Livin’ Thing
Tetovo
My goal from the beginning of my time here has been to visit as many cities and villages in Macedonia as possible. To make headway with this goal, I decided to leave Skopje for 5 days for the city of Tetovo, located in western Macedonia. Tetovo is majority ethnic Albanian – due to close border proximity, many Albanians immigrated to western Macedonia over multiple generations. I went with a Peace Corps friend, Hannah, and we met up with several other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) and another Fulbrighter, Trevor. I love meeting new people, and there was no shortage of that this weekend. Most of the PCVs are posted in villages across the country, which require kambis (usually twelve-seater vans) to get to the larger cities. Kambis don’t run every day, and they also don’t have a strict schedule or set stops. So, as you can imagine, it takes some intricate planning to get to and from the villages on the outskirts of Macedonia.
Fortunately, Hannah and I didn’t have to rely on a kambi - this trip marks the first time I’ve rented a car and driven in Macedonia, which is an experience in itself. I love driving, but I’ve never been responsible for a rental car before, and it’s all fun and games until you have to answer to the rental company (yay, adulthood…!). Besides converting kph to mph in my head while driving, I was hyper-aware of other cars and people making unexpected moves, like jaywalking (more like jayrunning, no one here ever just walks across the road when faced with oncoming traffic) or stopping the car in the middle of the street to run into a corner store.
Despite the chaotic nature of the roadways, the 40-minute drive was beautiful, and the winding road took us through a landscape dotted with minarets set against distant, snow-capped mountains.
There was an incredible pasta shop up the street from our AirBnB that makes their own pasta from scratch, and we went there for dinner with Elina (a PCV) the first night. We also hosted our friends for a potluck one night, which was lowkey but really fun. Hearing the varying experiences we’ve had in the classroom and with our neighbors made for great stories and a lot of laughs.
Hannah and I went to the Painted Mosque (Шарена Џамија), which is a Macedonian landmark. In the 15th century, two sisters used their dowry for the construction of the Ottoman-era mosque, and it is said that tens of thousands of eggs were used to preserve the frescos that cover the walls and ceilings. I’ve been to mosques in the U.S., Israel, and the UAE, but this one stood out because of the paintings of other mosques covering the inside. The imam there told us it is so a traveler can come to the mosque and see their mosque from home on the wall while they pray.
On Saturday, five of us went on a hike to the waterfalls located about 20 minutes outside of Tetovo. The map took us up a mountain, literally; the cutbacks were tight, the road was icy, and the guardrails were nonexistent. The view was spectacular though; being nestled in the mountains looking at the villages down below felt almost sacred. This is a corner of the world not many people get to experience, and I acknowledged my gratitude for the opportunity. Almost to the top, we realized the road was taking us to a mountaintop village and not the hike. Somehow, I managed to eke out a 3-point turn in the 2-wheel drive compact car (MVP of the trip) and get us down the mountain to the actual hiking spot.
The hike was chilly but the sky was blue, which is rare this time of year because of the pollution. I’ve never seen waterfalls covered in icicles, but it was serene and lovely, as were the snow-covered bridges and pines surrounding the falls.
Home Sweet Home
I’ve said this to friends before, and I’ll repeat it here: every time I come back to Skopje, I’m glad I live here. I like being a city girl, and I like having options for things to do. I can always make a trip to the smaller cities or villages, but for me, Skopje is home here.
Back in the city as of yesterday, I went to my student/friend’s 19th birthday party, and I have plans later this week for karaoke, helping a friend from church move apartments, and a стара нова година (Old New Year, according to the Orthodox calendar) celebration, which includes hiding a coin in bread, cutting it into pieces, and seeing who will be blessed for the year. I’ll let you know if it’s me!
(Song Credit: Electric Light Orchestra)
