Skopje Throwback

I think this photo is from 2007...It's of an anti-abortion poster I saw in Skopje, Macedonia. (I'm just trying to say that Skopje isn't solely about grossly oversized statues of Alexander the Great....at least it wasn't 4 years ago.)

Skopje, Macedonia

In Skopje, sidewalks are for parking, not walking.

June, June, June

Nearly one year ago I was here at Свети Јован Канео (St. Jovan of Kaneo) on Lake Ohrid in Macedonia.

And roughly two years ago, I was here, in Pousko, Kosovo taking a walk into the hills above Prizren.

In June of 2007, Skeena and I hiked up Mt. Rose to get a good look at the haze from the Angora fire.

Right now, I'm sitting at work debating what to wear today. What will I be doing next June?

Not the Vardar

For whatever reason, as I was walking along the river earlier, I was
suddenly reminded of the River Vardar, which runs through Skopje,
Macedonia. Hiroshima has 7 tributaries cutting through the city, so
there's a lot of river to walk along.

I Miss Macedonia

I love Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. I also love Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada.

Can't view today's video postcard? Please click here: http://yfrog.us/0zfebruary272010z

Macedonia Part 2

Saturday, June 27th Continued

The cave church of Radozda was small, but worth the hike up the many steps. It made the oily cheese & ham crepe I ate for breakfast move a little uncomfortably in my stomach, but that's what I get for being a good sport and eating what I'm served. After walking back into town and returning the key to Dva Biseri, where I wish I had eaten breakfast, I hopped in the little Chevy Spark and drove back towards Struga so I could get back on the main road that would take me around to Albania.

Much how Lake Tahoe straddles California and Nevada, Lake Ohrid is shared by Macedonia and Albania, with Macedonia being in charge of the bigger chunk. In fact, here are a few other statistical comparisons of the two lakes (gleaned from Wikipedia):

Lake Ohrid
Max depth: 940 feet
Area: 138 sq miles
Shoreline: 54 miles
Elevation: 2273 feet
Residence time of water: 70 years

Lake Tahoe
Max depth: 1645 feet
Area: 192 sq miles
Shoreline: 71 miles
Elevation: 6225 feet
Residence time of water: 650 years

I attacked Lake Ohrid in a clockwise manner, starting up at the top and heading west. The border crossing between Macedonia and Albania near the lake took forever. It was the first time I had crossed into Albania with a car with Macedonia plates and it took longer than expected. When you enter Albania in a Kosovo-plated car, the guards practically roll out the red carpet (having a US passport doesn't hurt, either). There was extra paperwork to fill out as well. Additionally, the natural chaos that seems to come with Albania affects the border guards, so the whole process isn't as organized and structured as, say, driving into British Columbia at one of the major crossing points from Washington.

About an hour later I was on my way, heading once again clockwise around Lake Ohrid. My first stop was in Lin, Albania, a tiny town just inside the border and plopped right on the lake. It was a spur-of-the moment decision. Lin has a pre-Byzantine church that's surrounded by a chain link fence and locked up. There is a person with a key who does charge some sort of entrance fee, but I decided to head to a cafe and have a coffee instead.

Per usual, driving in Albania is a rather loose and fast affair. There was a lot of traffic on the road from cars with foreign plates, and I think because national elections were on Sunday, people working abroad were coming back home to vote. The road took me through Pogradec, which was where I was planning to have lunch, but it was so frenetic and crowded and dusty and ugly, I decided to skip my stop. Instead, I stopped just before the border heads back into Macedonia at Tushemisht. Lunch was nothing spectacular, but I was able to spend the leftover lek I had from a previous trip.

I entered back into Macedonia and continued my way around the lake. I stopped at Sveti Naum, a monastery founded in 905 by St. Naum, and I poked around a bit. It's perched right on the lake and there are fantastic views. There are also peacocks running around the grounds making noise and flapping around. One can stay at the monastery for 37 Euros ($52). I considered it, but it was early yet and I decided to continue.

On my way towards the town of Ohrid, I stopped at the Bay of Bones, which is a recreation of a village that had been established on the shores of Lake Ohrid during Roman times. It was good to get out of the car and walk around, but I'm not sure I would recommend it as a tourist stop. I also stopped at the Monastery of St. Stefan, another church built into a cave that required the walking up of several sets of steps. There were other people in the very small church when I arrived, so I waited a bit, poked my head in when I had a moment to do so, and went back down to the car. At that point, I was feeling pretty churched out.

