It all started in 2018 when I, Milene, moved to Turkey as part of the Erasmus program. For half a year Ankara was my home and Atilim Universitesi my university. That half year turned into almost two years as i also did my internship in Turkey. My internship brought me to many places as I worked at a travel agency. I learned a bit of the language, got to know the culture and most important; got to taste all of the local cuisine. I say all but lets say; most.
Our Turkish story starts five and a half years ago. We had just met a couple of months ago. Both came back from a long journey and were ready for another adventure. That being; starting a relationship together. What better place for a first travel test as Istanbul?! For me a very well known place (eventhough I lived in Ankara ive been to Istanbul many many times) and for Yuri something new.
Five and a half year later and we find ourselves once again in the city where everything comes together. Istanbul is so much more than the Blue Mosque, the grand bazaar and the Bosporus. Its where you walk into a neighborhood where you find 1001 shoeshops and when they dont have your size? No worries, they call their friend from another shop who brings the shoe in your size. Who needs big ass brands here? Istanbul is also the city of three major football clubs; Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas. When one becomes the champion you’ll find flags of that team everywhere! It is also the city where you can find the same food for €30,- but also for €3,-, depending on the neighborhood. It’s the city with simit (type of bread) sellers on every street corner and people running with trays of cay from one shop to the other. In Istanbul you can treat yourself to the real Turkish delights, have meze and raki in the busiest of streets surrounded by Turks and find a hamam to your likings: expensive and touristy or cheap and traditional.
The first time we travelled to Istanbul we went to see all the highlights. From visiting Kadiköy and the Princes Islands to watching the Tünel on Istiklal Caddesi and talking to the fishermen on Galata Bridge. We ate köfte, iskender and manti. Drank kahve, cay and Efes. Got inside Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya and Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque). We saw the head of Medusa in Basilica Cistern and explored the nightlife with friends. We did all one absolutely has to do in Istanbul.
This time we had no rush to do all the touristy things. We were here to get some shopping done. It was time for new flip-flops, a Turkish simcard and after some days without showering the hamam would be a good idea. So thats what we did; shopping and scrubbing our bodies.
Of course we visited Ayasofya as its not a museum anymore but a proper mosque. (in 1935 Mustafa Kemal Ataturk converted Ayasofya into a museum) So we joined in the prayer there. We peaked inside Sultanahmet Camii cause it is renovated at the moment. Not really worth the visit at the moment.
We also visited four shopping malls because for Yuri there is only one pair of flip-flops and those are almost nowhere to be found. To enter the shopping malls one need a HES code. This QR code shows whether your corona status is riskless or risky. We didnt have a code so got in with our passport. Except for the last mall, they insisted on a QR code. After some discussion they got a security guy getting the code for us and we could enter. Only to be escorted out of the shopping mall in ten minutes. Apparently Yuri is risky. Luckily we got to buy his flip-flops before we were kindly requested to leave the premises.
Our stay this time was also a bit different. We stayed at the parking lot of a football pitch in our van. We had a toilet, a shower and even a washing machine (which we didn’t use). The fun thing was also that the area was new to us both and very vibrant. Full with shops, restaurants and some hamams. Lot’s of people from Africa here which gives the are an extra vibe.
After three nights, lots and lots of walking and eating more than the kilometers could make up for it was time to leave this wonderful city behind. Its time to explore more of Turkey. We are not heading to the beautiful coastline in the South West, but we are going East.
Cappadocia is about 10 hours drive from Istanbul so we will have two stops before reaching there. The moment of long drives through bare lands has also begun. Alright not entirely cause part of Turkey is actually very green. More on that later!
One of my favourite writers is Herodotos (writer of ‘The Histories’), but even more do I love stories about him. Like the travels of Herodotos by Ryszard Kapuschinsky, definitely my second best book (after The Hobbit by J.r.r. Tolkien). In this book Kapushinksy follows Herodotos on his travels. It’s not about the Greece we know now but expands beyond its recent borders. Besides two Greek islands I haven’t explored Greece truly. So when we had the chance to vanture through the mainland of this interesting country we couldn’t resist.
From Herodotos to Alexander the Great
Herodotos was a famous writer and geographer who travelled beyond borders and imaginations in a time where travel was even more adventurous than it is now. He was born Halicarnassus, part of the former Persian Empire.
“It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.”
But we aren’t following in Herodotos footsteps yet, we do however find ourselves in the footsteps of another famous person. Alexander the Great, a Macedonian, was born in Pella which is located in modern time Greece. And as we follow the footsteps of many man, once great explorers, and visit some of their birthplaces we couldn’t skip this one of course.
Pella, originally known as Bounomos, the city developed rapidly under Philip II, but, after the defeat of the last Macedonian king by the Romans (168 BC), it became a small provincial town.
And with small I mean tiny. There is not much except for some restaurants, statues and a square named after Alexander. Not far from the village there are some archeological sights which we didn’t visit because it costs €8,- per person and even though it includes the museum we found that a bit too much for just a quick in and out.
Mount Olympos
From heroes to gods. We left Pella behind and headed towards Mount Olympos, also known as the home of Zeus. Mount Olympos is the highest mountain of Greece and the basis of many stories.
Mount Olympus is snowcapped and often has cloud cover. According to Homer’s Odyssey, however, the peak never has storms and it basks in cloudless aithēr (Greek: “pure upper air”; thus “ether”). Later writers elaborated upon this description, which may have originated from the observation that the peak is often visible above a belt of relatively low clouds.
We hiked up the mountain, not to this cloudless peak so we didn’t find the throne of Zeus but we did follow the river to a holy cave and a monastery that is renovated after 60 years of being a ruin. It was bombed by the Germans during the Second World War and ever since left alone until recently. We saw some monks there as well but mainly builders and I was wearing undecent clothing (read; shorts and a tank top).
The hike took us a bit more than two hours before we headed towards our next stop.
The monasteries and mountains of Meteora
It feels like we are racing through Greece. Going quickly towards Athens because we don’t have much time. We want to be in Turkey soon. But of course we couldn’t miss Meteora and as it was on the way to Athens we had a quick stop here.
