Vushtrri Fire Department with Kosovo Fire Chief Isa Gahi. These guys fight fire with no boots (their dress shoes mostly), no gloves, no helmets and their turnouts have no insulation. There's a sneaky little plan in the works to change all that, we will try to keep you updated :) 
100104 Skopje, Macedonia
We tried, we really did. Julie worked here tail off getting the logistics of the coming Monday classes ready for both teams, as did Tamara from the Bilat office side of things. Pam and I set up at the Kalaya, which turned out to be the wisest decision we made all week. It was quiet there. The plan was to try to get the prep done for the classes before 3 PM. We got part of it done, from about 1030 hours to 1430 hours. We then had to get to the Academy in order to get to Prishtina on time. In the end we failed to complete the prep, and we opted to take our work with us to Greece.
Oliver drove and we went through yet more beautiful Kosovo, this time heading south from Prishtina to Macedonia, through the Kancinik municipality. I’ll be teaching the partners from there on Monday. This area of Kosovo is mountainous, and I spent a great deal of time watching out the window, trying to glimpse some of the life there. Again I was reminded of Southern Oregon.
This group of people can talk. I mean really talk. For Tamara, it seems to be a cultural thing, something most Americans don’t do a lot of. I think she is right, we don’t. She’s caught me 3 times now and asked why I am so quiet. I wonder if she thinks I am being too American about conversation, but I try to reassure her it is far less than that. It’s just that there really are 3 on-going conversations with six people in the van. I’m not much for multi-tasking and I don’t want to further complicate things by trying to talk and listen to the other conversations. I tend to get lost. So I listen and if there is something I can contribute, even if it is merely my crude humor, I will not hesitate.
As we approached the Macedonian border, Tamara told us to pass our passports forward for the two, yes two check points we would be going through. Everyone other than Ollie and Tammy began to comment regarding the border checks, saying we were surprised by the two points, rather than one. The traffic was backed up at the check point, some 15 vehicles. Trucks were on the right, passenger vehicles to the left. The checkpoint itself is a rather austere, toll booth looking affair, staffed with uniformed and armed officers. On both the north and south side of the check points are rows of small shops that sell food, beverages, cigarettes and such.
Ollie quipped the border guards of Macedonia typically take their time checking people through, opting to smoke or watch TV, and take breaks every second vehicle or so. After some 5 minutes without movement in the procession, it appeared there would be time to jump out of the van and grab a few bottles of water. Tamara agreed and off we went, Tamara, Ron and myself. Ron and I knew a smoke break would be good. We had just selected the water when Ron said the line was moving. I saw it too. Tamara was at the counter with far more water and goodies than I had thought we would get. I added mine as the young man at the counter got a cell phone call. He began to talk away, forgetting the customers standing before him. Tamara said something in Albanian to him, and I could hear her tone, it was urgent and rapid. The kid bagged and rang it up quickly, not wanting to lose the sale. By this time the van was beyond sight from the little shop and we began to run towards the border check with bags in hand. The line was moving and accelerating. Seems the border guards had become inspired. We caught the van just as it came to the window of the check point, our door was still open. Pam, Julie and Ollie were looking slightly stressed. We hopped in and waved to the guards.
Half a kilometer or so down the road was the second check point. There were no shops on the north side, but there was a line of taxis waiting for fares. Some people were walking through the check point on foot, mostly men wearing ragged suits. The Macedonian guards lived up to Ollie’s description, Ours took a cigarette break while we waited. The passports were closely examined and run through a computer scanner. Our pictures in the passports were matched against the faces in the van. We were sent on.
Macedonia is not like Kosovo. Well, mostly not like Kosovo. The ravages of poor economy are evident, but the stark, gray pall of concrete remains the highlight one can see from the roadway. I had an eerie feeling as we traveled the road towards Skopje, where we planned to pick up another passenger. Tamara said her name was Laina and that she was a great friend. We would all spend the night in Skopje and travel to Greece in the morning.
As we got close to Skopje, a huge, lighted cross appeared on a hill in the distance. I had noticed it but did not comment on it, as I was sure someone might do. When Skopje came into view, Tamara pointed the cross out, noting it was some 1500 feet tall. Macedonia had both Islamic and Christian symbols prominently displayed.
Skopje is not a small city, and I noticed something that I had not seen for a week or so prior; lights. Electric lights everywhere. The whole city was lit unashamedly. The roadways were 4 lane in some places and I could tell the place was large. We passed by an old Turkish castle, it’s ramparts lighted. There was a great deal of history here. Ollie drove on towards he city center, passing market places littered with cardboard and paper debris from the day’s trading. We arrived at an 8 story, modern, glass and steel structure that would be the Akar Hotel. We wound our way through tiny streets to it, only to stop and wait for a parking lot attendant to lift vertically placed steel posts from the roadway to allow us to pass.
The hotel itself is very nice. The staff was pleasant and professional and worked hard to make sure we had all we needed. The 7th floor of the hotel has a glass in bar and swimming pool. Ron said it reminded him of the pools and bar areas of cruise ships. From there we could see the castle as well as 3 of the four compass directions. By day it you could see the old caravan houses of the Turks.
Caravan houses were market places enclosed by 4 walls. Caravans would travel within the walls, tethering their camels to the walls from the inside. The center area of the house was open air, having no roof structure. Most often the buildings were multi-story. Today we went to one of three caravan houses that can be seen from the hotel. It is now is home to numerous restaurants and shops, and even a dance club where rap, disco and rock can be heard bumping the ancient walls.
So this morning we sit and drink our coffees atop the 7th floor, watching dawn over Macedonia. There is so much air pollution, I cannot stop seeing it, cannot stop fixating on it for long periods. Yet the city is ancient and beautiful. From up here you can see three of the ancient caravan houses, see pics attached.
We have been joined by Laina, a friend of Tamara and Oliver’s. She has a great wit and seems easy to talk with. She gets some of my abstract sarcasm, which I appreciate more than I can say. Sometimes I rub people the wrong way. We will leave soon for Thessaloniki and Sarti. We’re looking
Skopje, Macedonia ~ Mosque in foreground, The Millenium Cross (built to celebrate 2000 years of Christianity) on hillside in background. The cross is reportedly 300 meters tall.
You'll find such things at the side of the road all over Eastern Europe, can't speak for other parts of Europe. Americans often put up crosses where family and friends are killed. East Europeans put up shrines. Often these later become places to come to pray. Since there are so many of like kind in Kosovo, I assume Muslims also are placing these.
More pictures from Greece on the way. Dave has taken over 500 pictures total and we just can't get them transfered fast enough with the problematic connections he's dealing with over there. Time of course, is also an issue. Slowly but surely...
There will be more stories in route as soon as time is found to get them written down. Everyone is working incredibly long hours, putting their hearts into every second of it and the work is emotionally draining to say the least.
ok.. a few more pics to add here :)
Skopje, Macedonia. A city of mixed
time and ethnicity. The wall is part of an old Turk
fortress, set against the modern city.
This is Aqua Land dive center, owned by one very adept trainer, Aggelous Vasiliadis. The thatched roof area is the bar/dance area. Per the owner, there are some 7,000 people per day there in the height of tourist season.
Aqua Land has a website at www.aqualand.gr/en/
The gang :)
(L to R) Dr. Laina (International Peace Trainer), Dr. Tamara Duffy(Special Projects Manager, Director's Office Dept. of Police Education & Development, Kosovo Police Services School) , Oliver Janser (European Bilateral Training Program Manager), Pam, Jerry, Julie and Ron (Our COP Team) YAY!