I spent the night in the town of Ohrid in a small apartment in the old town. I didn't have a lake view, but I did have a comfortable bed and the area was pretty quiet.

Sunday, June 28th

After breakfast in my room (I bought some muesli and milk and a fantastically ripe melon the night before), I took a walk down to the church of St. Jovan of Kaneo. I love this place. I could not go to Ohrid without going here. Once I walked down to the church, I was pleasantly surprised that it was open, which it's never been when I've gone. The caretaker explained that many of the frescoes and icons had been damaged or stolen, and that it was a popular wedding spot. I walked around the grounds a bit, admiring the flowers and enjoying the lake view. As I walked back up towards town, I took one last look at the church and started to think about where I wanted to go next.

My circle around the lake was complete, and I had another day left with the car. As I walked back to where I had parked, the idea came: Macedonian wine country. I consulted my guide book and settled on going to the Popova Kula winery in the town of Demir Kapije. It took a few hours to get from Ohrid to Demir Kapije, but the roads in Macedonia are very good. Plus, drivers aren't crazy like Albanian drivers, so it was an easy drive. I arrived to the winery in the early afternoon and decided to spend the night. I splurged on a room with a bathtub. The first thing I did was to go to my room, take a bath, have a nap, and suddenly it was time for dinner.

In fact, I almost chose to sleep through dinner, but I did think better of it (sometimes when I take naps in the afternoon it's difficult for me to motivate for evening activities). The winery has a terraced restaurant, which was where I chose to sit. Macedonia has a rich agricultural region, and Popova Kula is smack in the middle of it. Driving in I saw roadside sellers with peaches and melons and zuchini and eggplants and greens and honey and other goodies, which is why I was so highly disappointed with my dinner. I ordered chicken in a peach sauce and was served a dry piece of chicken with a 1/2 of a canned peach on top. For breakfast the next morning, I was given toasted bread, a few packets of non-local jam and honey, and a coffee without milk (because they didn't have any). In an area so rich with agriculture, it was disappointing. The wines were fine, and the bathtub was nice, and it was quiet, but the food was blah.

Monday, June 29

The drive back to Skopje was easy. It took less than an hour. Because I had a few hours left with the car, once I returned to Skopje I drove up to the huge cross that towers over the town and enjoyed the view over the city. I then took the car back to Avis, had lunch, and went back to the bus station for the 3.5 hour ride back to Prizren.

This was a fantastic was to end my two year stay in Kosovo.

Macedonia: Part 1

Only a week ago I was still in Macedonia. I'm glad I spent my last weekend in Kosovo taking a trip around Macedonia. My destination was Lake Ohrid, a lake located in the southwest of the country. I'd been to Lake Ohrid before, but I'd never driven around it and I wanted to check out some of the churches spotting its shores.

Friday, June 26

I woke up, gathered my things, stopped by Princ to buy some of their yummy cheese-filled breakfast pastries, and headed over to the bus station. There are two busses that leave Prizren for Skopje during the week: the first is 5:30 am and the second is 9:00 am. I opted for the latter. A bus ride that used to take about 2.5 hours, stretched into 4 on that day. I don't know why it took so long, but I thought it would never end. As the crow flies, Skopje is a measly 40km or so from Prizren: it's just on the other side of the mountains. However, the road doesn't take the most direct route. By the time the Kosovo-Durres road to the Albanian coast is totally finished, going to the Adriatic will be a much quicker drive.

On Thursday night, I reserved a car from Avis (there are two Avis's in Skopje, one at the airport and one at the Ramstor). It was much cheaper to reserve the car through Avis's UK site than it was to go through the US Avis website (by about $70).

This is the car, a Chevy Spark.

I drove from Skopje down through Tetovo, stopping at the Pasha Djamija, or Prince's Mosque. The outside of the mosque is quite colorful and, at a glance, looks like the backs of playing cards.

The Pasha Djamija of Tetovo.

From Tetovo, I drove down to the Mavrovo National Park (an alternative way of driving between Skope and Ohrid that bypasses Kicevo). The park was lovely: small towns, mountains, greenery. I wish I'd had longer to stay and check out the hiking options, but I was headed towards Debar (outside of the park) to look at the Monastery of Sveti Jovan Bigorski (Saint John the Baptist) and the Nunnery of St. George. At both places, I had to put on a skirt (provided free of charge) and photos weren't allowed. The monastery had beautiful icons and frescos which reminded me a lot of Rila Monastery in Bulgaria. The nunnery had a beautiful garden and several nuns running around mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, and trimming up the bushes.

