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ZEKE AND VIKI HAD JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND WERE STAYING A WEEK AT THE HOTEL MACEDONIA. THEY WERE FROM A SMALL TOWN 120 KM NORTH OF STRUGA. ZEKE’S FAMILY OWNED A VINEYARD AND AT EIGHTEEN HE WAS ALREADY AN EXPERT ON GROWING GRAPES. HIS GIRLFRIEND, VIKI, WAS AS SHY AS SHE WAS CUTE. YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE IN LOVE AND WERE PROBABLY GOING TO SPEND THEIR LIVES TOGETHER. DANIEL INVITED THEM TO SHARE THE FOURTH RAFT ON THE RIVER ADVENTURE. (I HAD TRIED TO TALK PETAR INTO COMING BUT HE COULDN’T SWIM AND WAS AFRAID OF TIPPING OVER AND DROWNING.) THE ONLY OTHER RECRUIT WAS GUITAR KIRE. WE HAD TO ASSURE HIM THE RIVER SNAKES WERE NOT POISONOUS BUT FOR ALL I KNEW THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN. ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN GOING COULD NOT AFFORD TO (OR WOULD NOT) BUY A RAFT.
WEDNESDAY MORNING FOUND US SCAMPERING TO MEET UP WITH GUITAR KIRE AND BUY SOME PROVISIONS AT HIS MARKET. WE GOT TO THE HOTEL DRIM AT 8:50 (TWENTY MINUTES LATE) TO FIND MR. BIG ON THE OUTSIDE DECK HAVING HIS MORNING COFFEE. HE ORDERED US A ROUND AND WE BULLSHITTED FOR AN HOUR WHILE WAITING FOR THE CAMERAMAN TO ARRIVE.
A PAIR OF KIRES
ZEKE AND VIKI
(IMAGINE THEIR EXCITEMENT AT GETTING TO HANG OUT WITH MR. BIG!)
WHEN THE CAMERAMAN ARRIVED WE WERE ON OUR WAY. THE MAGIC CAR, GUITAR KIRE'S 1978 YELLOW COMMIE-MOBILE, AND MR. BIG WITH THE CAMERAMEN IN HIS SUZUKI SAMURAI FORMED A SMALL CONVOY TO THE TINY VILLAGE OF LECH JUST NORTH OF STRUGA.
IN MACEDONIA CAR OWNERS LOOK LIKE THEIR CARS. DOWN YUGO, DOWN!
I HAD TOLD NIKOLCE WE SHOULD ALL WEAR HIS BAND T-SHIRTS SO HE COULD GET SOME FREE TV PUBLICITY. MR. BIG INTERVIEWED EACH OF US AS WE WERE PUMPING UP THE BOATS. SOMEONE WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHOUT "POOMPA POOMPA!" WHICH I BELIEVE HAS A CERTAIN UNIVERSAL MEANING.
DANIEL GETS INTERVIEWED
NIKOLCE GETS A PLUG IN FOR THE BAND
FACE TIME FOR THE SHAWSTER
AFTER EVERYONE GOT INTERVIEWED WE TOOK TO THE RIVER LIKE THE EXPERIENCED PROS WE NOW WERE.
NIKOLCE EMPLOYING THE SHAW PADDLING TECHNIQUE
(BY NOW ALL THE STUPID PADDLES HAD BROKEN.)
I COULD TELL GUITAR KIRE WAS THOROUGHLY ENJOYING HIMSELF. HE IS A PRANKSTER AT HEART AND LIGHTENED UP THE ADVENTURE WITH HIS HUMOR.
GUITAR KIRE CONFRONTING HIS FEAR OF SNAKES
ZEKE AND VIKI--TWO PEAS IN A POD
THE CAMERA WOULD FILM US FROM FROM THE BANKS OF THE RIVER OR A BRIDGE.
CAMERAMAN ON THE LEFT
CAMERAMAN ON THE RIGHT
AT ONE LOCATION WE LINKED THE RAFTS TOGETHER BY JOINING HANDS. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT SHOT FOR TELEVISION--SORT OF A “HANDS ACROSS THE WATER” GESTURE. (SORRY--NO PICTURE!)
VILLAGE OF DOBOVJANI
THE TWO BEST RIVER-RAFTING GUITAR PLAYERS IN MACEDONIA
DURING THE LAST WEEK THE HOT SUN HAD DETERIORATED THE DEAD HORSE TO THE POINT BEYOND STINKING. THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
WE WENT ASHORE AFTER JUST AN HOUR AND A HALF. THIS WAS TO BE THE END OF THE FILMING. MR. BIG WAS FISHING IN SHALLOW SLIMY WATER AMONGST THE PLASTIC DRINK BOTTLES AND WAS PROUD OF HIS SICKLY CATCH.
FISH OUT OF WATER
FISH THAT SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN WATER
MR. BIG HAD BROUGHT A COOLER OF COLD BEVERAGES. AS HE POURED WE TOASTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ADVENTURE.
NOSTROVIA!
I RECRUITED THIS ALBANIAN LAD TO TAKE THIS PICTURE . . .
. . . CHEESE!
I HAD BROUGHT MY CD, INSTRUMENT OF CHOICE, TO PRESENT TO MR. BIG. SEVERAL OF THE INSTRUMENTALS WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT FOR BACKGROUND MUSIC TO THE FILM. HOWEVER, I HAD LEFT IT IN THE MAGIC CAR THINKING WE WERE ALL GOING BACK TO THAT LOCATION TOGETHER. MR. BIG HAD TO GET BACK TO THE HOTEL TO EDIT THE FILM TO SHOW THAT NIGHT AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE RAFTERS WOULD CONTINUE TO THE RESERVOIR.
END OF THE LINE
VILLAGE OF TASMARUNISTA
AT THE RESERVOIR WE CALLED TWO TAXIS. I TOLD NIKOLCE I STILL HAD TIME TO TAKE THE CD TO MR. BIG BUT HE SEEM INTENT ON SABOTAGING THAT EFFORT. “NO, NO, YOU GO WITH DANIEL BACK TO THE HOTEL.” ZLATCO ARRIVED WITH HIS TAXI AND DANIEL, ZEKE, VIKI, AND I CRAMMED INTO IT WITH THE RAFTS. ON THE WAY BACK WE ENCOUNTERED A FIRE. THE BURNING AT THE GARBAGE DUMP HAD GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL AND HAD NOW ENGULFED SEVERAL FIELDS NORTH OF STRUGA. IT WAS ALSO WITHIN A HUNDRED YARDS OF A FACTORY AND ENDANGERING LECH, THE VILLAGE FROM WHICH WE STARTED. WE WERE LUCKY TO GET THROUGH, HOWEVER, BY THE TIME NIKOLCE AND GUITAR KIRE REACHED HIS YUGO IN LECH THE MAIN ROAD WAS CLOSED FOR THE NEXT SIX HOURS. THEY HAD TO TAKE A 20km DETOUR TO GET BACK TO STRUGA. THE FIRE SMOLDERED AND STUNK UP THE TOWN FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.
WE MADE IT BACK TO THE HOTEL MACEDONIA. THE RIVER ADVENTURE HAD TAKEN MOST OF THE DAY AND I HAD JUST TWO HOURS BEFORE I WAS TO CHANNEL ELVIS ON MACEDONIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION.
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