Here is the third and final part of our adventure in Kelmend - North of Albania. If you haven't read the first and the second part yet, jump here, then here, and then come back again. For everyone else who's on track with the story, enjoy the last part below. ;)
The wind speed slowly rose, and an ominous cloud of fog engulfed the mountaintop, indicating the impending return of the storm. I quickly made my way to the car, and just as I closed the door, my husband stirred from his sleep. I assured him that there were no new updates on the situation, and he drifted off once again. As I settled into the car, I felt the exhaustion of the long day weigh heavily on me. My head throbbed from exhaustion and the blood pressure in my veins increased.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed my head to relax. Just as I was about to drift off into slumber, my eyes snapped open with a start. Was that the distant sound of an engine? I pressed my cheek to the window, but the glare of our car's headlights obstructed my view. With great care, I turned off the headlights, not wanting to wake my hubby. And then, there it was: a blinking light, a beacon of hope in the deep darkness. It was a car.
“Baby, wake up! There's a car coming up behind us!”
He snapped his eyes open in an instant, immediately returning to the land of the living as if on autopilot. It always surprised me how effortlessly he could recharge to 100% battery in a split second. Unlike me, who needed at least 20 minutes to fully come to my senses and orient myself to my surroundings before transitioning to active human mode.
With a quick burst of acceleration and deft maneuvers, he cleared the way for the other car and guided ours to the edge of the cliff, deftly parking it there.
Thank goodness the oncoming car was a 4x4 with huge, thick wheels that were even bigger than Buki herself. The vehicle came to a stop, and the driver stepped out into the freezing cold wearing nothing but a thin shirt. He quickly regretted his decision as he began to shiver uncontrollably but couldn't force himself to give up. Apparently, he and my husband understood each other well and decided that the bigger car would pass in front of us and tow us out.
But it wasn't that simple. The wind picked up and reduced visibility, making it risky for them to attempt to tie the rope and pull us out. Despite a few attempts, they were unable to make much progress. Eventually, with red, swollen faces and frozen eyelashes, they huddled in front of the car lights to discuss their options.
My husband swung open the car door and swiftly instructed me to gather any necessary belongings, while he quickly retrieved our bags. With no other options left, we had to abandon our car and trust in the kindness of our newfound friends to lead us safely to Lëpusha. As we climbed out of the car and into the biting cold, our hearts were heavy with the knowledge that we had to leave poor Buki behind. However, we held onto hope that she would be okay and survive the harsh snowy conditions.
We gratefully climbed into our new friends' car and set off toward our destination, warmed by their kindness in the face of such harsh conditions. As we drove towards our cottage, we couldn't help but notice the towering heaps of snow lining the road, almost two meters high in some places.
Once we arrived at the cottage, we thanked our new friends for their immense help and settled in. The warmth of the crackling fire, fueled by the scent of burning pines, filled the room as we sipped hot mountain tea, sweetened with a spoonful of local honey. The thought of the icy snow outside made me fall asleep within seconds.
The following morning, we set out to explore the village of Lëpusha. Scattered haphazardly across the valley floor, atop hills, and along the river, the village's houses were few and far between. This was typical of the north of Albania, but it seemed strange to us, who hailed from the south. As we walked, we were surrounded by a sea of white, with no humans in sight, save for a few dogs running around, looking for a friendly pat.
The peaceful silence surrounded us, with no one else in sight. The trees were bowed, touching their roots with their branches as if holding tons of heavy snow on their backs. The houses looked blended in the snow, with only their chimneys standing proud, blowing smoke through their big mouths.
As we made our way through the thick blanket of snow, the air was crisp and the silence around us was deafening. It was as if we were the only ones in the world, surrounded by an endless sea of white. We were heading towards the village's most famous attraction, the cascade.
We saw that the cascade was completely frozen over as we approached. It was a breathtaking sight as if the water had been turned into a magnificent sculpture. The icicles hanging from the rocks glistened in the sunlight, and the frozen surface of the cascade shone like a diamond in the snow.
As we got closer, we noticed a ladder leaning against a big rock. It seemed to be facing the cascade, and we couldn't resist the temptation to climb up and get a closer look. We carefully made our way up the ladder, gripping the cold metal tightly with our gloved hands. When we reached the top, we were treated to a spectacular view of the frozen cascade and the surrounding winter wonderland.
We stood there in awe, taking in the magical scenery around us. The silence was only interrupted by the occasional sound of icicles breaking off and crashing to the ground.
The sun quickly disappeared below the horizon, as daylight hours are limited when living in a valley surrounded by towering mountains. We made our way back to our cozy cottage and settled in for the evening, relishing the warmth and comfort inside. We indulged in delicious food and sipped on steaming beverages, enjoying each other's company as we recounted the day's adventures.
The peacefulness of the night was palpable, broken only by the occasional sound of wildlife outside. The darkness that enveloped us outside made us appreciate even more the snug haven we had found indoors. We were grateful for the shelter and warmth of our cottage, which made the cold winter nights more bearable.