After leaving Debar, I headed onwards towards Ohrid. I made a wrong turn at Struga (which is a town on the lake) and ended up driving along a lake-side road that took me into Radozda. It was starting to get dark, so I decided to stop and find a place to spend the night. I stayed at the Villa Radozda, who had rooms with a great lake view for 20 Euros ($28). I thought that was fine. The place was quiet and I had a fine night's sleep.

Saturday, June 27

After a not-very-satisfying breakfast at the Villa Radozda (crepe with oily cheese and oily ham fried in oil and covered with sesame seeds), I grabbed a banana out of the car and walked down to Dva Biseri, a small restaurant in town. Above Dva Biseri, in the cliff walls, there is a cave church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The door to the cave is locked but there is a key at Dva Biseri. Of course, when I walked in, no one spoke English, so I just pointed towards the cave and said, "Key?" while making a gesture like I was unlocking a door. It worked, and I walked up to the cave.

To get to the church, one has to walk up a substantial series of stairs. However, it's worth it. Some of the frescoes inside date back to the 13th century.

...to be continued (experiencing computer troubles at the moment)...

Свети Јован Канео

This is one of my favorite views in Macedonia. It's the church of St. Jovan (John) of Kaneo on Lake Ohrid.

I (heart) Macedonia

I spent what may possibly be my last weekend in Kosovo driving around Macedonia. I had a blast visiting monasteries & churches, roaming around Lake Ohrid, and exploring the Popova Kula winery in Demir Kapija. Photos and descriptions are definitely coming, but depending on my (still unknown) travel schedule, it might not be for a few days.

Skopje in Pictures

From last weekend in Skopje, I give you 13 pictures:

The text on the packaging reads: "Aromatic mixture of Tahebo and Green tea with orange aroma. Recommended for revitalization and straightening the organism." Drink, go forth, and straighten.

Juicing K

I was in Skopje last weekend and I made an impulse purchase: a juicer. No one has brought fresh juice to Kosovo yet. I crave, crave, crave fresh carrot juice. I found German imported carrot juice in the supermarket, but it tasted like preservatives, not carrots. I have eyeballed juicers here, but I'm not quite ready to spend $120 on a counterfeit juicer. I was ready to spend $35 on one that comes with a 24-month guarantee. The juicer is small and messy and a bit of a pain to operate, but it gives me fresh juice. And I really, really, really appreciate that.

Really, really, really. On my first day with it, I juiced 2 kilos of carrots (4.5 pounds or so). (I'm not turning orange yet.) The second batch of carrot juice I mixed with apple juice and orange juice. Very nice.

As soon as I have a bit more time, I'll upload some of my Skopje pics.

To Skopje (but not beyond)!

I haven't been to Skopje since my return to Kosovo. I like Skopje. I like that there's bacon. I like that there's a movie theater. I like that I can wander around the city and there are suitable sidewalks to walk along. The leaves should also be changing and brilliant. When I first went to Skopje this time last year, I was so happy to be out of Kosovo. A lot has happened in a year, and I've not only adjusted to life in Prizren, but I am enjoying it. I no longer see Skopje as the great escape necessary to keep me sane.

That said, I'm looking forward to going. I am presenting at a conference on Saturday, so I'll head out tomorrow (Friday) and hop back on Sunday. I've already mapped out my eating plan: sushi, a burrito, and maybe some vegetarian food. I'll be parking my head at the Hotel 903-ta, which still seems to be one of the best hotel deals in the city. Yeah, the Best Western and the Holiday Inn boast, well, Best Western and Holiday Inn standards (and they have bathtubs), but those places go for 100 Euros per night more. That's 200 Euros. That's a lot of sushi and burritos. Plus, the 903-ta is clean, on a quiet street, and the staff are friendly. What more could a gal ask for?

A Bonus Pic for Turi

I'm proud to say I'm not the only person who takes pleasure from walls. This photo was taken at the castle in Ohrid, Macedonia.

Kirsten Goes Driving

On Thursday afternoon, I hopped a bus to Pristina to pick up my rental car. There's no rental places in Prizren, which is quite a drag because it takes 2 hours to get to Pristina by bus and 70-90 minutes by car. That's time I could have spent enjoying myself even more than I did.

At 50 Euros per day (about $70), renting a car to drive abroad isn't cheap (Kosovo-only rentals can be had for 20 Euros/$30). The price of gas is a bit steep, too (in the neighborhood of $8 per gallon), but it was worth it.

