Balkans_2018...You Only Live Once!

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Shkoder -> Theth National Park / Mes bridge (Albania)

https://goo.gl/pyEmJk

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A small group of German riders transporting their DRZ400s in a small bus from near Cologne
had done the Theth-lap the day before....and arrived back in the dark after an early start.
"It's rough, man...that notorious eastern stretch is in bad shape, rocky and loose and dusty".


OK, we'll see how far we get then. No use destroying more bikes or getting injured, there's too
much good stuff lined up ahead.


The SH21 has had a make-over only a couple of years ago and is said to be sealed up to the small pass
now....and it's a pearler of a single-laner!!


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....just NEVER get lulled into false dreams!!




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OHHH....YUMM YUMM
:slobb



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
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The 2 girls return down those delicious twisties towards Shkoder again in search of the ancient Ottoman Mes bridge while the rest proceeds towards Theth and the Kombutar National Park in the Albanian Alps....



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:glu:glu STUNNING vistas from up here!!



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...and plenty of dust!



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Just....DON'T GOOF UP!


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It's soon clear that our Tourance-style hoops are having a hard time hanging on to the mixture of deep dust and loose rock...



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The views are incredible...and the slow and careful descent is like slowly dropping into a parallel world, a place of
stories and myths.....somehow I feel like a 5 year old sitting in bed with a huge, dusty, old picture book on my knees.
AWESOME !!



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
17km...1.25hrs....and a mouth that feels as dry as the innards of the Simpson Desert.
Nice to see all kinds of liquids along the valley floor :chug:


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...and on it goes :drool:



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Running out of time and grip...it's better to turn back and start the climb back into the saddle.




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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
...while the girls have made the wiser move and enjoyed the twisties while it still cool...




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...checked out those funny haystacks...before finding a bridge or 2 to the north of Shkoder.



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And while the new Mesi bridge is a "dirty let-down"..


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....the old Ottoman Bridge-of-Mesi certainly is a stunner!! :clap:



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And finally the mystery of all those half-finished houses gets solved as well...


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As long as not entirely finished, no Certificate of Completion can be issued...and therefore only the piece of land the building occupies can be taxed,
not the building itself. Which apparently doesn't mean that it can't be lived in.
BALKANS...LOVE 'EM!!
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
A bit further up the road...time for a dip in one of the local swimming holes.
Water like green bottle-glass....


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Back at base...

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....and checking the days' pics over a local coldie....



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....as the glowering fireball slowly sinks into Lake Shkoder.


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Tall stories... taller pots of beer ...laughs... and a busted rib after a slow drop on the Theth road sweeten our last night in Albania, W-)
the morning will bring Goodbyes to Hans and Elisabeth.



And new adventures in Montenegro and beyond. :thumbs::thumbs:


Lake Shkodra Resort https://goo.gl/W71Tde
 

Zuckerbaron

Tour Pro
....the old Ottoman Bridge-of-Mesi certainly is a stunner!! :clap:



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Perfect bridge, seems that they had a lot of water some times. :thun
 

Zuckerbaron

Tour Pro
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The views are incredible...and the slow and careful descent is like slowly dropping into a parallel world, a place of
stories and myths.....somehow I feel like a 5 year old sitting in bed with a huge, dusty, old picture book on my knees.
AWESOME !!




That type of road looks really promising.:thumbs::thumbs:


Just saw the tops of the fence posts - seems that they have to many bottles.:looney:
 
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