If I found before, I really arrived in the travelling mood, well it's now ;) ..I did some little off-raod to Bisthtit and crossed the boarder there. I really thought, I'm going to Macedonia, but actually it was still greece. I only figured out when I was paying a coffee and they charged me in Euro. My first thought was "what, you just changed your currency from Dinnar to Euro?!", then it came to me that I accidentally entered Greece and suddenly all made sense. The fact that they sent me the other way in Macedonia than I was actually going, the strange letters on the street signs after the boarder crossing, the European flags :P and the good roads and normal driving skills. haha ;) I didn't really think about, but I marked the boarder crossing before and I was just convinced to go direction Macedonia. Well.. was just a little detour and was nice riding anyway. Just became aware once again that I suck at geography ;)
My first impression of Macedonia was so good that I even forgot about the riots and shootings that happened here just a few weeks ago. Even if there's some tension in this country, it's not that everyone goes savage and start killing people. First they had enough of it and second they need the tourism here badly (and all these countries are fighting to get in the EU). So despite all that they went through and everything they are still facing, they sill are very nice and friendly people and it's a great experience to be here!
After I passed the burning dump site at the exit of Bitola, landscape became much nicer. In the meantime I got my own map of this country and figured out gorgeous riding through the mountains. Once I've seen the 3D-map in a travel agency here, there's nothing that can stop me now to explore all these places! I might even end up paragliding here, but that would be on Sunday and it's still a bit of a long shot, but I already talked to the people doing tandem-flights here and they would have an solo-equipment to rent me out (would be awesome to fly in Macedonia!!). On the way to Ohrid and raced up a mountain (sticking to my side of the road and honking a lot) and took it slowely down enjoying the breath-taking views on the other side over Ohrid lake. When I arrived at the lake a guy stopped me with some photos in his hand that were showing his apartments and I was convinced on the spot! He's really nice and his son a pretty sharp cookie and we drank coffee in the evening and talked out his country. I took a hot bath, played some didgeridoo and finally hosed down the bike, as it was more mud than bike after all that off-road trips I did ;)
Yesterday I went diving in the lake and it was a nice experience. Just so damn ugly cold! brrr.. I dived for the first time in a 7mm suit with hoodie and gloves and I still felt my feet going numb. There's not so much to see in this lake (somewhere would be small wrecks, but we didn't go there) and aparently there's some historical site under water (this I wanted to see, but was on the wrong dive). So I ended up seeing a billion of mussels (they cover the whole ground in certain parts) and the highlight was a tiny water snake catching a small fish. But it just lasted for 2 seconds as the snake felt disturbed by us and postponed it's lunch. So it let go of the fish and hid back under the rock it came from (I beg the fish was happy about that ;).
they're having quite a few snakes in this lake.. but didn' see any of the bigger fish (the ones I was eating the day before.. also a very yummi experience to have fresh fish from Ohrid lake). I met all kind of travelers here in town and found finally some time to practice my skills at the shore of the lake (at last I could put all my sticks and balls to use ;). But somehow got too drunk in the process and ended up going to bed early yesterday. At least I found some time this morning to do pictures and blog (woke up at 5.30) and will be ready to ride on early to enjoy this wonderful day! It was raining all night long, but now it's blue sky! ..not sure how long this will last though as the weather is changing quickly here. During the dive I was picturing how warm it will be once we emerge again, but it just started to rain heavily, then a double lighting was hitting the lake and hailstones were falling on us (7mm diving suit was pretty useful then ;). It all lasted only for a couple of minutes and when we drove back with the dinghy to the dive shop, there was sunshine and blue sky again. Quite and experience after all ;) ..okay.. I'm getting ready here and loading up. Plenty of things to do today, before I will reach Skopje to spend the weekend there (should be fun ;)
My first impression of Macedonia was so good that I even forgot about the riots and shootings that happened here just a few weeks ago. Even if there's some tension in this country, it's not that everyone goes savage and start killing people. First they had enough of it and second they need the tourism here badly (and all these countries are fighting to get in the EU). So despite all that they went through and everything they are still facing, they sill are very nice and friendly people and it's a great experience to be here!
After I passed the burning dump site at the exit of Bitola, landscape became much nicer. In the meantime I got my own map of this country and figured out gorgeous riding through the mountains. Once I've seen the 3D-map in a travel agency here, there's nothing that can stop me now to explore all these places! I might even end up paragliding here, but that would be on Sunday and it's still a bit of a long shot, but I already talked to the people doing tandem-flights here and they would have an solo-equipment to rent me out (would be awesome to fly in Macedonia!!). On the way to Ohrid and raced up a mountain (sticking to my side of the road and honking a lot) and took it slowely down enjoying the breath-taking views on the other side over Ohrid lake. When I arrived at the lake a guy stopped me with some photos in his hand that were showing his apartments and I was convinced on the spot! He's really nice and his son a pretty sharp cookie and we drank coffee in the evening and talked out his country. I took a hot bath, played some didgeridoo and finally hosed down the bike, as it was more mud than bike after all that off-road trips I did ;)
Yesterday I went diving in the lake and it was a nice experience. Just so damn ugly cold! brrr.. I dived for the first time in a 7mm suit with hoodie and gloves and I still felt my feet going numb. There's not so much to see in this lake (somewhere would be small wrecks, but we didn't go there) and aparently there's some historical site under water (this I wanted to see, but was on the wrong dive). So I ended up seeing a billion of mussels (they cover the whole ground in certain parts) and the highlight was a tiny water snake catching a small fish. But it just lasted for 2 seconds as the snake felt disturbed by us and postponed it's lunch. So it let go of the fish and hid back under the rock it came from (I beg the fish was happy about that ;).
they're having quite a few snakes in this lake.. but didn' see any of the bigger fish (the ones I was eating the day before.. also a very yummi experience to have fresh fish from Ohrid lake). I met all kind of travelers here in town and found finally some time to practice my skills at the shore of the lake (at last I could put all my sticks and balls to use ;). But somehow got too drunk in the process and ended up going to bed early yesterday. At least I found some time this morning to do pictures and blog (woke up at 5.30) and will be ready to ride on early to enjoy this wonderful day! It was raining all night long, but now it's blue sky! ..not sure how long this will last though as the weather is changing quickly here. During the dive I was picturing how warm it will be once we emerge again, but it just started to rain heavily, then a double lighting was hitting the lake and hailstones were falling on us (7mm diving suit was pretty useful then ;). It all lasted only for a couple of minutes and when we drove back with the dinghy to the dive shop, there was sunshine and blue sky again. Quite and experience after all ;) ..okay.. I'm getting ready here and loading up. Plenty of things to do today, before I will reach Skopje to spend the weekend there (should be fun ;)
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