The name ‘Meteora’ was derived from a Greek contraction meaning “suspended in the air.” Rising high above the Thessalian plain, the sandstone megaliths on which the monasteries were built average 300 metres in height, with several reaching 550 metres. The rock masses were formed some 60 million years ago, their distinctive and varied shapes sculpted over time by earthquakes, rain, and wind.
Religious life in this region can be traced from about 1000 CE, when hermit dwellings were established in the lesser peaks of the rock mounds.
Although 24 monasteries were built, each containing a church or two, monks’ cells, and a refectory, only 6 remain: Great Metéoron, Varlaám (also called All Saints [Áyioi Pándes]), Roussanou, St. Nikolas (Áyios Nikolaos), Holy Trinity (Áyia Triada), and St. Stephen (Áyios Stéfanos). Some still serve a religious function, though they are now only sparsely populated by monks and nuns.
The monasteries are accessible by bridges and stairs cut into the rocks, although before the 1920s ascending the rock columns involved the perilous enterprise of climbing ladders or being hauled up by ropes and nets.
We visited two of the monasteries, had a coffee with one view and baked a sausage at another. Of course we also took the drone out for some insane shots and watched the sun set.
Athina
Not only a goddess but also a great city. We went all the way South to visit Athens, more particularly a Syrian family I know from Lesvos. They made their way to Athens a couple of months ago and welcomed us into their home.
Athens is the first European city when approached from the Middle East. When approached from the west, from elsewhere in Europe, what strikes us is the influence of the East—in the food, music, and clamorous street life—perhaps vestiges of a time when Athens was divorced from European society under the yoke of Ottoman rule.
And that different part of Athens we got to see these days. We skipped most of the tourist attractions and got to see Athens from a migrant point of view. Streets full with Bangladeshi and Pakistani shops, the chaos as if one walks the streets of Damascus and the selling of very cheap phones. “It’s not stolen, it’s my own phone” he says while holding five phones in his hands.
We ate the most delicious Syrian food, drank Arabic coffee and played with the five kids of the family. Especially the baby whom I saw grow up these past 7 months of her life. She got born on Lesvos, was quite ill when I last hold her on the island but is now doing so great. Such a strong girl.
We stayed with the family for three nights and left with the van full of Syrian food. They don’t know ‘no’ in Syria so even though I tried to explain we don’t have enough space we still got a box full of delicious food.
But it was time to leave, way to soon for that matter but the rest of the Silk Road is waiting and days pass by too quickly.
We hopped on the ferry to Kavala. After one night of sleep we decided to go for it and try to enter the Turkish border.
We have now truly exited the Balkans. We said goodbye to this wonderful part of the world, but not for forever cause im sure we will be back.
Not only did the many many beehives show me there is a lot to learn here, but also did the very very expensive cars in rural and poorer areas trigger my interest to dive into life in the Balkans a bit deeper. We met the kindest of people here, ate various types of börek and were offered and drank way to many types of raki.
The Balkans are usually characterized as comprising Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia—with all or part of each of those countries located within the peninsula. The word Balkan is Turkish and means “mountain,” and the peninsula is certainly dominated by this type of landform, especially in the west. The Balkan Mountains lie east-west across Bulgaria, the Rhodope Mountains extend along the Greek-Bulgarian border, and the Dinaric range extends down the Adriatic coast to Albania.
While driving around we saw not only many little shrines but also lots of memorial stones of people who passed. However, if we would place a memorial stone of every roadkill, especially hedgehogs and snakes, it would be a memorial guardrail. Luckily we also saw a lot of turtles on the road, alive still. Made us think of the impact we make with our roads and other manmade structures. Even in the Balkans where there is still more nature than tarmac luckily.
Another thing that didn’t escape our eyes were the many police checkpoints. We were only stopped two times, probably because we are foreigners and we cant drive that fast. Many police checkpoints and many different gasoline stations. Lots of different brands, even in tiny towns. Especially in Bayran Curri – North Albania one could choose from the many many gasoline stations.
Ethnic diversity is one of the Balkan region’s most characteristic social and political features. The most numerous of the groups is the South Slavs, who form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. The Bulgarians, North Macedonians, and Slovenes speak their own Slavic languages, while the Slavs of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro all speak dialects of Serbo-Croatian.
As we are on the road to China, about 10.000kms further, we couldn’t stay for too long in every place. If we had the time we would and I’m sure we would taste every type of wine there is, cause there are many. We would explore more of the incredible mountains and tropical beaches, taste even more types of raki and submerge ourselves into the culture by visiting the smallest villages.
Of course we’ve also seen so much rubbish one can barely see the beauty of the place through it. It transforms nature into a huge ass bin and instead of protecting the last pieces of nature and cleaning it people add their rubbish to it as if it doesnt matter. “Its part of our culture, when we bbq we do not take our rubbish with us, it’s what we do” a girl from Serbia told is giggling. I didn’t find it laughable but that’s me, a privileged woman from Holland who’s parents taught her to pick up her rubbish and dispose of it in the appropriate waste bins.
After a one and a half month in the Balkans one doesn’t understand the Balkans, one hasn’t seen all of the Balkans but one gets an idea. The idea of certainly going back and exploring more of this gem.
We now travel to our last European country on this journey: Greece. A country with an inspired history. From the Gods of old mythology to legends like Alexander the Great (alright he’s Macedonian) and Leonidas. Oh and lets not forget the explorers like Homer (also famous poet) and Herodotos or the philosophers Socrates, Aristotles and Plato.
Lets dive into yet another interesting and beautiful part of the world. For a short while though because Turkey is giving us the (non sexual) glad eye 😉
For the first time in our lives we experienced the feeling of being rejected when wanting to cross a border. Alright, Bosnia and Herzegovina already denied our entry but we were alright with that. Now Greece denied us entry. While Bosnia and Herzegovina is not part of the EU, thus no shengen-country, Greece is. I think it’s good to let us sweat a little bit at the border. We are too spoiled and used to our privilege of carrying a Dutch passport that we need to be stopped once in a while.
