Click on the pictures

If you click on any of the pictures you can see them much better.

The view from Bigorski

Here are some more pictures of the view. Notice the small Albanian village. The pictures will probably not do it justice. It was breath taking in person.

Bigorski Monastary

Next stop was the most beautiful Monastery. It was far up in the mountains. There were a few Albanian villages around but for the most part it is pretty isolated. It was first built in 1020 AD and it is still a working Monastery. You can stay the night there for a just a couple of dollars. If you don't have any money you and do some chores to pay for your stay. This place was so beautiful it is hard to put into words, both inside and out. As we walked through the gates and into the courtyard there was a small domed structure. As I got closer I noticed that there were Nuns in black robes inside of the small dome on a platform. They were actually painting the fresco on the ceiling which would depict a story from the bible. I thought it was pretty cool to see that in action. The Monastery was built on the side of a step slope in the mountains. The view from the courtyard looked down into valley and you could see the next mountain on the other side. There was a small Albanian village off in the distance. The view was awesome. It really was breath taking and like the most beautiful painting that you would ever see. You couldN see why they chose to build it in that location. We enjoyed the view for a bit and then went into the sanctuary. The inside was stunning as well. The walls and ceilings were covered with frescoes. One of the things that makes this Monastery special is the wall behind the altar. It is covered with these intricate wood carvings of people and animals from the bible. The carvings are amazing. They had so much details it must have taken forever to finish. They were done by 2 brothers and there are over 500 human and 200 animal carvings. All of the chandeliers and decorations hanging from the ceiling were solid gold. The other special thing about this particular Monastery is that there is a chest of relics that allegedly contains a bone fragment from John the Baptist. Near the entrance is an original picture in glass. People believe that the picture has healing powers and that if you kiss it you will be healed. In front of the picture is a pile of necklaces, rings, watches, and all kinds of jewelry. These are left by the people who have been healed by kissing the picture. I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside but photography is forbidden in almost all of the Monastaries.

This was my favorite stop of the entire weekend. It was a special place.

Mavrovo

We left Skopje and started towards the mountains. Our first stop was Mavrovo. Mavrovo is town on a small, man made lake. They built a dam which created the lake. You can still see the top of an old church peeking out of the water. When the damn was created the church ended up below the water. They have a small snow skiing resort at Mavrovo. I was told there is lots of snow there in the winter. It was so quiet and peaceful. I guess since it wasn't ski season, people don't visit as much, at least they didn't on the Saturday morning that we visited. It almost felt like we had the place to ourselves. We sat and had some coffee and just enjoyed the view for a bit.

Catching up

I haven't posted much but I am going to try and catch up a little. During the week it has been mostly business as usual. Going to their offices during the day and usually just dinner and time at the hotel at night. We did go and have a traditional Macedonian breakfast during the week. It was basically beef stew with Macedonian moonshine. Not exactly what I would have for breakfast at home but the stew was so delicious.
We
On the weekend we travelled out of town for an overnight trip to a popular vacation spot for the locals. It is called Lake Ohrid and it is very similar to Lake Tahoe. It is lake in the mountains which it about at 2 and a half hour drive from the city. I traveled there with a guy named Sasha and his girlfriend. We also met up with Marco and Tosha in Ohrid. We left at about 9am on Saturday morning and they took me by the scenic route. We took our time stopping at a few places along the way and we didn't get into Ohrid until about 6pm. We rested at the hotel for a bit and then went out to check out the city. We went to the downtown area and walked around for a bit. Next it was big dinner full of local food. After dinner we went to a bar with some live music and proceeded to have a few drinks. We wrapped things up about 2am and went back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We met at 10am on Sunday for breakfast. The plan was lots of sightseeing for the day. We wrapped that up around 7:30 and came back to Skopje. The mountains in Macedonia is a beautful place. I had an awesome weekend and there is so much to say about the places we visited I think I will create a seperate post and some pictures that I took along the way. It is getting late now so I don't know if I will finish them all but keep an eye out for the next day or so and I will try to cover everything. I am having a great time here.

