Sunny day in Struga

We walk up not so early, it seems in Skopje i got into that party rhythm again and can not get up and out of the house before 8 anymore. Me and Tonin get out in the sun, finally a nice sunny day again. After yesterdays long showers on the roadsides a bit of warm sunshine is good for the mood. So w walk a bit along this side of the Ohrid lake i have not seen so far. The light is great for pictures and we start a series of petit bonhomme picture.Check out the beautiful lakeside...

It gets grayer and we get thirstier as we pass in front of a university building. We walk up to the reception and ask for toilets. As we drink our thirst there, we can hear music coming up from the windows of a half underground cafeteria. We check it out and find pool tables and fuss ball tables. Two young guys let us the pool table and serve us two fresh beers. Our skills of pool table players are pretty poor but how cares we have our bit of fun. Soon we a re chatting a bit with two teachers having their coffee, about the school, the youth of Struga and a slice of politics. We return to our game and then finish of with a bit of fuss ball sipping an original Check Budveiser. As we get back into daylight, the sun is back and the light si great for a couple nice shots.

We meet a young medical student on the peer, start chatting a bit, she is shy and wondering who the hell those two guys are and what they are doing around here. We chat a bit, are about to offer our model to here, the petit bonhomme, but as we were both not watching him, he jump of the peer. he maybe though he could escape the anatomy sessions of the medical student but forgot he was mainly made of steel and drowned in the clear waters of the Ohrid lake. She got an other on anyway. The phone then started ringing, that is the sign, Eric wants us to get back. So we walk back, not realizing how far we had gotten, it takes us a long time to get back, time enough for Eric to call three times :)
Tonight we sip a couple more beers, I try to blog a bit and get as much as possible uploaded while we watch the Dark night, the last sequel of Batman, a pretty surprisingly good movie where the joker is making an amazing good job. I am told by Eric i look exactly like him. The actor not the joker. Peace to his soul.
It is 2 am, everyone snores and i am posting blog. See what i am getting trough for you resigning on the little sleep i could get :)


more from Tonin :)

Culture finally

I got a cold last night, ain't surprising, running outside in the rain with a t shirt only. Aurelis has a bt of something to. We decide to make it a quiet day and go for the museums, we walk our way there, make fun of each other as usual. We start to have this very special relationship, after more than a week of cohabitation, she really lets everything go when it comes to making jokes or fun of me. And so do i. Damn French might well be the best language for this. Deux vrai langue de putes...



The National art collection is pretty nice and very well located in the old Turkish bath of the city. Nice paintings, sculptures and a piano Aurelie does not dare to play. After a lot more walking through the city and getting quite lost, we end up in a small bar that she knows. We are the first ones around, sit down for a couple beers and a slightly depressed talk. The sort of moment where you don't know anymore why you are here, where you are going, whats happening next and what you want. Not in the trip but rather in life. But fortunately the bar owners and waiters are nicer and since we spent everything on beer and have no more money after the 3 or 4 hours we spent here, they offer us a plate of melted cheese with bread.
We make it home, on a cab of course, no way we walk home.

Recovering and watching the shitiest movie ever.

Is all we manage to do today. Beside blogging, listening to last nights hard experience, the description of the morning scene where Hihi's mother was convinced (or tried to be??) her daughter and her friend had to many drinks.
The movie was The first man or the first child or something like that. if you see this, burn it or throw it away but don't watch it! It might do some damage on your brain.

I will use this very short post to quickly evoke the American embassy in Skopje. Their were given one of the best spots in the city, overlooking everything, to build a huge complex that nobody here believes is a simple embassy. The construction site is hidden, under very restricted access and i would guess the builders are not Macedonians. The site is huge, the foundations of the building are very very deep and the fence around it reminds of that in Sarajevo. What is it? no idea, i don't want to know and i hope we never have to find out what it might be used for (what Mr Country Fries, “you did it again”, could use it for)

Ok now my blog has one more interested reader :) Welcome NSA!

Meditation

there you go!!! slide showmode!

