The weather in the morning was again very beautiful and I went to swim in the lake. The water was a little bit cold – 15 degrees but it was very refreshing and the water was crystal clear. The visibility is almost 20 m. I met a few local men who have small boats for taking tourists for trips on the lake. I helped one old man to bring his boat to the shore and he offered us a ride to the Sv. Naum. His name was a Jordan. He pick us up after the breakfast and we had our first story. We went back to see the monastery and enjoyed the beautiful view on the lake Ohrid. On the way back we met Nikola and his father who were selling souvenirs. Nikolas’ father worked 12 years in Czechoslovakia and he had a lot of nice memories nad could still speak good Czech. They invited us for a boat ride on the spring river next to the lake and Nikola told us everything about this place. It is very beautiful place with many springs and very clear water. We went to see a small church with one of spring of the lake Ohrid. Nikola told us about his dream having a small souvenir shop and his passion of making photographs. On the way back we stop in the restaurant. It was almost six when we left this beautiful place. Our next stop was a nearby village Trepejca, the home of Nikola and his father. The village is on a hill with houses going all the way to the shore. There were a lot of new houses and recosnstructions and no tourist. We sat on the beach and enjoyed this nice place. On the way back we met George and he invited us for a coffee in his new house. He was very joyful and started to tell us his life story. He also told us a very nice story how he saw the Sv. Naum. After watching the sunset from his balcony we left to Ohrid. We stayed over night on beach with a beautiful view of the Ohrid fortress.
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Sv. Naum
Nevzat from Skopje
First evening we met Nevzat, his uncle and his lover, Albanians living in Skopje.
Nevzat is policemen in Macedonian border police. He is helping also his uncle who has a firm for house reparation and painting (Profi Ismani). They are importing JUB colours from big fabric from Belgrade. He was studying in city of Cacak in Serbia during the old Yugoslavia, worked for 12 years in Belgium.
“1979, I was 17 years old, I went to Swiss all by myself, from Skopje to Belgrade, I slept in Belgrade in one hotel and then I took train to Zurich, nobody bothered me at all.
I hope that things will be better, I am not so old, but I doubt…, I have experienced the golden era of Yugoslavia. We are praying the God to take us to Europe. Before it was better, I have 3 brothers, only my father was working and we had everything. Now each of us is working and we have nothing.”
Jordan,
he is in pension now, but he is still working with small boat, touring over Ohrid lake.
“In time of Enver Hodza, for 50 years nobody could enter Macedonia from Albania. Now is different, they can come .The lake begins from this town Pogradec in Albania until town Ohrid, the lake surface is 32 kilometers with 18 kilometers, the deepest point is 296 m near this monastery St. Zoom (dedicated to virgin Merry). The lake is made from 120 springs, the biggest springs are here in St. Naum-Crni drim and springs of Biljana near Ohrid lake. The spring of Crni drim comes from another lake – Prespansko Lake. Here you can see St. Naum church, St. Naum was great doctor, he could heal every illness, many miracles happened.
In Macedonia now is good life, but people are without jobs, almost 30 percents are unemployed.
Before in old Yugoslavia everybody worked, believe me, I am 72 years old, I know everything…
I am from village Trpejca, it is on the coast of Ohrid lake, the village is full of tourists during the tourist season. The village is very clean and only Macedonians live there.
The most expensive fish from the lake is ”pastrmka” from Ohrid, around 700 denars per 1 kg. In restaurants almost 1200 denars.
I have big family, we live in peace, without quarreling. One son Mitre, is director in Hotel Riviera, second is mechanic, third is general director in Oteks (textile industry). Their salaries are not so high, but they have jobs. They are very honest and peaceful. Thank God they are not kockars, drinkers…this is the most important.
I do not have any wishes. During my life I have done a lot, I am not rich but I am satisfied. Thank to God we are all healthy. I have never visited a doctor, I always use domestic milk from my cows.
Some people hate socialism and communism, but I do not. Honestly, socialism was for everyone, everyone could work and earn money. Tito was the only leader in Balkan who had a vision in which everyone could have his own peace of bread.
I worked in this parking place in St. Naum for 35 years, from 1965. until 2000.
Now I am in pension but since year 2000. I am working with this boat. You can see those 3 trees, I planted them with two my friends in 1970. But they died and I am still alive.
Before II world war nobody knew that Ohrid exist. All big hotels in Ohrid lake were built in time of old Yugoslavia, now people are building small private hotels.
Ohrid lake is the oldest lake in Europe. Prespansko lake is connected with Ohrid lake. Ohrid lake is on 632m. Prespansko lake is 26 meters higher than Ohrid lake, that is why Ohrid springs are coming from Prespansko lake.
Nikola,
selling souvenirs in St.Naum with his father, also making a tour in small boat on “Crni Drim”, springs of Ohrid Lake.
“This little lake is long 700 meters with 250 meters and deepest point is 3,5 meters.
This water is very transparent and clean. Practically you can drink this water. More than 50 percents of Ohrid water come from another big lake-Prespansko lake, wich is 157 metres higher than Ohrid lake. 20 percents come from similar place in Albania and 30 percents water from another spring “Biljana s spring” near the town of Ohrid. This mountain which you see now is our national park “Galicica’ since 1958.
I have no kids. I am not married still.
For some people life is now better than it was in ex-Yugoslavia, for other is worst.
For me, like example, if you look from material side now is little better than in the past, but if you look from another side I practically do not have free time, this is my relaxing time, a job. I worked before in factory 8 hours per day, and after work I had free time to go around, play football… now I work 24 hours.
Djordje,
Village of Trpejca
“I have one wish, before I die I would like to come to Serbia again. I still have Yugoslav passport in my home, I have never taken the Macedonian one. I am waiting for time when the borders will be open again.”
"I do not have any other wishes, to have something to eat, to have enough beer…and to have good company."
“As a young boy 12-14 years old I was working in St. Naum church, helping the people who were doing restoration of building and frescoes. I was digging St. Naum grave, the idea was to put his body behind the coffin of glass. We founded the body of St.Naum, it looked like the body is very well preserved, but after 20 minutes everything went to dust. So I saw St. Naum for a while. I know that he was not berried in that place where now is the sign; his grave is in another part of the church.”
“During the season you can not breath here because there are so much tourists, I do not collect so much money, but something to put in my pocket…this house I built two years before, I worked alone, sometimes with some help, but mostly alone… "
“I have 60 years, last year I went to pension. I was a driver, bus driver, all the time I was in Serbia, I was in army in Serbia, I passed all old Yugoslavia as a driver...also Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria…”
“Is the coffee good? In my life maybe I made 5 coffees… “
“Trpejca is tourist place, this nature is very clear, no cars, people are coming here for their health, the air is also clean, no pollution from the cars, cars can not come here…”
“I am originally from this village, now I live in Ohrid, this is a weekend house, I have wife, daughter and son in Ohrid…”
“During the old Yugoslavia was better, my pocket was full of money, I drived trough Belgrade, Ljubljana, Nis, Sabac, even Pristina…
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