Since i am writing this eating my breakfast, a word about balkan state bakeries, or pekara as they are known here. They are great. About a dozen choices of savoury pastry treats at this one, and not a meat pie amongst them. Bacon and cheese things, spinach and fetta, mushrooms and cheese, all in slighlty different sorts of pastry. And the most delicious looking sweet tarts, which i resisted, which cannot be said for the huge chocolate croissants. With a coffee, breakfast sorted for less than five dollars. The mushroom lne is delicious! I deserve a huge hit of fat and carbs after yesterday.
Up and out by 7 as i knew it was going to be a big day of walking. Given it was through a natonal park, i was determined to find my own route, using the map of the park i bought, and my topo maps on phone. The designated via egnatia route skirted the northern edge of the park and involved what seemed like needless use of overrgrown paths and scrambling down slopes and hacking through scrub. As it turned out, my walk certainly inovlved none of that, and contained amazing views all day, but, due to my turning the wrong way at a crucial point, also ended up being 33 kms. When i had climbed to the near deserted village of Ramne, i realized the map i had bought bore as much resemblance to the actual network of paths as a london tube map does to the street layout of london. Anyway, i stopped to admire the views of ohrid. The day was perfect. Clear blue skies, a little chilly early on but warming up nicely. The snow on the peaks was bright in the early sun. And the castle was lit up on the hill above Ohrid. The place has amazing views and yet houses with these million dollar views are rotting away.
A lot of my 1300 metre altitude gain was acheived over the next couple of hours. Very steep, but always with amazing views every time i stopped for a break. I was really walking blind, since the map was useless. I had a destination marked on my phone topo map, but almost none of the paths that actually existed appeared on it. To make matters worse, while there were the occasional signs, they had been sun bleached into illegibility. And there was a red and white ballisage reuglarly, but i had no idea where it would take me, if i followed it. Which led to me taking a wrong turning about halfway into the walk. The red and white said go left and i went right, thinking it would lead me more directly to where i wanted to go. Instead, it wound about circuitously and eventully joined back up to the marked trail. After that i just stuck with the red and white. I ended going in a completely different way than the route described in the guidebook and eventually emerged into a little clearing in the forest with a tiny orthodox chapel and monastery building.
I had seen it reviewed on google maps and had hoped i would come across it. I will be the second google map reviewer of it. There was a spring, a shelter with table and benches, and a place to hang my hammock. A perfect place to stay the night. But it was only just gone midday, so i pushed on.
For the second time, I noticed paw prints in the path and thought maybe they were bear prints. They didn't look like dog to me. Saw lots of deer tracks as well and briefly, an actual deer.
For a while now, the views had been in front of me, of lake prilep and the huge looking mountain at its side, very snow capped. A lovely view to have before me as i continued down the mountains and hills. I eventually emerged on a flat expanse with apple orchards for as far as you could see. Never seen so many apple trees. And apples, left rotting by the side of the road and filling the stream. Which was unfortunately also filled with every sort of garbage you could imagine. I cannot understand how people can tip garbage into water courses as i have seen in albania and here.
By now my feet were getting weary. A mini bus passed going the other way and i thought, if it comes back i am going to hail it. As it turned out i didn't have to. With about 2 kms to go into resen, it stopped and offered me a ride. Given i had done 33 kms now, i jumped in. Got to town and the driver refused to let me pay him. I know it's only 2 km, but it's his livelihood. Very kind.
On the drive in, i decided that was my last day of walking the via egnatia. It had been such a great hike that i wanted it to be the last memory i had of it, rather than the kms of walking by the road that awaited tomorrow, or the 24 kms along a straight, flat dirt road to the border. So, asked a guy getting in his car where the bus station was. He explained the directions and then gestured for me to get in. So i got driven there, which my feet were grateful for. It was over a km away. More kindness. Ticket to bitola, less than two dollars for a 40 minute journey. Bitola bus station to town centre, 5 kms in taxi, less than a dollar. I had no idea before this trip, that there were countries in Europe that were still so cheap to travel in. I don't think cambodia or guatemala were any cheaper.
Nice hotel room, 24 dollars, long hot shower and a bit of traditional macedonian cuisine for dinner.
Oh, and while waiting for the bus i went next door for a beer and was confronted by the no hand guns sign. Thought I'd stepped into the wild west.
Thought I'd add up total walking time so far this trip: 43 hours plus two in Elbasan I didn't record=45 hours
Total distance: 190.84 kms plus 10 in elbasan= 210.84 kms.
At 4.68 km per hour. Not bad considering the 5770 metres of altitude gain.
More than doubled the most I've ever done in one go.
Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cZmma9tFPoYEdkC1A
Walk details here:
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/3531963079
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