Day 14, Bitola

September 13, 2019

Bitola

Today was a day of relaxation as I wanted to meet my cousin Willi here in Bitola. Surprisingly, he was punctual. I, on the other hand, was not😎, as I had an appointment with a physiotherapist💆‍♂️ to loosen my back muscles and take care of my still painful foot after twisting it again yesterday, as it is still not fully recovered. I arrived at the train station🏃‍♂️ half an hour late - but I saw Willi sitting in a cafe☕ just before the station. However, I had already sent him the names and location of our accommodation yesterday. After he checked in at the motel, we went to the old town and the bazaar. The bazaar is truly impressive! It covers an area of ​​about 4000 square meters and is mainly filled with fruits and vegetables! We stocked up on nuts🥜, dates, and some plums for tomorrow. Afterwards, we went to a nice café in the old town to have freshly squeezed orange juice🍊 and coffee☕. Our plan for tomorrow is to take a taxi for about 25 km to bypass the coal mining area east of Bitola. After that, we will not have a fixed accommodation for about 5 days as we will only pass through very small villages. However, if we are too far away from water, food, and a place to stay overnight (camping), we will hitchhike (if a car happens to pass by). The next place where we can find a hotel or guesthouse and have Wi-Fi again is about 5 days away.

 In the evening, I experienced an unusual situation. Willi was in the room struggling with his mobile phone and his Alpine club app. He wanted to run over it with a steamroller. I was still downstairs in the garden talking to locals about the purpose of our trip. An indigenous man was sitting at my table and he asked where we started from and where our destination is. I answered all his questions. Shortly afterwards, he asked me if I was hungry or thirsty, and he could cook something for me (most of the local guests at the motel cook for themselves). But I politely declined and went to the kitchen to wash our tea cups. He followed me and put 500 Dinar (about €8.50) and €50!! into my pocket and said: 'it's for your travel'! I couldn't refuse at that moment because I was holding the cups to wash them! He turned around and left. After placing the wet cups aside, I followed him to the outdoor area where there were tables and several seats, took his hand, and returned his money! But he immediately wanted to reject it. I explained to him that I had enough money for this trip, thanked him, and went to the room. I still can't really understand this situation. Is he gay? I would say 'no'. Am I a target audience for gay people? I would say 'no'. Now, on top of that, in this motel, only people who have very little money and no car live, and the monthly salary here rarely exceeds €300! (the room costs us €20). For locals, it is probably cheaper, as there are communal showers and several people sleep in one room! Nonetheless, I still can't really comprehend this unexpected 'help'!

7 weeks later update: Of course, I know that he genuinely wanted to help me travel safely and without hunger, but I still can't fully grasp it! There is probably not a day that I don't think about this situation! This experience has impressed me the most and has a lasting impact on me!

 THANKS!