A visit to Lake Matka

It is really nice to get here with a day off before I have to start working. The jet lag sucks but I am making the best of it. I was sooooo tired by the end of the night it wasn't hard getting to sleep. My hosts here offered to take me out sightseeing on Sunday so I gladly accepted their offer. I took it nice and easy in the morning and they picked me up around 11:30. There was 5 of us, Sasha, his girlfriend Janna, Misho, Marko and myself. We all piled into the van started heading for the hills. For me it is just interesting travelling through the streets here looking at the people and the normal things. I am sure that is lost on the people who live here everyday but it was interesting just to look out the window as we travelled through town. We were headed to a place called Lake Matka which is a popular place for people in Skopje to visit on the weekends. It is about a 30 minute drive out of town. Once we left the edge of town they mentioned that we were going to be travelling through some Albanian neighborhoods. I got the impression that the Albanians must be conidered to be 'simpler' people. Honestly, it didn't seem to be radically different to me. I did see a few tractors and such so I suspect the Albanians might keep to themselves and be a bit poorer than the average Macdonian.

We travelled up a narrow winding road for a while and came to a place that was packed with parked cars next to a river. This is where we parked and the rest of the trip was on foot. We passed a few street vendors with large sacks of what looked like nuts or beans or something that you could buy to eat while you walked. We started to trip up the hill to the lake and you could tell it was a popular spot because there were lots of other people. We passed a little family of bulls wandering freely on the trail. I was wearing a bright red shirt so everyone joked that I better be careful. I was more worried about stepping in a pile of cow poop. I seem to be drawn to that stuff.

Part way up the trail we came upon a big dam. The dam created sort of a lake on the other side. It was a bit smaller than what I might usually consider a lake. I could probably throw a rock across Lake Matka with no problem but I guess it probably qualified. The trail and the lake were in a big canyon between to mountains. The mountains were very steep and a popular place for rock climbers. At the end of the trail was a big restaurant with lots of outdoor seating. The restaurant was built into cave so it went back into the mountain. There was also a Monastary from the 1400's. We took a look in the small church and it was like stepping back in time. The walls were covered with paintings that told stories from the bible. It was a quiet and solemn place. Sorry no pictures are allowed in church. We were a little hot and tired from the hike so we found a nice spot on the big patio and enjoyed the scenery with a coke. The patio was packed. These are the places where I really notice that I am in another country. My hosts are very polite and usually speak english around me but in a crowded place like this you hear the buzz of other people talking in a language that I can't understand. It is fun just checking out the people. People look and dress differently.

After we finished our drinks we decided to rent a boat with a guide that would take us up Lake Matka. Near the end of Lake Matka there is a cave that you can go into. So we did a little cave exploring and then returned to the boat. As luck would have it, started to rain on the trip back. The boat had a sun shade but it wasn't a proper roof so the trip back was a little wet.

We hiked back down the trail and returned to town to eat. We went to a part of town that was a really old Turkish bazaar. Unfortunately all of the shops were closed because it was Sunday. We had a nice lunch with traditional Macedonian food. After eating and a couple of glasses of wine it was time to head back to the hotel for a little nap. Jet lag sucks.

Time to head out into the world

The first day was mostly spent trying to get here. We said our goodbyes and I jumped on the Airporter for my trip to the airport. I had one small incident before I even got to the airport. While I was on the bus I happened to look down at my shoe and I realized that I stepped in dog sh*t. Normally not such a big deal, but I started thinking about how bad it would be to drop my shitty shoe into the security bin going through customs at the airport. Of course I didn't really pack any dog shit cleaning supplies but I made due with an entire package of wet wipes. I was hoping this wasn't going to be some sort of bad omen for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, it wasn't. The trip went about as smoothly as possible. There aren't exactly direct flights to Skopje Macedonia so you have to make several connections to get here which makes for a long day. I flew to Frankfurt Germany first, then Vienna Austria and then to Skopje. There weren't a ton of flight choices that didn't include a long layover so all of my connections were tight. Fortunately none of my planes were late so it was smooth going. ILM flies people business class when going out of the country to it is just about as good as it can be. I left around 2pm so that made it pretty hard to sleep on the flight but I was able to get a couple of hours in. From the time I walked out of my front door and the time I walked into my hotel it took about 22 hours.