The first leg of the journey, Pristina to Prizren, was an easy drive. On the way back to my apartment, I stopped at the store to stock up on water and toilet paper (having a car has benefits that walking doesn't, mainly the ability to carry lots of stuff). I spent the night at home then left around 9am Friday morning. Destination: Ohrid, Macedonia.

A random church on the side of the road in southern Kosovo.

The drive into Macedonia was smooth. I left Prizren and headed east through the Sharr mountains and past the ski resort of Brezovice. Instead of using the main border crossing of Dimce (which is on the main road south of Ferizaj heading towards Skopje) and I crossed at Qafeshqipe, which is in the direction of Tetovo. Crossing was easy and quick. Upon entering Macedonia, I had to buy insurance for 3,5 Euros, and there's no toilet. From there it was a couple-of-hours drive to Lake Ohrid, called by many the "jewel of the Macedonian crown."

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ohrid is a beautiful town to walk around. In fact, I spent so much time strolling about, I decided to spend the night.

The Church of Saint John at Kaneo

Outer church wall detail

A night in Ohrid was 15 Euros. I'm not sure the name of the place I stayed. It was some random apartment that I went in to inquire about. It had a kitchenette and a terrific lake view. In the summer time, I think it would have been much noiser, but as it is mid-October and there aren't so many people milling about in the evening, I had a fairly quiet sleep.

Early Saturday morning, after a stop at a bakery where I picked up a mystery-filled roll, I headed around Lake Ohrid towards the border with Albania.

This is along the road to Albania. These truck had been here a while. Weird.

The drive into Albania was easy. No traffic. The border was quick to get through. However, once one enters Albania, there's an extreme need to be aware of other drivers. I was serious in my claim before that driving in Albania is like playing a video game. The roads were decent, though, and I was in Tirana by mid-afternoon.

Tirana, Tirana, Tirana. Tirana is so much more cosmopolitan than Pristina. Pristina has a loooong ways to go before it becomes a capital city worth visiting just for the sake of visiting. Tirana, however, has charm, grace, and much less trash. Plus, the grocery stores are better (the measurement by which I judge all cities). My stop at the QTU netted me ricotta cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, canned stuffed grape leaves, dark chocolate, and a few other odds and ends.

The Sheraton in Tirana has a nice little movie theater on the ground floor. Each room (there are two, I think) seats about 25 people in big, cushy, plush, red chairs. The only film playing at the time I arrived was Iron Man, so that's what I saw. Not bad. I spent the night in the same hotel as before, the Hotel Europa. I looked at rooms in other hotels and even stopped at a travel agent for help with finding a place, but no one could offer me anything decent for less than 70 Euros. The Hotel Europa set me back 35. Not bad.

On Sunday morning, I was up early to drive about 3 hours to make the ferry that crosses Lake Fierezes. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 10am. I arrived at 10:15, and the boat left at 10:30. I should have budgeted 3.5 hours to make the trip, but, luckily, schedules in the Balkans are flexible.

The ferry runs from Koman to Fierze. Entering into Kosovo via this route avoids the twisty-turning-vomit-inducing road through Kukes. I think that the ferry route is actually quicker although travellers are limited to the scheduling of the 10 am ferry.

The seats on the upper deck were graffitied. I didn't venture into the enclosed seating area downstairs mainly because I didn't want to sit in a smoke-clogged, badly ventilated room.

The shores along Lake Fierze are sometimes compared to the fjords of SE Alaska and Norway. I wouldn't go that far, but the scenery is pretty stunning.

Albania doesn't have much infrastructure for tourists. For example, the roads into Koman and out of Fierze were slow going. Into Koman, there was 30-odd km of potholey, narrow, dusty roads that were impossible to go faster than 30 km per hour on. Coming off the boat at Fierze, the situation was similar exept that many of the drivers on the boat were in an extreme hurry to get to where ever they were going. These drivers passed in inappropriate places, rode their horns, tailgated....yeesh. Like a video game.

Leaving the ferry.

I passed back into Kosovo at Qafa e Morines. Once again, crossing the border was simple and hassle-free. I stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking Gjakova. I took my rental car back to Prizren, dropped off my luggage and cheese, took the car back to Pristina, rode the bus back to Prizren, took a shower, and collapsed into bed.

The mystery-filled roll I bought in Ohrid turned out to contain ham, mayonnaise, and ketchup. I got about two bites in and had to abandon it in favor of two bananas.

800 km

I've had a terrific past few days: three countries (Kosovo, Macedonia, & Albania), a rented car, and 800 km of driving. A bee-you-tee-ful weekend.

Pictures to come.