Yesterday was my first full day in Pristina. The day before, when I arrived here, the girl at the hostel gave me a photocopied map of the city, with various points of interest, restaurants, etc. The map sucked-since it was photocopied, the map wasn't too sharp with regards to those places, so I had some issues. But yesterday I made a point to find some of these places:
The first place I tired to look for was a Bill Clinton billboard and statue. Apparently, Bill Clinton helped Kosovo (or the future Kosovo) in the last war, so there was a statue in appreciation. So I walked down the road of the hostel to Bill Klinton Blvd (with a K) to look for the statue, expecting a giant 20 foot Clinton waving at newcomers. Actually I walked right past the statue at first, walking the entire length of Bill Klinton Blvd. Upon going in the opposite direction, I finally found the statue at the side of the road, approximately 8 feet high (a little taller then the real one).
After looking at Clinton, and wondering if I had the right one-I walked up the road to a pedestrian mall. Here I was looking for a clock tower, but the clock tower was closed (If I was at the right one-which I wasn't sure), so I walked past various stores and restaurants. I finally found the old bazaar, which was listed-here we're sellers of fruits, vegetables, and various types of junk such as remote controls,.
After all this, I decided I needed help. This was a city with big history-Kosovo didn't become a nation until 2008-so I knew I was in a place that had a story to tell. I went to the lobby of the Pristina Grand Hotel, a giant edifice downtown-and the only large hotel in town-figuring I could find a legitimate map and brochures-but the lobby of the hotel, while open, looked deserted. Nobody was at the reception desk. The only people sitting on the dusty cushy chairs looked like taxi drivers bsing. (about 6 of them). And there was nobody else around. Even some of the lights in the lobby we're dimmed. The place looked partially deserted. But the Wifi still worked. I tried to look for a visitors information center-there wasn't one in town-I later found out.
I walked past an abandoned Orthodox Church that looked burnt out, and the National Library-which was built in the Yugosolvian days, and was voted one of the ugliest buildings in the world-it looks like somebody put chains around the whole building.
Later on, I went back to the hostel for a nap. I saw a girl at the hostel who worked there and confused her for someone else. This girl was from Seattle and was caucasian-the girl I confused her for was from Taiwan. (the girl from Seattle hadn't showered, and thus had her hair in a ponytail, and was wearing thick black glasses-so she looked Asian).
Then I went to eat-at a vegetarian restaurant called Babaganooush. This was the type of restaurant adults eat at-soft jazz was playing, couples and groups we're enjoying their food over wine, etc. The service was attentive and the food was delicious. And my meal of a delicious soup, lentil wrap and mineral water was less then 6 euros (about $7.00)
After dinner, I went looking for the Newborn memorial, commemorating Kosovo's independence (from the map at the hostel). I found it-in front of a derelict shopping mall and scrawled over with graffiti.
So that is Pristina so far-no big hotels (that are occupied) -no visitors information center (although it is the capital of Kosovo), and memorials that are either underwhelming or covered with graffiti. But there has to be something beneath the surface.
