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Week 18 (Macedonia)

May 13-19, 2018

Saturday, May 19

2:30 p.m.

 

I spent the last week in Skopje, Macedonia, again. I loved it the first time I went with Maddie (about a month ago) so I decided to go back. There was a beautiful hiking trail at Matka Canyon, plus everything is very cheap there! Even cheaper than Bulgaria. I left on Sunday, but not until later in the afternoon. I spent the early part of the day wandering Sofia again, one last time. I retraced the steps I took in January during my first weekend here. It looks a little better when it isn’t freezing and covered in snow, but I still can’t say I love Sofia. I finally caught my bus after getting just a few more pictures of things I missed the first time (and revisiting a couple of old favorites).

A blurry sunset as I arrived in Skopje

I got to Skopje around 9 p.m. Sunday night, but I spent my first couple of days being a hermit, only leaving the apartment for dinner and spending the whole day reading and watching Netflix. I finally got some ambition on Wednesday, when I decided to go to Lake Ohrid. A lot of people went there over spring break and loved it, so it was highly recommended that I check it out. It was only about a three-hour bus ride from Skopje, so I made a day out of it. I am not a huge fan of sightseeing alone, so I was a little bit nervous about how I would find my way around and whether or not I would enjoy. I sure didn’t have to worry, though! As soon as we drove in, I could tell that the view alone was enough to make it worth my trip down.

 

The lake is surrounded by mountains, and the old fortress stands overlooking the city. The beach part of the city has a beautiful square with statues and a long shopping street (that’s basically a tourist trap, but still nice). I grabbed a table at a restaurant that was right on the edge of the lake with a view of the distant mountains and endless sky. It was amazing! I had a gigantic Turkish sandwich, which was like a classy, healthier version of Aladin foods (not as good, though! I think the grease is what makes it so good).

View for lunch
My lunch date

After lunch, I set off to explore. There was hardly anyone on the streets, and the paths to the main sights were just residential streets, so I was usually convinced I was going the wrong way and was going to end up at the end of someone’s driveway. I didn’t, though, and the things I saw were so lovely!!

 

Ohrid reminded me a lot of Kastoria, which makes a lot of sense when I think about it. They’re both cities situated on lakes in the mountains in the same region (Northern Greece/Southern Macedonia, which depending on who you ask are the same thing. But maybe don’t ask unless you want to get political.). They also were my two favorite places I went all semester! Maybe someday I will live in Kastoria with a vacation home in Ohrid. :)

I met a lovely guide at the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon named Veska. She explained the history of the church, which was an Orthodox Christian church, then a Turkish mosque, and was recently restored back to a Christian church. She told me all about the ancient Roman settlement found in the same spot that was currently being excavated. We talked about her daughter who studies at Iowa State, how Veska has four degrees, speaks many languages fluently and reads about history any spare second she gets, yet she still is giving tours for 100 denars each (2 US dollars). She explained that she loves her work, but living in Macedonia makes it hard to have a sustainable income. We talked about so many different things, and her knowledge was so vast I’m sure we only scratched the surface. She is a woman rooted in her loves for God and history, and sitting and talking with her made my day so much brighter.

The white arches house the graves of two Muslim men: one wealthy man who donated half of his riches to orphans and other people in need, and his son

After I toured the church, Veska helped me find my directions to get to the fortress. It was an EXTREMELY steep climb up the hill to reach it, but once I got there, it was so worth it. I stood at the top of the fortress, sweating profusely and struggling to catch my breath as I looked out over the lake, city, mountains and the perfect sky. I got a little bit choked up as I realized how lucky I was to be able to see such beautiful places, and also realizing that my time in the Balkans was almost up.

I made my way back down the hill and treated myself to an ice cream and a Coke as I resituated myself at a table overlooking the water. I kicked my feet up, opened my book, Balkan Ghosts, which my professor Laura Kelly gave me as a gift before I left, and enjoyed my last hour in Ohrid. I also met an old Canadian man sitting at the table next to me.

Other Ohrid pics:

On the way back to Skopje, our bus broke down (not sure why, since everyone was speaking Macedonian), but we made it home about an hour and a half after we were supposed to. I was so tired after such a big day!

I was still recovering the next day, but I went to the city center’s square to check out the Holocaust museum because it was closed when Maddie and I were there before. It was still closed because they were installing a new exhibit, so I went across the street to the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle. It was really interesting, but my guide had a super think accent and was zero percent excited to be giving me the tour. It was pretty cool that I was able to recognize quite a few of the names and places mentioned in the history, though. Look at me, learning on a study abroad trip! :)

 

I went back to the Mexican restaurant for my last evening in Skopje. I ordered fajitas, and they were SO GOOD!!! Possibly the best meal I’ve had in the Balkans. I was soo happy with it.

Ceiling of the museum

The next day after I checked out of my apartment, I called up Kosta, my cab driver from the last time I was here. He didn't remember me, but he was still just as friendly! He took me back to Matka Canyon, where I went for a long hike and went on a boat tour through the canyon. It wasn’t as nice a day as the first time I was there, but it didn’t start raining until about 20 minutes before I left, so I timed it pretty good. Traffic was terrible trying to get to the bus station, but I made it to my bus back to Sofia with not even one minute to spare.

No one show my mom this photo of how safe the trail was please
It's a long way down!
The anti-climactic end of the trail.
But it's okay because it ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. IT'S THE CLIMB
Somehow I ended up at a very fancy restaurant for lunch

Now I’m sitting at a restaurant in Sofia, writing and waiting for my flight to BARCELONA!! It’s so weird to think I’ll be meeting up with Sidney (my best friend from Granite Falls for those who somehow don’t know) because I feel like my life in Europe is a completely separate life than the one I live at home. I’m so excited to see her and Barcelona!! I am also getting really ready to be home. All this traveling and dragging my gigantic suitcase filled with four months of my life is getting a little exhausting! I am also excited to eat home cooked food again. Restaurants are great, but I need to get my health back in check!

 

Next week will most likely be my last blog. I only have Barcelona left, then a loooong journey home. I have lots of flight changes and layovers to look forward to, but it will be so worth it to get home. As always, thanks for sticking with my travels, and I hope you enjoyed my photos this week. It was even more beautiful in person, and I will definitely be back again! It’s one of my new favorite places in the whole world.

 

Love from Bulgaria,

Laura

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