Backpacking 2022

A 26-day public-transport-crazed backpacking tour of Central/Eastern Europe: the Tatras to the Balkans Leggi altro

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Inizio del viaggio
5 luglio 2022
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Giorno 1
martedì 5 luglio 2022 13:41
⛅ 20 °C
Altitudine: 11 m
Inghilterra Bournemouth Airport 50.777734, -1.83288850°46’40” N 1°49’58” W
Bournemouth Airport
5 luglio 2022, Inghilterra ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
[JJ] Thomas water bottle count: 4
JJ water bottle count: 0

Thomas can't get any water in one of them though soo who's actually winning? Let's get this adventure underway
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ViaggiatoreIt'll be like Los Gigantes all over again! always take water with you
05/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreit's more fun when you get to steal other people's
05/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreHv a good trip 🤞👍
05/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorethanks Gilly!
05/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 1
martedì 5 luglio 2022 18:59
🌧 18 °C
Altitudine: 250 m
Polonia John Paul II International Airport Kraków–Balice 50.071667, 19.850°4’18” N 19°48’0” E
Kraków Airport
5 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
[Thomas] Made it here in a Krakow a whip, and already had a minor crisis as we (JJ) dropped our bus ticket and the binman swept it up, so we had to very kindly ask for it back! 😂
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ViaggiatoreYou got it back then?
05/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes
05/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI don't know if you could have done something more typically JJ on the first day
05/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 2
mercoledì 6 luglio 2022 12:23
⛅ 22 °C
Altitudine: 233 m
Polonia Pławy 50.035, 19.1750°2’6” N 19°10’12” E
Auschwitz-Birkenau
6 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
[JJ] A very sobering experience. No words are able to truly describe what went on here.

We saw corridors upon corridors of prisoners' belongings taken from them: kids' shoes, spectacles, cooking pots, even human hair. We walked through the gas chambers, we saw the giant Auschwitz camp, then Birkenau, which was 25 times larger than even that.

I walked a million steps last month, and if every step were a person dying then it still wouldn't be as many people that died within these fences.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore😪😪 🙏🙏
06/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes. an incredible achievement you did last month walking all that way. that's a good way to put it in perspective. if every step was someone's life it's just horrific to think about....stay safe& enjoy rest of your trip. onto the salt mine tomorrow?
06/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes I didn't realise it till you pointed that out and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Yup, onto Wieliczka then Zakopane tomorrow. Will do 😘
06/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI've been in Holocaust exhibition in Imperial War Museum and it showed some of their remains on display. Vy sad.
10/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 2
mercoledì 6 luglio 2022 17:03
🌧 18 °C
Altitudine: 206 m
Polonia Dębniki 50.055, 19.92833350°3’18” N 19°55’42” E
1
Kraków
6 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
[JJ 05/07] Our first footsteps in Krakow took us from a tram station to the old town, one of the first ever selected UNESCO world heritage sites, with pretty pedestrianised streets inside the old city walls and surrounded by a cool circular park aptly named 'planty'. We found our hostel: Greg & Tom hostel and immediately tucked into some dinner on the romantic little balcony, narrowly avoiding a barrage of rain.

After I had a short passport misplacing scare, we then went on a voyage to the local Carrefour and enjoyed the wonders of the Polish language, which is reminiscent of if you've ever smashed your head onto a keyboard. We were first tickled by 'Chleb', Polish for bread, before rediscovering the holy grail of confectionery treats: Plopps! Or at least their Polish cousins with debateably an even better name: BUM boomki! Listen to that sweet pop 😩