Back in Macedonia
After a lovely stay at the Blue Eye we tried to cross the border from another point of Albania. The Albanian border officers were very kind and were keen on letting us through. But to be sure we would get through they told us to walk to the Greek border and talk to the officers there. Well, they were quite clear: no Dutch people are allowed to enter Greece. “Go to Bulgaria” he unkindly said. “Go to Bulgaria? But that’s like two days driving and crossing two borders!” “Your problem.” Alright he didn’t say that with words but his face showed us. We even showed him a photo of our beautiful van in the hope he would realise that it will take us a couple of days because the quickest we go – on a highway – is 80 km’s an hour. But he didn’t give in. And so, we left…
The road to Macedonia is one we had already taken when we left Ohrid about a week ago. Driving the same road back is normally not a feast, but in Albania it is. You get to see the mountains from another side and that’s lovely. Nonetheless, after three hours of winding roads through the mountains and dodging potholes I grew a bit tired of the driving. After 6.5 hours we crossed the border from Albania into Macedonia without much fuzz and ended up at a nice and quiet parking lot at lake Prespa.
The next day we took the fast road to Bulgaria and it was quite boring actually. Except for the last kilometers, those were magnificent. Very green and hilly.
A new unexpected country
The crossing into Bulgaria wasn’t that easy. Getting out of Macedonia was easy, they didn’t really care about where we come from, nor where we are going. However, getting into Bulgaria was a tad difficult. Of course they asked for a PCR test, which we don’t have. So, what to do now? There were many people at the border and only one car; us. You can imagine they had lots of time to discuss what to do with us and to ask us all sorts of questions. In the end they agreed upon 12 hours entry. “But it is late now and we are not fast, we can never reach Turkey”. “Ok, 24 hours then. You can sleep somewhere and go to the nearest border tomorrow”. Agreed!
What to do in Bulgaria when you have 24 hours?
We decided to go to the Jerusalem of Bulgaria: Rila Monastery. Well, we would first go to a campsite close by and tomorrow morning it would be the first thing we would do. The campsite was very cute, yeah I’m sure nothing changed since the Sovjet times but it was surrounded by nature, owned by a man nor dead nor alive and had a warm shower. I didn’t shower for a week so this was very welcome! We roasted some sausages, had a nice hike and went to bed.
Rila Monastery
Another UNESCO heritage site on our list! But what is it? Let me explain briefly:
Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Rila Monastery was founded in honor of the ascetic St. Ivan of Rila (also know as St John of Rila) in the 10th century. He spent the last 20 years of his life praying in relative solitude at a cave some four kilometers away. St. Ivan was revered as a saint during his lifetime. Believers flocked to the remote cave to receive his blessing. The monastery was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century and the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.
Normally lots of tourists flock to the site we had the place to ourselves. That truly adds to the experience of the monastery. Even though we are not religious, these religious monuments have some sort of impact. Not sure why but they always make you whisper, be quiet with your thoughts and be in awe with the grandeur of these religious buildings. Like I wrote before it also makes me question the idea of religion to be honest. This hermit St John of Rila lived his life in solitude in a cave, so I wonder, if he lived his life like that why would we have to built a monastery filled with gold and paintings selling postcards and other knick knacks. Would he be happy that all this was built in his name? Whereas he chose to be living his life in a cave. And what about all the gold? The more you have the better God listens to you? Or is it just about showing off to people who can barely afford to buy themselves some bread?
But we have to be honest, the monastery IS amazing, truly. It’s magnificent, the woodwork, the murals, the nature surrounding it.
Back to our travels. We visited the monastery and were all alone, which was great! After a coffee we moved towards the border.
Third time’s a charm
Or not. A busy border but the one of the two borders that is actually open to tourists, so we didn’t have much choice. The Bulgarian man was very kind but we soon found out they had almost no authority here. The border is ruled by the Greeks and their regulations are the most important ones. We did not do a PCR test, to be honest I think PCR tests are rubbish and I truly hope this will soon end because it doesn’t make much sense to me. Of course we understand the impact of the virus and the serious situation, but this PCR test feels like another way to earn money quickly. Different rules apply to different nationalities. If you’re Greek you can go in quarantaine, if you’re Bulgarian you can do an antigen test and if you’re a tourists you have to do a PCR test AND do an antigen test at the border.
The Greeks were clear; we wouldn’t get through without a PCR test. What to do? We do a PCR test.
The spiritual powers of Petrich
Luckily for us about 20 minutes from the border is the Rockefeller Hospital of Petrich where they were so kind to help us out and do a PCR test even though we were late. The same evening we would get the results. In the meantime we explored the town of Petrich. Not a very big town but nice. We checked out the market and some shops. What we did not know is that Petrich is not just a village but a village with apparently spiritual powers. Close to Petrich one can find the mineral water and thermal baths of the Roupite Springs, which of course have medicinal powers. Also close to Petrich are remains from the ancient fortress of Istra and Baba Vanga resided her until her death.
Baba Vanga was a Bulgarian mystic, clairvoyant, and herbalist. She was blind since early childhood and possessed paranormal abilities. Some sources claim that she foretold the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl disaster, the date of Stalin’s death, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, the September 11 attacks, Topalov’s victory in the world chess tournament and the tensions with North Korea. Some say it’s all false and none of it is true. What do you think?
After a delicious Bulgarian lunch we headed back to the hospital where we received the result. A big NEGATIVE. We weren’t really surprised, didn’t feel ill or experience any of the symptoms.
Instead of crossing the border we decided to visit the springs and home of Baba Vanga. Next to the springs is a big field full of flowers, and soon we found out; a heaven for mosquito’s, where we parked the van for the night. We were surrounded by a couple other vans and campers of which one was from Ireland. After having a nice bath in the HOT spring (some were just too hot for anyone who wouldn’t want to end up with burn wounds), we chatted with the Irish until midnight.
Not 24 but 48 hours
We overstayed in Bulgaria, but it didn’t matter. At the border they barely looked at our passports. The Greeks did though: PLF, PCR, passport, car insurance, registration certificate. They asked for it all and had to go through it all. And then I had to do another antigen test, which didn’t make sense to me at all, but I did spend some time in these thermal baths with other people. Although I’m sure nothing would survive for too long in those hot springs, it might also give me some spiritual powers from Baba Vanga. Who knows. But no, again NEGATIVE and that means: Γεια σου Ελλάδα or: Hello Greece!
