Friday 20 February 2015

Skopje 2 - Matka canyon and lake


Today was a fantastic day on the canyon of Matka along the edge of a mountain we went 4 kilos one way and then back. 


At the beginning we found a little restaurant and went by it thinking that maybe we would eat there. 


On the way there were a lot of pebbles and we threw one in the lake and realized we could do echoes hello hello-o-o-o-o-o. 



Then we had a rest and sat down in the sun. It wasn't that comfortable but we were ok.


When we came back we ate in the restaurant - some giant pork ribs - and the waiter said we could go on a boat.

So we went on one and ended up in a cave. We took a picture in front of the cave and inside the cave. There were stalactites and stalagmites but they really didn't look like themselves. The red one was iron and the green one was alga.




When we went back I had to go to the toilet while Tonio and the waiter were talking. But we had a great time and I will see you later.


GianlucaDeGringu



By "My Dad":

The Matka lake was originally a river inside a canyon. Then they built three dams along its run, to generate hydroelectric power, and it became a lake.

Our adopted Macedonian taxi driver, Vele ("During the Tito days everyone in Yugoslavia was happy. Everyone!"), dropped us at the end of the road leading to the first dam. We agreed I would call him about 3 hours later, which was his estimate for our exploration of the area.

We started to walk along a path leading through a hotel/restaurant area and further along on one side of the canyon. The distance between the lower two dams is 6 kilometres, and the second dam is accessible from this path, which goes up and down continuously. There were rocky patches, one or two icy patches, complete with icicles hanging down from the hewn rock above, soil patches with vegetation and trees, and complete silence...

Ah, I forgot to mention the spectacular views.




The path, formed by Russian prisoners after the first world war, was intended to connect Skopje with another city for delivery of supplies. This never happened due to construction of the dams. The ground was tricky and the path narrow sometimes, so we had to pay extra attention as we walked. We exchanged positions, with me walking ahead and holding Gianluca by the hand in the narrow bits, while Gianluca led the way in the safer wider sections so I could keep a close eye behind him.



Up and down and up and down went the path. It was getting warm and time was passing by. After one and a half hours I thought, we have another one and a half hours to walk back again, with Gianluca getting tired. So we sat down for a few minutes and then turned back.


For some strange reason, in such situations the way back always seems to be shorter. This was no exception even though we were stopping every now and then to rest. We stopped at the restaurant where we had a hearty lunch, and were getting ready to call Vele to come pick us up when our host suggested we take a boat trip to see "the cave".

We accepted, of course, and back into the gorge we went again, this time through the middle of the lake. The boat took us to the base of a metal staircase that led up to the cave. The boat driver was holding a plastic can in his hand. It contained fuel for a generator that would light our visit into the cavernous depths. The underground lake inside was at least 200 metres deep and, still, Belgian and Italian diver explorers have not yet managed to reach the bottom. Eerie sounds were coming out from the darkness, like the screaming of ghosts, which were due to air being forced in and out of a water outlet further in.


By the time we were ready to call Vele we had spent, not three, but five and a half hours at the beautiful Matka canyon.


Skopje 1 - The Old Centre (Stara Carsija)


Today we had a great adventure going to the old city walk of Skopje. We met many women and men asking for free money but they weren't euros they were called dinar.

First there was a museum which used to be a bath house, there were lots of pictures with patterns and statues of funny men.





Next we found the best kebapi in all of Skopje its name is Destan.

There was a church called church Sveti Dimitri and we had a look but unfortunatly no pictures were allowed inside.



Then we found a market with many clothes and snacks. I decided to take a seed biscuit even though I didn't know what it was... But it was good. 

Then we went on to a fortress called Kale. We decided to let a guide show us everything and it was very interesting.







But we had a lot of fun and I will see you next time.


GianlucaDeGringu





Comments by Tonio (aka my Dad):

That's Gianluca laughing his head off, almost literally, in the picture above. Good sign. It shows he's enjoying himself!

