And greetings, friends! At the moment, our flight to Turkey is delayed by as much as an hour and a half, so I have time to continue the story of our adventures in the Balkans.
Don’t be upset that we spent too little time in, we will return there again (I mentioned this when I wrote about it). And on our agenda is Macedonia.
Crossing the border between Serbia and Macedonia.
When Milos, our new Serbian friend, dropped us off on the highway, literally half an hour later a car stopped, you won’t believe who it was, the Turks! The window opened and, which was completely unusual, they immediately spoke to me in English. I couldn’t even think that in front of me there were two young guys and not Serbs; they only figured it out along the way.
The guys were traveling to Macedonia for work; they had a plane from the capital. What a success! Having heard that we were on our way, they were not at all opposed if we crossed the border with them.
There was nothing special at the border checkpoint itself; they let us through easily with a standard stamp. The only thing that bothered me was the need to register after 3 days of stay in Macedonia. My questions about this to the border guard also led to nothing. In fact, I didn’t clearly know whether it was needed, but I also didn’t want to have problems leaving the country, so we supposedly allocated a couple of days in Macedonia to the main points - the capital Skopje and Ohrid.
Skopje is the capital of Macedonia.
Milos told me an interesting thing about Macedonia. It turns out that in Greece they do not recognize it as a country at all, since Alexander the Great is a native of Greek lands. Therefore, the Greeks do not allow you to visit them with a Macedonian passport, only if the passport is old, where Yugoslavia is still indicated as the country. The Greeks even refuse to call them simply “Macedonians”, and simply call them “those from Skopje”, funny :).
So, let's head straight to the center of the capital Skopje!
Everything is as usual here, a pedestrian street and a lot of sculptures with parks and alleys, but in the very center there is an impressive figure-sculpture of Alexander the Great on a horse, under which a gorgeous fountain was built.
A very spectacular monument, you can watch the “dance” of the fountain for at least half an hour without interruption and see something new every time.
I like it.
In addition, there is a lot of construction work going on in the district; it seems that the capital’s authorities are seriously focused on attracting tourists to the city and are not sparing any money on this.
The only inconvenience is when absolutely nothing works on Sunday. Especially considering that at the time of our arrival in the country it was just Sunday. Shops, some cafes, banks and, accordingly, exchange offices are closed. The latter is especially annoying, since we didn’t have local money, and paying in euros is quite expensive, despite the very low Macedonian prices.
Walking through the narrow streets of the city, where on other days there are usually crowds of tourists, I was lucky to stumble upon a shop selling gold and silver.
A little merchant said that in the old Muslim part everything works and you can exchange money, reassuring him that he is not a deceiver, since in his family of businessmen it is customary to keep your word and be an honest “trader”.
Currency Macedonia dinar (MKD), the coins are called “ money" 10 dinar = 6.4 rubles. But, as I already said, they also accept euros.
After the exchange, Mila and I thought to look into the local fortress, but it seemed that visitors were not allowed there either on a day off for the entire country.
It's kind of brutal, to be honest. We tried to pass with an insolent face, especially since the gate was open, but the vigilant guard still saw us.
Okay, then let's go to a cafe, otherwise after a long journey we'll lose our appetite.
Prices and transport.
The prices were really pleasing: pizza – 300 gr. cost us 150 dinars, and beans in a cast iron pot 80, plus local flatbread instead of bread - 10 dinars. Whoever is good at math, judge for yourself :).
In addition, if you walk down the street, you can easily spend less than 100 dinars on a quick snack to fill up.
After a hearty lunch, according to Archimedes' law... someone may rest, but we move on. And we are going to the Matka canyon. You will find out what interesting things are there below, but for now I will tell you how to get there.
Considering that we are in the capital, it is possible to hitchhike here, but it is difficult, and given the modest Macedonian prices, we decided not to worry at all and go to the canyon by bus No. 12. We found out this number from the waiter in the cafe.
Sitting at the bus stop and leisurely roasting in the burning sun, two foreigners approached us - a German and an Arab. A wild combination for friendship, don't you think :)? The German surprisingly knew a few words even in Russian, we chatted a little and went our separate ways.
By the way, one more observation: all the signs and even many signs are written in Macedonian, Cyrillic, Latin and German. I still don’t understand why “Deutsch”, whether to attract them as tourists to the country, or for something else, is not clear.
