Macedonia: Suto Orizari

Suto Orizari, Macedonia: the main drag
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For a long cab ride we only paid a few dollars.  Anywhere else and it would have been $20.00.  Few tourists venture to Suto Orizari, also known as Shutka or Sutka.  Most people assume it is a dangerous place, as it is home to the world's largest concentrated Roma (Gypsy) population, over 13,000 strong.

The settlement formed following the devastating 1963 Macedonia earthquake, in which over 1,000 people were killed.  The Roma banded together and moved north of Skopje to form the claustrophobic municipality of Suto Orizari.  The population increased more following the Kosovo War, as numerous refugees fled nearby Kosovo and settled in the Skopje area.

Abject Poverty in the World's Largest Roma Community

Suto Orizari, Macedonia: remnants of the market
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Upon first glance at Sutka it is easy to see why few tourists venture here.  It's crowded, dirty, hectic, and there's really nothing to see.  We missed the market as were too late.  Apparently some of the best deals in all the Balkans are found in the Sutka market.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Sutka is extraordinarily poor.  The only place I can compare it to would be the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, although without the dramatic cliffside setting.

Since we had nowhere to really go, we found a large park which contained a couple basketball courts and a small playground.  We walked through the trash-strewn landscape and, to our amusement, almost every little kid followed us.  Obviously there was no English spoken, but it was apparent that the kids wanted me to take their photo with my digital camera.

Suto Orizari, Macedonia: local transport
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I took numerous pictures, and, each time, showed them the results on the camera.  They were so excited to see the pictures and demanded I take more and more.  I'm pretty sure I photographed every single kid who was within a mile radius of us.  It was satisfying to see how genuinely thrilled these kids were to see their faces on a camera they will never be able to afford.

I can understand why people would be hesitant to venture into Sutka.  If the kids wanted to rob us, we wouldn't have stood a chance.  I actually had my wallet stolen by a young Roma girl the previous summer in Romania.  However, the people here were so generous and happy, despite their destitute surroundings, and I never once felt threatened.

Suto Orizari, Macedonia: a vibrant produce stall
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We continued through the revolting park which could literally double as a town dump, quite sad considering this was the children's playground, and ran into some livestock that were just hanging out near the courts.  Not your typical recreation area.

On our way out, a couple young Roma kids requested I photograph them as they played football, showing off their best Ronaldinho moves for me.  They were all sad to see us leave, but we had to get back to Skopje for Jeanne's flight home and my bus to Lake Ohrid.

Suto Orizari, Macedonia: young roma in the playground
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Our cab driver back to Skopje was unequivocally shocked that he was driving two Americans from Sutka, but, despite the fact we were obvious ripoff contestants, he charged us the exact fare it took to get us there.

Without question, Sutka was one of the most memorable, although short lived, moments of my entire trip.