Motorradreise Balkan - Auf menschenleeren Pfaden in Albanien / Folge 14

12 tons are allowed to cross the bridge I can already see some holes in this bridge Look at this! What a great view up here! For hobby enduro riders like me, this country is just unimaginably good I have to say, this wild and free riding, mostly challenging, sometimes also totally easy over asphalted new roads, but the mix somehow makes it up for me. It's best not to slide to the left now and maybe not even to the right. It would just be nice to stay here in the middle. Now there are a few fat chunks, a few fat stones in the middle of the way, but it doesn't matter. The Uschi just goes flat. I just hold on, step on the gas a bit and then you always have to decide for a track. And sometimes you have to switch a bit. Left, right, through the middle. And sometimes nothing helps at all. You just have to go through in the middle and see that you can get through the mud with momentum. I had to pedal briefly, but I actually got through. So, here the construction permit was also withdrawn. Okay, let's go. Yes, the curves and turns, that's always a problem with moisture like this. And when Uschi starts to slide once, then it's pretty difficult to catch up. This is still considered a normal route in Albania and is normally not even listed as an off-road track, but as a white small side road on my map material. Because this is perhaps not quite normal for the Albanians, but it is also not world-famous. I already notice. The Albanians, the Mongols and the Icelanders, they have their own category road. And in all these countries there are damn few people. In Albania, too, there are only a little over 3 million inhabitants and a large part of them in Tirana, in the capital. Go on, go on, go on, don't stop. No, exactly, that's how we like it. Now I'm getting warm here. When does this mud pump finally stop? Now comes a slightly drier part again. I'll try to drive a little faster, so that all the mud comes out of the profile and the wheel, especially in the back, but also in the front, becomes free again for new challenges. Greetings at this point to my friend Christoph. You may know him from the seventh part of my Balkan tour, where we drove through Montenegro together. He has an absolute mud and mud phobia. I'm getting stuck here. There he got stuck. Oh, look at that, where did you slip in there? You will like this route very, very much. We can go to Albania together sometime. Then I'll show you this beautiful part. And you'll curse like that. Ui, ui, ui, ui, ui, what's going on here now? Come on, come on, come on. Stay on the gas. Yes. Not bad. Everything worked out. So, left, right. We're going right, I think. I don't even have a left lane on the map. So, I'm going up steeply now. And now comes a left turn. Let's see how far we can get. Ui, ui, ui, ui, ui, ui, ui. Come on, stay on the gas. Not to the right, uh, to the left. And go on. Wow, it's going up steeply here. We're going around to the right. Ah, here, the right way is good. Ah, now we have to stay in the middle. You only scan the way here all the time. Which lane am I driving? Phew, done. I got to the top. Uh, that was a technical piece. Oh, it goes on. But I like such technical pieces. Only not so much when the ground is so soft. It's very dry here now. That's good. That fits. You can easily get up there. A little oversteer. Up. No problem. And behind those mountains is the Mediterranean. You have to imagine that again. That's, that's the madness. You drive at 2,400 meters. And the next day, if you want, you're back at the sea after a few kilometers. Behind there. That's my goal today. Because I'm meeting a very nice couple from Austria tonight. They are also on the road here. We talked a little bit the last few days. Yes, the Internet and mobile communication on the road makes it possible that in Albania, which sounds so far away, you can be so close and together. Wow, did you just see the lake on the right? Wow. And now beautiful serpentines are coming in front of me. So this path here is really fine in terms of appeal and in terms of panorama. Wow, just a dream. I recommend not to drive here when it rains. I think it will be very, very, very difficult and extremely muddy. But it is definitely one of the most beautiful panorama routes on my trip to Albania here. Look at that. Oha. Now it's going steeply downhill here. Nice through the mud, Uschi. Now I'm getting into a real muddy passage here. I don't feel like going back on it. Oh, I have to take my feet off. I'm practically staying in this car lane now. Huh. But now I ran into a stone here. Can I get over there? So. I think the worst is over. I'll try to get out of here. Okay, all the way to the left, outside. Yes, the drone has of course visually lost me now. Because active tracking only works through visual tracking. Oh, am I going back