Today after hanging around in the city, we decide to join Hihi and go to an “ashram” in an apartment and meditate a little :) A man picks us up and brings us to the flat where the meditation will take place.
We enter a room that has been specially arranged for our little journey into our minds. 6 little cushions where placed in a circle in the middle of an almost empty room. The wall are painted white, the only things on the floor are the cushions, nicely arranged on the soft carpet. The room is very minimalistic and provides a very calm but comfortable and warm feeling. Past this first impression me and Aurelie start to notice the details. On the wall there is a poster showing a mix of any religious and spiritual symbols... a bit of a Davids cross mixed with a heart, the trinity symbol in Arabic and something Catholic. This mix, painted in blue red and gold on a pure white background, seems a little to universal to me. Everyone may find content in this mix of symbols and that is precisely the aim of it i guess. A small table holds a couple candles and a glass sculpture i don't remember the exact shape of, underneath it, books about or by the guru are found in a couple languages. All sorts of titles can be found here: peace of mind, escape your life, everything you never dared asking or talking about, how to live your life, follow my path, i will bring the universal answer, the quest for tantrum, etc... Like you i couldn't hold back a small smile :) In the corner, a small tv on a miniature book shelve is hidden behind an orange light tissue. The shelve holds a couple videos about the guru and some more books bringing all possible answers. From the top of the tv, a portrait of the smiling guru is watching us. so far so good, i knew what to expect and i am nor surprised nor feeling uncomfortable. Rather i feel quite good, this is a good opportunity to calm down a little after long days and nights of party and never stopping discussions and joking around with Aurelie. As we are listening to the introduction from tonights spiritual leader (he is not confirmed yet but will lead our meditation tonight) about the guru we are told how young he looks on the portrait despite his 50 years. This community is based on friendliness between each other, relaxation, a meat and drug free life (no cigarettes, coffee or alcohol) and uses a lot of yoga bases and i do feel warmly welcome as we exchange basic polite questions and answers about our lives.
As we talk and introduce ourselves, i notice a second poster, it is in my back and i didn't see it before. The guru is painted in an old fashion way next to a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci! The painting is drawn a little like those sketches of Da Vinci we all have in memory and the juxtaposition of the two faces suggest a linkage, parallel between the two men. I almost laugh out aloud and make a joke about it. That man really thinks he is a new Jesus and apparently there are people ready to believe it and who pay to attend his summer school programs.
Tonights believers are a bit of a mix but mainly occupied in computer science. Tonights leader is one, so is a man who should come soon but is too busy with work (does not seem to free them completely from their job and preoccupation these meditations), so is the girl with coca cola red lipstick and so am i... A couple more words about the girl with the red lipstick, she also wears glasses and has her dark hair attached in two ponytails, one on each side of her head... reminds me very much about the girl in one of those old French tv series. One of those with adolescents who have lots of complicated and naive love sorries. I can not remember the name of the series (there were s many of them) but anyone who grew up in France knows this girl, she had the stupidest voice, childish lipstick, big glasses and dark hair attached just like the girl tonight. Every time she says one of those naive things she thinks, i automatically translate them into French and add that stupid high tone. This gives me one more good reason to be happy and enjoy my night. So here i am sitting in circle with Aurelie, The lipstick girl, Hihi, the guru and his girlfriend talking about our issues and lives. Hihi once again speaks about her none existing nose problem and how she needs to get it fixed. We also talk about the beauties of life as we get into a relaxed sitting position for meditating.
We close our eyes and listen to the spiritual leader (hehe) telling us to relax. Your face is relaxed, your feet are relaxed, your back is relaxed, your anus is relaxed (yesyes...). Very slow and soft voice but i cannot help myself thinking that it would be easier to relax and think about nothing without him giving me good reasons to laugh all the time!
After a while of silence, his voice always calls us back on track. I don't now if this is the right way to put it, but everything he says meant something to us. For example He told us about the child in us and as we talked about it later with Aurelie, we were both thinking about this right before he said them!
As we open our eyes, we have an other chat about this experience and childhood, the things we enjoyed dong and did with passion. I remember playing with the river in the back our garden at the times where the water was brown and its level rising. Wintertimes were the cold weather did not hold me back from building dams in the mud with my feet in the water. We speak about lost innocence and natural behavior. Things we did without thinking, before we became aware of what those things might mean to others. Times where the others look upon us had no importance at all...
This nice little chat is followed by a cup of tea and as we sit in the kitchen and I watch our leader being very touchy with Hihi and his girlfriend, the lipstick girl with her boyfriend (our host), i realize and think about the affective and sexual dimension of this sect. It is tme for us to leave :) we walk out and go straight for a beer to counter all the good we have done to our shakras :) The Aya bar is a real nice one, one of the nicest i have seen in Skopje. Nice oriental decoration, delicious juices and small tweeting birds.

