If you're thinking to yourself, "Are you kidding? Another post from Katie about hiking? I can't be bothered," then go ahead and stop reading now. So, recently I got to go hiking in two new areas, each different but with their own charms. First, I did a weekend trip to a village near Struga in southwestern Macedonia near the Albanian border. Jane's friend Irena invited her and told her she could bring a friend--lucky me! Irena is an amazingly talented photographer who is usually accompanied by her sidekick, Chica the dog. The picture above is from Irena and you can see more of her incredible work here. Irena's nephew hiked with us the first day and his parents were our hosts, kindly feeding us all weekend at their cute village house.
Our first hike that weekend was 6 hours up to a church perched way, way high on a mountainside. In my photos here (with some more from Irena too), you'll see its crooked cross which was about all Jane saw last time she was there when there was snow up to the roof. Ironically, and completely accidentally, Jane and I wore almost identical outfits. Maybe we've spent too much time together...
The second day, we arose at 4:30 AM with the sun and started hiking up, up, up, as hikes here tend to begin. The wildflowers were incredible, such great hues, and I guess that makes up for the pesky pollinating insects that we dealt with. We encountered a curious shepherd who abandoned his flock to lay down and watch us ascend one of the mountains and otherwise saw nobody else. Except for panicking Irena a bit when we got separated and the aforementioned insects, it was an exquisite day of hiking--nothing like finishing an 8 hour hike by 1 PM. I felt really fortunate that Irena invited us, it's an area that I never would have seen otherwise.
One thing I will definitely miss about Peace Corps is saying hey, let's go hiking on a Thursday and getting 7 friends to come along. About a week ago, we did just that and surprisingly we began hiking from the capitol, Skopje, taking the brand-new gondola up to a huge metal cross on Mt. Vodno and then walking a ridge to Matka, an artificial lake. For most of the 5 hour hike we were in the sun, so it felt great to plunge quickly--really quickly--into the icy river and then have some beer at a lakeside cafe. Then the cherry on top of a great day was eating at the Mexican restaurant afterwards. It's no Chipotle, mind you, but I'll take what I can get.
Our first hike that weekend was 6 hours up to a church perched way, way high on a mountainside. In my photos here (with some more from Irena too), you'll see its crooked cross which was about all Jane saw last time she was there when there was snow up to the roof. Ironically, and completely accidentally, Jane and I wore almost identical outfits. Maybe we've spent too much time together...
The second day, we arose at 4:30 AM with the sun and started hiking up, up, up, as hikes here tend to begin. The wildflowers were incredible, such great hues, and I guess that makes up for the pesky pollinating insects that we dealt with. We encountered a curious shepherd who abandoned his flock to lay down and watch us ascend one of the mountains and otherwise saw nobody else. Except for panicking Irena a bit when we got separated and the aforementioned insects, it was an exquisite day of hiking--nothing like finishing an 8 hour hike by 1 PM. I felt really fortunate that Irena invited us, it's an area that I never would have seen otherwise.
One thing I will definitely miss about Peace Corps is saying hey, let's go hiking on a Thursday and getting 7 friends to come along. About a week ago, we did just that and surprisingly we began hiking from the capitol, Skopje, taking the brand-new gondola up to a huge metal cross on Mt. Vodno and then walking a ridge to Matka, an artificial lake. For most of the 5 hour hike we were in the sun, so it felt great to plunge quickly--really quickly--into the icy river and then have some beer at a lakeside cafe. Then the cherry on top of a great day was eating at the Mexican restaurant afterwards. It's no Chipotle, mind you, but I'll take what I can get.
As an Invitee, I have found your postings to be not only enjoyable reading, but also a source of motivation for me to become better physically prepared for my service in Macedonia. I have been going out on progressively longer hikes to increase my stamina for being able to appreciate the beauty of Macedonian countryside, as you have described and so beautifully photographed. Please keep writing about your hikes.
ReplyDeleteI just learned about something that might be interesting for hiking, or walking anywhere you might travel; it is a wristwatch-style device that, in addition to being a digital watch, works as a pedometer measuring steps and distance. But, what is fascinating about this device is that it has satellite connectivity and allows you to go on the Internet after an excursion and open a GPS-based program by Garmin. In that program, you will be shown a map of the geographic area where you hiked/ran and it will display your route with information on the following: The route you took (with all twists and turns), distance covered, the over all average speed as well as the speed at any given portion of the trip, and the elevation of each part of the trip. Each trip is retained in a computer file for your records and review at any later date. A great way to record your hikes/sightseeing/etc. The only place I know of where this device can be purchased is Runners World.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI’m an RPCV (Samoa 2008 – 2010), who has just recently relocated to Macedonia. I’m living in downtown Skopje, and was hoping to connect with the volunteers here. Let me know if you have time to grab a coffee while in town sometime.
Igor
Lew, if you have the means to get that gizmo it sounds pretty nifty. We are trying to collect descriptions of hikes here and make them available online, so that would help. If you have room to bring trekking poles with you, that is what I would really suggest bringing for hiking.
ReplyDeleteHi Igor, welcome to MK! If you send me a way to contact you, I can help connect you with the PCVs in Skopje and we can try to meet up on my next trip there in August.
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding, I guess I didn't think through how you would contact me. My email is igorpop at gmail dot com. Hope to hear from you soon!
ReplyDeleteIgor