Terry's Big Adventures
River Rafter's Guide
(to Macedonia)
Chapter 6: Movin' on Up

THE BIG NEWS STORY WAS ABOUT A MURDER IN STRUGA. A YOUNG ALBANIAN WAS SHOT OVER AN UNPAID DEBT. “MAFIA,” SAID NIKOLCE.

I CONTINUED TO SLEEP ON THE FOLD-OUT COUCH AT THE FARM UNTIL THE HOTEL WAS LIVABLE. THE FAMILY ROOSTER SOUNDED LIKE IT HAD LARYNGITIS BUT STILL CROWED LOUD ENOUGH TO WAKE ME UP WAY BEFORE DAWN EVERY MORNING. I THINK HE HAD CHICKEN ALZHEIMER’S.

DESPITE MULTIPLE DAILY COFFEE SESSIONS IN TWO WEEKS NIKOLCE FINISHED THE PLUMBING AT THE HOTEL AND EQUIPPED THE KITCHEN WITH A REFRIGERATOR, STOVE AND SINK. THE FAMILY HAD REASON TO BE PROUD OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENT. THEIR HARD WORK WOULD SOON BE REWARDED WHEN THE HORDES OF TOURISTS DESCENDED UPON STRUGA.

A COUSIN OF THE FAMILY CAME TO SEE THE HOTEL AND WAS ASTONISHED THAT NIKOLCE AND DANIEL HAD POSSESSED THE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL SKILLS TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. "YOU CAN DO THIS FOR ME?" HE ASKED. NIKOLCE EXPLAINED THAT THE COUSIN WOULD EXPECT HIM AND DANIEL TO WORK FOR FREE AND WHEN THEY WOULD NOT HE WOULD PAY SOMEONE ELSE MUCH MORE TO DO THE WORK.

I WAS RELIEVED WHEN I MOVED INTO MY 9'x15' ROOM WHICH FEATURED A NEW BED AND WAS THE ONLY ROOM WITH LAMINATE FLOORING THAT I WAS ALLOWED TO PICK OUT MYSELF. EXPENSIVE DOUBLE DOORS OPENED ONTO AN UNFINISHED BALCONY THAT FACED EAST. IT WAS DEFINITELY THE ELITE SUITE OF THE HOTEL. FOR A FEW DAYS I WAS THE LONE OCCUPANT BEFORE DANIEL MOVED IN DOWNSTAIRS.

IF EVER THERE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF NOT MAKING A BETTER MOUSETRAP IT IS THE STUPID DOOR LOCKS IN ALL OF EASTERN EUROPE. THEY HAVE NOT EVOLVED SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES AND STILL USE THE OLD-FASHIONED SKELETON KEY. TO LOCK FROM THE INSIDE ONE MUST ALWAYS USE THE KEY AND IT IS OFTEN CONFUSING WHICH WAY AND HOW MANY ROTATIONS TO TURN. AT THE HOTEL MACEDONIA THE SAME KEY COULD UNLOCK ALL THE DOORS.

I BOUGHT SOME ITEMS TO MAKE THE HOTEL MORE LIVABLE--A BROOM AND DUSTPAN, THROW RUGS FOR THE ENTRANCE AND LOBBY, A SHARP KITCHEN KNIFE, DISH DETERGENT, PLASTIC TABLECLOTH, NONSTICK FRYING PAN, SPATULA, AND PAPER TOWELS (A LUXURY ITEM IN MACEDONIA). I RECOMMENDED MORE ITEMS TO NIKOLCE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE BASIC NEEDS OF CUSTOMERS.

DOWNSTAIRS IN THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN THERE WAS A TV WITH POOR RECEPTION THAT GOT THE THREE GOVERNMENT-RUN STATIONS ON A GOOD DAY. ONE OF THEM CONSTANTLY SHOWED MACEDONIAN HISTORY, MACEDONIAN ARCHEOLOGY, MACEDONIAN HEROES, MACEDONIAN THIS AND MACEDONIAN THAT. THE OTHERS WOULD SHOW CHEAPLY PRODUCED MACEDONIAN VARIETY SHOWS, AN OCCASIONAL OLD MOVIE IN ENGLISH, AND RERUNS OF FRASIER. “HEY, I’M FROM THERE!” I WOULD EXCLAIM.