Heavy Chillin´

Today we do even less then yesterday, probably we went to the internet cafe and that was about it until the evening where e played Stadt land Fluss... yes we did. That game where one dude tell a letter and then everyone has to find words. We did it with a capital to play it classic, a hip hop artist, a plate and a movie. Damn i feel a like kid writing this.
Was nice to sit back and relax in Aurelie's couches anyway.

Sad day on Ohrid Lake

Aproache :)

Landing:)

Today is not such a funny day, everyone from the club is asked to stay for police inquiries, sad faces everywhere and nobody flies...

I try to relax and go for a long swim where i meet with a water snake (which i did not know at the time but is completely inoffensive) and make my way back to shore.

Camping beach

Galicica Nat. Park.

In the late afternoon, I leave the camp with Natasa and get to Ohrid by night. There i meet her friend Jasmin with whom i chat a bit a drink a beer. He is working in a betting center and telling me people her spent soooo much money on this. The record for a single day in the sole office where he works was 3 million Euro! cant believe it. People her complain they he so little money and nothing to do. Then they waste it on sport bets... Which I am told are set up most of the time, especially in football. The thing is run by big mafias and there is not much more space for sport...
Tonight I go for a quiet beach to sleep on. Tomorrow i will get into the national park and explore the mountains a bit.

Para waiting.

I wake up to that beautiful lake, a sunny day and nice friend around me. I expect a nice flight today, but today, not much happens, i discover the other side of para gliding, para waiting... Since the conditions are not good for beginners or tandems, we will not fly toady. So we lay on the beach, play stupid, swim, eat, and go out for dinner again. a nice and calm day like i did not have any for a while!

Beach

Mina and Natasa, para waiting :)

DOWnkey!

Sunset on Ohrid

Getting to Ohrid.

An early start today is a good choice, the 150 km separating me from Ohrid are as always in the Balkan, long 150 km. But i am happy i got 500 km from Belgrade in such a nice, surprising, happy, experience, fulfilling way! After helping a couple fixing their exploded cooling water tank. Actually it was just the lid that popped. They drop me in town which i have to wake trough, getting money, new currency, dennars, they are worth a bit more than dinars 60 denars to 1 euro) and a Sim card to contact my friends in Ohrid.
I then get a ride with a taxi driving out for a pick up from a nearby village. Then one with a truck driver where i fall asleep despite the shaky ride. It feels like ages since i last hitchhiked... he drops me at a crossing where a young dude is trying his luck. He i not patient and gets on the next bus. I get onto a ride to th next town with a delivery man which whom i speak about living standards and future possibilities. The next ride is the most interesting of today and will get me all the way to Ohrid. Amen is a very active men with two businesses, He wants to create a third one, he want to buy terrain and take out marbor from it. He tells me he needs 3 millions euro and i should help him find them. Anyone has 3 million euros to invest into marber??? it is guaranteed reimbursed in one or two years! :)

In Ohrid i get a bus down to Lubaniste camping where i finally meet Mina Natasha and their friend Ivana. we share a nice, old trailer.

