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Elora goes backpacking
  • Elora Shoaf
  • Elora Shoaf

Elora goes backpacking

I am backpacking for 4 months through Northern Africa and Europe! Follow along and see my travels through my eyes! Read more
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  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Shkoder Day 8

    June 22, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today Amete, Mollie, and I rode our bikes to Rozafa castle. The castle was BEAUTIFUL and had the best views!

    There is a legend that the castle was built by 3 brothers who were married. They would build the castle by day and by night the castle would crumble. This happened many times until they met a wise old man who said that they must bury alive the first wife who brings them food the next day. They were sworn to secrecy to not tell their wives. The 2 eldest brothers told their wives and the youngest kept his promise. The 2 wives made excuses to not bring food, but Rofaza the youngest brother’s wife ended up bringing their lunch the following day. When she arrived they told her what was said and she agreed to it upon a set of rules as she was willing but was with child.

    She stated “I have but one request to make. When you wall me in, leave a hole for my right eye, for my right hand, for my right foot and for my right breast. I have a small son. When he starts to cry, I will cheer him up with my right eye, I will comfort him with my right hand, I will put him to sleep with my right foot and wean him with my right breast. Let my breast turn to stone and the castle flourish. May my son become a great hero, ruler of the world.”

    It was an interesting story and me personally I would say screw the castle, but I’m not in that position soooo.    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Shkoder Day 9

    June 23, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today Xhulio and I took Pirate Miçi to the vet to get his poor eye checked out. When I arrived he had a sore eye so we had been putting in eye drops but it just got worse and worse for the little guy. We went took him on the bikes and he had a little field trip but he did wonderful. We got his eye checked out and got him some anti inflammatory medicine and some liquid antibiotics to give for 7 days.

    Later that afternoon I went to a massage that I had booked because I was all sorts of sore from the hike in Theth. The massage was great, I fell asleep I felt so good! After I walked back and showered to feel extra good!

    In the evening we played fußball and card games before going to sleep.    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Tamara (visit Sienna)

    June 24, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Took a 2 hour bus to Tamara to visit Sienna who I met in Morocco. Bus was weird and we stopped many times to get random things for the towns grocery store.

    Finally arrived and went to go swimming for a little. Saw cows, goats and lots of other random animals. Got some pasta for dinner and later went out and sat with some locals by the fire pit.

    The people in the town were crazy. They all thought Sienna was a spy sent there to spy on them… like what in the world. On the bright side, I got to see Sienna and the views were unreal!

    Went to bed at like 12 because I had to be up at 6am to take the bus back to Shkoder.    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Shkoder Day 11

    June 25, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Left Tamara at 7am and got back to Shkoder at 9am. Ate some breakfast and went to sleep because I was super tired. Didn’t do much this day but it was still nice.

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Shkoder Day 12

    June 26, 2025 in Albania ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Made French toast and a strawberry compote
    Got affogatos…. Sooooo good omg!
    Got a Hugo spritz and sat next to an ac with the gorlsss
    Had a tournament night and ate some ice cream
    Had a movie night and made everyone watch mean girls and they LOVED IT!Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Shkoder Day 13

    June 27, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Didn’t really take any photos of videos but I went to the market with Sienna to look at clothes and after we went back to our hostels to take a nap with AC because we were COOKING! Woke up later and just played card games and honestly I just had an early night.Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 5

    July 4, 2025 in Romania

    This day I was tasked with taking an injured bird that was found by a guest to an animal recovery facility so I did just that. We named the bird Lady tank top (the name of the guest that found it since we couldn’t remember his name lmfao). After we had a staff meeting and obviously cooked bbq because it was the 4th of July. They made me and Mike sing the national anthem to which we don’t actually know so that was funnyRead more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 6 pt 1

    July 5, 2025 in Romania ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Today we went out into the city to thrift shop but didn’t find anything that was calling our names. After we went on a quest for boba at the mall but when we went there was a fire so we weren’t waiting and went to find another down the street. After we got our boba we went back to the hostel and had hostel Olympics and I wasn’t going great hahah. We then decided to make portraits that were quite scary but funny. The part 2 is my favorite pt though heheheRead more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 7- 13

    Jul 6–12, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The next few days I didn’t take many photos or videos. But got home from the festival and needed food so we ordered pizza and even got this calzone with Nutella it was so good. I got Miçi the cat to sleep with me one night and she was working hard in the factory making biscuits. I had a need for an açaí bowl and found one. It was a good few daysRead more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 14

    July 12, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We had an 80’s PARTY!! It was so much fun! I was on the door duty but still had lots of fun dressing up and dancing with friends. I’m also the glorified photographer for people so I had a photo shoot for Mevo who was in his Britney Spears moment because she’s a time traveler and he didn’t want to dress 80’s hahaRead more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Braşov Day trip

    July 13, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Took a 3 hour train to Braşov to see Bran castle aka draculas castle even though it has nothing to do with him. Also Dracula is actually Vlad and when the ottoman empire was coming to attack he impaired prisoners and left them in the woods to scare them off. And he loved wine so the red wine looked like blood. So Vlad the impailer is called Dracula and he is a Romanian HERO!

    The castle was the biggest tourist trap ever but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do on her bucket list. After we took a train back and had goooood food and then I went to sleep    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucarest Day 21- 23

    July 22, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    So sorry I’m behind yall!!

    Next few days didn’t do much. The hostel was shut down for a few days due to customer protection (control). In Romania hostels aren’t well known and are still new so they get graded like a hotel. The control people are also very corrupt and often take bribes and the same day we were shut down the ceo guy was arrested for being corrupted so that says everything. Anyways the hostel had a lot of interesting moments and we had to have guests leave the next day and stay gone for about 2 days it was quite weird to say the least. The workers put in lots of work to complete what was required and some of the community members helped out with renovations. Us volunteers had to leave during the day for 2 of the days incase they came back because we don’t actually work there… they didn’t even come back on the day they were supposed to they just passed us and gave a fine.

    Also my roisín (shnookums) preformed on open stage and killed it!!    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 24

    July 23, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    This day we went out for the afternoon and then in the evening I hosted my event. It was task master… one of my favorite things to watch and a dream to create. It was all Elora and travel themed and Mihai and I made edits and hosted. We dressed up for the part and had an absolute blast! That evening we all went out and did karaoke at mojos (a bar).

    Everyone loved my event and it was a hit truly!!    Read more

  • Elora ShoafElora goes backpackingTraveler

    Bucharest Day 25-26

    July 24, 2025 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    The next 2 days were out in the town and I fear my last week was the most I had actually left the hostel in the span of 4 weeks but then again it was too good of a place to leave.

    Robyn, Shane, and I went to a market and were on a hunt to get him unpasteurized milk and we found it!!! I actually tried some and it was pretty good and I don’t even drink milk. That man also drank 2 liters on one sitting and he was loving it. I also got some amazing cherries and devoured them.

    I also convinced Fillipo to try on my dress and he actually ate with it hahah. That night there was a 2000’s party and lots of live music played it was fantastic.    Read more