A Hard Journey Begins
Although it was a relief to escape the sickness of Berat, the road ahead offered no excitement. The path was narrow, barely wider than a sheep trail, and in some places, it was hard to follow. We would have gotten lost if the Governor of Berat hadn’t given me an Albanian soldier to guide us. He had been on this path before and had a fresh horse, so we tried to move as quickly as possible since we only had four hours of daylight. The guide promised that we would reach the han (resting place) where we would sleep before it got dark bulgaria trips.
The Dangerous Path
We rode in single file, pushing our horses as hard as we could. The path went through shallow riverbeds and narrow passes between steep hills. The views were dramatic, with high mountains surrounding us, but the land itself looked like a garbage dump of nature. The ground was cracked, with patches of dry grass mixed with boggy areas. Then, we came to a steep slope covered in loose stones that fell away with each step, clattering down into the valley below.
The Long, Lonely Journey
For four hours, we traveled quickly through this desolate and strange landscape. We hadn’t seen anyone, and there were no huts along the way. As darkness fell, our guide kept moving forward without stopping, urging his horse through rivers and hugging the side of the hills The Deceptive Guide.
A Dark and Stormy Night
Night came, and it was completely dark. We couldn’t see more than a few yards ahead. The wind howled and screamed through the mountains, and rain began to fall. Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky, followed by loud thunder. The brief flashes of lightning lit up the dangerous path and made everything look like a ghostly scene, similar to the light from a magnesium flare.
Struggling Through the Wilderness
We continued our journey, climbing steep hills and descending into deep valleys. The branches of small trees scratched at us as we rushed by. We crossed a river where the water rose up to the horses’ bellies, and slowly made our way through a swamp where the horses’ legs sank deep into the mud.
