initial climb was eleven(11) kilometers to the pass into the valley that protected Thethi from the outside world.

The descent into the valley was sixteen (16) kilometers of fog and rain; our visit to Thethi would be influenced by the two weather induced elements. The fog in particular would offer an opportunity to "shoot" under less than ideal circumstances, however, the fog would add so much character to our photographs. The mountains are rugged and tree covered; open meadows are many and we see sheep and goats grazing on our drive; this environment reminds of home in Oregon crossing the Coast Range on a foggy drizzly November on the way to the Oregon Coast; it is also reminiscent of "Brigadoon" as Thethi just appears(hopefully for longer than a day) out of the fog and rain. It has taken us about ninety minutes to cover the twenty-seven (27) kilometers; we are over the bridge; did I mention it bows when the truck crosses on it???

The Harusha House is set up like a typical backpacker/hiker hotel. It has multiple bunks in each room and a shared bathroom shower. The room is clean and the blankets are thick and heavy; little did we know that it would get down to 8 degrees Celsius over night!! We are very thankful for the blankets as is our dog Gracie; we are also hungry and head over to the large dining room for lunch.
The dining room is already occupied by eight guests from an Albanian hiking club who were seated at a large table enjoying a meal consisting of lamb, potato soup in a tomato broth, fresh tomatoes, sharp cheese, butter, thick bread, roasted peppers, yogurt and spinach wrapped in bread dough; oh, and ice cold water,fresh from the well. We quickly accepted the offered fare, and settled into a very fine lunch.

We are warm and full; lunch has been just perfect to get us ready to wander around and see the sights of Thethi. Back in the room we wrap up the dog in a blanket and head out; the main road faces us; left or right, I mean you cannot go too far in either direction. Up pops a man named Fisnik who is a tour guide; speaks excellent English and the author of HighAlbania blog/web page. He suggests we head left and look for the Catholic Church, remembering to take the fork to the left to reach our goal; we hope to speak with him later.

We are warmly dressed in fleece layers; a Patagonia water proof coat; warm socks and Gortex shoes. The air is damp and it is chilly in the valley. The local welcoming committee does not appear to really care that we are visitors in their small village, however, do note they are all wearing a heavy coat!

Up the hill and around the corner sits the reconstructed Catholic Church. It was rebuilt using donations from parishioners who currently reside in the United States. The church is a solid structure of stone and wood with a traditional wooden thatch overlay roof.It reminds me of my grandparents parish church in Premione (Trentino-Adagio), Italy; simple, the church of the working class. The work on the church was completed in 2006.

Entering the church, I was struck by the simplicity of design; from the wooden ceiling beams to the stone walls that had been plastered; to the unfinished ceiling of the altar.I donated to the "poor box" before we stepped back outside. Refreshing and alive would best describe this structure.

I am known to sometimes be directionally challenged and my wife takes every opportunity to not so subtly remind me of my mindless wandering! I know she is only trying to be helpful in a foreign country, but heck, even I can read English!

Off to our left, Fisnik is speaking to his group about the church. We are invited to join in the tour,however, we must do what we do best...wander. Off in the distance is the "blood tower". This was sort of a sanctuary for males in a family who were involved in a blood feud.The males of the offending family would hide in the tower to avoid death at the hands of the avenging family. It was all about honor! The fog and the cornfields add to the bleakness surrounding the ancient tower.

The fog is rolling down from the mountains and the air is getting noticably colder as what little sun we have slips behind the surrounding mountains. The houses and farms are being absorbed by the dripping whiteness of the fog; the colors of the changing trees and the sky itself has become muted from the fog...greyness all around.

This seems to be right time to head back to the room and maybe stop at the new pub. a quick vote and the pub is in by a landslide. As we move down the hill we look back at the Catholic Church; the fog is enveloping it along with everything in its' path.

The pub is new, the beer is great (Nik-Gold) and the bartender/owner speaks English. We have learned that many of the residents who deal with tourists have a good understanding of English and several other languages.While at the pub, the owner tells us that often the village is snow bound(the pass is closed) for up to three months each year and in bad years even longer. He will close his bar as soon as the pass starts to pack with snow.
We are treated to a sumptuous dinner, which are told is "lite fare". This includes cheese noodles; stuffed and roasted peppers;olives; cheese; thick bread; beer; yogurt; cucumbers in yogurt; tomatoes and dessert of "sweet" yogurt.
Off to bed in our naturally cooled room (read windows do not close tight) where we will sleep in our own bunk beds under a pile of blankets!

Up early the next morning; we have a solid breakfast of eggs; coffee; tea; honey; blueberry jam; thick bread; yogurt; and cheese; water and oh, a double expresso for Madlyn! It is still a little foggy, however, the rain has stopped for now.We decide to climb back up the mountains and head for home before the next wave of storms hits us(we miss the rain until outside of Koplik and does it rain...wow).

The drive up and over the mountains is a great test for the Land Cruiser; the rain has washed some of the road down the side of the mountains; deep trenches are a challenge, but not a hinderance to moving towards home. Coming over to the West side of the mountains, the valley opens before us, this time no fog to hide the view.

We plan to return in the summer and partake in the hiking tours offered in the valley and surrounding mountains of Thethi. I also would like to take a picture of Thethi without fog! I have to selfishly agree with a couple of the locals; improving the road all the way to Thethi would ruin the appeal and open this pristine environment to a level of tourists beyond the capacity of the people and the mountains. A new power provider would be needed to replace the intermittent power that is currently available and without National Park staff, it is inevitable that degradation would occur to the valley and the surrounding mountains. Hopefully, a sustainable plan will evolve as this beautiful spot of Albania demands exploring.

And yes, a perfect get-away trip.