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The power of sense
What to
say about a country you would like to talk about for weeks while visited
only a few days? Macedonia was the last country that separeted from Yugoslavia,
and didn't really wanted to. In the old days, when war was only a thing
overreacting people were talking about, Macedonian told me that war was
only selfdestruction and not a thing to mention because it could become
a selffulfilling prophecy. I had put my aims in visiting Macedonia again
but as you know, things go slow and Balkan people force you to take a
lot of time. So I went slow, learned more about the region and never made
it to Skopje again because the war already started. Later I could not
go there unless taking a plane; I was refused visa for Serbia for some
time. So I did it with Macedonian music and stories by Macedonian I have
met during all those years.
Now we're here again. Several newspapers waiting for us, people speak
about books and art, we listen live music all night long. They catch my
serbo-croatian bosnian language but I have a hard time understanding them.
It seems they like it that way.
At the country side we meet people more reserved as in Bosnia for example.
But it is just a small thing. Here you need to make more selfinitiatives
and if you do so, the hospitality is like everywhere in the Balkans. With
that difference they do not start speaking about girls, cunts and other
useless jokes. With Macedonian serious jokes work better.
After Skopje, Veles and Gradsko we visit Bitola, and ancient and very
lively town where we make an appointment to get back with Dutch musicians
next year. We finally end up in Ohrid near the Albanian border. A typical
border town with a border that is only open since a decade. Ohrid and
the region is extremely beautifull and it was an excelent touristplace
in the days of big Yugoslavia. Now borders and the fact it is unknown
make it more difficult for the tourist industry. However, with such a
beauty, such a mentality and such a modesty trouble will not be for ever.
So we make a small report about this small country and hope to return
like we did in other small countries.
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Name
: Skopje
Objectives : finally arriving here again
kilometer :
Through
my personal history I was very, very much longing to see Skopje
again. There is great music, there is enough sense to keep the
radicals isolated, there is great people with excelent skills
and education. There is a Balkanflovour with self made elements.
This building might not look that good but do not take it as an
exapmle of the situation in Macedonia. this is the first time
we had the change to make a picture and we consider it as a welcome
picture to this nice country.
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Name
: Dnevnik
Objectives : meet musicians
kilometers:
Supported
by a very nice journalist from this newspaper we have also met
Skopje on different ways. Here we have an appointment with Stefce
Stojkovski, excelent kaval player and nice man.
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Name
: Veles
Objectives : spend the night
kilometers:
After
hitting the night in Skopje we went south again, searching for
nice weather. Just south of Veles we had to stop because it was
getting dark. We had a great place and a good rest before continuing.
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Name
: the team
Objectives : saying goodbye
kilometer :
Gerard
has traveled with us for several weeks now but he has an appointment
in Albania. Rob drives the most straight road to the border of
Iraq and will follow the road through Greece. Martin needs to
work out a painters workshop in Albania and later needs to take
the road through Istanbul. So here we say goodbye to each other
for a while. Within some weeks we will meet again in Turkey with
another guest.
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Name
: dedicated to Biljana
Objectives : sending thanks
kilometer :
gerard
is showing a pack of washingpowder with the name Biljana on it.
Biljana in fact is a journalist from Skopje who helped us greatly
and showed us nightlife in Skopje. We all had a great time and
this tribute might looks simplistic, it is done with great sympathy
and dedication. See you around, sister. Thanks again.
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Name:
Bitola
Objectives : get concert for JJB
Contact:
Kilometer
In
order to get in touch with this country for a longer time we visited
Bitola where the youthorganization has invited us last year. Next
year we'll be there for sure again and send some friends in order
to make it good.
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Name
: Ohrid
Objectives : passing to Albania
kilometer
Market
in a bordertown
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Name
: Ohrid
Objectives : passing to Albania
kilometer
mobile
woodsaw
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