to civilization again? Suddenly there is an asphalt road here. I don't even know how to drive that anymore. Okay, let's try that. Yes, I can still. It's like swimming, you don't get lost. Yes, back in the valley on asphalt. It wouldn't be so bad if it stayed that way. Then I can cool down a bit. Because the last few meters were quite exhausting. In any case, I can still buy something to drink here, I think. Yes, I think so. Something cool to drink is just mega good. I drink a lot of water during the day. It also stays cold in my drinking bubble for a relatively long time. But sometimes a little bit of sugar and other substances in it. It's not so bad that the body comes back in full swing. Because being out here in the field with the motorcycle on the ground is real sport. So you sweat a lot, you concentrate a lot. It's a bit like competitive sports, I think. Because of the kilometers I have to drive today, I still have 118 ahead of me. So it will be a very good distance. And it's already a quarter past one. And I only made 30.8 kilometers today. Yes, okay. Then let's hope that the asphalt will come again at some point. And we can do a little bit of speed. Look, some lid is not closed again. Yes, the lid is open here. Since when is the lid open? Oh, the key is hanging on there all the time. Fortunately, you can hear it knocking a bit. And luckily the key doesn't fall off. Oh my god, imagine that. But when it comes to the motorcycle, the key can't be that far away. Because that's what the keyless ride has. Yes, these wonderful main roads in Albania. A dream. What I'm thinking about all the time is that I'm in a supermarket down there in the village. One and a half liters of water. Half a liter of this orange lemonade, you just saw. And three chocolate bars for 120 Lek. Lek is the national currency here. And exactly 121 Lek is one euro. I have to admit, this is of course also a village where normally 0.0 tourists come. It's okay, it's okay. All good. Okay, ciao. They were just a bit skeptical. They were looking at me like that. With that motorcycle? That way? No problem, that's why I'm here. That's why I came here. To Albania. Yes, the Uschi always looks a bit big. Nice expression, right? A bit heavy and wide. People underestimate what you can do with this motorcycle. Of course, it's made for gravel fans. Now I'm passing a ghost town. Crazy, even people live up here. You have to look a little forward, what's coming in front of you. That's crazy. Did you know that in 2022 the international BMW GS Trophy will come to Albania? I was there in Mongolia. I was there twice. I'll link you to my video playlist. I had a really bad crash there on the second day. So I couldn't continue. But I wish the German team and all other teams a lot of fun in the adventure of their lives. Because the organization is great. And I'm sure you'll also leave the transit routes on such routes. Because the GS Trophy is not about driving from A to B as quickly as possible. It's not a time rally or something. There are two or three special tests per day. It's about skill, technical driving and team spirit. But then there is a route from A to B that has to be put back every day. Together with a marshall and another team. Teams are made up of teams from different countries. And in 2022 it will be here in Albania. I'm already looking forward to the recordings. Where they will be. Where they drive all the way. Whether they even incorporate such routes here. For sure. I mean, there is something like this here in Albania. I wish all participants a lot of fun. And Team Germany a lot of success. And a bit of luck. That they finish far ahead. Maybe even get the trophy back to Germany. Where it belongs. And that everyone stays safe. Because I think that's the worst thing that can happen to you. And now up here. I can well imagine that many people who are watching this video right now. Will see many more unusually beautiful recordings. And maybe even the BMW GS trophy in Albania. That they say to themselves. Oh yeah, such an adventure. I really want to do that too. And I can only recommend it from the bottom of my heart. However, do not do the whole thing without a plan. But please with a healthy human mind. And I have a question for you at the beginning. How do you actually earn your money? My salary ultimately results from the job of the motorcycle driver and video creator. So if I were to become unemployed tomorrow. Then I would not earn any money at all for short or long. But the whole thing does not necessarily have to happen on a super long motorcycle trip abroad. But it can also hit you if you just go to the ice cream parlor on Sunday. The probability of becoming unemployed once in your life. Is between 20 and 40 years of age, even at 40%. By the way, only 9% of accident injuries lead to unemployment. Over 30%, on the other hand, are mental