THE HOTEL WAS WALKING DISTANCE (2 1/2 KM) FROM DOWNTOWN STRUGA. HOWEVER, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE CONVENIENT TO HAVE A BICYCLE. ONE OF SNEZA’S COWORKERS AT THE CHINA SHOP RECOMMENDED A PLACE. AFTER HAGGLING WITH THE PROPRIETOR I WAS THE PROUD OWNER OF A SHINY RED AND SILVER CHINESE 21-SPEED BICYCLE FOR $100. I PAID FOR IT IN TWO DIFFERENT CURRENCIES AND DIDN’T REALIZE UNTIL AFTER THE TRANSACTION THAT I GOT SHORTCHANGED ABOUT $6. (I SOON FOUND THIS TO BE COMMON PRACTICE.) NOW IT TOOK ONLY TEN MINUTES TO GET FROM THE HOTEL TO STRUGA OR MISLESEVO. THE TERRAIN WAS FLAT IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND THE WEATHER ALWAYS SUNNY.

MOST DAYS WERE IN THE NINETIES AND THE LAKE WAS MY REPRIEVE AS WELL AS MY DAILY BATH. I WOULD WAIT UNTIL SUNDOWN WHEN THE TOURISTS WERE GONE AND THE LAKE WAS USUALLY CALM. THE TEMPERATURE WAS PERFECT AND I WOULD BE DRY BY THE TIME I BICYCLED FIVE BLOCKS BACK TO THE HOTEL.

THE DAILY TREK INTO STRUGA TOOK ME ALONG THE SHORE OF LAKE OHRID, ACROSS THE BRIDGE, AND RIGHT INTO DOWNTOWN. EVERY DAY I’D USE THE INTERNET TO KEEP UP WITH NEWS IN THE U.S. RIDING WAS GREAT EXERCISE AND EVERYONE NOTICED I WAS LOSING WEIGHT. THE BICYCLE DID HAVE A FLAW. AN INADEQUATE SPRING ALLOWED THE STUPID KICKSTAND TO ENGAGE WHEN I WAS RIDING. THE SHOP I BOUGHT IT FROM WAS UNWILLING TO HELP ME AND THE ONLY BICYCLE REPAIR SHOP IN TOWN WANTED TO SELL ME A NEW KICKSTAND FOR $25. I ENDED UP JUST CUTTING AND REFITTING THE SPRING.

JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM THE HOTEL WAS A SMALL DOG WHO WAS ALWAYS WAITING FOR ME TO RIDE BY ON MY BIKE. HE WOULD RUN INTO THE STREET AND RACE ALONG SIDE WHILE NIPPING AT MY FEET. I WOULD ALWAYS TAUNT HIM AND CIRCLE HIM A FEW TIMES. HE ENJOYED THE GAME AS MUCH AS I.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LAUNDROMAT IN ALL OF EASTERN EUROPE. A COUPLE TIMES I USED THE SMALL MACHINE AT THE FARMHOUSE BUT MOST OFTEN I WOULD WASH CLOTHES BY HAND IN A PLASTIC TUB IN THE SHOWER AT THE HOTEL. THEN I WOULD SET ITEMS OUT ON MY DECK AND THEY WOULD BE DRY WITHIN A HALF HOUR.

WHENEVER I WENT INTO A STORE THE OWNER OR AN EMPLOYEE WOULD FOLLOW ME CLOSELY. EVIDENTLY IT’S UNUSUAL FOR MACEDONIAN SHOPPERS TO BROWSE BUT I NEEDED TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. I FOUND ONLY A FEW BUSINESSES THAT I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH. BECAUSE PRICES ARE RARELY MARKED IT BECOMES TIRESOME TO ASK ALL THE TIME. I SOON BECAME SKILLED AT PANTOMIME AND EXPRESSING SIMPLE IDEAS WITHOUT LANGUAGE.

