|
IN THE MORNING NIKOLCE SHOWED UP AT THE HOTEL. “LET’S GO FOR COFFEE,” HE SAID AS IF EVERYTHING WERE NORMAL. “NO THANKS,” I REPLIED. AFTER HE LEFT I WENT NEXT DOOR AND ASKED NESHKO TO CALL A TAXI. I GAVE HIM ONE OF MY CDs IN APPRECIATION AND WE HAD TIME FOR A COFFEE BEFORE THE TAXI ARRIVED.
“OHRID AIRPORT,” I SAID TO THE DRIVER. THERE ARE ALWAYS RENT-A-CAR AGENCIES AT AIRPORTS. HE DROPPED ME OFF AND I WENT INSIDE THE TERMINAL. THERE WAS NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT AND THE AGENCY WAS CLOSED. EVIDENTLY THEY ONLY SEND AGENTS OUT WHEN THE OCCASIONAL FLIGHT COMES IN. GO FIGURE. NOW I WAS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION BUT WHAT-THE-HECK, A 10 KM WALK TO OHRID WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO HELP CLEAR MY HEAD.
I SUPPOSED GETTING BUMPED FROM THE SHOW WAS A KARMIC RESULT OF LYING ON TELEVISION TO AN ENTIRE COUNTRY AND I ACCEPTED THIS. NO REAL HARM DONE, JUST DISAPPOINTMENT IN NOT BEING ABLE TO SHOCK AN ENTIRE COUNTRY. HECK, I FIGURE IT’S MACEDONIA’S LOSS. HOWEVER, I WONDER WHAT NIKOLCE’S KARMA WOULD BE FOR BETRAYING A FRIEND. IS HE HELD PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE WHEN SABOTAGE IS THE NORM OF A CULTURE? WELL, DUH--YES. EACH ACT OF SABOTAGE IS AN ACT OF ONE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST ANOTHER. IN TURN, THEY WILL SABOTAGE SOMEONE ELSE ON DOWN THE LINE UNTIL IT COMES BACK AROUND TO THEM AND THE CYCLE WILL REPEAT. NO WONDER MACEDONIANS DON’T COME BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY ONCE THEY ESCAPE.
IT WAS AROUND NOON AND THE SUN WAS FIERCE. I WALKED WITH MY THUMB OUT, HEAD DOWN, AND FOUND A TWO-DENAR COIN, TAKING IT TO BE A GOOD SIGN. (NO RIDE, HOWEVER. WHO WOULD ACTUALLY WANT TO HELP SOMEBODY IN MACEDONIA?) A COUPLE STOPPED TO ASK ME DIRECTIONS. "IS THIS THE ROAD TO TETOVO?" (CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY SPOKE ENGLISH? DO I HAVE A UNION JACK TATTOOED ON MY FOREHEAD? MAYBE MY HITCHHIKING WAS A GIVEAWAY.) I REPLIED, "NO, YOU MUST GO THAT WAY TO STRUGA, THEN TURN RIGHT." AFTER THEY DROVE OFF I REALIZED THEY WERE ALREADY ON THE ROAD TO TETOVO AND I HAD GIVEN THEM THE WRONG DIRECTIONS! MAYBE THIS MACEDONIAN SABOTAGE THING WAS A VIRUS THAT I CAUGHT--EXCEPT I FELT REMORSE.
AFTER WALKING A FEW KILOMETERS I STOPPED INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE. AS I WAS PAYING FOR A LARGE BOTTLE OF WATER (WITH GAS) A BUS PULLED UP TO UNLOAD PASSENGERS. I QUICKLY GRABBED THE CHANGE AND RAN FOR THE BUS. THE OUTSIDE ATTENDANT STARTED YELLING AT ME BECAUSE HE THOUGHT I HAD STOLEN THE WATER--I WAS RUNNING AND IT WASN'T IN ITS MANDATORY PLASTIC BAG. I BARELY CAUGHT THE BUS AND SAT IN THE SECOND SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER. I OPENED THE HALF-FROZEN WATER AND THE GAS BUILDUP CAUSED IT TO OVERFLOW CREATING A SMALL PUDDLE AT MY FEET. I NOTICED THE ATTENDANT FROWNING AT THE PUDDLE AND GIVING ME THE EYE. I COULD TELL HE THOUGHT I WAS PISSING MY PANTS. I SHOWED HIM THE BOTTLE OF WATER AND HE NODDED, RELIEVED THAT HE DIDN’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS OF SOME FOREIGN DERELICT. EVIDENTLY THIS WAS NOT A LOCAL BUS BUT HAD COME ALL THE WAY FROM SKOPJE. HE DIDN’T WANT TO CHARGE ME WHEN HE LET ME OFF IN OHRID BUT I STUCK 4O DENAR INTO HIS HAND ANYWAY--ENOUGH TO BUY A COUPLE COFFEES.
WHEN I GOT OFF THE BUS THE FIRST BUILDING WAS A WESTERN UNION OFFICE WHICH ALSO DOUBLED AS THE NATIONAL RENT-A-CAR. THINGS WERE LOOKING UP. THE GUY SPOKE ENGLISH AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WERE NO CARS AVAILABLE FOR A FEW DAYS. I TOLD HIM I WANTED THE FIRST AVAILABLE CAR, THAT I WOULD RENT IT FOR THIRTY DAYS, AND I WOULD PAY IN CASH. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE PHONE CALLS AND WOULD HAVE SOME INFO FOR ME IN TWO HOURS.
