Road trip! North Macedonia - Kosovo - Montenegro - Bosnia and Hercegovina - Croatia

"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive."
~ Joseph Campbell

" I would rather die in a bus crash in Nepal than of boredom at home."
~ Me, to my poor mother, circa 1995

As I dropped the van off at the VW dealer in Macedonia, the first of three times(!), the service manager said, "1991, that's an old van!" I said, "Yeah, my friends keep saying, 'why don't you just get a new van,' and I don't have a good answer..." I looked at him imploringly, hoping for some pearls of wisdom, but he just laughed. Maybe the guy who sells brand new Volkswagens isn't the one to ask why I should keep repairing my 30-year-old van. When they couldn't identify an electrical problem with the alternator, he said, "Look at those guys," pointing to the technicians. "They were all born after your car was made!"

But it's a little complicated. I can't be the legal owner of a vehicle in Europe because I'm not a legal resident. Through two amazing friends who were willing to be the legal owners while I paid all the bills, I've had the van now for 11 years. Usually I'm in Europe for four or five months, so spending a big chunk of change on a van didn't make sense to me. But since the pandemic I've been here two years, and lately things keep failing on the van. Given the laws about transferring a vehicle from an EU country into France, I'm only able to bring in a standard factory-made camper van to avoid a costly and time-consuming inspection/normalization. (It was around €1,500 to bring my van from Germany.) I'd love a cozy customized van made in France. Oh, I'll just learn French real quick so I can search for one! Not so simple, really.

There are also some real benefits to driving an inexpensive vehicle to the places that I go. You should see where I go! I'm driving on narrow dirt roads with branches scraping both sides of the van at the same time. No problem! I'm driving where it would be better if I had a 4-wheel drive, I'm backing into things, and aware that one day that the van may die entirely. And it's all no problem, because it's inexpensive enough that I can afford to get it repaired, or get the dents fixed, or walk away entirely. I like that! I also appreciate the simplicity, if not the reliability, of my green monster.

Lastly: if predictability and routine were guiding principles in my life, I'd probably stay home.

SO! I had the engine rebuilt in November, and I need to be back in Slovenia to get some needed repairs under warranty. And I needed to come to Split, Croatia for a normal glaucoma check-up. I took only three days to drive, where you could do it in one long day, or if I didn't have a schedule I'd probably spend a month. Some photos, some stories, please to enjoy.

Too Much Love,
Dave


I buzzed through Kosovo quickly, crossing the border into Montenegro, which (who knew) is 80% mountains. Who knew anything about Montenegro! I'm a product of American schooling, and I don't remember much about the Balkans - not that I would have paid much attention anyway.

This is the Tara River Gorge, a spectacular canyon that is 80 km (50 miles) in length. The color of the water is incredible.

The Đurđevića Tara Bridge - wait, are those real letters? As an English-only speaker/reader/thinker/understanderer, sometimes I wonder if these people (somebody somewhere) don't actually give a hoot whether I'm comfortable with their wacky names and not-quite-real letters. Sorry, but I'm feeling marginalized. And feelings are real. Be an ally and support me! Anyway, this bridge-by-any-other-name is 172 metres (564 ft) above the Tara River.

I didn't jump.

Not far from the bridge I found this wide spot next to the road and wild camped for the night. Like many countries, it's technically illegal to wild camp, and widely practiced and accepted both by police and locals. I could hear the rushing river just next to me, just to the right of the photo.

I walked down to the river for a peek. River rafting is a popular sport here.

Do you remember all those other countries I was going to move to? Well, forget about them. I'm moving to Montenegro. If this village has a Peet's coffee, that's all I need.

A great village setting. The water is crystal clear.

I flag sites on Google Maps when someone mentions them, and I saw a flag on my map nearby that indicates "Want to go." I had no memory of why I flagged it, but it was the famous Ostrog monastery, the most popular in Montenegro. The road is narrow at the best places, and barely passable at others.

I took some photos for a friendly family of five. The Mom was an enthusiastic believer and asked how I came to be here. "Uh, kind of by accident, really," I said. She said with authority, "God brought you here!" Yeah, okay.