One of the first things I notice when I get off of the plane is how hot it is. When I came before it was in January. On the last trip it was cold and snowy. This time it looks like it will be the other end of the weather spectrum. It was sunny, humid, and somewhere around 90 degrees. I got into my hotel and had the best shower ever. I had couple hours before dinner so I decided to unpack. Of course 22 hours in a suitcase leaves things just a little wrinkled. An hours worth of ironing and I was off to dinner. We didn't stay out late because I was wiped out.

Macedonia June 2009

I am going to add some more to my blog. I keep this blog as sort of a diary of my travels and it is nice to keep the family updated on what I am doing. Anyone is welcome to read the blog and comments are encouraged. It is nice to know someone is reading.

Day 5 - Last Day in Skopje

Today was our last day in Macedonia. Everyone was a little tired so we agreed that they would pick us up at our hotel at 10am. I still got up a little earlier and spent a little time shopping at some of the small stores around our hotel. I also walked over to a Turkish Bath that was near our hotel. I think this building was around 800 years old by I am not sure. I am really curious what the inside of a Turkish bath looks like but I didn't have time to go in. I have included a picture of the Turkish Bath in this post. The Turks ruled Macedonia during the Ottoman Empire and their influence is all around. Turks are mostly Muslim and the population here still has a high percentages of Muslims. I have heard their call to worship several times throughout our stay. We have also seen a number of times. Many of the Orthodox churches have the scars of the Ottoman empire. They thought if they got rid of the Orthodox churches that the Christians would suddenly see the error of their ways and become Muslims. Of course that never works so many of the churches took to the hills. They also defaced some of the frescos in the Orthodox churches which is a shame. 

We had decided that we would spend our last day with a minimal amount of work and a trip to an old Monastary. We swung by the office and took care of a little business and said our goodbye's to some of the people at their company. Then 7 of us took off for a tour of the Monastary. They had turned this really large cellar in the Monastary into a restaurant and we planned lunch there. The Monastary was high in the hills over looking Skopje. We got to travel through a new part of town and finally saw some neighborhoods that were made up of houses. It was raining today and when we got to the Monastary there was so much fog that you couldn't see the city. There were supposed to be beautiful views of the city from our top of the hills. 

We arrived at the Monastary and decided to look around inside before we ate lunch. It was locked so they had to get an old gentleman who cared for the place to come and let us in. Unfortunately this is another place where you can't take pictures inside. The guys unlocked the doors and led us inside. It was fairly small with really high ceilings. There was an altar at one end and the place had fresco's painted on just about every inch of the walls and ceilings. I guess you can still rent out the Monastary for weddings which I thought would have been awesome. The Monastary was built in the 1100's. The caretaker had turned on some music that was of the Monks singing traditional songs and chants. It really added to the atmosphere of the place. Some of our friends gave us some of the history of the Monastary. There were frescos that had the eyes rubbed out on their faces. They explained that thousands of years ago blind people believed that if they rubbed the eyes on the frescos they would have their sight restored. I am guessing they were a little disappointed. This was a really neat place to be. You could just feel the history.

One of our hosts brought 2 thin candles for each of us. There was an Orthodox tradition that you would light the candles and stick them in the sand of these round circular places. You could light the candles for a loved one that had passed away or just for good luck. After that I bought a couple of post cards that showed some of the art work inside since we couldn't take any pictures. 

We then proceeded to the restaurant for lunch. The restaurant was really great. It was in what used to be the cellar for the Monastary. It was a really big room built with bricks and rock with wood beams going across the ceiling. It had lots of little things on the walls that tied it into the history of the Monastary. There was also a nice fire going in the corner of the room that made it really warm and cozy. We had another traditional Macedonian meal that included tons of appetizers and a main course of meat. The meat was lamb, pork, and beef muscle in a thick sauce. I actually really like the meal. I had been growing a little weary of the food here. Not that it is bad or weird or anything it is just that they used spices and seasonings that are different from home. I am missing the food back home. They also took these pieces of bread that resembled a half a hamburger bun and the waiter toasted them right on the fire which I thought was a nice touch. We all spent some time reflecting on the week and it was a nice moment. I feel like I have made some new friends. Of course they asked me if I wanted some of the local liquor call rachia(sp?). I really don't care for this liquor. I answered "no thank you" and they all chuckled and said they were really asking me just letting me know it was coming. They showed me some mercy and my glass was much smaller than theirs. This really was a feast for lunch, much more food than I am used to eating in the middle of the day. As I sit right now I am not really looking forward to dinner because I could easily skip that meal. So far our hosts have paid for every single meal and drink we have had. I told them that we would really like to pay for the meal and let me know in no uncertain terms that it would be insulting to them if I paid. I was glad I said something because I had planned to sneak away and give the waiter my credit card. I really didn't want to hurt their feelings and looking back at it if I would have snuck away they wouldn't have been happy at all. We spent a long time just chatting and enjoying the experience. We wrapped things up with a cappuccino and a yummy hazelnut crepe with local honey for dessert. 

