Kosovo Today we left Prizren on our way to Peja touring Skopje, Prizren, and Peja, Kosovo. Kosovo is the youngest nation in the world. It declared independence on February 17, 2008 and has been recognize by over 100 U. N. members. My guide tells me that Kosovo and Albania really likes Americans. So far, so good. 113 and 115 show views of the Shala Mountains. While no more than 8000 feet, they are spectacular and compare well to Switzerland and the Western US and Canada. 130 and 131 show the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the largest in Kosovo. 140 and 141 show interesting views in Prizren. They are creating a café scene and have the ubiquitous horse and buggy available for hire. 150 shows the Bistrica River. Kosovo’s roads are nowhere near as good as they are in most places in Europe. When we talk about a tractor – trailer in the U. S., we’re talking an 18 wheeler. In Kosovo, it can be a farm tractor pulling a trailer, as in 162. Just outside of Peja, we stopped at the Decan Monastery, the burial place of 3 Serbian kings. While Kosovo is 80 percent Muslim, it contains the Decan Monastery (164 & 168). The site is protected by NATO, currently staffed by the army of Slovenia, which is the northernmost country in the former Yugoslavia. We did have to show passports to enter. The Rugova Rapids and waterfalls (185) are quite spectacular and are also near Peja. We also visited the Monastery of the Peja Patriarch where the Patriarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church (190 & 191) are buried. Both of these sites are very important to Serbia. Unfortunately, they are located in Heavily Muslim parts of Kosovo, which is why it is so difficult to keep the peace. And we had to show passports to enter the Patriarch’s monastery as well. On a lighter note, 193 shows the view from the balcony of my Peja hotel. Tomorrow, we drive to Shkoder, Albania.