I KILLED THE TIME AT THE INTERNET AND CAME BACK. EVIDENTLY THE PROSPECT OF MAKING A LOT OF MONEY WAS AN INCENTIVE. "I HAVE TWO CARS," HE SAID. I CHOSE THE BRAND NEW GOLD DAIHATSU, A SQUARE COMPACT. THE PRICE WAS RIGHT--ONLY 28 EURO PER DAY INCLUDING INSURANCE, UNLIMITED MILES, ONLY A 250 EURO DEPOSIT, AND I COULD DROP IT OFF AT THE ALEXANDER-THE-NOT-SO-GREAT AIRPORT ON THE DAY I WAS TO FLY BACK TO THE STATES. “YOU CANNOT DRIVE IN BULGARIA,” HE SAID. “WHO WANTS TO GO TO THAT CRAP-HOLE COUNTRY?” I REPLIED. I WAS SURPRISED THERE WAS NO OBJECTION TO DRIVING IN ALBANIA WHICH HAS A MUCH WORSE REPUTATION FOR BAD ROADS AND CRAZY DRIVERS.
I WHIPPED OUT A ROLL AND PEELED OFF AMERICAN HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS. I WAS EXHILARATED AS I DROVE THAT SUCKER BACK TO STRUGA--AIR CONDITIONING, CD STEREO, MOBILITY, FREEDOM--WOO-HOO! WHEN I REACHED THE HOTEL MACEDONIA I PARKED AROUND THE CORNER.
*
MY TRUSTY STEED
NIKOLCE WAS AT THE HOTEL AND ASKED ME WHERE I HAD BEEN BECAUSE MY BICYCLE WAS STILL THERE. “OH, I WENT TO OHRID,” I SAID COYLY. I COULD TELL HE WAS A BIT SUSPICIOUS. A WEEK EARLIER I SAID I INTENDED TO RENT A CAR AND VISIT ALBANIA AND HE INSISTED THERE WAS NO RENT-A-CAR IN OHRID. (MORE SABOTAGE--HE HAD WANTED ME TO STAY AND BE THE FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT AT NATALIE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.) “LET’S GO FOR COFFEE,” HE SAID. “LET’S NOT,” I REPLIED.
ZEKE AND VIKI WERE JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR THE LAKE. I PRESENTED THEM WITH A CD COPY OF THE PICTURES FROM THE RIVER ADVENTURE AND TOLD THEM, “THIRTY YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL LOOK AT THESE AND REMEMBER THIS.” THEY THANKED ME.
I RODE MY BIKE ONE LAST TIME TO STRUGA, NOT TAKING A CHANCE THAT SOMEONE WOULD SEE ME IN THE CAR. I GOT A COUPLE HUNDRED EUROS FROM AN ATM THEN WENT TO MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT TO HAVE A FLAME BROILED STEAK. THE WAITER RECOGNIZED ME FROM TV AND ASKED HOW I LIKED MACEDONIA. "EVERYONE HERE IS STABBING EACH OTHER,” I SAID AS I MADE THREATENING MOTIONS WITH MY KNIFE. "YES, YOU ARE RIGHT," HE REPLIED.
I RODE BACK TO THE HOTEL. IT WAS UNUSUAL THAT PETAR AND DOBRILLA WERE THERE WATCHING TELEVISION. THEY WERE SOAKING UP THE REALITY OF THEIR DREAM, THE HOTEL MACEDONIA. I SAT DOWN AND DRANK SOME JUICE WITH THEM AND WE TALKED AS MUCH AS OUR LANGUAGE BARRIER WOULD ALLOW. IT WAS GOOD THAT I COULD SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM. THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT BUT THIS WAS TO BE THE LAST WE WOULD SEE EACH OTHER.
AT NINE O'CLOCK I MADE ONE LAST VISIT TO THE LAKE. PEOPLE WERE STROLLING ON THE ROAD BUT THE BEACH WAS COMPLETELY VACANT. THERE WAS A FULL MOON AND THE LAKE WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL I HAD SEEN IT. I ENTERED THE WATER AS THE MOONLIGHT REFLECTED UPON SERENE CALM. THE COOL WATER WAS EASING MY THOUGHTS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF MACEDONIA CAME UPON ME--I TOOK A BIG LONG PISS RIGHT INTO THAT GODDAMN LAKE.
NEXT MORNING I GOT UP EARLY AND RETRIEVED MY DAIHATSU. I PACKED UP ALL MY STUFF, CARRIED IT DOWNSTAIRS, AND PLACED IT IN THE CAR. I CLEANED THE ROOM ONE LAST TIME AND LEFT A FEW ITEMS NEATLY ARRANGED ON THE BED. I HOPED THAT DANIEL WOULD CLAIM MY BICYCLE. ONLY IGOR, THE HOTEL GUEST, WAS UP. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" HE ASKED. "TO ALBANIA.” "WHEN?" "NOW," I REPLIED.
THE END
THIS CONCLUDES A RIVER RAFTER’S GUIDE TO MACEDONIA.
IF YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO ALBANIA WITH TERRY SHAW CLICK HERE.
|