After lunch we went back outside and I was pleasantly surprised that the fog had lifted a bit. It was still there but you could see the city below pretty clearly now. We took some time for pictures and to admire the view and started our trip back down the mountain. On the way down we stopped at a big parking lot with a great view of the city. We noticed a car parked off in the corner and from the look of the steamed up windows someone was enjoying a different view in the parking lot. Some more pictures and it was time to head back to the city. We split up and some of the guys went back to work. We were dropped off with one of our hosts named Miska and he took us to a few shops too look for souvenirs. We had an idea what we wanted so we made quick work of the shopping. Our host walked us back to the hotel and left us to our own devices. I had decided that a nap was out of the question today. I need to get to sleep early because we have an early wake up call tomorrow. 

I was feeling stuffed from lunch so I decided to walk back across the bridge into the shopping area. I wanted to get a brightly colored luggage tag for one of my bags. Seems like a pretty simple thing to find, right? Think again. There were 2 big malls in the area and lots of shops lined the streets. The fact that I couldn't read the sign on the stores made it pretty difficult to find the right place to shop. I walked all over the place and couldn't find what I wanted. I even went to 3 different stores that specialized in luggage they didn't carry anything close which I thought was a little strange. I found that I didn't speak the language caused me some problems in several of the stores. I guess everyone doesn't speak english after all. Anyway, I ended up at a grocery store and found some stuff to make do. One of my bags is plain black and whenever I go to the baggage claim it seems like there are lots that look alike. The last time I flew someone else grabbed my bag thinking it was theirs and I had to chase them down. I think I have the problem take care of though. 

It is time for me to head off to diner and hopefully an early return to the hotel. We have to leave the hotel at 5 am to make our flight so I figuring that will mean a 4:15 wake up call to take a shower and get my things together. Keep your fingers crossed for us that our flights go more smoothly on the way home. We go from Skopje to Zurich to Frankfurt then on to SF. We seem to have plenty of time between flights. I have had a good time but I am looking forward to coming home. 

Signs of Macedonia

Fortunately our hosts have been really great about taking us anywhere we needed to go. I have included some signs that I have seen around town. All of the businesses have signs that look like this so it is really difficult for a tourist. The Macedonian's use the Cyrillic Alphabet which is nothing like the English Alphabet and it is impossible for me to read. 

Signs of Macedonia

Day 4 - Thursday in Skopje

It was tough to get up today. I didn't really drink much last night but that still didn't make up for the fact that I only slept about 5 hours. I decided to skip breakfast so I could sleep in. We headed off to work around 9 and I will skip the boring details about work. One of our new friends here arrange for us to have a tour of the Macedonia Museum of History before lunch. We really had a great time at the museum. Unfortunately they didn't allow any pictures inside the museum so I just got some shots outside. We had limited time there but I think we could have spent all afternoon. We asked the guide to take us to the best spots but even then the hour and a half flew by. The first part of the museum that we explored was full of artifacts that had been discovered either on purpose or accidentally during archaeological digs. Some of the things we saw were estimated to have been created in 6000-8000 BC. That is OLD. There were lots of different types of clay pots and jewelry. There were some amazing stone carvings when you think about the primitive types of tools they must have had. Over such a long period of time Macedonia had been occupied by many different people. 

