The Bus TO Matka Canyon

 



This Saturday we decided to take a day trip out to a scenic spot we had heard about, Matka Canyon. Stephen, being Stephen, figured out the whole excursion, how to get there on a city bus. how to get a bus pass, what to expect when we got there. 





We invited Christine, the other Fulbrighter in Skopje to join us. The bus amazingly came to pick us up at the place and approximately the time, it was supposed to. This was our first adventure on the bus, so I boarded, showed the driver my "T" card and he waved me away. I learned later that I was supposed to scan the card to actually pay for the trip, but ce la vie.

We left the city and headed east into a more " suburban" area, where it was a mix of old crumbling small houses, and massive building boom of McMansions (one was covered in silver sparkles). 













The canyon was spectacular, with a great path along the edge, complete with handrails. We could have taken a boat to the cave at the end of the canyon but we took the trail, about 4 miles round trip. No elevation. My kind of hike! At the end of the canyon, on the opposite side of where the trail is, there is a cave where the boat trips dock. I don't have any desire to go into the cave, but next time I will be happy to take it easy in the boat. 


When we returned to the parking lot we saw several kayakers (and many more support staff watch the kayakers) going though some white water and maneuvering their way through different gates. Maybe practicing for the Olympics? Unfortunately, my video of the white water extravaganza  got deleted! 




At the end of journey, we walked back to the bus stop to await the bus. We were the only ones there. We lhad heard because it was a Saturday, the busses sometimes don't come to the Canyon late in the day. We waited a while and watch the bus app telling us it was 10 minutes away and then five and then three and then one. But no bus ever showed up. Stephen had heard that might be the case, but he had asked the driver before we got off earlier in the day if he would be returning. And the driver said yes.Stephen  just didn't ask him at what hour do busses stop coming.

I'm titling this picture "Moonrise over Matka Canyon: no busses"




Several cabbies had been lurking nearby and one came by and showed us some other app with the actual live tracking of the bus, and there was no bus.  So off in the taxi wen went. All in all a spectacular day out in nature. And if you look closely, you will see another crucifix watching over us from the peak.



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