Skopje -- September 12

Well this day didn't start on the best note. After rummaging around in our room in the dark to get ready for our 5am taxi, we got to the bus station to learn the 5:30am bus to Skopje wasn't running today for some reason. So we hoped on a bus to Pristina hoping we'd be able to make a connection to Skopje there.

About 2 hours later we were back in Pristina, and within 15 minutes were on a bus for Skopje. The highlight of the bus trip was a group of 20-something Kosovars sitting in the back of the bus. They were having a great time apparently heading to Skopje for the day. The bus driver seemed smitten with one of the girls, who we subsequently learned was named "Mimosa". The reason she was so memorable other than the constant flirting that was going on was that her laugh was loud and sounded like Fran Drescher's. Who would have thought we'd have the Nanny on our bus from Pristina to Skopje?

The border crossing into Macedonia was easy and Craig had no problems not having a Kosovo entry stamp in his passport. At the Macedonian entry point, both our passports were taken away, and we were happy to both receive Macadonia entry stamps this time!

Shortly thereafter we arrived at Skopje's bus station. After where we've been for the past few weeks, Skopje seemed like a major metropolis. All the guide books indicate Skopje is no architectural gem, but we figured it would make a good layover before heading to Ohrid tomorrow.

Our first impressions of Skopje were far from positive. The taxi driver from the bus station to the hotel totally ripped us off by charging 3x the normal fare. The hotel itself was quite nice, but is entered through a very dodgy storefront. You then take an antique lift up 5 floors, walk up one more flight of stairs, and then emerge into the relative paradise of this sharp hotel.

After checking in we began our explorations. The hotel is right on Macedonia Square, a huge square that looks big enough for communist parades and tank processions. We walked over the Kamen Most bridge into the old Turkish quarter of Skopje. I think had we not just been in Prizren and Sarajevo we would have been more impressed with what we saw here. It was a bit difficult to enjoy the surroundings as it started to rain and we were regularly accosted by aggressive street children. One nearly was able to get his hands down into Craig's front pocket and get away with his wallet.

We stopped for lunch at Pivnica An and ate some traditional food (mousaka and beef stew). We then continued exploring the Turkish Quarter including a steep hike to the top of the Kale Fortress and the Chifte Hamman, an old Turkish bath house now used as an art gallery. The art inside the hamman was surprisingly interesting and featured works from artists from across Europe, but primarily from the Balkans.

Very pooped from all our travels, we went back to the room and crashed for a few hours. We awoke not really feeling hungry, but feeling like something a bit out of the ordinary. In the guidebook we found info on an interesting tea house that seemed near the hotel. We set out and quickly found the New Age Teahouse. We sat outside on oversized chairs and tried to order. Of course the menu was only in Macedonian (Cyrllic language). The poor waitress did her best to help us, and in the end brought us 2 very delicious iced tea drinks. Not really what we were looking for on a cold damp afternoon, but it hit the spot.

Later in the evening it was time for dinner (we eat a lot, don't we?). Recommended in our guidebook was Dab Pivnica (Two Doors) which was actually 2 minutes from our hotel. The inside was cozy as the heat from the wood burning stove heated the space. We had a traditional Macedonian Salad which was delicious -- think peppers and eggplants and potato salad. It tasted much better than my description! We also shared a pizza which turned out to be one of the best pizzas we've had in the Balkans so far.

After that it was time for bed as we had an 8am bus to Ohrid the next day. Upon reflection Skopje was far from a terrible place to spend a few hours -- we just wouldn't recommend going out of your way to pay a visit.