Pacific Specifics

  What a beautiful night. Usually we are on the go all day and then by nightfall we are worn out, and we are at home. Today we went out after dark. We met a man asking for help. He asked us in several languages, which is the first thing that caught my attention. He spoke very good English. Some people here speak English well but their accent is almost impossible. We have a new friend named Samir. This is his story. He says he worked at the embassy in Syria for 12 years. He was over the janitors at the building, and sometimes his boss would ask him to help with some translating. He speaks Arabic, English, German, Turkish, and he listed a few others. He has been married for 33 years to his wife, and doesn't understand people who don't love like he does. He doesn't like that a lot of couples don't stick together. He has 4 children, his oldest is 32 and his youngest is 19 years old. He was so skinny! We offered to buy him some food, but he said his stomach had shrunk  so...

    I try to tell myself I'm ready. For whatever comes next. We biked a lot again on Monday. All day and all over. We went to the big square downtown. We went to a little natural history museum because it had air conditioning. We went to the sad little zoo because it was only a dollar to get in. The mini monkeys were pretty cool. One of the bears looked up and gazed into my very soul. I've never been so close to one before.   Then we found a tiny outdoor concert in the park by the zoo, and ate popcorn and chilled. Then we rode our bikes through the park as the sun started to ease on the horizon, perfect picture taking opportunity. It was spring in Europe! It was wonderful. Cute little bridges and benches all over. Not too many people. Very quaint.   Then stop for ice cream to break up the long way home. I think I looked on the map and it was at least 13 kilometers.   I love the cool ride along the river into downtown in the morning. I also really love the r...

    On Wednesday we made a friend with our cab driver on a short ride into town. On Friday he took us for a trip to Serbia. On Sunday he went to church with us, and we visited with him and his wife at their house. This is the ultimate joy of travel. To make new friends, and learn new things. His wife made us some really tasty food, and I was so incredibly happy. He went from our cab driver, to our friend who drives a cab. You know what I mean?   Plus, it was nice to sit still after all the biking on Saturday. We went out from 9am to 5pm. We made friends with some guys at the table next us, and they were members of a band about to play in the square. We tried to kill 2 hours and then go listen to them, but we were sunburned and wiped out. And by we, I mean me. We went home instead of checking out their concert. Again, the best of travel as the two guys were from Chile and Cuba, living in Canada, but traveling for performances. They said they were the band, Enrique ...

I love to learn. Here is part of my education for today.   "Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and re-education) is the non-scientific concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject’s ability to think critically or independently, to allow the introduction of new, unwanted thoughts and ideas into the subject’s mind, as well as to change his or her attitudes, values, and beliefs."   I'm trying to brainwash some people today. Here is my plan. I'm trying to change the world with one piece of self respect at a time. Real and true self respect.   "The person with self-respect simply likes her- or himself. This self-respect is not contingent on success because there are always failures to contend with. Neither is it a result of comparing ourselves with others because there is always someone better. The...

    I invite you to take a break from America, from Canada, from Costa Rica, from wherever you are, and pretend you are taking an absolutely-crazy-last minute-one-day trip to Serbia with me.   It all started yesterday when we grabbed a cab to downtown.    This turned out to be a very special ride. The driver spoke good English. He also spoke Macedonian and Serbian and German. He was so friendly. I was ready to be mad at him because he was smoking while driving, but he was truly a good guy. So good that we let him drive us to Serbia today. Who goes to Serbia in a taxi?? We do. A day trip to Serbia. Very surreal.   There are other circumstances to this last minute trip, but I think I will write about it after we leave Macedonia. It just made me realize that there is no such thing as a normal trip to Europe. Always expect things to take more time, and have a cushion for unexpected expenses. I'm just saying.   Except for massive allergy issues - ...

  Well here I am again. Another wrap up of a day in Macedonia. Perfect weather and the rain doesn't hit until I'm back home relaxing and able to enjoy the sounds of the drops hitting everything in their fight with gravity. It's a good hard rain, and I'm not out on my bike. Especially with that lightening and thunder. I may go in our room and lay on the bed just to listen to the thunder.   Another night of being wiped out from a full day. We biked for 45 minutes starting at 8:15 in the morning. So by 9am I was done.   We stopped and rested for an hour, and then biked some more. The first ride was cool because we went along the same route as yesterday, next to the river by 10 feet. Then we went even further to a part along the river I hadn't seen before. The big businesses ended and a tree lined area appeared. Next time I can't wait to go even further and see where the trail ends.   The second ride was in an area we had only gazed at before. It was at fort on a...

     So I stayed home and relaxed, Ron was gone doing stuff for 4 hours. I was happy to stay home. Then I was ready to ride bikes.   I have no idea how long it took to get there, but I was doing good and not tired (I'm so happy with my stamina). We arrived where we were yesterday, where the river goes through town and there are multiple bridges.   I was ready to get my bottom off the bike, though. It was also nice because the sky turned cloudy. Just over 80 degrees somewhere. Great when I'm riding a path dedicated to bikes, along a river. It's simple to get to, but the first part of the road is not bike friendly, it has high curbs. I have a heavy bike with thin tires. I don't like that so much. When you see the church, cross the street to go down under the bridge to ride along the river.   So we head back, parts of the sky are turning all those sunset colors. I was looking around, and feeling the breeze of bike riding. I was thinking that this w...

  Yay for sleeping in. Then we went back to downtown Skopje. We visited this multi-domed church that was empty of people. It was not as ornate as other churches, no spires. A few statues. However it was a sight to behold. There was a segmented picture every few feet on the wall itself, not in a frame. Ancient saints, I suppose. The paintings went in rows and continued on the ceiling. The only thing blocking the view was a humongous chandelier that was hanging fairly low in the room and was about 12 feet across. Would I say a 12 foot circumference, since it was a circle?   Speaking of math in Macedonia, let me explain the issues I have with the language. They use numbers. There is a letter that looks like a 3, and one that looks like a 6 and an open 4. I was good at everything in school until I was introduced to algebra word problems. It was my downfall then, and it's not helping now. It took me years to get smart at math again. Between numbers and accents, I have not tried ...