We ended the night by making some Chlebwiches for our trip to Auschwitz tomorrow

[Thomas 06/07] Free breakfast ✅ Quick dash to bus stop ✅ Bus caught ✅

After getting back from Auschwitz, we explored Wawel Castle, saw a real-life fire breathing dragon, climbed a tower, walked up and down the main Street many, many times, explored the Jewish Quarter and delighted Thomas by riding on a tram.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore love this pic reminds me of Belgian town square(s).. 😊
10/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreinteresting pics 👏 x
10/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 3
giovedì 7 luglio 2022 10:52
⛅ 22 °C
Altitudine: 249 m
Polonia Wieliczka 49.983682, 20.05765549°59’1” N 20°3’28” E
Wieliczka Salt Mine
7 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
An 800 year old salt mine as deep as 370m. Everything, yes literally everything was made out of salt (even me), from the statues built by miners to the crystals in the chandeliers. Our tour guide's grandad even used to work here mining too.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreAmazing 😳 It's one of my to do visits! One day I hope 🤞👍👏
07/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI'd certainly recommend it, it's very impressive!
08/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreLooks incredible!
07/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI know we do🥰
13/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 3
giovedì 7 luglio 2022 21:42
🌧 13 °C
Altitudine: 839 m
Polonia Zakopane 49.2987, 19.95179949°17’55” N 19°57’6” E
2 2
Zakopane
7 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
[JJ] After getting off the bus in Zakopane, this evening has consisted of dinner in McDonald's, fighting self service checkouts in Lidl, and missing the bus stop to our hostel because we were having too much fun reminiscing about notable players who've played in the Indian football superleague, causing us to then have to walk through the damp dark Polish woods. We are well and truly amongst some beautiful mountains here, and although I haven't taken any pictures of them yet, we're thoroughly excited to get hiking tomorrow from our hostel: Goodbye Lenin Hostel, where a cat refuses to get off of my bed.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore What a legend
07/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorewhat a ledjemb*
07/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore @thomas I improved the caption for you
07/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreWhy thank you, that really clears things up
07/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 4
venerdì 8 luglio 2022 13:00
☁️ 10 °C
Altitudine: 1.638 m
Polonia Dolina Stawów Gąsienicowych 49.2326, 20.01520149°13’57” N 20°0’55” E
Czarny Staw Gasienicowy
8 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
[JJ] The first part of today's hike was astoundingly straightforward (at least compared to the second part, see next). We motored up to this very pretty lake, almost a warm up for the real delight at Rysy tomorrow. We also climbed up over Maly Koscielec before we deviating from our planned route for some gnarlier looking paths.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreAbsolutely stunning with reflections in the water 😍 x
09/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 4
venerdì 8 luglio 2022 17:00
🌧 8 °C
Altitudine: 1.965 m
Polonia Kasprowy Wierch 49.2329, 19.98270149°13’58” N 19°58’58” E
1
Kasprowy Wierch
8 luglio 2022, Polonia ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
[JJ] After we descended from Karb, we saw a very pretty and inviting stream which led to the following interaction:

JJ: *starts drinking from stream*
Thomas: *looks over at plant further upstream and brushes against it* wow this plant is the most deadly in the UK!
JJ: *spits out water*
Thomas: wow apparently death from this plant is instantaneous
Thomas: *then starts drinking from stream*?!!?

So in spite of fearing we might have just poisoned ourselves (and in Thomas' case intentionally so?), we decided to trek up the exposed section to Swinicka Przelecz, where there were at least some incredible views to see while potentially dying. In particular, a vast valley unfolded beneath us from the top and looked out over the Slovakian border for the first time. Along the following ridge walk, a torrent of rain came hurtling from the sky as the forecast had been predicting all day. But disaster strikes at this very moment as Thomas discovers that he somehow left his coat at the hostel(!). So in the teeming rain we managed to rush to Kasprowy Wierch mountain and hide in the cable car station, where Thomas dried out a little and gorged on chips a lot before deciding the most sensible action was to take the cable car all the way down to Kuznice.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore*instantaneous to within an hour!
09/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreStunning scenery 🤩 x
09/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes the Tatras are beautiful!
11/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 5
sabato 9 luglio 2022 14:00
⛅ 11 °C
Altitudine: 2.499 m
Slovacchia Sedlo Váha 49.179583, 20.08804649°10’46” N 20°5’17” E
Mt Rysy
9 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
[JJ] Rysy pysy 🍋 sqyzy

Except actually it was difficult difficult lemon difficult. We severely underestimated climbing Poland's tallest mountain: Mt Rysy. After a 9 km hike from the entrance of the national park where the bus dropped us, we found our way to Morskie Oko, meaning 'eye of the sea' and the largest lake in the Tatras mountains. Unfortunately there was still some mountain fog lingering so we didn't quite see it in its full glory. After Thomas's 3rd (out of 6) toilet breaks of the day (get that checked out Thomas x) in the nearby restaurant, we then climbed up to Czarny Staw pod Rysami. This lake had an enchanting emerald colour and served as the backdrop to our ultimatum lunch before the ascent, and opposite to some beautiful waterfalls.

