Alas…we did not spend long in North Macedonia…as today we were crossing back into Albania….for the second time in just three days!
And today was the biggest Google error of the trip thus far! In our favour…so I am not complaining! Well over 2,000m of climbing, we were advised!
But no……..!
The very early part of the day was spent beside the lake….
And…it was another comfortable day’s riding…..arriving at our destination just after 1pm. Good job too probably…for today is our first 30+ degree day…deserving of a restful afternoon!
But I am getting ahead of myself….I noted a comfortable day’s riding…and it was in terms of distance etc…but the first hour out of Ohrid was certainly the worst hour of the ride thus far! Too narrow a road. Very busy. With cars going too fast.
Who gives a fuck about cyclists? Twice…TWICE…I was pushed off the road by cars overtaking coming towards us! Honking horns. Flashing lights. As if…what the fuck were we doing getting in the way of their essential overtaking manoeuvre. Terrifying actually! They could have waited just five seconds until we had ridden past. But no…five seconds of their pathetic life is more important to them….than my LIFE! Seriously! Fuckwits! I was wild! And scared!
Our coffee break could not come soon enough. And my faith in Macedonians was restored when the lovely coffee man was just so delighted to be serving coffees to New Zealanders…he did not want to charge us anything!
Thumping heart having settled…we set off again…with some trepidation.
But all the idiots evidently live or work in the coffee town! For thereafter it was a delightful ride. Following a twice-dammed river…
….so it was flat riding alongside oily smooth water….
….just lovely riding!
Between dams…the river gained a bit of flow….
…..but then flattened out again as the water rose against the second dam.
This was unexpected:
So went exploring…bit we could not find it! In fact it was about 20kms away…with evidently no more signage than the first one!
I was intrigued though. Why here? What is it?
It turns out…this is what we did not find! The house built by Ataturk’s father!
Interestingly…Ataturk himself was born in Thessaloniki (in Greece)…and went to school in Bitola (North Macedonia…not so far from Ohrid). All part of the Ottoman empire at the time…but still a bit of a surprise to me!
Great onward ride…..
We sped through the town of Debar…falling to find a place for breakfast(!!) after 70km of riding!
But the Albanian border was just 4km further on…..with a great eatery on the Albanian side. Pasta with meat? Sounded good…expecting bolognese style. But no…it was plain pasta…and big chunks of beef! Slow-cooked melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Looked awful.Tasted great! We were starving!
It had been a very low-key border crossing.
Straight through…no waiting at all!
And so to Albania again! And guess what…another brand new road!! (The European Development Bank is doing a roaring trade, I believe!)
A very pleasant 20km and we arrived into Peshkopi.
A much bigger town than I had expected! With a grand avenue…with heaps and heaps of bars!
Not the prettiest of places…but a grand setting! And they obviously grow a lot of nuts!
Funny thing. No hot water! So I went hunting for the switchboard. (As in Greece they are in the habit of turning off the hwc.) This is the very last place I expected to find it….actually IN the shower!
Do not worry…I have had my shower…and am still alive!! Hahaha!
spoke too early about the traffic !