Yeah, here's our bus. The journey cost 35 dinars per person. We drove slowly, looking at the city, until we broke down somewhere in the middle of the road. All passengers were dropped off and forced to wait for about 20 minutes until a new bus was given. The most impatient ones left within five minutes after disembarking, we stayed, we had nowhere to rush;).
Canyon-Lake Matka.
Towards evening, sweltering from the heat, we finally reached canyon-lake Matka.
One thing was good: it was cooler near the water, although this did not save us from the weight of our backpacks. The canyon is actually a very popular place not only among tourists, but also among locals. Having made our way through crowds of people and parked cars on a large bus along a narrow road, Mila and I went to explore the place.
Right at the entrance you are greeted by a rather large dam, which of course is prohibited from being photographed :). It was through her fault that this wonderful place was formed in 1938, when the water flow was cut off purely for the use of a hydroelectric power station, until the famous Lake Matka was formed.
We really liked it there, it was quite a picturesque place with blue water rushing over the rocks at the very bottom of the canyon. And the path that runs along the sheer wall of the rock stretches for many kilometers. I didn’t quite understand how much exactly, because the guidebook says about 20 km, the signs say about 10, and the local answered the same question as 100 km. I knew only one thing for sure, somewhere there stood the monastery of St. Andrew
It is logical to assume that we did not reach the end of it, we just walked, or I would say “scraped” through the crowds of people. In general, the landscape does not change - the opposite shore, boats, people and water. Somewhere after walking 500 meters, there is a mini tourist parade ground with a restaurant and rooms for rent, a crooked sign indicates that there is also a campsite nearby (probably not free).
What entertainment awaits visitors to Matki Canyon? Actually, rafting itself, exploring underwater caves, fishing, walking on rocks, and just nature, although I’m not sure about the silence (perhaps this will be a minus for some).
There was no way to pitch a tent in neutral territory due to the rocky terrain, so spending the night in the canyon was out of the question; we had to return back to the highway in the hope of finding a quieter place.
Ukrainians in Macedonia.
While Mila and I were again floating through the stream of people towards the exit to the road, one of the taxiing cars suddenly stopped next to us. A man leaned out of the window and was clearly asking where we were going. We said “autopath,” he nodded and we climbed into a shabby-looking car, where the driver himself, his wife and daughter met us.
Macedonian is very similar to Serbian, so there were no general problems with understanding, but when the question came up about where we were going to sleep, the Macedonian and his wife absolutely did not understand the fact that we had to be dropped off somewhere on the motorway in order for us to find the right place yourself.
As a result, the driver called some friend of his, who in fact turned out to be Ukrainian and speak Russian well. After all the debriefings, she offered to spend the night with her for one night, since the Macedonians were terribly afraid of certain “shipta”. Even the Macedonians themselves may have a poor idea of who they are. It is only known that these are bad Albanians, whom the Albanians themselves do not like. It sounds crazy, but in real life everyone is afraid of them. Therefore, when the man heard that we were going to sleep on the street, he was all worried about us.
We were not against home hospitality, but the hostess stayed away from us and, despite all attempts to communicate, clearly avoided our company. Although she was very hospitable: dinner, shower, separate room. But her niece, who was visiting her rather on the contrary, was eager to communicate with us.
Well, I understand that two Russian ragamuffins “asked for a visit”; this doesn’t happen every day. So we were pleased.
As you understand, we were not particularly able to find out what the Ukrainian woman was doing in Macedonia due to little communication with the hostess. I only understood that her husband was Macedonian, who for some reason was currently in Ukraine.
So we went to bed quietly, a wonderful day awaits us tomorrow, maybe we’ll be able to stay at his lake longer.
My travel buddy Maxim, an emergency doctor and part-time bodybuilder, suggested we go to Macedonia together. I agreed without thinking, because by nature I am inclined to make quick decisions. As a result, Maxim refused the trip. Well, your humble servant, not having the habit of putting the vehicle in reverse, found himself alone in Macedonia.