After sitting down for a fresh drink, i run into the water, get myself a little bit clean. I had no shower since blgrade... By the way, the bath and toilets here are very communist style, old, smelly (right next to rotting garbage) and very uncomfortable. But still a blessing to get myself nice and clean and get of that smell that attracts all the fly towards me...
We go out to a nice spring next to Sv. Naum. It is called black water but there is really no reason for that! the water is SO clear and the river is actually a very small one, there are only a couple hundred meter form the spring to the lac. The water comes out the bottom of the lake, making little moving sand heaps. Magical place, unfortunately my camera is still out of battery and since full moon i cant take pictures. We get to drink of that water, nice and cold, 12 degrees all year round. After the small boat trip, rowing around the river, we sit down for a nice meal by the water. mmm Beans, specialty, local way.

Some pictures stollen from Mina and Natasa:

Hvar, back to tourism

After this stay in Lastovo which was once again very satisfying and full of bests we have to get up real early to catch the only ferry for Hvar, at 7 am, And we are lucky it is Sunday, else it would have been 4...

Hvar, an other place i have been 2 years ago. It did not change and is actually the only place that is not more crowded than when i was there last time. It is still pretty packed and the coffee is still the most expensive. We get up to the fort and then go for some nice beach time and picnic.

Hvar streets

Harbur and Fort in Hvar.

Cactus!

In the late afternoon, it is not so hot anymore and we head for the other end of the island to catch a ferry, some 80 kms away, this should not be a problem.

Well it turns out to be, after rides and a short while in crazy fast driving bus we are still 50 kms from our goal. The sun is setting down and we decid to sleep outside, squatting a deserted part of the local campsite and giving up our dream of shower and bed after 5 nights outside. I forgot to mention but the past 4 nights, we have been under constant mosquito attack, especially Judith who seems to be sweeter than me... tonight is no exception, those tiny mosquitoes you can really feel every time they bit you won't let us sleep. At 2 am we just wish it would be later and cant wait for the day to start. It is incredibly hot, probably almost 30 degrees and we have to hide in our warm sleeping bag and cover our heads to get a rest from the mosquitoes who really don't seem to mind our repellent... It finally starts at 7 and we quickly get on the road. but this is another story.

I forgot to mention but this day, was the 100^th day of my travels!

One more time!

Again, same players, same field, same game. Chill, read, swim, eat etc... Today i swim a little longer along the cost and discover more aquatic beauties, sea stars, more fish, whole schools of them. and get close to the oldest lighthouse in the Adriatic sea. I wonder how many boats have crashed on these sharp rocky coasts...

Base camp.

Sharing again..

Walking back through the wild inland.

Chill out big time but i broke my hamac...

We get back to the camp, check out, the price is still so over reasonable. mere 50 euros for both of us, including last nights super. It is 5 pm, the sun is not o hot any more and we are back on the road hitching a ride. We have no choice since we missed the last bus. Judith is all but confident, thinking about what will happen if we don't get a ride. Manana Judith manana :) As the say in the Balkan, Opusteno! Relax! And we get a ride with the first car passing, ten minutes later. Back up in Lastova town, we eat the best ice cream i ever ate, not because it is so nice and tasty but because it is so hot and i am craving for something sweet :)
We get a couple rides until Ubli, the last on with a very talkative dutch tell us about his stay here 5 to 7 years ago... We move to a nice spot in the wild, not as close to the sea as expected because of the steep shore but close enough to get there in a couple minutes and watch the most beautiful sunset ever.

Company for tonight...

Massive Chilling

Once again, we chill :)
Nice deserted bay clear water, spot under the trees to protect us from the blazing sun, fresh water full of fish, urchins and other aquatic life (how do you call a bernard l‘hermite in English?? those crayfish walking around with their house). Under water pictures, reading, fresh salad and vine... What more do you want in such a beautiful place. Not a soul around to disturb us and not a car or other civilizations noise to be heard.

Our spot

My friend in cleaning action. Can you see him?

Underwater views...

What this guy might see.

Other friend sharing our lunch.

Tonight we reserved some fish and get a feast. Home made French fries, garden salad and fresh fish, 3 piece of them. Orada and Taninja. Succulent. finally i still love this place :) they manage to keep it familial and comfortable. Simple and fulfilling.
Tonights we sleep under the the same beautiful star full sky.