I really came here because I thought the place was 1,200 years old. I just looked it up, and it's "only" 350 years old. Can I deem that a miracle?? You can't just lose 850 years normally - in my world view, it's a miracle.

I always take a photo like this when I see them - usually in Tibetan temples.

What a setting.

They did a booming business in the shop!

This is a mosaic, taken from under the arch at the entrance.

I've crossed into Bosnia and Hercegovina by this point, and I'm scrambling on a baking hot day to find a place where it's not sweltering. When the road gets up to about 500 meters, (1,650 feet) I started looking for a place to park for the night.

And there you go. This small road went to a smaller village, and I tucked myself away here. Some friendly locals tooted their horn when they went by. Did they think it was ok that I was there? I hope so. It was super hot when I arrived, but cooled down in the night.

And the contrast, as I arrive in Solin, Croatia, just a few minutes from Split. I'm mostly showing you the photo of my room so you'll know that I'm not actually roughing it that much these days. I would NEVER stay in a place like this only a few years ago. My fall from grace started when I had the lip surgery in Delhi and needed a comfortable place to recover. After 10 days in a swish Indian Marriott, it's been downhill (by some people's perspective) ever since!

Walking distance from my hotel, this is the view from my favorite restaurant. That church at the left is brand new, just opened.

The town is ancient. It's thought that the Emperor Diocletian (who I always work into my blog posts) was born here, and he's known to have died here. There are substantial Roman ruins nearby, and the aqueduct that the Romans built to supply Split with water started here. These days Solin is relaxed and chill compared to the bars and night life in Split. So many families with young kids.

Another view from the restaurant.

And this is the interior of the new church. It's an unusual almost-round shape, but spacious and colorful inside. Beautiful.(The End)

Serbia, Stepping Back in Time

"Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it."

~ Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow

I am pushing a wheelbarrow through the Balkans, accumulating within it stories and photos, and I either need to move more slowly so I accumulate less, or shovel faster, because my wheelbarrow is full to overflowing. You could look at my VW van as a manifestation of that wheelbarrow, and lately he's become the star of the show. But that is not his designated role! As the meme goes, "VW van, you had one job, One Job!" Maybe he's just mad that I never gave him a name; lots of van people like having a name for their vehicle. I'm not really one of those van people, even though the van that I drove with Whitney through Central America for a year was named Basura Blanca, which translates to White Trash. Feel free to cancel me for that name, cuz the suspense is killing me. Cancel me now and let's get over with. I will agree that I'm terrible person if it makes it easier.

The current status of my nameless green steed has not changed much. It runs great, doesn't put out any visible exhaust, and is still consuming coolant at a much faster rate than it should - it shouldn't be consuming any. Since I sometimes smell a whiff of coolant when I'm driving, one possibility is that the heater is leaking. Another possibility is that my brain is leaking out my ears and prevents me from taking more mature and reasonable actions befitting my age, like buying a new van, going safer places, or staying home. A few years ago when I told my friend that I'm not actually crazy, she said, "That's what all crazy people say." You really can't deny that logic.

Yesterday I was pretty far south in Serbia, nearing the borders to Bulgaria or Macedonia. I'm not 100% sure how it happened, but tonight I'm in Macedonia! I was running out of days in Serbia, because I am only allowed 90 days and I have 14 remaining. I need to go back for my second vaccination and I'd also like to get some dental work done. As I was sitting in the line of cars at the border I was searching for what language they speak in Macedonia. In the gas station when I fueled up I had no idea what I was paying, I just put it on my credit card. As I drove through the crowded small towns looking for wild camping in the hills, I saw some Muslims and thought, oh right, it's a Muslim majority country. Nope. It's roughly 2/3 Macedonian Orthodox and 1/3 Muslim. But now that I've been here for a few hours and driven past a few houses, I'm kind of an expert. If you have any questions I'm available.

Is there a topic? I forget. Enjoy the photos, whilst you ponder the amazing history of Serbia. Personally, I find it fascinating!

Road trip! When you snap a picture through your windshield, does that really count as photography? How about if you take pictures with your phone? I think I have two strikes against me. (If anyone wants to cancel me they're still welcome to!)

