Blogs from Macedonia, Europe - page 12

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is now fortunately known simply as Macedonia. After achieving independence from Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Macedonia was forced to adopt the lengthy moniker in order to avoid tensions with Greece. I only visited Lake Ohrid which many say is the highlight of Macedonia. Hard to disagree as it is beautiful. I am currently in Shkodra, Albania and heading to Budva, Montenegro via Ulcinj tomorrow morning. Albania has been a pleasant surprise. $US ≈ 48MKD (Macedonian dinars) but accommodation and much transport can be paid for with euros Accommodation and food After arriving from Istanbul on a 16 hour bus ride I was not up for a long search for a place to crash. By chance I met a very nice Albanian political organizer who took me around to an ATM ... read more

We decided to catch a flight from Belgrade to Ohrid to both save time and border problems between Serbia and Kosovo. What I didn’t realise was that the plane was so small it had propellers, this may sound ridiculous but I am terrified of flying and the smaller the plane is, the more it moves around in the air and the more my irrational fear shows its pretty face. The flight ended up ok…I only left Mikaela with minor bruising on her legs. Lake Ohrid it turns out has an airport so small it does not have an ATM so our first problem was that we couldn’t get any money out for a taxi. The second problem was that in our laziness of travel lately we decided not to write any directions down in the local ... read more

Macedonië 1 juni t/m 8 juni 2012. vrijdag 1 juni 2012. Vandaag nog de dagelijkse zaken gedaan en om 15.08 uur nemen we de trein naar Schiphol vanaf Geldermalsen. Na een traditionele cappuccino bij Starbuck (nu is onze vakantie begonnen ) vliegen we een kwartier te laat weg maar komen op de geplande tijd aan in Ohrid. We worden opgewacht door Corendon en om een uurtje of 22.00 uur zijn we in ons hotel. Hotel Makpetrol compleet met mooi zwembad, voetbalveld annex tennisbaan en aan een groot meer ( meer van Ohrid ). Het is donker dus veel zien we er niet van. Na een biertje en een verse jus zoeken we ons bed op. Morgenochtend is er een excursie uitleg. Zonde van de tijd en wij spreken met de reisleider af dat wij de 4 ... read more

Geo: 41.12, 20.82Ohrid - considered the jewel of Macedonia, it's said that if you haven't been to Ohrid, you haven't been to Macedonia. In ancient times, its name meant "City of Light", a fitting name, as in present day, the biggest draw is its pristine lake offering stunning vistas and cool, crystal-clear waters that are a perfect respite from this mad Macedonian heat. But Ohrid holds much more than that, with history, museums, nightlife, and a surprisingly modern and cosmopolitan pedestrian zone, not quite what I had expected from this ancient city. However, if Ohrid town isn't enough to captivate your attention, there are several other equally-picturesque beaches along the lake that are also worth visiting. Or perhaps a hike up Mt. Galicica, from where you can simultaneously view both Lake Ohrid and nearby Lake Prespa? ... read more

Geo: 41.04, 21.34"How's your wifey?" Huh? Is he talking to me? "How's your wifey?" He must be, no one else is in the hotel's breakfast room. But who the hell is my wifey? Oh, wait ... how's my wi-fi!!! Pretty good!So began the conversation with Gary, a tourist from Sweden, but not the typical tourist, as I would soon learn while he conversed fluently in Macedonian with the waitress. Though he hasn't lived here in decades, he still comes back yearly for vacations with his son, and was curious as to why I was traveling through Macedonia.Not overly popular with foreign tourists, and probably not popular at all with others of my yellow-Asian-ass ilk, it was a legitimate question, with Gary first assuming I was here on business. I suppose I am here on business, if ... read more