But despite the lack of a direct flight, I still highly recommend visiting this beautiful Balkan country. Those who do not like connecting flights can get to Skopje from Sofia by road. Four hours away is not that far, but you will need a Bulgarian visa. The second option is via Belgrade, but the trip from there will take almost 6 hours. I advise you not to bother and fly to Skopje on a Turkish plane, as I did. Turkish Airlines offers transit flights through Istanbul with good connections.
Turkish planes have been flying from Vnukovo lately. Driving across Moscow by car to any airport, and even from the other end of the metropolis, is almost always a risky endeavor; you won’t be late for your flight for long. And I took the Aeroexpress from the Kievsky station. 38 minutes from the center of the capital - and you are there. It was also nice to see the updated platforms at the station. The last time I was here was fifteen years ago. It's nice when things change for the better.
Traveling by train, in my opinion, is much more comfortable and interesting than traveling by car.
The Vnukovo Aeroexpress differs from the Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo ones in that at the end of the journey it “goes into the ground.” The platform in Vnukovo is located underground, which is very original.
Today, three main airports in the capital already have rail connections with the center of Moscow. Aeroexpress is definitely preferable. After all, unlike a taxi, for example, you do not need to calculate the time with the so-called reserve, fearing possible traffic jams.
I’m already too lazy to take out a camera at transit and arrival airports, and I’m completely tired of duty-free, so photographs on trips usually start in the first moments of the excursion.
On these boats you can go on an excursion around Lake Matka.
I have always been interested in Balkan languages. As you know, on the territory of the former Yugoslavia there are now 7 independent states: Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo.
From a linguistic point of view, only Slovenians and Macedonians have their own languages: the so-called “Slovenian” and, accordingly, Macedonian. Next: Kosovo Albanians speak Albanian. But Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins and Bosnians, in fact, have a common language - Croatian (aka Serbian). During Tito's reign, Serbo-Croatian was the national language of Yugoslavia.
But after the collapse of the country, linguistic differences began to be deliberately introduced in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Political forces interested in the peoples of the former Yugoslavia being irreconcilable needed to divide its population along national lines, including linguistic ones, so that reunification would be impossible.
The difference is artificial. But all Yugoslav languages are related by their Slavic roots. And Russian is no stranger here. In Macedonia, if you speak Russian with locals, the chance of being understood is very high. Although it is possible in English. Young people speak it quite well, and sometimes even very well.
This sign says that trout fishing is prohibited.)
Well, we got to the Church of St. Andrew. According to legend, during the war between the Serbs and the Ottomans, there was a tavern on this site. And one day in 1392, Prince Marko’s brother, Andrei, came here after the battle.
Marco, meanwhile, remained waiting outside. There were Turks in the tavern. They killed Andrei. And the prince, suspecting something was wrong, entered there with his retinue and took revenge on the Turks, destroying them all.
The church still keeps the handprint of Prince Marko on its walls.
The church was built in 1389.
The Red Bull drink sponsors fish on Lake Matka)).
There is a trail along which you can make a 6-kilometer voyage along the river. I walked only a short distance, and on the way I came across this monument to a mountaineering carbine. Alas, when traveling I am almost always limited in time, so I preferred a motor boat to a long walk.
We swam to the Vrelo cave. Along the way, near the very shores of the lake, we came across some rather interesting buildings. Some kind of shelter for fishermen. A “hiking” option, at the same time with very attractive conditions. Only 20-25 squares of sushi. There's a mountain on top. Lake below. It is impossible to reach them by land.
As we sailed, a misty veil spread over the lake.
And then the boat moored to the pier. And soon we will go down to the Vrelo cave. It is one of the deepest in the world. Scuba divers from Italy explored it to a depth of 220 meters. But the cave seems bottomless, and research continues.
The water in the river is unusually clean, and when you swim, it is interesting to observe the bottom topography.
For some reason, the layout of this cave at the entrance reminded me of pictures from the times of the USSR.
Electricity in the cave is maintained by a generator, which is “camouflaged” several meters above the entrance.
Stalactites and stalagmites have been created here over billions of years. I used to always confuse which is which until I heard one wonderful rule: stalactite grows from the ceiling, like the letter “T”, and stalagmit grows from below, like the beech “M”. I figured out this simple thing for myself and I’m no longer mistaken.
People are designed in such a way that they give everything their own name. Caves and their contents are no exception. Someone nicknamed this stalactite “the cone,” and then the whole hall became the “hall of cones.”