My research leaves a little bit to be desired. As I was driving on the freeway I saw a tourism sign to something that sounded Roman. I looked it up and a few days later came.

There was a substantial Roman fortified palace built in the third and fourth centuries AD.

It's called Felix Romuliana.

And it was built by the son-in-law and emperor successor of Split's Diocletian. I'm excited about that because I've been a huge fan of Diocletian's Palace in Split since I first saw it in 2010.

So 1,700 years of history takes its toll on unmaintained buildings - let this be a lesson to you people with houses.

In my last newsletter I had this view taken at sunset. Just after this photo I wanted to go for a drive with the van to test the consumption of oil and coolant. Instead of going back the way I came I followed Google Maps. And I kind of think Google's never been to Serbia, because what looked like a paved road on the map was actually some freaking steep tilted forestry road that once I got started down it, I couldn't easily turn around and come back. So like the dimwit that I am I just kept going. I don't make those kind of decisions once in a while, I make them with great regularity. But why? (To my credit, I almost never get stuck.)

A friend suggested staying near bigger cities while I was testing my van, which would make perfect sense. So what do I do? Work my way down this windy little road in the middle of nowhere, in a narrow valley where there's neither internet nor phone service. It was a great choice, as the next photos will show. But was it a reasonable choice? This is the van that night, with a few clouds and stars in the sky.

I wasn't sure it was a great idea to go further into the valley, but it really was incredibly beautiful and I couldn't resist.

I had no idea what this sign said as I took it, but just now I translated it using Google. Good for them!

WARNING

INVESTORS OF DERIVATIVE SMALL HYDRO POWER PLANTS

YOU ARE NOT WELCOME !!!

THIS IS OUR ECOLOGICAL PARADISE.

HUMANS, TROUT, CRUSTACEANS, EAGLES AND OTHER LIVING WORLDS HAVE LIVED TOGETHER FOR CENTURIES

YOU DIDN'T GET IT FROM THE PEOPLE

WE WILL DEFEND OUR RIVER UNITY UNTIL THE END

ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF STARA PLANINA WE DEFEND THE RIVERS OF STARA PLANINA.

I was fascinated by this little village at the end of the road down this narrow valley.

It really felt like going back in time.

I had never seen this before, horses dragging logs down the road. How old would you say this technology is??

This guy told the horse to stop when it got close to me so I could step over the branches. It stopped immediately, no hesitation.

This barn is a little older than the other ones, but almost all the houses in the village had this same look.

This is a close-up of a foundation to a house or a barn. Instead of a more sturdy stucco, it looks like a mix of clay and soil and straw. I don't imagine it has much insulation value, or resistance to weather.

I love this old bridge.

House? I guess so.

House? Barn? I'm not sure.

I'd love to know more of the history of this place. I think that tractor is the only thing that would be out of place 200 years ago.

Driving back out of the valley, this was a road I'd seen on the map. A group of Polish adventurers drove their vehicles across that long stretch of water. But they did it with great care, making sure that they'd all get across.

Last night I headed towards a lake and saw this nice sunset on the way. I didn't find any spectacular wild camp sites, and ended up just to the side of a small road. Sometimes this happens!

And today I had about 3 hours drive to cross the border into Macedonia. It was a really beautiful winding road through green valleys. If you look across the river you can see a small road, and I'm standing at the other end of that road. I guess tractors or other special four-wheel drive vehicles drive all the way across that river.

I've started using Google Maps with Google satellite view to find places to wild camp, and sometimes it works out great. I was driving through busy neighborhoods this afternoon and almost gave up before I saw a lake on the map. This was the substantial dam for the lake.

Et, voila. This is my little spot for the night. A little bit ago I heard hooves of a horse clopping by, I assumed with someone riding it. But then an hour later I saw the horse along with a car, as the car was herding the horse back home!

(The End)

The first hour of my 20-hour road trip to Turkey

Published by Dave Adair
May 9th, 2021

"There are only two tragedies in life: not getting what you want, and getting what you want."

~ Oscar Wilde (paraphrased)

Only one sad photo in this newsletter: my van in the garage in yet another foreign country.