illnesses such as depression or burnout. Imagine how much money you would leave behind in the context of an entire career. With an unemployment. And the whole thing can only be secured with a few euros today. Online, quickly, individually and with personal advice. Just download the Klark app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. And use the code WALLEONTOUR when registering. If you upload three existing insurance policies. No, you don't have to conclude anything new for that. Then you even get a 45 euro voucher code for the shop of your choice. For example, Amazon, H&M, Zalando, etc. Just let yourself be independently, indispensable and free of charge. All further information about the Klark app can be found in the video description. And now it goes on with the program. Have fun. Really up here? I can't imagine. Seriously? Oh, that's actually quite a nice jump. That's really a hard track. Awesome. In front of me is a huge mud puddle. And here on the right, I might be able to get up, right? Then I'll just drive a little bit around the outside. I'll try it. Well, sometimes it's just about finding a solution. Okay, we'll just stay on the left here. So where I can be on the road with these views. And this route, that's really not going to be easy. Insanely beautiful and so incredibly varied. So especially as far as the driving profile is concerned today. From faster gravel passages like here now. Up to very slow technical parts. So really awesome. I just saw a place where there was a fat oil trail. There's just a car with the oil pan sitting on a fat stone. After 20 meters, the oil trail stops. Then you know. That's why you have to be well equipped with a large, stable engine protection. Very, very important, very decisive. And valve cover protectors in addition to the engine bumpers. Very, very important. So now comes a little more technical uphill again. Over stones. Somehow an old tar mat also mixes with it. I cracked the 100 kilometer mark. Only 98 kilometers left. If it continues on roads like this, I'll only get there at night. Too awesome. I'm so excited again and again that these suitcases and the carrier hold up so well. Oh, which car does this man want to go here with? But he's still smiling happily. So he seems to know his way around and knows what's coming his way. With the ground clearance of that little car? Despite short wheelbase, but there are a few places. You really have to slow down. Again and again you meet nice people in the middle of nowhere. So different from us or what I've experienced so far. Albania, really, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me be here. Really, I'm very grateful for that. I also have a lot to thank you. Thank you to everyone and everyone who is watching here. Ui, what do I see here? A real road sign again. And my navigation says to turn left. Hmm, does this really go on asphalt now? I'm curious. So should I actually go a little further today? Awesome view. That's really awesome. That's nice. Well, that's a great road here. So, dear people, you can say what you want. But these views of these mountains and this valley. And what I've seen and felt in Albania. That's really incomparable. This country is really very unique. Very, very unique. But it takes a long time to really feel this uniqueness. So I always take a long time in a country. Until I'm really in this country. And can look away over certain things. Because I can't change them. And because they just are. Keyword garbage. On the other hand, I appreciate more every day. These views, these paths. This seclusion. And especially when I look at the map here. Holy macaroni. It's going to be pretty curvy soon. A really nice pass on which I am here. Very pentine for me into the valley. And this temperature, 23 degrees. Beginning of October 2021. It can't get any better. Wow. These reddish mountains remind me more of recordings from South America. And not necessarily from Europe. I would say it's time to start the stream again. Look, here we even have a small parking lot. Perfect. Then let's take a closer look. Well, I think this paved road can't really be old yet. The sign looks brand new. Just like the signs. And I'm sure there are many such roads in Albania. On the mountains. Beautiful. Also to drive a little faster. And certainly in the next few years, with help, here you can see it too, the EU. Money made available so that such roads are created. Here you can enjoy a wonderful view. And well, I haven't really looked for such roads on my Balkan trip and in my documentation. But I don't want to scare the viewers who say, Oh Albania, I saw it at the ball, that's just enduro and only through vegetables and terrain. No, there are certainly many such great roads. I just bent down and it looks like it was just freshly tarred here. No planks yet. For me personally, it's heavenly. That I drive up