Goats crossing the road, deserted gas stations and bee-friendly flowers. Turquoise rivers, rocky roads and green hillsides. High mountains, deep valleys and farming villages. Friendly people, delicious börek pie and raki’s in the morning glory. Lake ferries, white Sandy beaches and snakes everywhere.
Albania has exceeded all our expectations, if we even had any. It’s gorgeous, travellers friendly and too beautiful to ignore. Making a campfire while wild camping and cleaning yourself in one of the many natural springs. That’s what life is about.
I can’t imagine I was once happy sitting behind a desk in The Hague working for a bank. Nor can I imagine that instead of watching the sunset on our beach every night I chose to watch Netflix day in day out. Or that I preferred scrolling through Instagram watching other people living their life’s instead of living my own.
Sleeping on the cliff
In the last post I told you about the difficult but amazing road we took. Well, Albania is full of roads with views that words fail to describe well. After the city of a thousand windows, Berat, we travelled to the coast. Apparently Albania has tropical beaches so of course we were curious. The first night we stayed on a cliff near Vlorë, we even drive on the beach here.
It was beautiful, although the wind was a bit too much to cook outside unfortunately. Also, the garbage everywhere makes it less idyllic than we thought it would be. Things you don’t see on Instagram unfortunately.
After one night we decided to travel to Gjipe beach of which we heard from several sources. The SH8 from Vlorë (the Miami Beach of Albania) to Gjipe is fantastic! On the one side you see huge mountains and on the other side you see the turquoise sea and white sandy beaches. The winding road goes up and down through changing landscapes and tiny towns. It’s wonderful just driving this road. And then there is Gjipe Beach, a gem. Not hidden online but hidden offline as one has to walk down for about 30 minutes to get to the beach. The beach is located at the end of a gorge and looks like paradise. Reminded me of the Turkish Butterfly Valley – which is more remote than Gjipe though. Lots of rock climbers and beach lovers here. You can stay here with a tent or if you dare go down the road with your 4×4. Alexine couldn’t handle the road and if she could my heart couldn’t.
After Gjipe we travelled more South to Ksamil beach. Well, I suggest all people booking a ticket for a very very long flight to the Caribbean to reconsider. Albania is all you need. Ksamil had it all: white beaches, turquoise coloured sea and islands you could visit. It has nice restaurants and bars with good and not so expensive food. I’m not the one to be hanging around a beach for too long so we had lunch here and left.
The Greek border
We headed towards the Greek border. But, unfortunately it was closed. With closed I mean: big fences and no one in the office. We walked through the border office and only found someone coming out of the shower who just told us to find another border crossing. So we left, not to another border crossing but to the Blue Eye.
The Blue Eye
Too busy and touristy for my taste. Busses with children and adults who catch insects for a selfie. You can imagine my mood changing… But, the great thing is that you can stay here with the van and have the Blue Eye all to yourself after closing hours.
We were not alone though. Here we met Lucca from Italy and Wolfgang from Germany. They are both travelling full time with their families in these huge machines. That’s like travelling 3.0. With these over landing trucks they’ve travelled to many places of the world. From China, Nepal, Tibet to Mali, Libya and Tunesia. For months they are on the road, homeschooling their kids and exploring every bit of the earth. Lucca is a documentary film maker and works in between travelling, Wolfgang is an electrician and works for about two to three months a year in Germany. They were both very interested in Alexine, of course, and we had a nice chat and night. Learned a lot from their travels. I mean; Lucca travelled through the Sahara in the 90’s with compass and map, we use Google to find our way. It’s so great to meet likeminded people with lots of experience.
After a nice night and ice cold dip in the Blue Eye we travelled to another Greek border. Whereas the Albanians would want to let us through the Greeks stick to the rules: no tourists can travel from Albania to Greece via land. Meaning; we had to go all the way back to Macedonia and try via Bulgaria. But that means like we’re already near Turkey which is on our route. So, while driving the same way back as we came we debated if Greece was worth it.
From Ohrid we travelled back to Albania to explore the South. We took the SH75 and oh my is that a beautiful road. Okay, it didn’t start so great, through the outskirts of a small town, slaloming in and out of stalled cars, horses and holes in the road. Then going up a winding road, through a valley and there we were, in small Albanian paradise. Mountains with snow on the top, green lush valleys and shepherds with their sheep crossing the roads.
For what seems like hours we travelled through the riches of Albania until we reached the border with Greece. But we were not to cross the border, no we haven’t had enough of Albania yet. So we went back up. Still driving this wonderful road, now the green lush valley made place for a river as blue as our van and as clear as a starry night. And at te back of the river we got to enjoy the incredible wall of the Nemercke mountains.
Thermal baths of Benja
But still we didn’t stop here. Our destination for today is the springs or thermal baths of Benja. Not really hot, nor smelling that good but apparently very healthy and with medicinal powers. If you want to visit the springs make sure to hike through the gorge, there are several springs inside the gorge. We even relaxed inside the river as the water was warmer than the spring itself. We made a campfire, baked some sausages on it and watched a sky full of a thousand stars. Even saw a falling star so of course we made a wish.
The road from Permet to Berat
The next day we checked out the gorge, spend some time in the thermal baths and were all zen when we started our most advanturous journey up to now. On the internet people warn for the road from Permet to Berat due to the horrible conditions of it. Some sources say one needs a 4×4, others said they turned around after trying and few write one would be crazy to drive it. But none of those sources drive Alexine, a VW T2 with 45 years of experience. So, we headed towards this dangerous road with confidence. Also, we are still in Europe and this might be a good try out for the roads that we will face in countries like Georgia, Turkmenistan and Tadjikistan for example.