I finally got my act together and left Belgrade, Serbia today at noon. If I drove straight through to my ultimate destination in the southwest of Turkey, it would be a 20-hour drive. I planned to see a few undetermined sites in the south of Serbia before I crossed Bulgaria and entered Turkey.

As I was driving I thought I smelled an unusual smell, one that I couldn't identify, maybe from the van. An hour later I pulled into a rest stop and smelled it again. I looked under the van and saw something dripping. A lot. Uh oh. There's a large plate under the van that prevents you from looking at the engine directly from underneath. The fluid was dripping into this pan and then onto the ground, which means it's mixed with whatever gunk is on the pan. I got some on my fingers and didn't think it smelled as strong as diesel, but it didn't only smell like water either. I drove my van's front wheels up onto the curb to get a better look and had the hood open, as two men approached. One didn't speak a word of English, the other did speak one word of English. I used Google Translate and indicated that something was leaking, I didn't know if it was water or diesel. He looked and thought it was water, and suggested, through an interpreter on the phone, coming with him to a mechanic's shop.

It was a Sunday, I was next to a gas station on the toll road with no mechanic, and I quickly contemplated my choices. I could spend the night in my van in this parking lot; I could pretend like I knew whether it was safe to drive my van with diesel leaking profusely until tomorrow; or I could go with these two potential serial killers to a demonic location that only the cult members knew! I focused on this being only "potential," and decided quickly to go with them. I didn't see a good alternative.

The main guy indicated that his partner would come with me in the van, and it was only a 15 minute drive to the mechanic. Who was the mechanic, were they qualified, were there more serial killers there - all of these questions remained unasked and unanswered.

We left the rest stop, and immediately lost track of the lead car. About 3 minutes later we took the first exit and I realized I didn't have my phone. I didn't take the news well. I was already feeling stressed and uncertain about my choice, and then when I didn't see the first car or my phone my mind latched onto the idea that it was somehow a scam. I pulled off the highway onto some grass and started searching for my phone, and after not finding it, I was really in a state. Fortunately I kept my state to myself, because on the second go round I found it underneath some papers. I had moved everything in the passenger seat to allow the murderer (ok, potential murderer) to join me, and in my panic had scooped it up and put it in the back. (Imagine if I had lost my cool and started yelling at this poor guy who was trying to help me out!) The trip continued.

At the next intersection we rejoined the lead car and continued for a few minutes until we pulled straight into a property that was a combination of house and mechanic's garage. There was a group of families sitting outdoors with kids, grandma and grandpa were entertaining everyone. What crazy kind of cult is this?!

They didn't have a lift for the car, but had the old school pit dug underneath the car and had me drive over the top of it. Minutes later they had the pan off the bottom of the van and asked me to start the car. Once I did they brought me down the stairs and showed that diesel was really pouring out of the fuel pump, directly onto the alternator that is below it. Aha!

So. What have we learned? With all the tools and potential torture instruments spread around the garage, were any used on me? No. Was there any indication that they were trying to take advantage of me by helping me out on a Sunday when every other place is closed? No. Did they only do it for my benefit? Of course not, they are mechanics and it's how they pay their bills, so it benefits them - but probably not as much as it benefits me.

This is one of the downsides of driving a 30-year-old car: things periodically break down. But they don't break down that often, and most of the breakdowns that I've experienced have led to some really interesting times and pleasant experiences. No one wants to break down, I think that's pretty clear. But if you can remember at the time it's happening that it's going to work out, then guess what: you'll stay relatively calm, you'll have interesting experiences, and things will work out!

By dumb luck, they happened to come across me in the rest area, asked me if I wanted to come to the mechanic, assessed the situation, then drove me to an inexpensive hotel only 5 minutes from the shop. Believe me when I say there are not hotels every 5 minutes where I am. So far things are going incredibly smoothly. There also happens to be an official Bosch refurbishing center located in the same town, which will rebuild my fuel pump tomorrow. And they will install it by the afternoon, we hope.

One hour down, only 19 hours to go to my destination in Turkey. I'm not sure what to wish for! Updates, somehow, to follow.

Love and more love,

Dave