DATELINE: Pristina, Kosovo    

Author: Andy      

Lonely Planet is rather frank about this country: "Kosovo doesn't leap to mind as a travel destination: It has the weakest economy in Europe, half the population is unemployed, and the innards of buildings stripped to their skeletons still lie strewn across smashed-up sidewalks." And also, under the "When To Go" section, they say simply: "There is no tourist season." Still, we had a fun and interesting day here. We had breakfast overlooking the mountains and then I got to drive the first leg of the trip, rolling down the twisty mountain roads. We had lunch in Prizren, which turned out to be a charming little town. Every now and then we'd see a building in disrepair, and some of them were clearly examples of war damage. Meanwhile, there's lots of construction and rebuilding everywhere. We drove on to Pristina, passing several NATO vehicles and a fairly large NATO base set up along the road to protect it, presumably, from Serbs. Pristina is a bit of a gritty town, but we're getting the hang of it. It took us a while to find a hotel, and then later it took us a while to find dinner. But our hotel room is really a two-bedroom suite with a cozy living room, and dinner was very delicious. Still, the plan has become for Natalie, Sam and I to take the night bus tomorrow to Montenegro. Nick is staying here an extra night and then flying back to Rome Sunday morning. In the meantime, we're enjoying how much Kosovars love America. There's a wide Bill Clinton Boulevard (complete with big bronze statue), and streets named after George Bush and Bob Dole. While many (most?) Americans have basically forgotten how we intervened in the Kosovo War, it's safe to say the Kosovars haven't and they're still very very appreciative.