From the arch bridges we wound our way further up into the mountains to the top of the plateau and Vikos Gorge. Vikos Gorge slices through the Pindus ranges with widths ranging from several metres to several kms, and depths over 1.3km. Because of the relatively narrow width the Gorge holds the record for the deepest in the world. Standing on the top of the precipice gazing out to the adjacent sheer cliffs the scale is hard to fathom until realising the small dots on the rock faces are actually full size trees. Such a vast empty expanse would normally be accompanied by a blissful silence, we were surprised however to be met with a low constant rumble as if a plane was approaching from a distance. With no other obvious noise sources we could only ascertain that the noise was resonating up the hard canyon walls from the raging river hundred of metres below. To top off the incredible landscape, as we stand in the damp cool air, in an almost surreal moment, the rain stop and the sun breaks through the passing clouds and forms the biggest double rainbows we’ve ever witnessed. Not only was it the biggest though standing at the apex as it stretched down to the gorge floor was a unique experience. Rather satisfied with old mother natures afternoon show we headed back to the Troopy and hit the road towards the town of Papingo.
From the gorge view point the journey to Papingo follows a tight winding road, down around the numerous spines and ridges breaking from the plateau, through quaint cosy mountain villages, along crystal fast flowing rivers, and into dense forests of lush autumn colours. With the weight of the Troopy and the tight corners it was slow going so as to not overheat the brakes; we were happy to take it slow though to take in the incredible vistas. The landscape of the region doesn’t supply an abundance of flat level areas and all the villages, like Papingo, are planted on the side of the rugged terrain. We reverted to our trusty Google maps method and found a lookout spot away from the road though accessible by an unmarked track. Following the single narrow tyres tracks, we pushed through thick dry shrub and popped out onto a small open area with an incredible back drop at the start of the gorge.
As darkness fell the calmness of the afternoon shifted, the wind increased exponentially, and the rain thundered down. We had been expecting this though as there were no options to hide from it we just had to grit our teach and embrace it. The tent battered in the gusts of wind and the Troopy shook vigorously, we would often be teased with prolonged breaks though without failure off in the distance you could hear the roar of the wind screaming through the forest before slamming into us again. Needless to say with all the tranquility there was not a lot of sleep to be had. The conditions improved as the new day dawned and with the morning air saturated we found ourselves in a thick cloud, the visibility was down to no more than 10m so it was a perfect excuse to have a lay in and catch up on sleep.
From Papingo we made the short journey to the Greek/Albanian border. We had heard that this border can be difficult though as with the majority of borders we’ve crossed previously, we had a slightly different experience than others. The border officials were extremely friendly and happy to see us, the Greek officials giving us a gift “for driving all the way to visit Greece” , and we received a friendly welcome from the Albanian side. All up taking under 10 minutes plus all the time they wanted to chat. We had high expectations for Albania having heard amazing reviews about the incredible coastline and easily accessible offroad areas. Closed off from the world until the early 90s the effects of globalisation and commercialisation has been limited; something they’re now investing heavily to try and reverse. Our stop for the night is one of the countries no.1 attractions - the ‘Blue Eye’. The blue eye is a natural spring which pumps an astounding 18.4m3 of icing 10 deg C water each second from underground aquifers. Seeming popular with overlanders (evidently the less adventurous type) we passed their muddy wet camps at the front gate, locked in the hubs, and ventured up the slippery track to a flat level dry camp spot all to ourselves right next to the blue eye. Most of the tourists who visit the attraction make the day trip from the coast each day; to make the most of our location we decide to check out the blue eye in the morning before they arrive. Bottle of wine in hand, we grab our chairs and find a nice quiet spot on the banks of the fast flowing river to see the afternoon out.
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16 июл 2024