Next we went to an exhibit of frescos. A fresco is a type of art that is mostly found in churches and were commonly made during the Renaissance. They were usually painted on the plaster but sometimes they were painted on wood. Many churches during this time would have the walls and ceilings entirely covered with frescos. Each fresco would tell a story. They usually told stories from the bible. They were able to recover many of them from churches that were thousands of years old to display them in the museum. They had many beautiful pieces here that were valued in the millions. I guess some of the pieces had been sent to a museum in New York at one time. Our guide told us that many historians believe that the Art Renaissance actually started in Macedonia. Originally the frescos would depict many of the people from the bibles as something higher than humans and there were particular styles. One of the things that marked the Renaissance was that the frescos began to take a more human form. Their faces would be painted to express some sort of emotion and there was greater detail in the muscle structures. She said that some of the frescos found in churches in Macedonia were from several hundred years before historians say the Renaissance started. 

We were running out of time so we sort of sped through exhibits that displayed ancient tools that had been found, and exhibit of clothing that people had worn in Macedonia over the years, and an exhibit filled with these marvelous, intricate rugs that had been woven long ago. 

Outside was a building from the 1500's. It had been used in various ways of the years but mostly it was an inn for travelers and it had a courtyard that had seen many parties. I have included several pictures of the inn. The stonework was pretty amazing considering how long ago this was created. Both the museum and the building were next the remains of a fort that overlooked Skopje. 

After that we went out to another large lunch. We got back to the hotel early and I was pretty happy because I was tired and starting to fade fast. We agreed that they would pick us up for dinner at 9pm. I laid down for a nap and woke up at 8:55. That is not really a good way to wake up. Fortunately when they say 9pm they always mean 9:15 so I was able to grab a quick shower and change. I still got to the lobby before they arrived.

We went to dinner and of course they wanted to take us to some bars again. Lucky for me they had stayed out later than us the night before and didn't have the benefit of a 4 hour nap so it wasn't long before they were ready to call it a night which was fine with me. The bar we went to did have live music. The lead singer of the band was also a well known local opera singer during the day and moonlighted singing in clubs at night. Once again every single song we heard them play was an american song. After that we went back to the hotel and since I was well rested I decided to get a head start on my packing. 

I have included a picture of Laura and I outside of the FX3X offices which is the company we are visiting.

I have also noticed a considerable amount of graffiti around the city so I snapped a picture.

Day 3 - Surviving a night on the town

Wednesday started out pretty normally with breakfast at the hotel and then off to work. I was feeling a little under the weather all day. Something didn't quite agree with my stomach. I wasn't too sick but just a little off. We decided that since we were going to be going out for a big night on the town it might be nice if we could get back to our hotel and have a couple of hours to rest. We went to lunch at an Italian place. I ordered the Lasagna and when it came it was HUGE. I mentioned this before but everyone seems to clean their plate here. Since I wasn't feeling quite right seeing that huge lasagna wasn't good. I put a picture of it here. That start a little debate over lunch. The people from Macedonia think when you order a meal in the US you get way too much food. I sort of feel the opposite. I have had much larger meals here and if you go to a really upscale place in the US you know you are going to get some tiny portions and have to swing by Taco Bell on the way home. I did my best but I just couldn't finish it. 

The food here is good and not really too much different than what we eat at home. However, no matter what you get there are still subtle changes to taste because of the different spices here or maybe the animals were fed. It is definitely a little easier than eating asian food for an extended period of time but it would be good to get home and have a nice big burrito. 

I have also included a picture of my traveling partner from ILM. We are in front of the Italian place where we ate lunch. She has been really great to travel with. We have worked together a couple of times but that is about it. She is fun and easy to talk to so it makes being away from home a little easier to handle.

So anyway, after lunch we went back to the hotel early. If we were going to be out late I knew that I needed to take a little nap. I had a quick chat with Erin and Austin and then crawled into bed. I slept for probably a solid 2.5 hours and felt a little bit better when I woke up. We went to a Pub with several guys for dinner. Fortunately it was a much more manageable meal. We had some salad which they seem to have at every meal here. I think it just a part of how they eat here. The nice part is lettuce, tomato, carrots and cucumber taste the same no matter where you go. Of course I didn't see any 1000 Island dressing around but what are you gonna do. They ordered a meat dish which had 'mixed meat' which generally makes me a little nervous. I think it was probably just chicken and beef but it was very tasty. It came sort of like a beef stew or something in a thick brown sauce with a couple of vegetables mixed in. 

