POR QUÉ TODO EL MUNDO TIENE UN MERCEDES EN ALBANIA | ALBANIA #14

I'm really liking Tirana I mean I expected it to be much grayer that it was going to be There is a lot more of this communist-style architecture Soviet-style and it's true that much of it is because in the end well they have been 50 years of communist secrecy but there is a huge Effort to also modernize All this central area where I'm walking I don't know There are many parks events are held such as that festival in the center Behind me I don't It can be seen well you see this as this wall it's like a restricted access area the construction area Behind it is a huge concrete building that has a shape a pyramid a rather ugly building half in ruins built in 1888 and whose Its main function was to become a museum for Enver Hoxha The idea was that it would be a museum about his figure and that when he died it would even be used as a kind of mausoleum Just as in other communist countries such as Vietnam with Ho Chi Minh or Russia Where there are also these mausoleums where you can see Lenin This was a bit the use it was given He wanted to give but he only managed to be a museum for three years After Enver's dea After the fall of the communist dictatorship it fell into disuse and gradually deteriorated During A period was used by NATO during the Kosovo war and later had other uses For example it was also used as a radio or even as a disco but later it stopped It is in a bad state it is not accessible because it is half in ruins and quite dilapidated dangerous In fact they had to put up all these fences because people were entering and the idea There were two ideas the first was to completely destroy it and the second which is the one that is carrying out today which is to convert it into a kind of civic center with a little cultural museum of what the country's modern history is and that's where they are In that case it's currently not accessible I don't know when it will be finished and opened But for now it seems to be in quite early stages of reform In this small park there is a memorial to the communist isolation of all these years and it is represented rough three small monuments The first one and it's interesting there is a piece a fragme From the Berlin Wall the real Berlin Wall The city of Berlin gave a piece of this wall When it fell to the city of Tirana also so that they would have it here as that commemoratio which had also been isolated in this way by this communism Then on the other hand there is a entrance to a series of galleries that provided access to the residential areas of Enver Hoxha among the main political leaders of the time Then on the other hand there is a kind of beams or concrete pillars that supported mines that were here in Albania in a small village They were used as forced labor camps for political prisoners And this monume It's in this nice park which is small but very cool and it's not here by chance In fact I have already mentioned to you that one of the small memorials is the entrance to the Hoxha's residences and those of other political leaders And that's because we are in the neighborhood of Pjok south of the river that runs through Tirana and this was a neighborhood that was used residentially for the political leaders for the highest positions in the communist dictatorship until this It fell and people on foot couldn't enter here Regular people couldn't access this place eighborhood It was completely monitored Then when the entire communist dictatorship fell it came from the same place people have reclaimed this part and it has become an icon of recovery that today this is ours and must be ours So what did they do They started making graffiti all the old buildings and to this day is one of the most bohemian most colorful neighborhoods w Many many graffiti paintings in commemoration of all this of this movement of transformation village Here is the village of Enver Hoxha where he lived while in power As you can see it is Very modest That is even by today's standards it would be a house that would be very good especially for the area where he was So imagine the level at which he was living when the The town was starving By the way throughout all this time in Albania the feeling of Security has been complete I mean I have not felt any sense of insecurity or danger at any moment I was worried they might rob me or something worse Not at all And look I was carrying the big camera and with the microphone sometimes with the tripod That is I move around with things in view and in no way I had no feeling that anyone was looking at me strangely or that anyone was going to approach me It's worth spending some time in the Pjouka neighborhood not just for the sights but because it's a very modern very bohemian neighborhood with a lot of Trendy restaurants and bars where you can get lost as well as places with chill out music and more It's not the ideal place if you want to try authentic traditional Albanian food but if you wa So more modern places as it's a very good option Plus you have these murals around here All the neighborhood is amazing Something that will surely catch your attention whe If you are in Albania it's a mix of two things On one hand you notice that life here is very humble e houses of the people the general lifestyle is very humble and on the other hand it does contrast with the fact that half of the cars or many of the cars you will see The roads are for luxury or high-end vehicles Most of them are Mercedes and that's because it's allowed very closely related to the famous Albanian mafia Surely many of you have heard the Albanian mafia or Albanian cosbar mafia Surely one of the most well-known things that has the country and it's quite unfair because you've seen over these days that I've been traveling abroad Here that Albania has many things to offer beyond the mafia and being famous That is why But it is a reality that exists today The Albanian mafia is historically super It is well known Its origins date back to the 15th century and they have coexisted here since then It is true at during the communist dictatorship activity dropped significantly because it was completely suppressed Prohibited but after the dictatorship ended in 1991 it returned with strength and to this day it has not as much power as a few years ago but still exists with considerable strength It is composed It is believed to be composed of about 15 families throughout the country Only they control a third part of the country's economy and is related to the fact that most cars tha He is going to see his Mercedes or a high-end car of any kind And this is because despite the fact tha Life here is inexpensive it is one of the most humble countries in all of Europe after people who were starting to earn some money who went away to live elsewhere and came bac A few years ago I wanted to show that well-being And often that well-being was shown throug Having a luxury car and in this case it is very related to Mercedes So what is it What does the Albanian mafia do They steal cars throughout Europe mainly in France and Italy Spain they bring them here and resell them at a much more affordable price That's why you will see tha people who barely make it to the end of the month or have just enough to eat in exchange they have a Cochazo The guy from one of the hostels I've stayed at actually from Ceci mentioned to me at he had opened his own business which was that guest house up in the mountains to Make some money Because here if you don't start your own business it's very hard to make a living a reasonably comfortable life Here young people as soon as they finish their studies or as soon as they can He is leaving He is leaving Albania and going to Italy France any other country To do the university studies or making a living earning money and leading a better life than they ca I have been here in Albania up today I just came from eating at a restaurant called Artigiano It is just next to the concrete pyramid I showed you before and it is a place tha It's pretty good I had also noted a place for traditional food but I don't know why I didn't go there I would like to try some Italian food I have ordered some beef spring rolls Vegetables that are very good as well as a sweet and sour sauce Then a pasta that is the classic one Cheese and pepper which is mainly cheese and pepper It's very good al dente it's the truth It's quite exquisite The only thing that slightly failed was the dessert I had a cheesecake and it was to my liking I like it a bit creamier and with less stuff on top like jams and such But anyway it's okay Very good The truth is it's more expensive than what I've seen throughout the whole trip I It has cost me around 20 euros including the drink coffee and so on So it's not bad It's expensive but obviously much more expensive It's like twice as expensive as what I've been eating so far Now I came out for a walk to ease my stomach a bit and I saw tha There was also a park a 10-minute walk away where I could take a little break from the sun It is the large park of Tirana And it is a very large park located on a hill which makes it so It's all uphill and it also has parts as you can see I'm like in a forest Then it's good Because it has more open areas and places where you can get lost as if it were a forest Then this whatever this urban park is is great I mean here to come and do It's very good to take a walk to rest a bit