As we are moving away from Bitola, we start to see tobacco fields. We have never seen tobacco growing so there is great interest in the van. “Stop the van!” someone calls and Murray, R and our guide pile out to take photos.
Further down the road we see metal vaulted structures covered with plastic with what looks like tobacco leaves hanging on racks. “Stop the van!”
We jump out of the van and walk toward the structures and there happens to be people just there. The young woman invites us to come look. It is indeed tobacco leaves drying. The huts at the far end have all brown leaves and they move through yellows to fresh green leaves where we are standing.
We chat to the young woman (age 16), her grandmother (age 64) and her father. The price of tobacco has gone down and they only get 500Dinar for a kilogram of dried tobacco. They have to pay the pickers, so the profit is not too much. They also grow some organic fruit and veg and gift us a watermelon, a bag of tomatoes and a melon. The tomatoes are delicious and I will eat them for lunch until they are gone.
The visit was wonderful and I think both sides enjoyed it very much. I know I did.
After about 2 hours of driving we arrive in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The population of the city is about 500,000 so it has a big city feel. The crosswalks aren’t like Tirana, the cars don’t stop for you. The traffic is heavy and the people are everywhere.
Mother Teresa was born in Skopje! There is a small museum about her life and a statue or two.
I have to tell this story. We had another local guide take us around the downtown area. At one point, he says to Murray, “Is the small one Greek?” ( Meaning me, of course.) Mur says “Well, she is half Greek, her father was Greek.” And he says “That’s why she doesn’t listen.” HAH! I was mostly listening to his verbal diarrhea of names, dates, places and history!
Gypsies. Yup, there are gypsies in Skopje and area. We first stopped a Gypsies camp on the outskirts of the city. Then, when we were at the Mother Teresa museum there was a family of them close by. Mur and I locked eyes and both understood to watch our possessions. We spotted them again further along our walk and L thought she say a couple of young girls pick pocket a woman. Tourists have to be so careful.
My last comment about Skopje is that I am impressed by two statues, one of King Phillip II of Macedonia and one of his son, Alexander III of Macedonia (Alexander the Great). The statues are absolutely huge, majestic and impressive.