When Rysy's outline vaguely emerged from the clouds on our approach, we doubted what the hell we were doing, but even then it probably should have alarmed us more than it did. The climb did start off as you might expect a steep hike to, however: twisty, craggy, strenuous. But as we ascended further and further into the clouds and past patches of snow, walking quickly turned into crawling and the path was quickly replaced by mere chains with which to haul ourselves up the cliff faces. The closer we inched to the summit, the more difficult it continued to degenerate: at one point Thomas even checked the map after what felt like a long section of scrambling only to find we had only moved 8 metres! This exposure continued for well over an hour and certain sections really did feel like one misplaced step could well have cost you your life, which I tried to find the funny side in. Perhaps the best way I can find to describe how dodgy the route was is that I finally experienced a collector's item, a swear word from Thomas!

After mustering the mental strength to heave ourselves to the summit, we enjoyed some incredible views over the High Tatras as the clouds dispersed just at the right time. Looking down on an entire mountain range like that is a feeling I'll never forget!Leggi altro
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Giorno 5
sabato 9 luglio 2022 15:39
⛅ 14 °C
Altitudine: 1.242 m
Slovacchia Štrbské Pleso 49.126, 20.074749°7’34” N 20°4’29” E
Popradské Pleso
9 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
[JJ] Sat on the Rysy summit, we had a big old head befuddling think and concluded that we didn't fancy going back down the Polish side of the mountain, doing the scrambling we had done on the way up, except backwards. So we decided (without even knowing if we could get back to our accommodation) to hike down via the Slovak side which we knew was significantly easier.

And luckily, it was not only significantly easier, but debateably more scenic too, as the clouds cleared and we descended through a series of gorgeous valleys. A quick game of 'throw the stone' and a lot of photo stops later and we found ourselves in an immaculate pine forest, which led down to Popradské Pleso train station. In spite of Thomas marvelling at the electric locomotive, the train timetable wasn't particularly favourable and after some problem solving, Thomas magic'd up a route back via a taxi to nearby village Vysoké Tatry, a bus to Lysa Polana at the border, then a final bus to the hostel.Leggi altro
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Giorno 6
domenica 10 luglio 2022 14:35
⛅ 18 °C
Altitudine: 547 m
Slovacchia Hrabušice 48.981355, 20.40523748°58’53” N 20°24’19” E
Hrabusice
10 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
[JJ] Today has been a fairly low-key event; Thomas felt fairly ill this morning so slept in while I chatted to Cleo and Olive, a pair of interrailling teens from Cornwall, as well as a friendly Polish woman in our dorm for a few hours. By midday we checked out and headed into Zakopane for the final time, where we refueled with lunch and said a final goodbye to Poland in what has been a thoroughly enjoyable visit. We then retraced our steps of yesterday, taking two buses before arriving in Poprad, oddly our third time (at least) entering Slovakia this trip. A final train ride was sandwiched by sightings of giant snails, which seem to be abundant here in Slovakia!

We are now settling in at Villa Vraji and prepping for a trek through some gorges in Slovak Paradise tomorrow.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreSounds like you needed a more leisurely day after yesterday!! Hope Thomas is feeling a lot better.
10/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes it was much needed, think he's feeling good now!
11/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 7
lunedì 11 luglio 2022 09:00
⛅ 19 °C
Altitudine: 681 m
Slovacchia Píla 48.951964, 20.3825348°57’7” N 20°22’57” E
2
Sucha Belá
11 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
[JJ] We entered Slovak Paradise National Park early this morning and our first action was exploring sucha belá, an epic gorge with lanky via ferrata-esque ladders and platforms on a route twisting through the chasms above a crystal stream and deep below pristine pines.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatorewow quite a route with a difference 👏 👏 x
11/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes it was great, very different type of walking and much more laid back than it looks!
11/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore Adventure is out there! CAW CAW
12/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorejust looking for a snipe
13/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 7
lunedì 11 luglio 2022 14:08
⛅ 21 °C
Altitudine: 645 m
Slovacchia Spišské Tomášovce 48.945, 20.4648°56’42” N 20°27’36” E
1
Tomásovsky View
11 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
[JJ] After a stroll through the Slovakian woods, we emerged into a clearing with the ruins of an abandoned monastery dating back to 1299. It was only after rooting around there that we soon discovered a self-service beer dispenser in the middle of nowhere! And as tourists we felt obliged to do as the locals do, so naturally we stuck our heads right under the tap and necked the local lager straight! (Disclaimer: no locals did this.)