The beginning was alright. I would describe it as a dirt road but not too difficult, even a Mini Cooper would stand its ground. But then… when we turned left, hunted by dogs guarding, we don’t really know what, the road changed. From dirt road to very big stones in the road. Not sure if you are familiar with the song “Sandy road, Sandy road, grind road, grind road, stony road, stony road, hole in the road”, it’s a Dutch children song/game, but it felt like that. All the types of roads in the song came by. From stones to sand to mud to grind to many many holes in the road. Up, up, up we went and even though my eyes were mostly on the road the views were magnificent. I’m really out of ways to describe the amazing views we witness. We’ve seen so many breathtaking landscapes that my English vocabulary of adverbs isn’t enough. Ok, back to the road and the views.
So we drove up the mountain and on top of ridges with deep cliffs on both sides. Scary? Not at all! Amazing? Hell yeah! I must say I was happy that only once we had an oncoming car because the road was so narrow and with the abyss on both sides, not a great place to pass another car. We crossed some tiny villages where the locals were cheering us along, coming to say hello, amazed that a woman was driving the van. And while I was driving, Yuri was quite nervous at times. But I think he was also proud, saying that I and Alexine are a good team. Of course we are!
As I told you my vocabulary isn’t enough to describe the view so here are some images that we were able to make along the road.
Half way through we were stopped by a lady who told us she had delicious petula with mielt, or baked dough with honey. You say honey and I stop.
We parked Alexine in the meadow surrounded by five sheep and a horse. Oh and countless of bees! So after the petula with mielt – RECOMMENDED!! the beekeeper asked me for my help. His bees have diarrhoea, a well known disease amongst bees and unfortunately easily transferred between colonies. So we checked it out and I told him what antibiotics he should give the bees. We drank some home made raki together and had a delicious börek (Albanian pizza) for diner.
In the middle of the night we woke up to check out the Milky Way. It was so incredibly clear, so dark, so quiet. Really feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but nature and the planet how it should be. More animals than people, no pollution from lights, technology or anything human made and the feeling of being alone on the planet.
The friendly people we stayed with showed us how life should be. Living with not from nature around you, being almost all self-sufficient, knowing all about nature and animals. It gives me the feeling to change my life when we get back to Holland. I’m even thinking of becoming a shepherd and starting beekeeping again.
But then, there’s also a darker side. Cause, even though the people live like hundred years back there are some things that changed since then. One is the coming of plastics and other types of waste. This waste is not biodegradable but the people do not know how to dispose of it. Thus they throw it all on a big pile near a river or on a slope. There it often gets carried away by wind, rain or snow and at other times get burned thus ends up in the air. On our journey east we’ve seen so much waste thrown in nature, filling river bends and polluting the area. It makes me realise that we are making the same mistake over and over again. One can live so ecological and sustainable as one thinks but as long as we keep producing destructive products like single use plastics we will never be sustainable and we do continue to destroy the planet. I’m not one to talk about this too much because we drive with a not so clean oldtimer to China, but it’s good to reflect on it once in a while.
On our way to the Osum Gorge
In the morning we got breakfast, checked out the garden flowers, the bees and fed the chickens. Then it was time for us to continue the ‘worst road of Albania’. They told us that people sometimes arrive crying because of the bad conditions of the road but we found that the last part wasn’t that bad, which is probably because we’ve seen worse yesterday or are we already getting used to the road conditions? Power team Alexine and myself were actually having fun and Yuri was sweating a lot less.
At some point the gravel road ended and made place for asphalt. We were happy and sad at the same time. Alexine made it, easily I must add, without any problems! We now continued the road alongside the Osum gorge and to be honest, that’s not the greatest road. It’s quite boring actually and we were soon wishing we were back on the gravel road again.
Berat, city of a thousand windows
After about 1.5 hours we arrived in Berat. Berat is an old Ottoman settlement and still possess an old castle and the typical Ottoman style houses. It’s also called ‘city of a thousand windows’. Can you imagine why?
The first thing we did? Not exploring the town, not searching for a place to stay the night but drinking a beer of course!
At night we had diner at Lily. Truly recommended, not only is the food delicious the host is great as well. We had some small bites we shared and tasted delicious wine made by his father. “Don’t expect Italian or French wine, it’s simple wine” Simple was exactly what we needed. After diner we got raki on the house, made by the same grapes as the wine. Yum! Because we ate a lot we decided to hike up to the castle, a steep climb but very Dutchable. People still live inside the castle and it gives a nice view over town. It’s open 24 hours.
And that was it. Two of the most beautiful roads in a couple of days. From easy asphalt roads to a tad difficult gravel roads, both with the most breathtaking views and through picturesque towns. We met the kindest of people and had a good Alexine try out for the journey ahead.
Now we are headed to the beaches of Albania. Apparently they are true hidden gems. Let’s find out.
It’s been a while now since we arrived in Macedonia. It feels like we’ve put our journey on pause for a little while. Enjoying our time at Miss, my friend, who owns a beautiful guesthouse at Lake Ohrid.
Having a break
And even though we do go out for hikes, exploring bits of the area and inhale vitamine D it also feels like a break. A break from being on the road, exploring new parts of the world and meeting friendly strangers. And that is ok. Although I must say that the travel bug did bit me a couple of times. For now I just keep scratching and ignoring the zooming sound cause taking a break also means that we can work a little bit.
And so we did. Lake Ohrid is, according to the locals, not only one of the oldest lakes in the world it is also the third deepest lake on the planet. Only Baikal and Lake Titicaca are deeper. It seemed a bit questionable and after a in-depth search online I find out that it’s about the 24th deepest lake. Not that it really matters because I would never see the bottom at the deepest part of any lake anyway but if you like fun facts that’s one 😁
Ohrid Trout, a specialty
A specialty from Lake Ohrid is the Ohrid trout and even though it is not allowed to fish Trout you can still find it on the menu. How? Let me explain. Lake Ohrid is located at the border between Macedonia and Albania. Macedonia is forbidding the trout fishing but Albania is still allowing it. However, the trout you find in the restaurants is Ohrid Trout from the fish farms. So they farm trout to serve us. After watching Seaspiracy (highly recommended documentary) I’m not sure if what I read and hear is true. We did eat the Ohrid trout and it was delicious. But that was before watching the documentary. Now I’m not sure if I should ever eat fish again. However, I had the same feeling after cowspiracy and I still eat beef, though very very little.