As we enjoyed the rest of the evening, we couldn't help but feel content and relaxed. Our spirits were lifted by the beauty of the day and the cozy atmosphere of our cabin. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Our stay was only for one night, and although I was thrilled to see so much snow, my excitement quickly dissipated when I realized the challenges of venturing further in such conditions.
The generous owner of the nearby cottage offered to drive us to the location where we left our dear Buki. However, our hopes were dashed as we came across a car wreck obstructing the road.
From there, we continued on foot.
As we walked towards our stranded car for over an hour, the sun shone down on us, but the icy wind blowing to our necks kept us cold. We had hoped the car wouldn't be too far away, but our journey through the deep snow made it feel like an eternity. Finally, with red cheeks and frozen eyelashes, we arrived at the car, which looked peaceful and still, buried under a thick blanket of snow.
However, as we got closer, reality hit us hard. The car was almost completely covered in snow, and we could barely see any part of it. Despite the cold, we quickly removed the snow from the car, revealing that the ice had covered the road ahead of us, but luckily the wheels remained clear. We climbed inside, hopeful that the car's engine would start, knowing that if it did, nothing else would matter.
As my husband turned the key, hope drained from us with every failed attempt. After several tries, we faced the harsh reality that the car wouldn't start.
On his 10th attempt to turn on the car, my husband removed the key from the keyhole. It was obvious the car wouldn't start. We began to think about our next move.
"What are we going to do?" I dared to ask him, even though I knew he might not have an answer.
My husband was immersed in his bag of solutions, trying to figure out if anything he could find there would be of any help.
"The kind bearded man at the tea shop!" I suddenly shouted. "I'm pretty sure he'd be at his little cabin bar right now."
"You might be right," he said. "Wait for me here. I won't be too long."
"No, wait! I'm going. You try to think of anything else that might work."
"It's cold and far," he replied. "Are you sure you want to do it?"
"Absolutely, sir!" I replied and immediately jumped out of the car. I was eager to contribute to getting us out of there, and my husband was confident that he wouldn't find a solution until I returned.
I had bundled up, wearing two beanies, one on top of the other, a heavy scarf covering my mouth and nose, leather gloves, and oversized sunglasses. Not a single piece of skin on my face was exposed to the cold.
It took me 30 minutes to reach the cabin bar, noticing the smoke of the burning pines dancing in the sky from afar. I was glad I took the initiative; I thought I would save the day, but unfortunately, the room was empty when I arrived. No one was there. The only “living” thing present was the fire, humming fiery words with its teeth, and the shushing sound of the teapot over the stove.
"Someone must be here," I muttered to myself.
"Is anyone here?" I shouted, but there was no response.
"Hello? Anyone…?"
I heard some footsteps from the other side of the cabin and quickly went outside. I came face to face with the bearded owner with joyous eyes who was holding a big bunch of dry firewood. It turned out he didn't have his car with him, and a friend was going to bring it back to him at noon. The only help he could offer was his muscles and a bottle of hot water.
After thanking him, I hurried back to my hubby, running up the frozen uphill road. As I expected, he wasn't idle; he had tied the car's cables to a large tree on the other side of the road while pushing the car forward.
"Baby! I brought some help and hot water for the engine!" I shouted at him from a distance, as I and the kind bearded man approached him.
"Great job, baby! But first, we need to push the car a little further toward that sunny spot over there. It will help warm up the engine," my hubby said as the kind bearded man arrived to assist us. They used boiling water for the engine, but it still didn't start.
"That's all you can do for now," said the kind bearded man in his warm voice. "Come have some hot tea now and warm yourselves up. Don't waste any more of your energy. We can't afford to lose it in this weather. Let’s wait for the sun to do its magic.”
As it turned out, waiting in the freezing cold for help wasn't the best idea. Our muscles were starting to get rigid, and we needed to warm up by the stove for a while. Sadly, no other car crossed the road that day, and we waited until the sun hid behind the mountains' peaks before climbing back into our car.
With the help of the sunlight, the engine roared to life on the second try. The ice on the windows had melted away, and Buki was finally awake.
On our way back home, we rode in silence, lost in our thoughts, as we left behind the vast expanse of white snow and towering mountains that had been the backdrop to our little adventure. The experience had been both exhilarating and exhausting, and we were content to simply enjoy the scenery and the peacefulness of the road.
As we drove, the distant noise of civilization grew louder, signaling our return to the bustle of city life. But even as we embraced the familiar sounds and sights of urban living, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss at leaving the mountains behind.
The trolls, those massive and awe-inspiring creatures of nature, had left an indelible impression on me. No human-made structure could ever compare to the raw power and beauty of these natural wonders. Their stark presence filled me with a sense of awe and humility that I had never experienced before.
Despite the exhaustion, I found myself longing to return to the bosom of the mountains, to be surrounded once again by their majestic presence. There was something about being in their midst that made me feel alive, and I knew that I would return one day to bask once more in their glory.
As we drove on, I closed my eyes and breathed in the crisp air, letting the memories of our adventure wash over me. And I knew that, no matter where life took us, the mountains and their trolls would always hold a special place in my heart.
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