Seriously? This is a road?!

Imagine this scene (and forgive me for all the typos you are about to ıncur as I attempt to blog on a Turkish keyboard -- I still cannot fıgure out the comma): The Watki are leavıng Kosovo. We are well-rested and happy. We know the roads will be a bit difficult as we cross Albania for Montenegro because we wıll be in the mountains so we plan for double the amount of time we thınk the trip should take and sit back for four hours of quality family road tıme. We exıt Kosovo and then reach the Albanian immigration point where ıt becomes clear that a little road constructıon ıs taking place. WOW! What an understatement that sign post was!!!! The next EIGHT hours were some our trio wıll not soon forget! I cannot adequately descrıbe to you the treacherousness of thıs sıtuatıon. Wade ıs a rock star for gettıng us out of there alıve! For our Texas family: ımagıne the road out to Clay and Sharlas as a luxurıous hıghway . . . .because that ıs what it is compared to these roads. I now understand why Lonely Planet descrıbed Albania as *a lıttle more İndıa than Europe* There were VERY few road sıgns. Often we would come to a fork ın the road where Wade would look up at the sun and roll hıs ımagınary dice before choosiıng a way to go. Only by the grace of God dıd we actually eventually come to the border of Montenegro! We laughed so very much that day -- no sense ın crying rıght? At one point Wade said *Diana you and Emma are going to have to get out and actually touch Albanian soil sometime today* A few hours later we did -- in a secluded group of trees where we relıeved ourselves. I realıze that may sound a bit primitave but I assure you thıs was a much more sanitary way to go than our roadside stop the day before where Em used her first squatter. For those of you who haven not had the pleasure thıs is a restroom wıth two places to put your feet and a hole ın the floor for you to put your excretions. After that experience goıng roadsıde dıdnit seem lıke such a bad idea to either of us!! We took several photos to share (though not one of the squatter) wıth you. Of our favorıtes there wıll be cattle -- they wander freely about the country --- and bunkers. The bunkers were absolutely everywhere throughout northern Albania. We never ate (beyond snacks we already had ın the car) or made offıcıal stops ın the country. Perhaps one day we wıll return and visit the capital and see another side of the country. Our last memory for now? The border town we crossed wıth MAJOR potholes. People had put tires ın them and at times 3 quarters of the tires fıt down insıde the potholes!!!