Back to Macedonia! We’ve had amazing foods in this land, often meat (pork!!) but also vegetarian food. At Mises place we join in the diners and have very varied types of food. We also drink raki at lunch time which is a custom and good Macedonian wine at diner time. Mise owns a guesthouse; Robinson Sunset House and its an amazing place. View on the lake, surrounded by many trees and wonderful company. There are some volunteers working here of whom two are Argentinians. Made me realise I want to go back to Argentina soooon!
The summit of mount Magaro
We’ve hiked to the summit of the mountain Magaro (2,264 m) in the Galicica national park. Had to walk through snow and it was a bit windy and cold on the top. But we made it! A hike of 3 hours in which you climb about 700 meters to the top. From the top you have a magnificent view over the two lakes in the area. It’s a very nice and Dutchable hike 👍🏼
We also went to the famous Naum monastery and visited the springs that fill Lake Ohrid with water. The springs are very nice and crystal clear. We went with Nico – boat no.1 who was the first rowing a boat in this area.
And of course we visited Ohrid. A big city with a beautiful old town, lots of monasteries and a castle. We hiked all the way up to the castle, had a pizza (what else?) and enjoyed the little streets of the old town. In one day you can see the town and it’s quite nice. Lot’s of restaurants, bars and shops.
But most of all, we relaxed. Enjoyed the sun, had some rain and did our laundry. We managed to work, read and finish some books (Ikigai & De meeste mensen deugen) and watched documentaries. Things that we normally don’t get to do while on the road. Why not? Because you have to enjoy every view you have and changing our views every day means less time for books 😉
Getting back in shape
We also decided to get back in shape. Yuri out on his running shoes and went for some joggings. I took my yoga mat and did some workouts from apps like ‘Workout for Women’ and ‘Asanarebel’. I’m still not into yoga too much but I really enjoy those HIIT workouts. Even had a workout of 45 minutes – totally exhausted afterwards but it felt good. Cause yeah, after eating so much and let’s call it ‘enjoying life’ it also means we have to get a move on. We want to return with lots of memories and stories not kilo’s 👍🏼
Even though we haven’t seen that much of Macedonia – only two national parks, two cities and two monasteries -, we do urge everyone to visit it at least once. If you need one reason: food!!! Need two: food & the people and if you need a third reason: it’s beautiful! Very green. Although you need only one reason to visit this country, now you’ve got three.
Hitting the road again
We are ready to hit the road again, enjoy new views and continue exploring. Going back into Albania because the south is supposed to be a gem, and afterwards travelling through Greece, our last European country ♥️ if you don’t count half of Istanbul as European 😉
The first time we experienced a local border crossing was from Croatia into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We always like to have the small crossings, not only is it convenient because it’s less busy but it’s also a lot easier to cross countries and not being stopped. Sometimes the officer is taking a break, like we had crossing from Switzerland into Italy. Other times they like our story so much that they give our passports back right away and instead start asking questions about the van.
But sometimes the border crossings are too small and we are actually stopped.
This happened to us three times at the border of Croatia into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one time in Kosovo.
From Albania to Kosovo
From a beautiful weekend in Albania we decided to travel to my friend in Macedonia via Kosovo. Kosovo being such an interesting country. A country I say because even though Google and many countries do not recognise Kosovo as a country The Netherlands does. It still is quite an interesting and strange country, still being divided by religion, nationalities and languages. Names of places are translated into two, sometimes even three languages.
Anyway, we decided we would go to my friend via Kosovo. That means crossing two borders. From Albania into Kosovo was not a big problem. We told them we are in transit and we had to buy insurance. The car insurance for Kosovo costs 15 Euro’s. Not so expensive right? But, for the first time we got a transit paper on which was written we have between 3 – 5 hours to get out of Kosovo. Not only is 15 Euro’s car insurance expensive for 5 hours, but also we are driving an old van. We do not drive 120 on the highway and in the mountains we are happy to reach 50 or 60 km’s an hour.
One of the men speaks German and he told us it will be no problem, let’s hope so.
Welcome to Kosova!
We see names in three languages, flags from Albania and Kosovo and cars from all over Europe. Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany. Not sure whether everyone in Kosovo works abroad or these cars are imported. Gasoline is quite cheap here so we decide to give Alexine some V-power.
However, Alexine is an oldie, and she has her instructions. Normally we tank ourselves but this time the boy is kind so we let him. We shouldn’t. I don’t know why but he takes almost the whole pump out of the tank. Yes you can probably fit more gasoline in the tank but that doesn’t work for our car. So of course she starts leaking. I always warn people about this and prefer tanking myself. Next time we will do it ourselves again. It’s not a big problem luckily but spilling gasoline is never a good idea.
Afterwards we head to the border of Macedonia. One that makes us enter right in a NP. It takes a while and if we go straight without stopping too much we will be there within the 5 hours. So we climb and climb and climb. I see snow on top of the mountains, we drive through villages and oh my do we see a lot of rubbish in the stream. We enter the last village on the way to Macedonia. I get a strange feeling. The road is getting worse, people are looking at us in a strange way and all the cars are from Western Europe. While we leave the town behind we soon find ourselves surrounded by snow, a lot of snow. Half of the road is covered in snow…
You can probably guess what happened next? Yes, the path is closed. Snow is blocking our way. And don’t think we are crazy, down below a long way back it is written that the path is cleared from 25/3.
Shit!? This means we have to find another border crossing. I find one close by that goes into Albania. It’s a small one but worth the try.
Locals only
We drive up a beautiful road commissioned by the United Nations which gives us hope. If the UN funds a road like this it sure must be a good border crossing. Lots of Albanian cars pass us (we go up so go slow) and we see a barrier with ‘stop’ on it. The customs officer tells us to stop and makes this very annoying ‘no’ head movements. I open my window and am ready to hand over our passports but he doesn’t want them.
