Skopje, Macedonia

Left my accommodation 6 in the morning to take the bus 6.30 to Thessaloniki. Bus to Thessaloniki arrived 10 minutes ahead schedule, I took a taxi to the train station and had enough time to catch my bus to Skopje. I was writing to the bus company multiple times to find out where does the bus leave, how to pay, how to get the ticket etc. Where I am from, you can buy any ticket online and can just show the ticket to the bus driver. From your phone even. To go to Skopje I had to pay for my ticket via bank but go get the ticket, I needed to arrive 15 minutes before departure and get my physical ticket. There is no online ticket or anything. Really old fashioned. The return ticket cost 30€. There was no direct train connection, only going to Greek border, taking a taxi over the border to the train station and again to the train. I did not want to deal with connecting trains and changes so I just took the direct bus.

Sunrise from Serres to Thessaloniki

Macedonian border. I was not totally sure if I can enter the country because my ID card was going to expire in the beginning of January (in less than 3 months) and to enter some countries, the identification needs to last at least 3 months. But Macedonia was not including those countries luckily

Bus ride was 8.30-11.50 and there is a one hour time difference between those countries.

Arrived to Skopje and started walking towards my hostel to drop my stuff so I could sightsee in Skopje without a heavy backpack. On the way I saw a shopping mall which I discovered I had been in May last time I visited Skopje. Went to eat in the same place as last time because I remembered it was good. This time it was not. Or I remembered it differently. After eating I went shopping and then walked through city centre to my hostel.

This food cost 4,56€ including the drink. Kinda expensive for Macedonia

Church of St. Clement of Ohrid

The hostel I stayed in was called Nordic Hostel and it cost 8€ per night including breakfast (bread, jam, cheese, juice, yogurt). I booked a room with 4 beds but both nights I had the room for myself.

Nordic hostel and the door to my room

The reason I chose this hostel was because of the beds. I wanted to experience sleeping in one of the boxes. I could also sit and have enough space for my head

Woke up in the morning with that light. It also had blinds for privacy

Went for a burger which I found in Google Maps, Fast Food 7. Waited in line, ordered, she made my burger and when it came to payment I found that it is only cash payment.. I had hoped that I wouldn't need to take money out but I was wrong. Put "ATM" in Google Offline Maps search and went to the closest one. Went back to the burger place but the line was bit too long and I decided to go and meet Fiona´s friend on time, without a burger. Did not want to be late and then arrive with a burger in my hand.. Well that was a wrong choice because I waited pretty long for her and I could easily finish the burger and even walk around. I did not order a drink because I did not want to be the person who is drinking alone in the bar. At some point I was fed up with it and decided to order one Pina colada. Couple minutes she arrived (Murphy´s law). Her friends came too and we had some nice conversations and a lot of fun :) One cocktail in that place, and typically in Macedonia, cost 200 dinars which is 3.3€. It is nothing comparing to ~10€ cocktails in Estonia or Denmark. When we were sitting, drinking and talking, some kids came to sell balloons. The people I was with told them to go away. The kids then asked for a cigarette. I would guess they were about 8 & 6.. In many places in Skopje I saw kids working.

After drinks we went to eat and had our stomachs filled with burger and fries. After that they went drinking some more but I couldn't and went to my hostel to sleep.

With Dora and her friends, it was really fun. "Read a book"

Next day I woke up 8 o´clock and I did not have too bad hungover as I was expecting (I didn't eat before drinking). Ate some bread with butter and cheese in the hostel and left the hostel around 11.00. First I went to Fast Food 7 to get my burger which I did not get yesterday. I got a huge burger with fries inside. I took it with me to the fortress, where the entrance was free, and had a picnic by myself in the fortress. Ants started attacking me which was my signal to leave. I walked around, but there was not so much to see and do besides climbing some towers and walking on the edge.

Lions guarding the bridge towards the fortress

Another lion in the other side of the bridge

On top of the fortress

View to the city

Day before I discovered there was a contemporary art museum close to the fortress and in the fortress I saw one building which looks like it could host the contemporary art museum and I walked towards that. Walked around the building to find the entrance but it seemed closed. I did not see anyone inside and one door was closed. Walked down and saw some stairs and went up. There was the right entrance. Entrance cost 60 dinars (0,99€) and I was inside max 10 minutes. Not so much to see, but I liked some of the art.