After that it was time to hit the bars. We first went to a bar that was called 'Circle'. I discovered that bars are pretty much the same everywhere. We found out that there is no last call here so that got me a little scared. I knew I had to stay out for a while so I didn't seem rude to my hosts but it would have been a little nicer knowing that at some point they would stop serving alcohol so we could get back to the hotel. It was a small sort of upscale place and I sipped my drink trying to stretch it out as long as I could. I really wanted to avoid getting too drunk because I really wasn't interesting in waking up with a hang over. It is bad enough to be hung over at home but in a foreign country knowing that you have to represent your company the next day makes it even less appealing. That bar closed at 12 but they still had other plans for us. We went to another bar that wasn't quite as nice as the first one. The crowed was definitely a little older and much less hip. One thing I found a little strange about this bar was that they had a fairly big guy who was working the door. You would have to actually knock on the door, which was locked, and he would open it and let you in. As far as I could tell he didn't turn anyone away so I am not really sure who they were trying to keep out. We stayed here for a little while listening to the DJ play Michael Jackson songs and they decided that there was somewhere else we needed to go. The last place we went was called the Jukebox. They had a live band playing rock music. At all the bars we went to they played American music. The live band was really pretty good. This place was pretty crowded and dark. The music was loud so conversation was a little difficult. After we had a drink at this bar Laura and I decided that we need to plan our exit. This bar was open until 7am and we were starting to get the feeling that our hosts would have no problem staying all night. I quietly asked one of the guys here named Marco if he could give us a ride back to our hotel. I knew if we asked Miska, who is one of the owners, that he would not be pleased. It was 2:30am so we felt like we had done our best not to insult our host. He wanted to buy us some more drinks so we knew it was time to make our move. We declined and told us that we were ready to leave. He tried to convince us to stay but eventually gave in. I felt like I had survived. I had a couple of drinks but no where near enough to worry about a hangover. We got back to the hotel and I decided that I was going to skip breakfast so I could sleep as long as possible. I had slipped a couple of pop tarts into my suitcase before I left home so I was covered. I am pretty sure we will have to go out again tonight. Our flight leaves at 6:30am on Saturday so as far as I am concerned a night at the bars is out of the question for Friday. The only thing worse than being hung over in a foreign country has to be being hung over on a plane with 20 some odd hours of traveling ahead of you. On of the pictures I have included is the outside of bar where you had to knock to enter.

I put another picture of the Stone Bridge in this post. It goes over the river Vardar. I learned some interesting facts about the bridge. There used to be pillars that lined both sides of the bridge. During the Ottoman Empire they would behead traitors and thieves and put their heads on the posts. Later on they would hold public executions in the center of the bridge. There was a king here, who I forget his name, and he was put to death by impalement when the people turned against him. Not really all that pleasant but it is a little strange to think about it when you walk across the bridge. 

There is a picture that I took out of our car of some buildings. These buildings are basically big apartment buildings. One of the things we have noticed are there aren't any houses around. We asked about it and I guess there are some houses but they are only for the rich and most people live in the apartments. I guess this goes back to when Socialism ruled the country. For the majority of Macedonians this is where you will live. 

Time for me to get some work done.

Day 2

The second day in Macedonia was a busy one. It was a little cold but it was sunny. The cold reminds me a little bit of Tahoe. I was really hoping for a little snow while we are here but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. It is supposed to warm up to the 40's for the next couple of days and rain. Maybe if it rains in the night time it will be cold enough to turn it into snow. 

