CAKOR PASS IN JUGOSLAVIA – DIZZYING DROPS, PINK SHEEP AND ROUGH RED WINE, 1976
“Heavy due and mist. Kids all going to school past camp. Fantastic views up steep mountain sides. Very deep valleys, heavily wooded with incredibly perched farms and vertical fields – people tending herds by side of road, lots of carts and donkeys. Very narrow dusty road, dropping away on my side of the bus in sheer drops! Kept meeting other buses, looked out of window, so close to edge that couldn’t see road at all!
Eventually at top of Cakor Pass, had black coffee and door-stop goat’s cheese sandwich. Then down hairpin bends again to 13th century Byzantine Church. Peaceful convent beside - two rather formidable ladies in black wouldn’t let people in with t-shirts unless covered up bare arms. Lovely paintings on walls inside – four different churches all together (originally centre for Serbian bishops).
Walked around Pec – not interesting town, but people very friendly and bought fantastic chocolate eclair at sticky cake shop! Poverty very noticeable; lots of women dressed in Turkish style baggy trousers and white headdresses; men in white caps.
People always waving as bus passes; noticeably more Arabic in features than northern Jugoslavs. Countryside flatter here, the odd mosque in the distance, pink sheep by wayside, lots of people just sitting around by side of road, many houses seem only half built.
Stopped for lunch by few houses, kids appeared from nowhere when we began playing with frisbies – lovely little boy got very excited about the game. Great send off. Unfortunately had to return to hunt for Rob’s lighter, but not found. Paul opened bottle of rough red wine about 4.0! Few of us had some – felt good on half a cup full! Ate nuts and grapes with it. (Nobody is allowed to sleep at the back; the new rule is to shout and nudge anyone who tries to fall asleep – mustn’t miss the view or show that had a heavy night before!)
Camping at Skopje – bar and doughnuts just opposite tents! Little attendant wandering round counting us – even in showers – didn’t get away with 23 people!
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Filed under: Byzantine Church, Cakor Pass, camping, children, overland bus, Overlanders, Pec, Skopje, Yugoslavia
