Holiday in Macedonia

Sunday, Aug. 1, 2009--Skopje

Today is a holiday in Macedonia. Things are very quiet. It's one of the reasons why I decided to skip going to Bitola. They have a celebration today, so I knew that would make it even more difficult to get a room there.

Got up before all the young backpackers. They always go out partying until 3:00 or 4:00 each morning, so it is fairly easy to beat them up and get to the bathroom. After making my blog entry, I ate the breakfast provided--boiled eggs, toast, feta cheese, sliced tomatoes, and a bowl of granola with milk.

Unfortunately, the National Museum was closed today even though their poster shows that they keep holiday hours from 9:00-13:00. But both of the National Galleries [located in old Turkish bath houses] were open. Also the City Museum, which is located in the old train station building which was partially destroyed in the big earthquake of 1969, was open. So I explored town and stopped at those to see the exhibits. One of the art museums was more interesting than the other. The City Museum had a wonderful exhibit of old photos showing the damage done by the earthquake.

Although my guidebook talks about the crumbling train station, it is a new one since I was here about 30-35 years ago. Then, the train station was still in part of the remaining old station that was damaged in the earthquake. From memory, I was able to recall exactly where the old bus station was and the path I followed to get from it to the train station when I was here before. I confirmed I was right by asking someone working where I thought the old bus station had been. That's one reason I don't like to return to places where I have visited before; even after 30-35 years, I can still recall my memories of places.

The art gallery exhibits gave me more ideas for art I might create for my walls when I return home. I have never been very creative myself, especially when coming up with an idea from scratch. But I can take an idea from someone else and revise and adapt it into something else that comes to my mind. I am keeping track of ideas when I see things that inspire me so that when I get home I can decide which ones to try to use in my own endeavors.

Thank goodness for McDonalds. Although I had used the toilet before leaving the guesthouse, I found myself wanting to use it again while I was out. I hoped to do so at the National Art Gallery, but there was no toilet for the public there. Backtracking while thinking I might have to return all the way to my hostel, I eventually saw McDonalds. What a relief! It wasn't a problem of diarrhea; I just needed a toilet again because of all I have eaten lately.

By the way, McDonalds is the only U.S. franchise that I have seen here in Macedonia. And I did not see any franchises in Albania. My guess is that their prices would be too high in general for this area.

After finding relief at McDonalds, I was free to explore more. I went through the old muslim quarter of town, saw the Mother Teresa museum and statue [although Albanian, she grew up here in Skopje], and just wandered looking at the buildings. By 13:30, however, it was HOT and I returned to the hostel.

I find that the young people at the hostel try my patience. First, they don't do much in terms of exploring. Their main interest is the night life. But mainly what has bothered me most here is their use of the Internet. The hostel, unlike others where I have stayed before, does not have a time limit on use. The young people will sit at one of the two terminals for hours chatting online with friends from home. It does not bother them that someone else is waiting to use the computer.

Because I've done everything that I really wanted to do here that can be done [due to museums being closed tomorrow] and because I don't have much patience with the other guests here, I have bought a ticket to leave here for Sofia tomorrow. I will catch an 8:30 bus there, and it will take 6 hours. Rather than staying in a hostel, I plan to try to get a room in a private home.

On my way back from buying my ticket, I stopped at a local cafe and bought dinner--10 fingerling sausages with a big piece of bread and a large roasted pepper. It is a typical meal here and was good. But meat and bread are getting old!