Getting up was a little easier today. I have found that I feel pretty good in the morning but for some reason around 3pm in the afternoon my body tells me it is time to go to sleep. We have been eating a lot here. They are great hosts and have been taking us out to all of our meals and make sure that we can go anywhere we need to go. There is a little pressure at the meals though. At lunch on the first day I ordered some grilled pork and the plate was big. I was full and didn't really want to eat everything. Near the meal I became acutely aware that our hosts were really paying attention to what we were doing. They thought I didn't like the food but I assured them that it was fine but I was just full. I am getting the impression that it is considered impolite if you don't accept their hospitality. When we went out for dinner they ordered a traditional Macedonian liquor. It was a little bit like whiskey and you were supposed to sip it and drink it straight. It wasn't really all that bad but I am not really big on sipping liquor like that. I didn't finish my glass and after the waitress took it away they commented on the fact that I must not have liked it. Again, I noticed how much they were paying attention to what I was doing. They also REALLY want to take us out to some bars or clubs and no doubt the plan includes lots of drinking. On the first day we told them we were tired but they were very insistent that we go out. I had to really exercise my assertiveness to let them know that I didn't want to go out. I was really hoping that they didn't think I was being rude. 

For most of the day we just had work business to attend to so nothing really exciting happened. We went to lunch at a very nice place near the middle of the city. I ordered some pizza and they had a salad bar. The way they operate the salad bar is a little strange. When you go to the salad bar there is a girl who works there. Usually she takes your plate and you tell her what to put on your plate. They told me I could do it myself which I appreciated. After I made my salad the girl takes it from you and keeps it there until all of the first courses are ready for the table and then they bring it to you. It wasn't really a big deal but it was a little odd. 

After work they took us out to a big dinner. It was at a place that serves traditional Macedonian food. They brought out a ton of appetizers. A couple of different kinds of salad and this really big tray filled with a variety of different things. I am finding it a little tough to explain exactly what Macedonian food is but it definitely has a Mediterranean feel to it. The salads have lots of tomato's, cucumbers, and onions. The other food was filled with fried cheeses, some wrapped in bacon, various little balls and rolls, some delicious thinly sliced fried zucchini, little breads, sauteed mushrooms, rice, eggplant all sorts of stuff. We got so much food in the appetizers that I was a little worried about what was going to come for the main course. Fortunately they felt the same way so we kept things small after that. The main course was this baked beans sort of dish that I like very much. It wasn't seasoned the same as baked beans at home but for the most part they were similar. There was also some sort of meat dish with the meat cut up into little pieces and cooked in a sauce. I think the meat was beef but I really have no idea what it was. Then they brought out another dish which was sort of like little pieces of bread cut up to about the size of a salad crouton and then covered with shredded cheese. They like cheese here and they have a particular type of white cheese which is pretty good. I don't really know what you call it but it has a similar consistency to mozzarella cheese but is shredded really finely. They also had a band, much like a mariachi band, that played in the restaurant  and then went from table to table. They played traditional Macedonian fold music and I actually found them to be a very nice touch. At times they were a little loud and made the conversation a little difficult. The guys here all speak english but they have an accent so sometimes you have to really pay attention to hear what they are trying to say. With the band playing I found myself just nodding and smiling sometimes. 

After dinner they wanted to take us out to some bars again. We needed to have a call with some people back at ILM so provided us with an excuse to pass again. They said they would be more than happy to pick us up after the call but we resisted. They jokingly said they were going to call back to ILM and ask them why they sent a couple of duds to visit, at least I think they were joking.;) They made it pretty clear that on Wednesday night there would be no getting out of it.

I think we are destined to a late night tonight.

I am also including some pictures of our trip to the grocery store here. I always find it interesting to visit the grocery store in foreign countries to see how the true locals live. It was really very much like the stores at home. Of course you couldn't read a thing on most of the labels but other than that it was very similar. I will include a picture of a jar of mystery stuff that I found on one of the shelves. I think it is some sort of vegetable, maybe mushrooms, but it could be a meat too. There we a number of american things in the store.

I noticed that across from our hotel was the Macedonian version of a fast food restaurant. From the looks of it the place is no Burger King. They had some pictures of the food they served so I snapped a picture. They had some burgers and fries but the big difference is the fries actually go on top of the burger. It looked like they had some type of piroshki but other than that I couldn't really identify any of the other things. Maybe one of these days I will get brave and try something there.

Well I need to wrap things up for today but tune in tomorrow to see how our night out on the town went.

Day 2

Day 1 - more pics

Here are a few more pictures around the stone bridge and also a couple of pictures of the company we are visiting.