As Kosovo is near to Skopje we decided to go to Pristina and spend a couple of days there. Legally Kosovo is still a part of Serbia although 95% of the population are Kosovar Albanians. When we crossed from Macedonia we got a United Nations stamp in our passport as they are controlling the border. With this stamp we would not have been able to go into Serbia as they don't recognize this as being legitimate. As we were returning back through the United Nations border it was not a problem.
A lot of money is being pumped into Kosovo and the highway is currently under construction. It is lined with enormous modern glass office buildings and businesses all the way from the Macedonian border to Pristina.
We booked a room in a guest house owned by a retired electronics professor. He was very chatty and told us where to go and warned us against the parks at night. He had had the police knock on his door and bring a Japanese girl to his guest house as she had had her bag snatched and had no money. The police paid for her room and felt happy to have her in a safe place. There were guests coming in and out all the time it was so popular. He has broken larger rooms into two smaller rooms to keep up with the demand. His brother, who lives in America, has a house down the road and the professor lets rooms out there even though it is being renovated.
We spoke to a couple of people who now live in other countries but come back to visit their families. We could also see signs on businesses where the money to start, or support them had come from overseas.
Across from the guest house is the monument to WW2 liberation soldiers as well as graves of recent KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) soldiers. The monument looks impressive in the photo but is actually covered with graffiti and the locals teens hang out there smoking and drinking all day.
We took a taxi ride with a couple from Finland out to a monastery that has survived all the bombings. It is in one of the remaining Serbian enclaves and is guarded by KFOR (Kosovo Forces) and razor wire.
Near the main walking street is the huge UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) headquarters and it is full of white 4 wheel drives. Some people refer to Pristina as Unmikistan!
The city has been quiet for the last 4 years so let's hope it lasts. A date has not been set for the withdrawal of UNMIK so that the people can get on with developing the country their way.
The city has been divided up in to areas for electricity supply: area A, they pay their bills so get 8 hours electricity and one hour off, area B, sometimes pay so get longer cuts and area C hardly ever pay so they get the most cuts! The power station was bombed in the attacks and is still not fully functioning.
Fortunately, the professor in area A, had a generator and a storage tank for water and we weren't affected (the water supply is affected when there is no pressure).
There is a statue here of Mother Teresa too, as she was ethnically Albanian.