ONE WOULD THINK MERCHANDISE IN AN UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRY WOULD BE INEXPENSIVE. HOWEVER, THIS IS TRUE ONLY IF THE ITEMS ARE MADE IN THE COUNTRY WITH CHEAP LABOR. MACEDONIA DOES NOT HAVE MUCH MANUFACTURING SO MOST FINISHED GOODS COST MORE THAN IN THE U.S. THE COUNTRY IS LANDLOCKED SO THE COST OF TRANSPORTING FOREIGN GOODS IS HIGHER AND THERE ARE NO LARGE-QUANTITY RETAIL OUTLETS LIKE HOME DEPOT OR WALMART. IMPORT SHOPS FEATURING INEXPENSIVE CHINESE GOODS WERE JUST STARTING TO APPEAR IN MACEDONIA AND WERE “ALL THE RAVE”. ANY TIME DOBRILLA WENT TO STRUGA SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING “CHINA SHOPPING”. EVERYONE GOT A LAUGH OUT OF THIS.

IN THE MIDDLE OF STRUGA WAS THE LARGE PUBLIC MARKET. IT HAD THREE FLOORS AND YOU COULD FIND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

I WOULD BUY MOST OF MY FOOD AT TWO SMALL MARKETS NEAR THE HOTEL. ONE WAS OWNED BY A MAN WHO SPOKE A LITTLE ENGLISH. HE WAS ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT ME AND WOULD ASK QUESTIONS. THE OTHER MARKET WAS CLEANER AND RUN BY A LADY WHO WAS ALWAYS VERY HELPFUL.

I WOULD USUALLY EAT SOMETHING IN TOWN EVERY DAY AND THEN SOMETHING LATER AT THE HOTEL. DANIEL’S FAMILY WOULD OCCASIONALLY GIVE HIM SOME SPENDING MONEY (FOR CIGARETTES, BEER, COFFEE) BUT WHEN HE WAS WITH ME HE WAS DEPENDENT UPON ME TO FEED HIM. OCCASIONALLY WE WOULD PLAY PING-PONG AT THE REC CENTER IN THE BASEMENT OF THE HOTEL DRIM IN STRUGA WHERE THEY ALSO HAD A SMALL BOWLING ALLEY. WE’D GO TO THE NGO AND USE THEIR BASKETBALL COURT OR HANG OUT WITH SONIA AND KRISTINA. I WOULD ENGAGED DANIEL IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MANY THINGS--POLITICS, FREEDOM, HIS FAMILY, HIS CULTURE, MY CULTURE--SUBJECTS THAT REQUIRE REFLECTION AND SUBJECTS THAT FEW MENTION IN MACEDONIA UNLESS THEY ARE SIMPLY STATING A THOUGHTLESS PERSONAL OPINION--JUST LIKE IN THE U.S.A.!

EXCEPT FOR LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE FOOD IS ROUGHLY THE SAME PRICE AS IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, WE PAY A MUCH SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF OUR INCOMES. BECAUSE OF CHEAP LABOR RESTAURANT MEALS ARE ABOUT HALF IN MACEDONIA AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE BALKANS. RED MEAT IS RARE--WHEN YOU ORDER BEEF YOU GET VEAL. I SUPPOSE BALKAN COWS GET EATEN BEFORE BEFORE THEY GET A CHANCE TO GROW UP.

MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN STRUGA WAS BY THE RIVER AND SPECIALIZED IN OPEN-FLAME GRILL. A VEAL STEAK DINNER WITH MIXED SALAD (CUCUMBERS, TOMATO, AND CABBAGE) AND FRIES WAS ABOUT 350 DENAR, OR $7. RESTAURANTS HERE HAVE POOR SERVICE AND THEY NEVER BRING THE SALAD BEFORE THE MEAL. IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET THE CHECK AND EVERY TIME I GO TO THE COUNTER BEFORE THE CHECK ARRIVES THEY ARE IRRITATED. OH WELL, I GUESS THAT SAVES ME THE COST OF TIPS.

PIZZA IS POPULAR IN ALL BALKAN COUNTRIES AND ONE PARTICULAR PLACE IN STRUGA HAD LARGE SLICES FOR 75 CENTS. I ALWAYS HAD THEM HOLD THE USUAL MAYONNAISE AND KETCHUP (YECHH!). I’VE EATEN PIZZA IN TEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND I MUST SAY THAT AMERICAN PIZZA IS BY FAR THE BEST.

I AM NOT A BIG BEER DRINKER IN THE U.S. BUT I MUST SAY THE BEER IN ALL OF THE BALKANS AND EASTERN EUROPE IS EXCELLENT, INEXPENSIVE, AND HIGH IN ALCOHOL.