Skopje, Macedonia

Skopje, Macedonia, the capitol, is not a huge city and the first impression is not of affluence, but that of a modest city on the rise. My hostel was a short walk from the bus station, across a littered vacant space the remnants of the oldest neighborhood of Skopje. My landmarrk was a large bank building, the plainest I've ever seen; across the busy four lane was a new shopping center and across the river stood a tall black modern building with a lot of glass. I couldn't possibly get lost.

A paved walkway ran alongside the river so I took it. A short walk down it became a busy place, cafes lining the left side full of people. Then two marble bridges on the right lined with statues representing every important person Macedonian history can lay claim to. On the other side stood a few huge, flashy new buildings looking very important. So I crossed over, walked a short distance and there it was, an amazing display of fountains with roaring lions, galloping horses, women doing maternal things, so over the top it was almost obscene. Throw in a few more huge statues, a new theater, museums…and loads of tourists photographing themselves in all that grandeur.

You can even have a 'VIP' wedding.

The 'glittler district'.

The other side of the river.

I spoke to several locals who did not feel kindly to this ostentageous display that one called 'Disneyland, but I call 'the glitter district'. Some spoke of the price of one statue's cost, the huge sums spent, their tax money and they did not approve especially with the nation's high unemployment rate. An ethnic Albanian, and there are many in Macedonia, spoke bitterly about how many of the statues were of people descended from the Illyrians, their heritage, and that Macedonia was trying to rewrite history, claiming it as her own. This was not the first time I was made aware of friction between the people of these two countries.

Alexander the Great at the airport named in his honor.

I finally found an area not swamped with tourists in the old Turkish Quarter. Turning a corner, I spotted two men, one carving on a panel with Arabic lettering, a commission for a mosque. I asked if I could watch and was brought out a large block of wood and a couple small rugs, the seat of honor. Male members of the family showed up: the carver's nine year old son who showed off a carving of his own, a nephew, his friend, and tea was served. We must have talked for a couple hours, during which time the carver worked on his piece with sure stokes of chisel and hammer. This exchange was the highlight of my visit to Skopje.

His gift came from God, I was told.

One side trip took me to Matka about an hour's bus ride from Skopje. Here the mountains were steep and rocky, with a dammed lake and hydro plant. For the tourists there is a small Orthodox church, a cafe or two, and guided boat trips to a cave. I waited for a group to form and found myself with two Polish sisters I met on the bus from Ohrid. The cave had a small area open to us with some formations, not spectacular but nice. Our guide told us this is Europe's deepest underground lake, most of it not easily accessible. I wondered how they knew if it hasn't been explored. On the way out I bought a bag of some kind of coated peanut sold on open bags from a small stand to munch while waiting for the bus.

Tomorrow I escape Macedonia for a short hop to Kosovo.