Well, so am I, although this adventure, a real adventure this time for me and Gianluca, began on the wrong footing with me forgetting the telephone charger at home - panic! - resolved by buying another one at the Skopje airport arrivals area, with the kind help of our new Macedonian friend, Ana. The following morning, our first day here, we went for our city walk and found the main square, the main meeting point for people in Skopje, the central square with a huge "Warrior on a Horse" monument, mostly closed off for laying new flooring.

But never mind. We skirted the works and set off to do a walking route through the Old Centre of Skopje.

We saw lots of interesting monuments, works of art, beautiful squares... starting off with a couple of young Macedonian ladies having a chat...

 
... one of whose great grandfather was standing on top of a pedestal in the background, brandishing a flag.

The Vardar river splits Skopje into the old centre, which is mainly Muslim, and modern Skopje, which is mainly Christian Orthodox. The two sides are joined by an old stone bridge, the Kamen Most, the official symbol of Skopje.



So difficult to take a selfie. Either my arm is too short or my head is too big and fills up the whole picture. I can't figure out how the others do it!


And there's another Macedonian lady, trying to work up enough courage to jump into the cold water ...

Over the bridge, we walked into Karpos' Rebellion Square, adorned with lots of statues, including The Warrior (Philip II, Alexander the Great's father), and the same Alexander's mother holding Alexander the Great when he was still little:


The end of the square leads into the old centre itself, and it's as if you're crossing into a different country, most decidedly oriental/Muslim, complete with bazar, mosques and bathhouses.

The domed roof of a bathhouse that served as a harem once, but is now an art exhibition centre:


The Mustafa Pasha Mosque dominating the skyline of this section of the city:


Our first time ever inside a mosque, strictly without shoes:


The fortress is lit up in the evening ...


... as is the largest cross in the world that towers above the city...


... and the Archaeological Museum:


Simply beautiful, and that's just the first day!

Sunday 15 February 2015

Tervuren park


Today was a very long adventure along the river bank of Tervuren park into a forest path close by.

Just before we started we discussed where we wanted to go, we decided from 41 to 43 and back would be good. It was approximately 5.2 kilometres but we had to stop with the car at 48 so it was plus half a kilometre.

On the way there was a problem, we were on the way to 44 and we had planned to use a shortcut going back or then it would be too long of an adventure (adventure = walk). But the shortcut was closed because it had a sign next to it saying do not enter (in Dutch of course). Then we found out there was a bit of a road we could get into with a bigger shortcut but there was a mini great wall of China so we got worried. But as we went the mini great wall of China had ended so we could get in to the road.

As the adventure came to an end we had to choose between two ways. I decided to stay close to the river bank and I had chosen the right way because it was shorter than we thought compared to the other way.

I decided to take a picture of myself looking at the lake.




We had an excellent time just like a real adventure and I will see you later.


GianlucaDeGringu


By Tonio:

After a long break, mostly due to Gianluca attending scouts, or football, or my own long distance training, plus lots of bad weather for good measure, we finally found the time to resume our 'adventures' in Dijleland.


Today's walk was mostly in the Tervuren park. We started from 41, walked along a straight path next to an artifical lake to 42 closer to the middle of the park. Towards 43 and then 44 we walked outside the perimeter wall of the park. We were supposed to go on to 44 and on the way back take a short cut back to 41, otherwise the walk would be too long, and we were getting tired. But, on the way to 44 we saw that the short cut to 41 would be inaccessible. On the map it showed that if we went further ahead the path would pass next to a street from where we could take a short cut to 41, however we were not sure if that short cut was accessible or not, and if it was inaccessible the way back along the same route we had done would be even longer.

We took the risk and walked on, and it turned out that the street leading back to 41 was accessible. Good thing, otherwise it would have been a very long way back.

Each adventure is unique in its way. One thing they have in common is that they're always a pleasant experience. Today's was no exception. Now we're looking forward to a very special adventure indeed. Three full days in Skopje, Macedonia!