In the suburbs of Skopje there is the most amazing Matka Canyon. Previously, the Treska River flowed along its bottom, but in 1938 it was blocked with a dam, resulting in the formation of a beautiful artificial lake - a reservoir.
At the entrance to the canyon there is a parking lot, a picnic area, and a place for swimming. There are tents and shops. A rafting route has been built along the canyon. Organized routes for rock climbers.
A path stretches from the parking lot to the mighty dam. It is prohibited to take photographs on its territory, but many secretly ignore this ban.
After the dam there is a little more trail and you come to the once existing monastery of St. Andrew. Now all that remains is the church of the same name, built in 1398. Around the church there is a cafe, restaurant and marina.
From the Church of St. Andrew, an equipped path stretches along the lake, going for many kilometers along the steep shore. In some places, small pedestrian tunnels have been carved out. 
The water in the lake is emerald green. 
There are many caves and cozy grottoes hidden in the canyon and rocks hanging over the lake.
One of the most famous is the Vrelo cave. The cave consists of two halls with a total length of 176 meters. In the first room, countless bats live on the ceiling. There are so many of them that in the twilight of the cave it seems that the ceiling vault is alive and all moving. And it smells awfully like the waste products of these mice. 
In the “passage” between the first and second halls there is a huge stalagmite named “pine cone”. Its height is 3 meters. 
In the second hall there are two lakes. One small and uninteresting. But the second one is very tempting. It is 30 meters long and about 4 meters wide. The lake has not yet been studied, but there are suggestions that its depth can reach 500 meters, which makes it possible to call the Vrelo cave the deepest in Europe.
The shore of this deep-sea reservoir was dubbed the “Russian beach” due to the fact that some Russian ambassador easily dived into the icy abyss. The rest of those present did not have the fortitude for this! 
We got to the cave by boat. You can hire her for little money at the pier. The helmsman of this craft is also a tour guide. Many caves are closed to single tourists, including Vrelo. Guides have keys and access rights; they monitor the order and safety of tourists. 
We were lucky with our guide; he was a very nice person and told interesting things.
Matka Canyon is the most picturesque area in, which was formed thanks to the Treska River, which made its way through. The rock of the canyon is marble, which gives it even more beauty.
StoryIn 1938, local authorities blocked the Treska River with a dam in order to provide water to a hydroelectric power station. Thus, over time, a canyon was formed, which today is a tourist attraction. The water is turquoise in color and the mountains surrounding it make the place even more attractive. It seems that no human effort was put into creating the lake.
What to see?Matka Canyon attracts with its wildlife, clean air and scenery. Thanks to the rocky mountains, rock climbing is developed here; many routes of any difficulty await you. Tourist centers organize hikes even for beginners, and instructors will make sure that your little trip is safe.
Using the path from the parking lot, you can get to the dam and feel the full power of the thermal power plant. Taking photographs is prohibited there, but the view from the dam is so beautiful that many tourists violate this ban.
Near the Matka canyon there are two monasteries, one of them is St. Nicholas, from which today only the church of the same name remains, built at the end of the 14th century. A path leads to the temple from the canyon and visiting it is a must-see excursion. The second is the Monastery of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin. It is better preserved, which is why tourists love to visit it. On the territory of the canyon itself there are three churches: St. Andrew (IV century), St. Spas (the remains of the early Christian church of the Holy Trinity and St. George) and St. Nedelya. The first temple is located near the lake near the pier, so it is impossible to pass by it.
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Overhanging the artificial lake are many grottoes in which deep caves are hidden, one of them is Vrelo. It consists of two large halls, the total length of which is 176 meters. But not everyone decides to visit it, since the inhabitants of the first hall are bats. In addition to the horror that a “living” ceiling brings, not everyone can withstand the smell from the activity of these animals. But despite this, the cave is still one of the most famous.
The attraction of the canyon is another lake - Doiran, which is located on the border with Greece. Despite the fact that it cannot boast of great depth, Dojran is considered one of the richest European lakes - it is home to 16 species of fish. The coast of Doiran is called the “Russian beach”. Legend has it that a Russian jumped into the icy water, which caused surprise and admiration among other tourists, because no one else dared to do such an act. It was after this that the nameless beach was nicknamed “Russian”.
