Blood Mountain.

Always on the lookout for a driving adventure, which is easy to find in Albania.

The summit of Mt. Tomorr — a pilgrimage site for Sufis — was high on my list.

Despite my disdain for institutionalized religion, I have a soft spot for Sufism, which uses art to connect with the divine.

The holy figure Abaz Ali Tyrbe is buried atop the mountain. It seemed like the perfect mix of adventure and the sacred.

I drove up just after a sacrificial feast — once a year, in August, all the believers gather to pay respects and slaughter a goat.

Quite the bloodbath. But if people in the self-righteous West were forced to slaughter their own animals, they’d switch to veganism real quick.

The journey to the summit was sacred, beyond words. A perfect blue sky, a white mountain, and plenty of blood.

The road was a joy for off-roaders like myself — never too crowded.

This is Albania, where you cross yourself at every turn and roadsite crosses dot the landscape.

After paying my respects (and no, I didn’t slaughter a goat), the views took my breath away. It was like staring into the depths of the ocean without the water —

caught between life and death. The scent of blood and roasted goat still hung in the air.

Bliss.

Was I in heaven?