We then took an atmospheric hike up to Tomásovsky View, experiencing the second up close sighting of a chamois on the trip. We joked about how a near death experience with a bear would make great reading for this blog and continue the theme of almost killing ourselves but unfortunately no bears obliged on this particular day. The remainder of the walking led us through more wacky gorge trekking while we found a way to fit 'chleb' into every word possible. Our best attempts included: Chlebanon, John McEnchleb and Chleibig condenser (don't ask, too much explaining needed.)

Finally, we returned to Hrabusice after the local Coop closed so we feasted instead at Restauracia U Hudaka, where I can honestly say I had some of the best restaurant food I've ever eaten, it was amazing, and pretty cheap too!Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreYou look like you’re washing your hair in chleb!! 💕
11/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorewell that explains why the bees took to me after this...
11/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore😳
11/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 8
martedì 12 luglio 2022 11:06
⛅ 23 °C
Altitudine: 236 m
Slovacchia Bratislava 48.153333, 17.148°9’12” N 17°6’0” E
Bratislava
12 luglio 2022, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
[JJ] We got up at 4:50 am this morning to walk into Vydrnik in time to catch our train to Poprad, then onto Bratislava. We never even intended to stop in Bratislava but our train was delayed so we couldn't catch our connection onto Vienna on time. Luckily they go every hour though, so we went on a mad dash from the train station up to Slavín, a cool world war two memorial with scenic views over the city. 52 minutes later and we are back on the train and I think we've enjoyed most of what this city has to offer!Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreVery cobemckuu!!
12/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorebless you?
12/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreSovietsky
12/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreThose kids have no idea whatsoever of what went on at Stalingrad
12/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 8
martedì 12 luglio 2022 16:28
⛅ 24 °C
Altitudine: 214 m
Austria Gloriette 48.18, 16.3148°10’48” N 16°18’36” E
1
Vienna
12 luglio 2022, Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
[JJ] We packed a hell of a lot into our day trip to Vienna. First, we emerged from the hauptbahnhof and walked into the city centre via Belvedere Palace gardens. We then explored the area around the Hofberg and Spanish riding school, before a general explore took us to St Stephen's Cathedral, where we climbed the north tower and saw views over the city. Once we figured out how to navigate the metro, we found ourselves at Schönbrunn Palace, something of a lidl deluxe version of Kingston Lacy, and probably the most impressive attraction of the day. Finally we darted back to the main train station to collect some shopping and dinner to eat just in time for our train off to Budapest.

Vienna was very pretty, filled with ornate pastel coloured architecture.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreSchönbrunn is spectacular. Did you go inside too?
12/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreabsolutely, but no sadly we didn't have the time today
12/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore Err … too much detail!!
12/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI’m referring to the pic of the statue
12/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 9
mercoledì 13 luglio 2022 11:00
☀️ 29 °C
Altitudine: 107 m
Ungheria Budapest Kelenföld 47.463333, 19.02333347°27’48” N 19°1’24” E
1
Budapest
13 luglio 2022, Ungheria ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
[JJ] (13/07) This morning we walked into the city, exploring St Stephen's Basilica, where we went up to see some beautiful panoramic views. We then wandered across Erzsébet híd bridge to the other side of the Danube beneath Gellert Hill before going onto Buda hill, through the castle and Fisherman's bastion which looks down delightfully on the pretty Hungarian Parliament Building. Then we strolled along the river and made it to the train station hilariously in sync and just as the doors shut, after Thomas was buying tickets while I was buying ice creams from a local spar.

(12/07) And we are heree. Budapest. We are staying in Szakuranbo, a tiny Japanese hostel, where everyone else is Japanese and speaks, well... Japanese.

