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Macedonia on my mind
The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of Alexander the Great International Airport was the biting cold. I’ve used those words before, "biting cold," but this was the first time I understood what it actually meant. The moment the dry, cold air hit my face, it felt like microscopic pins and needles were digging into my skin. For a moment there, I thought I wasn't going to survive 10 minutes in Macedonia, much less 10 days.
After five minutes I did acclimate to the cold. That was when I finally noticed that everybody in the airport was subtly and not so subtly staring at us. A group of Filipinos shouldn't be causing such a stir in an international airport; you can find Filipinos everywhere in the world. It was explained to us later by the airport manager (who also happened to be Filipino) that we had the dubious honor of being one of the 20 plus Filipinos who are currently in Macedonia. On my first trip outside abroad I managed to land in one of the few countries that only a handful of Filipinos has gone before.
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I think the possible reason for this is because even though Macedonia has a rich history, it's a relatively young country. Macedonia as a state has existed long before Greece as the ancient kingdom of Paeonia. But it was only in 1991 that the Republic of Macedonia was declared its independence from the former Yugoslavia. Its turbulent history and ongoing political disputes have made it difficult from people outside of Europe to visit the country.
But what makes Macedonia a wonderful place to visit is how difficult it is to pigeonhole. The influences of its neighbors, the ethnic groups that have made their home there, its history, and its interaction with the rest of the world—it feels like the country is in the midst of a reawakening. One minute you’re in a bustling metropolis, a few minutes later you can be walking on ancient ground, the moments later you’re strolling on a picturesque hillside path.
Traveling through Macedonia is a lot like walking through the subconscious. You see a lot of what you expect, but if you look closer you’ll see a lot unexpected and unusual details.
Surprises in Skopje
When I landed in Skopje, the capital city of Macedonia, I expected it to look like any Eastern European city.
And at first glance, it did look like one; straight out of a Hollywood movie. The high-rise buildings, malls and condominiums would be the first things you would see as you enter the city from the airport. But what made this city truly exciting for me is the inconsistent yet complementary mix of the ancient world with the trappings of modern life.
I loved how the urban graffiti, hot hatchbacks, and blocks of modern European architecture are lovingly nestled among the Orthodox churches, walkway bookstores, cobblestone streets and old residential buildings within the growing metropolitan city.
I enjoyed how everything was a brisk walk, bike ride, or a short cab ride away, whether you choose to stay in a fancy hotel or a backpacker’s hostel.
During our stay there, we chose to explore the older section of the city. And wherever you stood in the city, the most striking thing on the horizon is the Kale fortress.
This lovingly preserved and restored fortress towering over most of the city looks like it jumped out of a Disney movie. Built during the reign of Justinian I, this fortress, for centuries, served as the main seat of the Byzantine and the Serbian empires. Now, it serves as a priceless cultural and archeological landmark, with Macedonia, Albania, and Turkey having claims on the site as an integral part of their history.
In order to get to Kale, you first have to walk through the Old Bazaar, the oldest commercial district in Macedonia. There are several old bazaars throughout country but the one in Skopje was the one I liked the most—partly because of the ice cream shops that can be found every few meters away.
Macedonian ice cream is addictive. Macedonian ice cream is unbelievably creamy and smooth. And what makes ice cream more fun there is how each shop had their own mixes, their own unique set of flavors, and they’re all at a reasonable price. I believe, given more a few more days and money there, I would have eaten my own weight in ice cream.
When I visit a new place, I always look for the antique shops—and the Old Bazaar didn’t disappoint. The shop that I was able to explore was filled to the brim with military memorabilia and relics of Macedonia’s ties with Serbia. Each uniform represented a different way and a different ethnic background. Communist propaganda were displayed prominently along with traditional Turkish garb. Fine china and delicate pocket watches shared the display shelf with army canteens and compasses from World War 2 and the Yugoslavian war. It was an overwhelming hodgepodge of the ancient and recent past, of different ethnicities all fighting for the same cramped space.
Our local hosts informed us that we shouldn’t leave Skopje without walking along the Stone Bridge. Built along the Vadar River, this bridge, the statues that line it and the two areas that it connects have an atmosphere that’s difficult to explain unless you’re there experiencing it.
The entire area is built on ancient foundations, has been rebuilt and renovated numerous times, and is now being restored in part to harken back its ancient roots. You would expect the neon graffiti, modern architecture and ancient design to clash horribly. They clash but in a way that suits Skopje because of how accurately it reflects the: city, a young city trying to reconcile its isolated ancient roots with the modern reality of its place in the global world.
Rolling hills
If I didn’t pay attention to the color, riding in a bus through the Macedonian countryside isn’t that much different from doing the same in the Philippines. There are grasslands, fields and forests. There were isolated houses and small towns scattered along the bus route as we travelled from Skopje to Struga. It was so similar my friends and I even joked that we were simply traveling on SLEX, or that we were en route to Baguio as the bus slowly climbed the steep hills.
But we really couldn’t ignore how different the colors were compared to back home. Here in the Philippines, the greens, blues, yellows, reds, and browns are all so vibrant, strong and in your face. Maybe it’s the lighting, the altitude or the temperature, but the colors in the Macedonian countryside are more muted and subtle. Even the orchards overflowing with bright red apples seemed hazy and dream-like.
If riding through the countryside was surreal, walking through it was an even greater delight to the senses. You can find burbling brooks of clean water practically anywhere in Macedonia, thanks to the mountains that surround the country and the water that flows down those mountains all year round.
So it comes as no surprise that one of the best ways to spend holidays there is to go kayaking or boating on any of its three lakes. Lake Ohrid, which Macedonia shares with Albania, is the deepest and oldest lake in Europe and is one of the most popular vacation spots in the country. The town that also shares its name is just as picturesque, with cobblestone streets, quaint shops and a castle, Samuel’s Fortress.
With all this water, Macedonia is especially blessed with fertile soil. Wild trees, blackberries, vegetables and herbs grow everywhere. On our way to the Church of St. George in Kurbinovo, our guide showed us how and where to forage for blackberries, quince, dandelions and rosehip. The small farms along the path are always ready and willing to sell their produce like apples, grapes, ajvar and rachia. Locals would go hiking or camping on the countryside on the weekends, forage as much as they can and buy from local farmers, then sell it when the get back to the city on weekdays.
Warm from within
Given Macedonia’s history, location, and culture, I was expecting to feel completely out of place once I got there. But the warmth and generosity that friends and strangers showed us made the place feel like home. The Macedonians are like their rachia: strong and intimidating at first sip, then warm and welcoming. Like Filipinos, they’re generous with their food and liquor. Like Filipinos, they find ways to adapt and make the most of whatever life throws at them. Despite the hardships they went through and continue to go through, they find reasons to celebrate and carry on.
I guess that’s one of the reasons why, as we drove back to the airport, we felt a little homesick for the people we met and the places we went to in Macedonia. As much as we missed food and the weather back home, the icy cold, the muted colors, and the wonderful people in Macedonia made us feel like we belonged with them all along. — BM, GMA News
