Breakfast is usually not my most important meal of the day. But when I have have a room with breakfast included then I try to put in some extra effort. I might have overdone it a bit at Junior though. The breakfast I ate was nothing junior. I was struggling to get everything I had put on my plate into my stumach.
I left the ski area and the road took me to the base of the mountain where it where it turned into a road full of potholes and gravel bits. The towns I passed also seemed deserted. The reason for this became clear to me in the form of a dam that was nearing completion.
There were some old folks walking accross the dam and one old man came to check out my ride. I asked him if he could speak some english but he couldn’t.
I tried asking him which side of the dam would be flooded using my hands to point at the dam and mimiccing rising water. At first he had no clue what I was trying to say. He said voda, which I recognized as water, so I repeated my gestures using the word voda. This seemed to work. He managed to ask me in english where I was from. Belgium. Sandwiched between the netherlands, france and germany (the geographically inclined should also include Luxemburg).
He seemed to understand. Now the conversation turn to my marital status. He pointed at his ring finger. Indeed I am not married. Then he said ‘debosjka’ which sounds simalar to the russian word for little girl. No kids I replied.
Today? This was the next english word he knew. I replied that I was heading for Macedonia. Then he did something interesting.
He moved his hands over his head and shoulders, next he made big breasts with his hands and subtly moving his hands to his lower half and sculpting a buttocks. Then something I can only describe as lifting a dumbell with one arm followed by him licking an icecream and then keeping his hands next to his pelvis and thrusting back and forth.
Alright, now that is quite the charades puzzle for me to decipher. I gave up guessing and told him I didn’t understand and shrugged my shoulders. This clearly an indication for him to repeat the above procedure in an exact duplicate that would make synchronized swimmer jealous. Especially his ice cream licking motion was performed to perfection. I had no idea whether he wanted a ride to the next whorehouse or enquiring about my sex life while on the road. Again, I said I didn’t quite follow him, and yup he went at it again. However this time I interupted his routine, shook his hand and said goodbye. All I wanted to know was which side of the dam got flooded. I got way more than I bargained for. He seemed like such a nice old man… From this day onward I will call him Jean Claude… Jean Claude Van Dam(me)
Next I pass some kind of popular spa, or at least I think it is. It is a tiny place, but they have a rather large outdoor swimming pool that is empty since the weather isn’t the best. It must be a spa or Jesus visited this place and it is now a sanctuarry. There is a dirt road that continues from this place and takes me over some mountain ridge.
It is rather muddy as it has clearly rained last night.
At one point I have to rely on my gps to ‘see’ the road. It clearly hasn’t been used in ages.
I can barely make out the track. Always interesting.
After some time the track is visible again but now I am treated on really thick clay like mud that keeps sticking to my tires. And of course this when I am descending a rather steep section. The front wheel blocks a few times but manage to keep my bike from crashing to the ground. Slippery mess. On the way I have have picked up a few hitchhikers that were being quite intimate.
I end up at a nice field and want to take some pictures but I am being watched. A farmers dog notices me in the distance and keeps on barking making his owner very curious and my spider sense can tell he is not too happy. Probably thinking how the hell I ended up in hisbackyard (or close). I take it as a cue to leave. The track joins paved surface again and I am close to my next stop…Devils town.
At devils town there is a strange natural phenomenon occuring. Erosion has created these earth columns and on top of the columns rests a rock or a boulder. Very peculiar.
Each column is about 3 to 4 meters tall.
Also some strangely coloured springs.
I wasn’t the only tourist there, but the cash register wasn’t prepared for my 1000 note for a 300 entrance fee. Its not like i am paying a can of coke with a 50 euro note people. Seriously, whenever cashiers see a 1000 note they seem to shiver in fear (which is about 10 euros).
The are also trying to get this place recognized as a 7th natural wonder of the world
There is a french speaking Serb that comes and practices his french with me and gives me directions to my mext destination. He knows a shortcut that starts immediately on the side of the car park, a dirt road straight away. Sign me up.
The road is about 40km gravel / sand…
At one point in the middle of nowhere a car is parked on the road (the road is only a car wide). The doors are wide open so the have to close some so I can squeeze through. It’s 5 men having some drinks. The don’t speak english but I am welcome to join for a drink. I friendly decline and continue my way. Again after some junctions my suggested track becomes overgrown again. Many rocks and then some thicker branches.
I decide to play it safe and backtrack a bit so I can take a normal road before getting stuck somewhere. A car crosses me, the same 5 drinking buddies. They wave me goodbye.
I also waved the mountains goodbye as I was surrounded by plains again and villages with abandoned factories. At one point I wanted to take a picture and in the corner of my eye I see a little dog mounting a larger dog in front of such an abandoned factory. Now that would have been Pullitzer price material right there, but yeah I didn’t stop. It did made me think about Jean Claude again.
I end up on the main highway leading to the border. Very busy, especially at the motel/gas stop I pulled in at. Many license plates from different countries.
It was raining now and I didn’t want to drive much further so I pulled in at the next town at about 18.20 and went looking for a room. I arrive at a little resto / appartment complex. The clerk does not speak english but I can have a family room. He uses google translate to communicate that I have to wait a bit before I can enter the room as the cleaning lady is preparing it. Very friendly guy, always smiling and trying to help.
A nice warm shower, a pizza at the restaurant and tomorrow I will enter Macedonia and see if Jean Claude Van Dam is right.
Goodbye working holiday visas, Europe here I come 