Well, all is well again in Lezha. After 5 days in Tirana, it was decided that it was safe for us to return to Lezha. The dams that were all at critical levels when they pulled us out had been tested. They worked and the water levels went down over the weekend. How happy I was when I saw Lezha from the road!
Even though Lezha is ok, parts of Shkoder and Lezha are flooded. Valipoje, Ishull Lezha and a few other villages remain under water still. The evacuation and now clean up of these areas is underway and I'm impressed at how well the situation went. It could have been a disaster. Luckily, no one died and everyone has a place to stay until its safe for them to go back to their homes. These people however wil have a hard time when they return to their homes. This year, their crops will be much smaller and most of them have lost all their livestock. It will take a long time for most to recover from this months flooding.
On the bright side, it has been sunny all week and not nearly as cold as last year. Hopefully this is a good sign that Spring will come quickly. My life is back to normal as I'm translating materials for a project, teaching English, and planning a vacation in 2 weeks. Peter, my sitemate and I, will go to Istanbul and then return through Bulgaria and Macedonia. I'm super excited for a little break. Plus, I need to get away from certain people in my city who are driving me crazy!! Nothing serious but the normal little things that just get to you over time. I can't believe my COS conference is in a month and COS is only 5 1/2 months away! Seems like just yesterday I was packing to come here.....
Hope you all are staying warm and can't wait to see everyone again!
2 comments:
Hi Leslie,
I've been reading your blog because I just got my invite to Albania and leave in March. I hope that I'll have as much fun as you've had. I wanted to ask, however, if there was anything that you would have brought with you (special clothes, food, or even purell or stain sticks). Thanks and enjoy your last few months!
Kate
ktjohnson777@hotmail.com
Hi Kate!!
I hope you are getting excited to come to Albania. Those tide sticks are super helpful here and so is purell. I would recommend also bringing any of your favorite seasonings like taco seasoning (Albanians use salt and garlic - that's about it). If you have any other questions about life in Albania, let me know!!
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