Sleeping under the stars

I will try to be more brief in my writings, i said this a thousands time but i hope i ill now stick to it and relate only events of interest and sometimes my mind state...
We finally slept a night out under the stars and Judith used her mat and sleeping bad :) looking back, I don't think she specially appreciated it. We get the morning ferry out of the tourist main roads and head to Lastovo, a more or less wild island i also visited 2 years ago.

Written updates.

Enjoying the ride
Summertime, the living is easy.

In Ubli, we catch a first bus ride to the main town, get down for a swim at the beach were we find pure real crystal clear water. It is said this island has the purest waters in Croatia and judging by its color it should be right. The Island and its surrounding were turned into a national park since last visited it.

Lastovo town cats, muscled agile, quite wild.

Lastovo roofs.

I remember very well the camping where i stayed a couple nights and had the best fish along with 100% local vegetables. I hope i wont be disappointed like in Korcula. Slightly sunburn, we catch the next bus ride to the camping. I realize i am not hitchhiking so much any more. Am I getting lazy and comfortable? It looks like it and it feels quite good. But might be slightly more boring to you readers, no more crazy drivers, improbable encounters and unexpected rafting rides.
The camping is more crowded and after a slight disappointment, we find a nice spot. Since we have no tent and count on good weather we get in the very back of the camping where we find a little privacy. A little higher, surrounded by the remaining of walls we have a nice flat spot under an olive tree. It is getting late and we are hungry and quite looking forward to the owners fresh fish! Unfortunately we will have to get the fish elsewhere since it is necessary to reserve because it is so frequented at this time of the year. Opusteno, We have a beer and head to the next restaurant.
There we have a massive fish and squid meal along with some prawns, salads and a bottle of surprising vine. Of course we are no longer in Serbia and the prices have changed quit a bit, from a 10 pp euro meal it jumped to almost 50. The walk back to the remote camp is beautiful, the stars are so bright. No light pollution on this island, the moon is not up and we can see the milk way and all those bright stars. We fall asleep under this beautiful stars vault.

Lombardi beach and Dalmatian concert

Despite being up and ready pretty early, we don't manage to get away soon, the check out is closed until 10 am... aah Zlatko i don't think i will be coming back in your backpacker or recommend it any one... We sort out a couple things, post, food, money and finally leave the place after paying for the night. It was as expensive as our nice apartment with space, kitchen and balcony...

Morning coffee...

Hitchhiking out of this tourisms mecca is not easy and when a car stops after 2 hours of patience, it so hot we accept to take it even though it does not take us the right direction at all. We find ourselves in a nice quiet village with a rocky beach and not many people around. Judith plays with crabs while i swim across the bay, a bit of exercise is more than welcome. After sitting in the sun for a while, reading and writing we have to deserve our dinner by walking an hour by the road in the sun to the next market...

On our way to Vela Luka, on the other side of the island, we meet an other couple of hitchhikers, they also want to get there to see tonights concert, a famous singer is performing. We decide to join in. I will be brief, there is nothing unusual here, nice ride with a French/Italian/English speaking Serb woman from Croatia, nice ice cream and quiet seated concert. There was an other concert and i think we did not go the the same as the Croatian couple. But we got to hear some very nice chorus and traditional music.



Writing all this i m afraid nobody except my parents and Judith will read this. It all seems so boring. Especially now with all the shit happening around me in Macedonia, it seems like only futile details of a privileged traveler...

A day of nothing in Trpanje

Today is THE day of nothing... except for burning on a quiet beach, swimming in crystal clear water, reading On the Road again (J. Kerouac, excellent book) not much happening today :) After being a little to much in the sun, i spend the afternoon blogging in an internet cafe.



As i get out, the sun is reasonably low and Judith is up for a cocktail :) The combination of nice setting, sun, sea and Long island Ice Tea gets me in an excellent mood in no time! We try to find a fish for dinner but of course this s done in the morning hours. I will wake up early tomorrow and get some fish! So tonight we content us with pasta with fresh self made tomato sauce and local vine.

Why it was easy to make the decision to stay...

decision making...