“This is a local border crossing, only for locals”. Not again!? I try to explain to him that the other border crossing is closed and that we only have 1.5 hours left. We will not make it cause we have an old car and are 2.5 hours away from the other border crossing according to Google. He calls his supervisor to see what he can do. He does not have the ability to let us through but maybe his supervisor can help out. After a short call we were disappointed. No way we could pass into Albania here. The problem? On the transit paper is a name of a town written where we have to exit. We had no idea. I had asked the customs officer at the other border crossing if we could enter into Macedonia from anywhere and he said yes, so who would check right?
This means we will be late and we have to go all the way back.
These local border crossings makes no sense to us, especially not when the United Nations is funding a wonderful road to it.
We arrive 2 hours later at the Macedonian border crossing. Nothing happened. One customs officer just wanted to see inside the bus. Not to check what we have inside but just to see the interior. And we were in Macedonia, a new country!
Entering Albania is not a big deal. They do not ask for a PCR test and do not even care if we have a valid car insurance.
Anyway, we have no idea where to go in Albania so we decide to go to the North. From Shkoder we take the worst road we had until now to Koman. Koman is a small village located at a very important dam. It is said that the dam provides 90% of the power of Albania. Not sure if that’s right but it is guarded by many many government officials.
We get there too late, or way too early depending how you see it. Anyway, the boat will leave at 9 the next day and it’s now 14:00. We don’t mind, we have time to relax and get to know some of the locals.
One is Mario Molla, the CEO of the lake as he calls himself. A very interesting figure with lots of stories. Not the most kind towards the Turks who apparently wanted to invade this area of Albania but never could due to the local resistance. We also get to know our captain and chef for the next day.
Komani lake
It’s more like a river to us but here they call it a lake, Komani lake. A beautiful lake / river that flows from Komani to Fierze. We see incredible cliffs, beautiful green mountains and even some villages. The villages along the lake do everything via the water. There are no roads so they are quite isolated.
Komani Lake was created as a side effect of a hydroelectric power plant complex which was build in the region. Like I wrote before, the electricity produced by it covers about 90% of the electricity demand in Albania, very impressive. Komani Lake runs between the mountains for 72 kilometres. Because of its length, on the map it looks more like a river. The sun is shining and the view is so beautiful that the 2.5 hours it takes to reach the end are over without noticing.
Valbone NP
We drive to Bajram Curry for lunch and grocery shopping and continue to Valbone NP. The day before we met two Swiss people and one Austrian man and here in Valbone we happen to meet again at the campsite, what a coincidence. We have diner together and try out some local dishes and wine. The dish is great, the wine not so great. But we have fun. And while we head back we see all these moving satellites that apparently everyone has seen these nights. Not sure what Elon Musk is doing but I hope the satellites turn off their lights quick. Feels a bit like star pollution.
Back to earth! Valbone is a beautiful valley with impressive mountains surrounding it. Feels like a valley in the Alps.
Hiking in Valbone
There are some nice hikes in this NP, one goes to Theth. Apparently that’s one of the nicest places of the North. A hike from here to Theth is 12km’s and takes about 7 hours. But winter is long, thus the pathway is closed due to the amount of snow.
Then there are shorter hikes. Like the one to the waterfall which takes about 1-2 hours. We wake up early and together with Roman (from Austria) we hike to the waterfall. It’s a nice hike, through the ice cold water, along the river side and over some fallen trees. The mountain range surrounding the valley are amazing and impressive!
We couldn’t get all the way to the waterfall as there was a lot of snow there so we decided to head back. Here we meet Max, a guy from The Hague. Actually his parents live about 250 meters from our home. What are the odds?
Max is hitchhiking, hiking and taking local transport to Tokyo. He is on the road now for eight months and has a lot of stories to tell. So we invite him to the campsite and Roman will give him a lift to a city south of here tomorrow.
Maffia wedding
When we get back the area isn’t as quiet as we left it in the morning. Many expensive cars have parked everywhere. Lots of Mercedes with license plates from Western European countries. A wedding is being held at a hotel / restaurant and the whole valley seems to be booked. A big family? We walk back to the campsite and everywhere are people with expensive cars, clothing and sunglasses. Could be maffia, of which Albania is known for. Maybe not but it surely feels like it. We see kids driving fast cars, girls in very expensive dresses and the older man acting like Robert de Niro in The Irishman. But, like I wrote before; it’s just a suspicion…
At the campsite we make a big fire, drink beer, eat cookies and tell a lot of stories. This is why travelling is so much fun. You meet people, hear stories and get to explore amazing places.
Up to our next adventure. We will go to South Albania but not before visiting my friend in Macedonia!
The country of the black mountains, if it’s name was rightly chosen. We would find out soon enough.
Crossing the border
Dubrovnik was our last stop in Croatia, and it was a good one. Save the best for last right? A new country also means a new border crossing. And with that some excitement. Where once we travelled as true privileged Dutchies not being afraid we would be rejected, the world has changed. Every border crossing can be a possible refusal to enter a country. Would it be this one?
“Where are you going?” Is always the first question asked. “To China” is always our answer. We get their attention, then they ask us where we are going after Montenegro. The man did not ask for a PCR test, Covid-19 wasn’t even mentioned. He did ask for our insurance papers, which we have on our phone, not in paper.
Car insurance
To enter countries you need a valid car insurance. In The Netherlands you get the so-called green card of your insurance. This green card is valid in a lot of countries, but not all. Albania for example, is one country where our insurance isn’t valid. Georgia another one and so on. Most countries in Europe are covered.
Anyway, this man didn’t accept our on the phone insurance papers so we had to buy one. Luckily not that expensive – 15 Euro’s. Why we have the insurance papers on the phone? Just because I forgot them at home 😉 Yep, one forgets things.
So, after buying the insurance papers we drove on into Montenegro.
Our first stop
Our first stop would be a historical and cute city; Kotor. More of a town or village but so so nice. Kotor is a walled city, another walled city and we aren’t getting enough of them yet. From tiny streets to beautiful squares with lots of terraces. Yes, it’s very touristy but that’s for a reason. The terraces are quiet as the town might be touristy, the tourists are still at home due to the pandemic.
However, it is our first stop, just not one for the night. We have fixed our eyes on Lake Skadar. It’s the biggest lake of Montenegro and borders with Albania. The lake is famous for it’s wildlife, especially birds like the European pelican.
