This morning I was leaving Bitola and travelling further west to the popular tourist and pilgrimage destination of Lake Ohrid (Okh-rid) on the Albanian border. I left the hotel 8am and got something fresh from the bakery across the road for 10 MK ($0.25).

I was heading first to Struga at the northern tip of Lake Ohrid, 12 kms from the town of Ohrid itself which is on the eastern side. The reason was I had to scout it for the bus to Tirana Albania tomorrow as there was sparse online information about how to make the border crossing. There was also some Turkish heritage and Cave Monasteries near Struga.

The bus left Bitola at 8am and was almost empty. Ticket was 250 MK ($7) and they stopped along the road as we went to pickup more rural passengers. We got to the the town of Ohrid by 1030 and there was only one other passenger left on the bus for the final leg to Struga. We arrived 1045.

At the Struga bus terminal it showed daily departures to Tirana so I bought my ticket immediately for 660 MK ($14). This put my mind to rest as trying to piece together the border crossing from what sparse online info there was is a challenge.

I thought I had to goto the southern end of the lake by bus or taxi, cross the border on foot, take a bus or cab to the nearest Albanian town Pogradec, from there take a bus to Tirana. The challenge with that option, aside from so many steps, is that I would have no Albanian currency when I crossed the border. Luckily I now had a direct bus to Tirana.

First I walked into the small town of Struga to orient myself. The first place to visit was a Turkish Teke a few blocks east of the centre. The Teke was easy to find. I'd visited these before in the Balkans. There is a larger more famous one in Tetovo Macedonia I visited on my last trip (see entry http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-en tries/londone7/27/1381311011/tpod.html )

A Teke is part a tomb for a revered person, part Mosque, and part centre for religious discussion and Sufi Dervishes. At first I thought it was closed but the door wasnt locked so I went in. There was a large meeting room with outer floor pillows. There were also sheep skin rugs.




Back in the centre I tried to find the Three Brothers house. It was hard to find in the alleys and closed today or for lunch.

On my route out from the centre I was to pass by two Orthodox Churches. The first didnt allow photographs but had a long street market outside. The second was a postage stamp sized church no bigger than a car.

I then headed out from town and started the long 2.5km walk around the lake to Kalishta on the eastern side by the Albanian border. I still had my bags with me having not gone to my hotel yet. I passed occasional German tourists walking back the opposite way. I hoped they didnt think I was a refugee walking with my bag towards the border!

This was a long walk with my bag and I didnt want to walk it back. There are three churches and luckily they are all inside the compound so I didnt have to look for them. Entrance is 2 Eu ($3).

First was a small cave church enclosed inside a building added later. You have to goto the second floor to find the small room church. All surfaces are decorated with old religious artwork.

There is a larger more modern church in the centre of the compound. Light streamed thru all the windows of the beautifully painted interior.

This Church is significant for the Black Painted Madonna. Outside is also an 1800 year old tree.

There is a third church towards the end with more religious artwork.

I was then told to follow the path for 10 mins to find the last of the Cave Churches. You have to climb a poorly kept staircase infested with wasps to get to the church. It is a small room decorated with very old artwork. It reminded me of the many cave temples in Korea and the ocean temple complex in Busan Haenggunsa.

I then asked how to get back as I didnt want to walk 3km to Struga and then get a bus to Ohrid. As I was short on time could I not take a cab all the way? They said a direct cab is expensive at 400 MK ($8). Its cheaper to take a cab to Struga for 100 MK, then change and get another cab for 100MK to Ohrid.

They told me to go out to the hotels and ask them to call for a cab. The hotel said there is also a bus every hour for 40MK ($1) but I had just missed it. The cab didnt arrive and they had to call again.

I took the cab back to the Struga bus station for 100 MK ($2) but they said there werent buses to Ohrid from the terminal and I had to goto the town centre and ask people. I asked a cab driver who asked for 300 MK ($6). Then on the main street a guy was loading people into his car for a shared taxi cost of 50 MK ($1) each with three other women.

In Ohrid he didnt know where to drop me so I said to take me to the 'Antik Theatre', the old amphitheatre and closest landmark. To go into the old narrow hill streets he said I had to pay 100 MK ($2) instead which I said fine as I had lost a lot of the day with my trip to Struga and only had daylight hours left to see Ohrid.

I finally made it to my hotel by 4pm which had an amazing terrace view of the lake and town for only 24 Eu ($36). The lady was actually renting out the upstairs of her house as small apartments. Too bad I had mucky weather in what is the most beautiful tourist destination in Macedonia.

Struga and the cave churches are worth a visit. It is better done over two days but I was short of time due to unreliable information for the border bus to Tirana. Alternatively come the night before and spend the whole day exploring Ohrid and Struga rather then be rushed like I was.

Struga is overlooked in favour of the many churches in Ohrid. It has the more remote and less touristy cave monasteries as well as Islamic heritage in the town centre. It was worth the side excursion despite all the rushing.