to a construction site where there is no sign at the top. Because you shouldn't do anything. And then someone calls another one and says, Okay, there's a motorcyclist coming through now. But how did they imagine this now? How is this supposed to work now? Oh, that never works. Can I go? Okay. Oh, that's great, if he follows with the roller. Unimaginable for us in Germany, right? That you can just drive past the construction site. Would be simply unthinkable for us. No chance. Yes, of course, it doesn't work with a car here either. Now I'm curious. Can I get past the truck out there? I think so. That will be close with the left trunk. But it works. They say I should just drive in the middle, right? I think here in Albania the road construction works a bit more unbureaucratic than with us. I think a lot of kilometers are driven relatively quickly here. Maybe not in our road construction quality, but so that it is quite good at first. There you can see how the road slides through the mountain. And here it goes on and on. A unique panorama. Madness. Now it's about the curve. And there's a valley waiting for you. That's incredible. I mean, around it is a huge mountain range, which encloses this whole valley. And I'm going in the middle now. And all these canyons and craters down there. Wow. And whoosh, the beautiful road is gone. But you can see, the path is already relatively wide. I don't think it will take too long here. If it doesn't take any longer, then this part is also paved. 53 kilometers are still ahead of me. You can imagine that I might be able to do this in an hour and a half. Because there will be a road to the village afterwards. This is such a great gravel road again. It's going up steeply right now. I keep noticing that Uschi has a lot of traction loss and that she digs herself in again and again. That's why you shouldn't be too slow here on the mountain. What a job you have done to make these paths into the mountain. Unimaginable. And earlier I came across the road back there on the mountain. Madness. And how the clouds are writhing around the mountain. Like cotton candy. It looks really good up here. And the path. Wow. Really, really bumpy. Everything is shaking right now. 4.30 p.m. Drone. And. Flap. Hey, that's really not possible, is it? Every time you come around a curve and you think to yourself again. Awesome view. Beautiful light. And on top of that this winding road. Oh, nice. This single mountain in front of me. For me it's like Wild West in the USA. But not Albania yet. Mamma mia, this is awesome. Help. Where should I go with all these impressions? I don't know how many batteries and memory cards I've filled up today. Also the road surface. Perfect. So here I don't feel like I'm in Albania. But rather like I'm in Italy. And when I look over to the right. On these many hills. Then I feel like I'm riding a motorbike on Mars. It's really indescribable. For the first time I read my destination Flore on a sign. So it's not far anymore. Only about 20 kilometers. And then I'm there. At the water. Hopefully before sunset. The big fast main road goes along the other side of the river. And for the last few meters of my very long and active day of riding. I decided to take one of these many Albanian shortcuts. Yes, from the route it is a bit shorter here. But of course you don't ride here with 80-90 km. Although this is a wonderful gravel road. So if you want to let it crack here. You can really accelerate here. But I'm still in the tire-saving mode. Otherwise. Give him. But we don't do that. No. Because otherwise the tire is really finished in 200 kilometers. But I want to get home with this tire. Yes, now some will say. No, that's not possible at all. The profile doesn't look that bombastic anymore. I will take a very large part of the route over the water. With the ferry from Igoumenitsa in northern Greece. To Venice. Italy. And from there I don't have it too far. Of course there are still many kilometers. I think about 600-700. But let's see. That will go wrong. In addition, I see this entire bike trip as a big general test. For everything that is still a bit wilder. So further east. Asia. How does the motorcycle do? How do I feel on such a heavy motorcycle? Even if it gets a bit more enduro-heavy. And of course, how long do the tires last? Maximum. And I think we'll find out. If this tire will bring me home again. I just say under the line. Does he have to? I expect that. I demand that. And now we drive the last few meters on this beautiful wide gravel road. Until we hit the main road again. And then there are only 8 kilometers left. Totally cool. Could really be something until sunset. He lights up. Probably the police are here. Ah yes, there they are. The show curve of Flore. Looks really powerful. The city seems to be very big. I really wanted to make it to the water before sunset. And it