Due to our relative lack of understanding of the political situation, our best laid plans were waylaid this morning. Looking at a rail map, the best clear route from Pristina to the real rail network, and east to Istanbul is through Nis, a city in Serbia. At the Pristina bus station yesterday, I was told there wasn’t a bus to Nis, but I thought they meant that day, not ever. Finding a person who spoke more than a little english, we were able to piece together that the bus doesn’t go through that border crossing. My requests were something like asking to go from Jerusalem to Gaza on public transit, without understanding that it simply isn’t done. So, lesson learned, we took a bus to Skopje, Macedonia, from where we can catch a train to Nis and parts beyond.
Skopje is a stellar example of Communist architecture. The city was virtually destroyed in an earthquake in the 1960’s, and rebuilt in the style of the period, to the delight of architecture buffs, but probably the detriment of the citizens. The opera and ballet house has been described as just like the one in Syndey, except square. Hannah and I spent the day in our conspicuously clean but slightly creepy HI hostel, and ventured out after the heat of the day to find sustenance in the form of food, phones and internet. One down, two to go.
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