In the Albanian Alps (Part Two)

And finally the long-awaited Saturday came. Exactly at the appointed time, a car drove up to the entrance of the Daichi Hotel. The captain was driving, Javat was sitting next to him. The geologist and I got into the back seat and the car started moving. The captain expertly guided her along the shiny, sun—drenched paved highway Tirana - Shkoder. We had a rather long way to the north of the country to the foot of the Albanian Alps.


...After a two-hour drive, the car stopped in the small town of Barbullush to take the fifth passenger. He was a young man of about twenty in a military uniform with the stripes of a sergeant. On each shoulder he had two hunting rifles, in one hand he held a stuffed backpack, and in the other, on a tight leash, two hefty shaggy dogs resembling our Caucasian shepherds. The sergeant got behind the wheel, the captain moved to us, the dogs lay down at the feet and we drove on.


It was getting dark fast. The road became steeper and steeper. Leaving Lake Shkoder on the left, the car headed straight north, climbing a winding, rocky mountain road, replete with sharp turns. In the dim glow of the headlights, black rocks were piled up to the left and right.


Finally the car stopped.


— Here we are, — said Javat, — we will wait here for the dawn.


I didn't feel like sleeping, and the geologist and I asked the captain to tell us about the upcoming hunt.


— The right to hunt in old Albania was granted only to landlords and rich tourists who came here from Italy, France and Greece, — so the captain began his story.— The working people could not play their favorite sports, since all the hunting grounds in the country belonged to private owners.


Now all the workers of our country have the right to hunt in all lands, with the exception of nature reserves and sanctuaries.


Boar hunting in the area where we are located is not difficult. The animals are feeding in an alpine meadow, where tomorrow morning I will take you. They are not scared here, because there is no one to disturb them. The meadow is overgrown with frequent bushes, from which the wild boars will be driven out by dogs. Our task is to get out in time to the barking of dogs and shoot the beast at the moment when he leaves the bush and runs out to a clean place.


...It was still dark when the captain woke us up.


"Here, change your clothes," He said, handing the geologist and me a backpack. There were overalls and boots in the backpack. We quickly changed our clothes, loaded our guns, put bullet-loaded cartridges in our pockets, the sergeant shouted to the dogs, and our small detachment set off. Javat was left sleeping peacefully in the car.


After walking about a kilometer, we found ourselves in an alpine meadow. It was almost a rectangular area with a kilometer in width and about two and a half kilometers in length. пин ап кз