More updates tomorrow which I anticipate will be just as much of a whirlwind as today.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore You're such a pest
12/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorewhoah u travelled thro 3 countries in 2days?!
13/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreit's about to get a whole lot quicker, soon be 7 countries in 5 days
13/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 9
mercoledì 13 luglio 2022 15:13
☀️ 30 °C
Altitudine: 611 m
Ungheria Prédikálószék 47.74, 18.9247°44’24” N 18°55’12” E
Duna-Ipoly Nezmeti Park
13 luglio 2022, Ungheria ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
[JJ] Following a whistle-stop tour of Budapest's main attractions (see previous), we took a train then bus out to Pilisszentlászló, a tiny but quaint village in the forested national park which felt a million miles from the sprawling city we'd just emerged from. We hiked through a dry, remote forest to Predikáloszék lookout, where we looked out upon the vast Danube bend, then messed about on the hills' rocky outcrops as we descended down into Dömös. Our luck of catching public transport against the odds finally ran out though as we lacked the foresight to actually bring forint (cash) to pay for the bus back, and in spite of our incomprehensible pleas for the bus driver to take our Euros. As a result we were forced into an eastward trek through middle-of-nowhere Hungary for an hour to Visegrád along large roads, trying to avoid angry Hungarian farmers' land and what we later learnt we threatening 'do not trespass' signs. Naturally, our reward waiting in Visegrád was a cash machine and an industrial quantity of fanta.Leggi altro
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Giorno 10
giovedì 14 luglio 2022 19:09
⛅ 30 °C
Altitudine: 71 m
Serbia Zimovnik 44.805, 20.43544°48’18” N 20°26’6” E
Belgrade
14 luglio 2022, Serbia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
[JJ] Hahahah, well things certainly just got interesting. I guess this is proper travelling now. Our plan today was to catch a coach first from Budapest to Belgrade, then immediately onto Skopje having already bought tickets for both journeys. But as sod's law teaches us, what could go wrong definitely will go wrong. Our coach was delayed by almost 6 (SIX) hours after a combination of long waits at the EU border crossing, and a heavy crash on the main motorway into Belgrade. We attempted to distract ourselves by discussing the nuances of swimming the Shropshire Union Canal, but ultimately reality hit us hard and fast when we finally set foot in the Serbian capital.

Belgrade is most definitely the most alien feeling place either of us have ever been by a longgg way. Honestly it felt like stepping back in time, and neither of us were (or still are) able to use the internet without incurring giant roaming charges either, so working basically anything out was out of the question. Somehow though we blagged our way into buying a ticket on another bus despite not even being able to read the alphabet, never mind understand the language. In fact, we comically didn't even understand how much we'd paid for the ticket (our best guesses were by comparing with prices of sandwiches). Then we might've even bribed a guy at the ticket gates but we're not entirely sure? Regardless, we're here, wherever here is (some random service station with cafe WiFi), and heading out of Serbia (thank god) !Leggi altro
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Giorno 11
venerdì 15 luglio 2022 05:08
🌙 16 °C
Altitudine: 253 m
Macedonia del Nord Skopje 41.99, 21.44333341°59’24” N 21°26’36” E
Skopje
15 luglio 2022, Macedonia del Nord ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
[JJ, 5 AM] Well I can't help but notice that we are in Skopje. And only over 8 hours later than planned! I have to say, North Macedonia's capital has an infinitely better feel to it than Serbia's, and we found our way easily through the empty, dawn lit streets to Get Inn Hostel.

[JJ, 12 PM] We love Skopje! There's something endearing about its somehow quiet but chaotic nature. There are giant statues literally everywhere, motorbikes driving on the pavements, a bus ticket station inside a broken down bus. Yet there is some oddly beautiful architecture here too.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreGlad you got there ok after your huge delay. Looks like an interesting city 💕
15/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 11
venerdì 15 luglio 2022 13:23
☀️ 28 °C
Altitudine: 1.059 m
Macedonia del Nord Skopje Millenium Cross 41.965, 21.39333341°57’54” N 21°23’36” E
5 1 1
Vodno
15 luglio 2022, Macedonia del Nord ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
[JJ] After a delightful Skopje wander (see earlier), we rocketed up Vodno on a ridiculously cheap cable car. Our mission now is to hike along the ridge to get to Matka canyon. We are absolutely loving North Macedonia! Thomas is enchanted in butterfly diversity heaven and the views aren't bad either. I'm not even from here yet I feel as though I'm proud to be Macedonian!?Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreLooks gorgeous!
15/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore I know you did this intentionally but I have to correct it anyway, soooo *SWALLOWTAIL*!
15/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreSealiontail?
15/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorechlebtail?
15/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreA perfect new name
15/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 11
venerdì 15 luglio 2022 17:32
☀️ 31 °C
Altitudine: 330 m
Macedonia del Nord Medenik 41.951667, 21.341°57’6” N 21°18’0” E
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Matka Canyon
15 luglio 2022, Macedonia del Nord ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Wow, Matka is a special, special place. In the searing heat on our hike from Vodno, we didn't come across a single other person for several hours until we descended steeply from the ridge and emerged into a sleepy little monastery. We enjoyed some well earned refreshingly cold drinks while Macedonian music played over a chorus of Cicadas, overlooking this incredible gorge. It was unforgettable, and felt like a place entirely untouched by typical tourists. We then descended further and crossed a dam, somewhat illegally, before enjoying a boat ride down the canyon in the golden light. After a subsequent further explore, we then took a bus back into Skopje and discovered the Old Bazaar, where we sat and enjoyed some delightful £2 pizzas.