looks like I did it. I just drive through such a construction site. I love that so much about this country. And now I just drive to the pier. So, and then I hope that I can quickly take some pictures of the place. Because it is really big. Before the sun sets. Look at the beautiful sunset. And still I have to say. A sentence with X. That was probably nothing. Because somehow you are here at the pier in a one-way lane. I haven't seen a plane here. But I stick to these laws. After a long day of driving, I finally arrived at my accommodation. On time with the sunset. And behind me are the machines of Michi and Stefan from Austria. You can follow them on time2ride.at. They left out two VIP seats here. So I thought, of course, I'll just put Uschi with me. May I? Uschi! Dear people, best regards from Flora. Did I say that right? Flora. Could be. We don't know exactly how to pronounce it. And I'm not alone. You saw that earlier when I arrived at the hotel. We found out that among motorcyclists and drivers you always have something to tell. Because you've mostly experienced something, which the other one may not have experienced yet. And that's how you exchange, right? Right. And now we have ice cream. Three balls cost 80 euros here. So 100 lek. And now we're going back again, because we sleep in the same accommodation. For us, it's actually going in the same direction tomorrow. But you know how it is with photo, video. You may separate on the way again at some point. Or I think you get up so early. I don't. We'll see. Whether we drive together a few meters tomorrow or whether we go different ways right away. Let's see. But it was definitely cool to meet you here. We had a lot of fun too. Great. Now it's time to rest, turn off the light and go to bed in one of the last accommodations of my Balkan tour. But first we bring our motorcycles to the safe underground garage. And the next morning we start the day with a delicious breakfast, before it's time to say goodbye. Look how chic they look in the early morning. Partner look in terms of clothes and motorcycle. I wish you a dreamy tour today. I'll go to the room for about half an hour, pack my things and then go. Maybe we'll meet somewhere. If I see your bikes in front of a nice restaurant, I'll honk and stop and have lunch with you. Great. It's always nice to meet other motorcyclists on the road. And to get to know each other. The two of them have been to one of my winter meetings, but you don't have time for that. Did he really just say winter meeting? When will the next winter meeting take place? I keep hearing that. And we came up with something really good. In a location, not like in 2018 and 2019, where everything burst out of the last seams, but this time we have a little more space. We have a little more location for ourselves. The third WALLE ON TOUR winter meeting will take place on December 10, 2022 from 6 p.m. About 45 minutes east of Munich. All information can be found in the video description. Or if you click here or here on the info box and just follow the link. What is such a winter meeting? Maybe you're asking yourself now, who have never been there before. The winter meeting is the opportunity not only to chat with me, but with people you may have even seen in these videos. Or who you met on a motorcycle trip together. But it's not just about petrol talks, but it's also about really good food. We have chosen a Christmas four-course menu. It's just going to be a dream. To round off the whole evening a bit video-technically, there are first exclusive recordings of my trip to Turkey. A huge adventure with incredible natural spectacles. But also driving in the border area. In the truest sense of the word. And first of all, arriving over Greece and driving back with a 50-hour train ride that was such an adventure in itself. And you can be there. Now quickly secure tickets. Ticket booking is now possible. And if sold out, then sold out. Of course I would be very happy about it. As many old as possible, but also a lot of new faces at my third WALLE on Tour winter meeting to see or get to know. Now it's just a few seconds more in the program. And then a little preview to the last big episode of my Balkan tour. I'm going to pack my things now, brush my teeth and then slowly but surely make my way on the journey. And so it goes in the next episode of my Balkan series. If you liked this video, then of course I'm happy about your like, about your subscription and about your kind comment. See you soon, your WALLE. Come on, we're adventurers. No problem, right? Well, I'm looking forward to this. I'll be able to sleep well here. Hopefully it's a quiet lake course, but the weather will be great today. It's early in the morning now. I'll try to get to the deck to film the sunrise, in case the sun has already risen. And then I would say I'll see you again from the deck.