Skopje: Here you go, officer.
Saturday is always busy for custom's slackers/officials at the kosovo-fyrom border, but this one was exceptionally long (1.2hours). Once we were in Skopje, we decided to take another road to the city center, and we accidentally missed getting in this huge row of cars waiting on the traffic lights - we simply passed them all, and eluise was the first car in that awful row. Not to be bothered by this, we simply went ahead and only after 10min we found out that we've been chased for 2.5km by the police _ that's what they told us when the orderd us to pull over. "300 euros for illegal passing and not waiting in line, I'll hold your passport and you go pay the fine" - the cop said. I must admit that I was scared and felt that the day was ruined. Being desperate, I reverted what I've heard people do: invite the nice police officers for coffee (one of them told me in macedonian: "Put the it in the passport, go to your car, come back, and hand us the passport" - by it, he meant "money"). I complied, and felt weird at the same time, but felt relieved and hungry after that. It tought me a lesson or two.

The city was wonderful, and we walked around the city center. 02:39am, and still the crazy mix of michael jackson was super-loud from the cafe a couple of flats below our room, but it was fine i guess.



On sunday we saw members of the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra, and was sure that they were here to practice, but I asked Visar - a good friend of ours - why did they to Skopje. "We do not have specific insturments or players for those, so we come here isntead of asking them to come back to us" - was his reply. Fair enough. Just driving around Skopje, we found ourselves in the City Park, walked around, saw lots of people, old people and baby people.