Macedonia's certainly got some quirks: a literal kid driving a taxi offered us a lift back into town; the bus driver stopped mid-journey on the way back to go into the shop and buy peaches all while the engine was still running; and we saw little kids smoking shisha pipes this evening. It may be a little rough around the edges but we are quite sad to be leaving Macedonia so soon; it feels like we have been here for much longer than essentially a day, and I have no doubt that one day we will return.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreWow 😳 was this route u made so far planned?
15/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes vigorously! hard to believe I know...
15/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreparts of our hikes are improvised though
15/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 12
sabato 16 luglio 2022 13:49
☀️ 30 °C
Altitudine: 565 m
Kosovo Pristina 42.6507, 21.14729942°39’3” N 21°8’50” E
Pristina
16 luglio 2022, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
[JJ] That was the dodgiest border crossing we've (me specifically) endured yet, with a corrupt Kosovan version of Steve Bruce at the wheel. I'll leave out the details so my mum and dad don't get annoyed at me lol but we are finally here in Europe's newest country, and seventh of our trip!Leggi altro
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Giorno 12
sabato 16 luglio 2022 16:15
☀️ 34 °C
Altitudine: 410 m
Kosovo Prizren 42.21, 20.7442°12’36” N 20°44’24” E
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Prizren
16 luglio 2022, Kosovo ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
[JJ] Well we've spent the day in Prizren; not in orange jumpsuits, but instead in orange faces due to the beating sun. We sweatily climbed up to Prizren fortress and admired the Kosovan terrain. A few chores later and now we're posting bail to Albania...Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore no skyscrapers! 👀
16/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore look at the wires up there! 👀
16/07/22Risposta
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Giorno 12
sabato 16 luglio 2022 20:46
🌙 27 °C
Altitudine: 106 m
Albania Tirane 41.326423, 19.80429841°19’35” N 19°48’15” E
Tirana
16 luglio 2022, Albania ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
Our 7th country in 5 days... And breathe... Except sike! Because we have to get up at 4am tomorrow to hitch our ride into the mountains. We do, however, have a new favourite word at least: Lek, the Albanian currency. Let's see how that ages as we head north from Tirana, the southernmost point of our journey.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreAlso the word for where the males of a species gather and perform courtship behaviours! 🕺🕺
16/07/22Risposta
ViaggiatoreI wondered why everyone was doing that here...
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Giorno 13
domenica 17 luglio 2022 14:24
⛅ 26 °C
Altitudine: 951 m
Albania Përrua Kukaj 42.447899, 19.88711242°26’52” N 19°53’14” E
Valbonë
17 luglio 2022, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
[JJ] The ride to Valbonë was a multi-legged voyage through the startlingly beautiful and remote mountains cresting the emerald Komani Lake. We were treated to some highly authentic Albanian music, an extensive 3½ hour ferry ride, and a further minibus ride up to Butina Albjoni, our accommodation for the next couple of nights.Leggi altro
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ViaggiatoreSounds idyllic 🧘‍♀️
17/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatore😁😁😁
17/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatorelooks pretty awesome, right off the beaten tracks 👍👏
17/07/22Risposta
Viaggiatoreyes, feels different to anywhere I've ever been before!
17/07/22Risposta
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