three nights, three countries and clear water
It was like waking up faced with another day of work, but then realizing it was Saturday. Sure, I had brought my swimming suit, but that was just because I am stubborn and try to go swimming everywhere possible. I must admit that I was looking forward to the shower's hot water enveloping my numb extremities more than the swim. I had already seen that rather than the hand held shower head that we have in Tirana, the hotel on shore in Pogradeci had a shower curtain.
Lake Ohrid straddles the border between Albania and Macedonia. I was totally prepared to have all the air inexplicably leave my lungs as I submerged. Wonderfully, it took some 30 minutes before my fingers were numb, but by that time, I had enjoyed swimming around and under a restaurant that was situated on a 30 square meter platform resting on pilings that must have been sunk into the bottom. I enjoyed appearing from below in the middle of the platform like a huge sturgeon and surprising people doing the morning clean up.
After the swim, we drove on to Thessaloniki, Greece and an Ikea store. Stores in the States on the day after Thanksgiving or the day before Christmas have nothing on this place. We arrived about midday and went straight to the lunch area. Packed to the gills is too mild to describe the melee. Maura said we were a family that had arrived at Disneyland too late in the day. A table was out of the question; we were lucky to find a couple wheeled carts to hold our trays as we ate.
That evening, when we ordered a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and feta cheese, the waiter said, "You mean a Greek salad?" Have you heard the joke: What do they call Chinese food in China? The answer will come below if you don't figure it out.
The next day, we looked at some sites in Thessaloniki. The most interesting thing for the boys and I were the dogs. As Travis and I walked around in the evening, we noticed a large, well fed dog with a huge head laying on the sidewalk in front of us. As we tried to find the sea, we walked two blocks and turned right. There, in front us, relaxing on the sidewalk, was either the same dog, or the dog's clone. We both remarked how the dog was not following us, but seemed to know where we would be. Still not finding the sea, we turned again at the next intersection, and there was the dog again. Each time, I bent to give him a pat—the second time, I noticed that one of his front elbows was swollen. The third time we saw the dog, I noticed the swollen limb.
This story about the mystery dog leads to the explanation of the fact that dogs are everywhere around the city. It seems to be something like cows in Bombay. At one square, near the ruins of a Roman flea market, they continued to sleep as the boys, screaming like children, chased pigeons. One had its head and shoulders wedged into a border around a tree as if it had been dropped from a helicopter.
On the way home, we stayed on the Macedonia side of the Lake. I was expecting similar swimming experience—after all, it's the same water. Never in my life have I swum in water more refreshing. Paddling on the top, looking down, I could see 10 meters to the bottom. I wanted to reach out a mile to the other side. Not since Thailand had I seem water so clear. Why was this water better? There was no salt water to clog up the nostrils, annoy the eyes, and fill my mouth with an sandpaper.
The place that comes closest to the clear, fresh water in Lake Ohrid was a place north of St. Petersburg, Russia at an unused pond with a large piece of army junk on the shore. It's an area that used to be Finland. At that tiny pond, I could also see 10 meters below me to the bottom.
In China, they call Chinese food, food.
Lake Ohrid straddles the border between Albania and Macedonia. I was totally prepared to have all the air inexplicably leave my lungs as I submerged. Wonderfully, it took some 30 minutes before my fingers were numb, but by that time, I had enjoyed swimming around and under a restaurant that was situated on a 30 square meter platform resting on pilings that must have been sunk into the bottom. I enjoyed appearing from below in the middle of the platform like a huge sturgeon and surprising people doing the morning clean up.
After the swim, we drove on to Thessaloniki, Greece and an Ikea store. Stores in the States on the day after Thanksgiving or the day before Christmas have nothing on this place. We arrived about midday and went straight to the lunch area. Packed to the gills is too mild to describe the melee. Maura said we were a family that had arrived at Disneyland too late in the day. A table was out of the question; we were lucky to find a couple wheeled carts to hold our trays as we ate.
That evening, when we ordered a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and feta cheese, the waiter said, "You mean a Greek salad?" Have you heard the joke: What do they call Chinese food in China? The answer will come below if you don't figure it out.
The next day, we looked at some sites in Thessaloniki. The most interesting thing for the boys and I were the dogs. As Travis and I walked around in the evening, we noticed a large, well fed dog with a huge head laying on the sidewalk in front of us. As we tried to find the sea, we walked two blocks and turned right. There, in front us, relaxing on the sidewalk, was either the same dog, or the dog's clone. We both remarked how the dog was not following us, but seemed to know where we would be. Still not finding the sea, we turned again at the next intersection, and there was the dog again. Each time, I bent to give him a pat—the second time, I noticed that one of his front elbows was swollen. The third time we saw the dog, I noticed the swollen limb.
This story about the mystery dog leads to the explanation of the fact that dogs are everywhere around the city. It seems to be something like cows in Bombay. At one square, near the ruins of a Roman flea market, they continued to sleep as the boys, screaming like children, chased pigeons. One had its head and shoulders wedged into a border around a tree as if it had been dropped from a helicopter.
On the way home, we stayed on the Macedonia side of the Lake. I was expecting similar swimming experience—after all, it's the same water. Never in my life have I swum in water more refreshing. Paddling on the top, looking down, I could see 10 meters to the bottom. I wanted to reach out a mile to the other side. Not since Thailand had I seem water so clear. Why was this water better? There was no salt water to clog up the nostrils, annoy the eyes, and fill my mouth with an sandpaper.
The place that comes closest to the clear, fresh water in Lake Ohrid was a place north of St. Petersburg, Russia at an unused pond with a large piece of army junk on the shore. It's an area that used to be Finland. At that tiny pond, I could also see 10 meters below me to the bottom.
In China, they call Chinese food, food.
posted by James Martin at
12:14 PM
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