I debated adding Skopje to this Balkan trip, wondering if it was crazy to visit the North Macedonian capital in the middle of July. July is prime time in beautiful lakeside Ohrid, but Skopje sounded like it could be scorching. On the other hand, I hated to miss the capital and there were some stops between Ohrid and Skopje that really appealed. As a native Texan, I know all about heat and I actually kind of like it… so long as there’s air conditioning to be had. I decided I was being a wimp and made plans.
Our driver, Alek, arrived promptly at 10am at our Ohrid guesthouse and we were off. First stop, Tetovo. Alek spoke good English and we enjoyed his knowledgeable if somewhat downbeat company. He described frustrations with the lack of opportunity in his country, the interference of outside countries (particularly Greece), and government corruption. He had an undergrad degree he said made him a lawyer in Macedonia, but he found it more profitable to be a driver and guide. It’s a sad story of underutilized skills I’ve heard often during my travels. Alek also tended to downplay our stops along the way while still being game for whatever we wanted to do. I got the impression he’d seen it all a zillion times and was nudging us a little to see if we’d skip the stops we’d paid to make. Understandable, but that wasn’t happening. We just confirmed we wanted to stick to our plans and he was fine about it and gave us plenty of time.
A couple of hours after we left Ohrid, Alek parked across from Šarena Džamija (the “Colorful Mosque” or “Painted Mosque”) in Tetovo, letting us off to explore at our leisure. Famous for painting that covers its exterior and interior, the Colorful Mosque dates to the 14th century. Unusually in the patriarchal culture, two sisters financed construction and they are buried beneath an octagonal shelter in the flower-filled gardens of the mosque. After removing our shoes and covering my hair with a scarf, we entered the small mosque. A man praying turned out to be a visitor from Australia. Hearing us speaking English, he cheerfully volunteered to explain details of Muslim prayer and customs. After crossing the adjacent park to view its former hammam (Ottoman baths) just across the River Pena, Alek picked us up for lunch. Following his suggestion, we opted to skip a modern air-conditioned restaurant for a traditional place he promised would be a treat. He was right!
Restoran Belamia occupies a large three-story building that looks as much like a house as a place of business save for a parking lot and a covered brick walkway leading to the entrance. Alek had called ahead while we were in the mosque. We were expected and Alek was clearly a familiar face here. A charming server greeted us warmly before leading us past a fireplace surrounded by period knickknacks and rows of wine bottles through the empty restaurant to a table near an interior courtyard. Tablecloths, wood floors, brick walls and overhead beams provided a charming atmosphere. Red geraniums hung from the open-air second-floor balcony that gave onto the paved ground floor below surrounded by antique kitchen furniture, pots and photographs. Periodic clouds of heavy mist helped the flowers thrive and kept our dining area comfortably cool with the assistance of a large wall-mounted fan.
At our waiter’s urging, we started with Serbian plum “rakia” which vastly improved upon the rakia we’d had in Albania. Next came triangles of house-made flat bread, perfectly charred and piping hot from the oven and a large shared salad topped with piles of shredded cheese. My skillfully grilled chicken with grilled vegetables, drizzled with a balsamic reduction perfectly suited my tastes. David opted for a more traditional chicken dish preferred by Alek. Smothered in sauce and cheese and topped with a scoop of something that tasted like butter and grated cheese blended together, their meals were a tribute to heavy Balkan dining.
Our next stop was Matka Canyon, a man-made reservoir in the mountains near Skopje. Matka Canyon often tops recommendations for things to do “in” Skopje. Alek confirmed what I’d read about the canyon being super popular with locals and tourists during the summer months and warned us to expect a wait to get in. Happily, we didn’t face a long line of cars, but Alek did have to slowly thread our way through about a mile of cars parked beside the narrow road that runs along the river far below.
Men and boys swam and played in the river. When I remarked on how there were no women, Alek explained it was because they were from the nearby Muslim village. He added that Christians from Skopje wouldn’t swim there. It was a story of self-imposed separation and a competition for territory we heard several times in the Balkans. We were told Muslims built mosques to mark their territory even though no one used them. We did see a surprising number of mosques in most towns and villages we passed. Meanwhile Christians erected large crosses on the hillsides and mountains for the same purpose. I was listening to To the Lake, a book by Kapka Kassabova, a woman with Balkan origins who was exploring her roots in the Ohrid region. To the Lake described the same dynamic. The history of the Balkans is fascinating, complicated and often tragic.
Alek persisted through the sea of cars until we came to the end of the road where yet another of the many people who knew Alek everywhere we went moved aside a barrier to let him park in the lone remaining spot just in front of the entrance to the canyon trail. Not bad!
The dam that forms the reservoir rises impressively high above the riverbed. Beyond that, a paved path passes through an arch cut into the mountainside before giving the first glimpse of the reservoir. Clear water sparkles below nearly vertical mountain walls. Gorgeous! We left Alek to chat with friends at tables near small medieval St. Andrew’s Monastery and a boat rental to walk along the rocky path that snakes along the cliff walls above the water. Several medieval monasteries dot the area in addition to ten caves, but the heat caused us to keep our hike relatively short. Instead of spending our time boating, we opted for icy drinks on the terrace of a lakeside bar operated by the one hotel on the canyon before meeting up with Alek to continue on to Skopje.
Practical info:
I booked Alek via Daytrip.com as I did all three transfers on the Balkan trip. I wrote previously here about my reasons for booking private drivers and my experience with Daytrip.com. Daytrip.com brokers drivers in countries all over the world. They vet the drivers who use them to connect with customers. All three drivers they found for us were prompt, professional, friendly and informative. The cars were clean and in good shape.
There was no entrance fee to either the Colorful Mosque in Tetovo or Matka Canyon.