Mysterious John

Sveti Jovan Bigorski Monastery
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Yesterday I was not able to leave Skopje without meeting my first Macedonian scam artist. She happens to be a waitress at a rather good restaurant. I had only wanted a salad, but she convinced me to add baked beans to the order, which were excellent. According to the menu, I ordered 150 denar ($3) worth of food. When I received my bill, it was 210. All of the items were written in Macedonian, so I suspected there was a service charge added. I asked her to explain, and she said she made a mistake on the bill. When she returned, she gave me the bill for 200. I asked for a menu, pointed to the listed prices, and informed her that my total was 150. She left again, and returned with a new bill of 180. I put 150 denar on the table and walked away as she counted it. Crooks don't get tips. Some people may think this is petty..to argue over $3 USD. It is a matter of principle for me. The food and servce was great, and I intended to leave a substantial tip. But when a person tries to pull one over on me, they get nada, nothing, zip. It is necessary for people to know that not all tourists are idiots to be taken advantage of at every corner. Maybe she will think twice when she is about to pad the next person's bill. Or honestly pad the bill by saying that a service charge is mandatory on all orders.

Sveti Jovan Bigorski Monastery
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Today I went to Monrovo National Park to visit Sveti Jovan Bigorski (St John the Baptist) Monastery. Legend has it that an icon of John the Baptist mysteriously appeared in the mountains of what is now Monrovo National Park inspiring the construction of this Catholic monastery in 1020. Over the years the miraculous icon kept reappearing and the monastery kept being renovated. The present building dates from the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The mini-bus does not go directly to the monastery but drops me off at the road to it. It is a 500 meter (0.3 mile) steep climb to the top. With 21kg (46lbs) of luggage, it very quickly feels like several miles. Fortunately, I was able to catch a ride with a father and son on their way up. The monastery is a lovely, peaceful place with natural springs everywhere.

The mountains of Monrovo National Park remind me of the Smokey Mountains of Tennesee, complete with the ever-present low-lying fog covering the peaks. The trees are deciduous, and I am here to witness the changing of the colors of the leaves. Unlike Tennesse humidity seems to be absent despite the numerous lakes and rivers here. The vegetation is scrubby and looks as if it needs a drink. Like the desolate plains of Oklahoma, the trees do not grow very tall but there are many of them!