Stone Bridge Hotel Skopje

... br>The border crossing into Macedonia was easy and Craig had no problems not having a Kosovo entry stamp in his passport. At the Macedonian entry point, both our passports were taken away, and we were happy to both receive Macadonia entry stamps this time!<br><br>Shortly thereafter we arrived at Skopje's bus station. After where we've been for the past few weeks, Skopje seemed like a major metropolis. All the guide books indicate Skopje is no architectural gem, but ...

... Beograd, Serbia. I was excited to see that the bus was airconditioned but soon discovered that gas fumes came along with the cool air through the vents. At a rest stop one of the passengers lit up just outside the bus and the driver came running over hands waiving telling the guy to move. It's nice to know $15 buys the excitement of possibly becoming bus flambé somewhere along the way.<br><br>This morning I rolled out of Skopje on the main ...

... the road and walked across, giving the driver a glare that I hoped came across as "Come near me and you're dead" but is more likely to have been interpreted as "Please don't rape me!". I walked off towards the train station, turning round to watch the man and his car turn around and head back across the bridge. I still don't fully understand that little incident- then again I don't understand a lot of things (like why they discontinued Vanilla Coke, that ...

... shower consisted of me jumping into the water, jumping back and jumping back into the water again and again, til I was done. All the while I had goose bumps and I think my lips turned blue... I should have just jumped into the lake, it probably would have been faster! After packing up everything we headed back on the road to leave Berovo towards Skopje. But of course we had to stop and see some more sites before completely going back ...

... knew english well enough to tell me about the icons and the murals around the church. It was really beautiful but Marija thinks I am strange for liking it so much. After the church we went to the park. I saw a train that was among the oldest trains to run in Macedonia. We then went thru the open market, where I exchanged my money to denars. Resting a bit at home, I think was much needed, but soon we were back on the ...

... store thirteen years ago, she drinking the coffee, I drinking the Coke the owner has provided, as the price of her gold necklace continues to drop, finally reaching a level acceptable to both parties. Skopje's old town is certainly bringing back more memories than I had anticipated. I eventually come to the bazaar, selling baskets, shoes, walking sticks, paint brushes, and green onion stalks as big as bamboo. At 11 on a Monday, the market is ...

... new high building etc that impressed but, instead, the positive energy that was in the air. It seemed that people really believe in the future and are innovative. It was quite different from the attitude that I have noticed here. And maybe it really is different. Our lovely Macedonian teacher Nikola told that people here don't want to think about the future because they are afraid of what it will bring. Therefore they don't make plans etc. Of course it was just his ...

... don't work so well. My lovely co-workers Lume and Anita told that many of parents actually are shame of their children and hide them at home. That's awful and tells so much about the attitutes of the society in general. I don't know if I can do much. But maybe the main thing is that i am there with the children, be what i am. That's my contribution, it is not so much but better than nothing. Mainly that's why I decided to stay, to build something. :) And even in the ...

... who lend me his phone. I didn't like that i didn't pay him 300 dinars for sending an sms. Anything is possible, but that wasn't normal. Most of the people in Serbia are just great. What about Struga then? Now it is full of tourist because of the ohrid-lake. The place is not real now and in fact it is village. I live with two Slovenian volunteer Barbara and Jelka and barbara is just great. it is possible to talk to her, to discuss. Now she is travelling and i miss her ...

... ed around the town,with nev** more than two or three houses in one street having been attacked.This was less dramatic visually than cleansed areas I have seen in places like Bosnia,but proof all the same of systematic attack,and p**haps all the more cold blooded,at that.It also smacked of official coop**ation,if not support. I was in Skopje by nightfall,and the following day visited Kumanovo.The bus travelled east to the airport,and then north along the ...