I desperately needed a break from the city. My travels for the past few months through the Balkans had been fascinating but exhausting – just trying to wrap my brain around the convoluted history of the ex-Yugoslavian countries made my head hurt. Fortunately, Matka Canyon was an easy day trip from Skopje. I’d learned about … Read more
Some mornings, it takes me a moment to remember where I am. It’s a hazard that comes with full-time travel, where every few days I’m in a different city, a different hostel, sometimes even a different country. But after a few moments, the cobwebs dissipate and I’m clear-headed. In Skopje, Macedonia, however, I had a … Read more
Kosovo hadn’t been on my list of possible destinations when I decided to tour the ex-Yugoslavian countries this summer. I’d been repeatedly advised that Kosovo was dangerous, so when, on a whim, I decided to visit the capital city of Pristina on my way to Macedonia, I admit to being a little anxious. I had … Read more
The copper-coiled tower that rose before me was simultaneously fascinating and frightening. I knew the enormous Tesla Coil had the ability to create lightning bolts that could fry a person. Our guide eased my nervousness, explaining that we would be perfectly safe, as electricity channeled through the coil would seek the highest conductive point in … Read more
“Whatever you do, don’t take the train to Serbia!” my tour guide exclaimed. “The best way to visit Serbia from Zagreb is to take the bus.” Unfortunately, I’d already purchased my train ticket. On the morning of my departure, fearing the worst, I climbed aboard a decrepit, graffiti covered train to find a surprisingly clean … Read more