Lake Skadar
After an insanely steep but wonderful road – which was easily handled by Miss T – we arrive at a small village located at the start of the lake. Immediately a man, Marko we soon found out, waves at us and tells us we can sleep closely to his hotel, have a free shower and breakfast in the morning and free WIFI. We feel like fish, but we bite. Soon enough Marko asks us if we want to take a boat trip on the lake the next day. Only EUR.25,- per person. What we get is one and a half hour tour on the lake by an experienced captain of course. We take his bate and book our boat trip. Up to know we have only done one very touristy activity which was our gondola tour in Venice.
Anyway, we decide to have diner at Marko and I eat the very traditional cod with Dalmatian stew (potatoes with spinach). A glass of wine we get for free. Marko tells us all about the hotel which was built by his father and about the diverse wildlife of Lake Skadar. He also gives us some local insights about the best roads and of course the well known horseshoe bend.
The next day we have the boat trip, a fun but not incredibly interesting tour on the lake. We do see the European pelican and some other birds, even some fish and a typical fishing village which is apparently interesting. Other than that we see a Turkish fort, have a view on the incredible mountains surrounding the lake and spend some time on the water which is always fun. I even get to steak the boat for a while.
The horseshoe bend
Right after the boat trip we pack our stuff and continue our route. That’s the great thing of traveling with a van. You are free to roam whenever you want to. Want to stay in a place? You can. Want to explore another part or spot? Go for it.
The road to the horseshoe bend is quite nice. In the morning we get to see the mountains from the lake and now we turned it around; seeing the lake from the mountains. Following the river on serpent roads we drive from viewpoint to viewpoint until we reach what we believe is the horseshoe bend. I’m a little bit disappointed, this didn’t look at all like the photo Marko showed us. Luckily for us we were at the wrong spot. After more serpent roads, beautiful scenery and lots of beehives we arrive at the famous horseshoe bend. The weather decides to turn and so does our plan to continue north. We stay here for the night, at the horseshoe bend.
Going North
Our plan is to visit a gorge up North, but not before visiting a monastery on the way there. And not just a monastery, it’s the Ostrog monastery, an orthodox monastery built in the rocks of a mountain range. The road to the monastery isn’t that interesting, the climb up (most people drive up but we decided to hike up) up neither and the monastery itself? Well, the paintings inside are nice, but the rest of the building is quite normal. There are some small rooms with paintings of the bestseller of all times but that’s about it. Orthodox priests can kiss your head, if you want. We didn’t want that. Not only because we aren’t religious but also because everyone here gives hands, hugs and get kissed on the head. Not entirely corona proof and we don’t want to end up in a hospital because we were corona careless.
When we arrive at the van a young fellow walks up to us. His name is Branko and he is very interested in the van. He has a T3 and T1 himself and works at a garage. The love for Volkswagen vans is contagious, we exchange numbers and promised to have a beer sooner or later. He lives at the coast near the Albanian border and we are heading the opposite direction. Also, we are planning on traveling to Kosovo and from there to Albania. But maybe we can make a detour when we are near the Albanian coast.
Durmitor NP
From Ostrog monastery we head north to the gorge. But as soon as we leave the monastery behind I find a national park that apparently is amazing, so we instead head there. The Durmitor NP is located in the Montenegrin Alps. And soon we drive with snow covered peaks in front of us. Up, up, up we go and then down down down again and up up up again. From valley to valley and mountain to mountain. From stone and dry areas to lush and green ones. Until we ourselves drive with snow on both sides of the road. I’m thinking “oh no, again?” We don’t mind snow, but it also means cold nights and probably cold mornings too. But as soon as we arrive at Zabljak we are surrounded by beautiful green trees.
Zabljak used to be a place where migrants met, exchanged their goods, gave their horses some food and take a rest. Now it’s a ski resort and probably summer holiday place where people come to hike the peaks of the Durmitor NP.
We arrive at the only campsite in the area and find out it’s not that cold at all. Or is it the schnapps were getting from the family? Could be because as soon as the sun is behind the clouds an ice cold wind arrives instead.
After a very cold night (-3) we wake up, the sun is shining and heading out to walk around the black lake. We did not see black mountains yet but we did see the black lake. also not that black but beautiful blue. We hike around the lake while the snow beneath our feet creeks and sometimes just disappears. We walk on top of waterfalls and below high steep cliffs. It’s beautiful but also a bit scary. I really don’t like water and the idea of going through the snow into the ice cold water isn’t something I particularly like.
We ended the hike with a beer, very good lunch and a visit to the town. After arriving back at our campsite we had diner, slept very good and were ready for another adventure.
Going to Kosovo
Our plan for the day was going to the famous Tari gorge and bridge. The bridge wasn’t very spectacular, the gorge quite nice but Alexia decided it was the right time to make a strange sound. Strange enough to check, nothing wrong, it’s not the engine but looks like something at the right back wheel. Plans change and instead of Kosovo we headed South, to Branko who we met at the Ostrog monastery.
Montenegrin kindness
The next day we arrived at Branko’s garage. We were right, the wheel bearing wasn’t going to hold on for too long. The rubber was almost broken which meant water would get into the bearing and it would eventually break. So, we changed the bearing and all the rubbers that didn’t look that good. Branko was also kind enough to check other things like the engine. He has knowledge of our van which isn’t often the case. She’s an oldie, many mechanics have knowledge of the newer cars. Everything that needed to be fixed got fixed and after a very nice midday with in the end lots of alcohol we hit the road again.
Montenegro is a special place, with incredibly kind people, amazing landscapes and delicious foods and strong drinks. We fell in love especially with the bread and the humanity of the people. It was a spectacular week but we have to move on… Albania will be our next destination. The eleventh country on our trip, 10th country with red in the flag and second country outside the European Union.
Hi there! We are Milene & Yuri. We are travelling the world together since 2015. Our endless curiosity and will to explore has resulted in many cool, and somewhat extreme, adventures. On MYgrations you'll read all about our adventures, you'll find lots of information about the countries we visit you won't find anywhere else and more. Enjoy!
We’re also grammin’
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