In the contemporary art museum

After I went to the old bazaar. Some guys asked me "how I am" while eating and I just ignored them. What are they thinking? Like I will stop and answer them? Emm, nope. One older guy asked me where I was from and after I answered he asked "Were you looking for me?" I said "no" and kept walking. What?

Ceiling of Mustafa Pasha's Mosque

Went to the bazaar and there were wedding dress shops everywhere. And most of the dresses were ugly and really glittery, like the one on the left

I walked in the old town a bit and went to another shopping centre. There was Wi-Fi so I sat there a bit. Went to the grocery store and it took so long in the line.. Tried to find the post office in the mall but I couldn't. One sign said go that way and when you passed the sign and turned around, the sign said turn that way where you just came. I walked all the floors but did not find. Went back to hostel around 19 and chilled there until 23 when I went to sleep.

Olympias monument and on the back is Filip II statue who was an ancient Macedonian king

Vardar river. The boat looking boat is a restaurant, built on the river

Art bridge with Public Prosecutor's Office in the back

Archaeological Museum of FYROM

Divers in Vardar river

Statue dedicated to Alexander the Great, also knows as "Warrior on a horse". Macedonia and Greece are still fighting over where Alexander was from

Porta Macedonia. Built in 2011-2012, 21 meters high

Yees Estonian flag :)

In the last morning I ate breakfast and went to another mall where I finally met Fiona. I met her family too, ate, drank a healthy smoothie, went to my hostel to take my bag and then to bus station. The office of the company was closed so we could not ask any questions. I wanted to be sure where it went and did they book my seat. You also have to write to the bus company which takes you from Skopje to Thessaloniki. We decided to go eat and we walked about 20 minutes to one restaurant. She ordered coffee and I Pina colada and risotto. I finished my 2.5€ Pina colada, changed my pants and waited more until I got my food. I could have finished another drink in the mean time when waiting for my food but didn't want to risk waiting more time. Got my food after half an hour (even though Fiona asked how long it will take and the guy said 5-6 minutes) finished it really quickly and went outside to grab a taxi. No taxi stopped when we were already walking towards the bus/train station. One taxi stopped and we were so lucky. If we wouldn't catch that taxi I probably would have missed my bus.. Also, you have to buy a ticket to enter the departures area which cost 50 din (1 €=61,5 din).

With FIona

Said goodbye to Fiona and went on the bus. The bus even left on time and the ride felt quick. I was hoping to reach Thessaloniki on time to make it to the last bus to Serres. But ofc not. The bus broke down right before the border. At the beginning I understood we are at the border and we are just waiting because the queue is long. Some guys went out to smoke and people were talking that something is wrong. When my chair mate came back I asked him what is going on and he told the bus is broken. Bus driver was walking inside the bus and trying to fix it. The police and some repairmen came there too but nothing worked. The guys pushed the bus off the road to a parking lot. They told the replacement bus will come in 15-20 min. It came in 35 min. The bus arrived about 2 hours later than expected. Had to stay in Thessaloniki for the night. When we arrived to the train station, I hopped on a X1 bus and thought it will go towards the bus station. It didn't.. :D It went towards the airport. I went off the next stop, crossed the road and took a taxi to the hotel. It was supposed to be a hotel but there I saw signs that it is a motel instead.

My motel room. Looks so much like a motel with the mirrors, even in the ceiling

In general I liked Skopje. If I would know you could see everything in one day, I would go to Matka Canyon again, because that place is really nice! In Skopje there is not so much to see and do, but I have not been in other places in Macedonia besides Matka Canyon which I recommend. Macedonia is cheap and you can not smoke inside which is 2 things I really like. Also the weather was really nice and sunny. But I did not like the guys trying to talk to me, everyone staring at me all the time and gypsies begging everywhere and making their kids work.. But the Macedonians I met, they were really nice and chill.

25-28.10.2018