After a restless night due to barking dogs, I am up early. It rained a lot last night so I let the tent dry for a while so that I can store it dry.
Last night I went to a local pub on top of the mountain with Harry and Marianne, the current owners of the campsite. Harry knows the dirt road I turned for yesterday and told me it must be doable with the bike. So I'm going to try it anyway.
After saying goodbye, not much later I'm back at the point where I turned around yesterday. I'm nervous, but I'm getting started. The road mainly consists of gravel, large stones and gullies where rainwater has flowed. It's hard to drive. I climb the steep road standing up for more than an hour. The canyons and vistas don't bother me, I need my full concentration to stay riding and upright. Then suddenly the road is blocked by trees and stones. An alternative ascent has been made next to it, but it goes up so steeply that even walking is difficult. I can't climb that with the bike. While I turn around, 3 motocross riders come down the mountain and I see how steep it is.
After another hour of bouncing downhill, I set course for Lake Ohrid. That is on the border with North Macedonia and the last part of my route that day also goes through that country. But when they arrive at the border, they think differently. For the first time this trip they ask for the insurance papers of the motorcycle and they see that my insurance is not valid there. Also not in Albania, where I just came from. oops. I can buy insurance on the spot for €55. That is a bit too much for me for the 75 km that I am in Macedonia and I turn around again. Fortunately, I am allowed to re-enter Albania, uninsured.
But now I have a problem. It's getting late and I'm in the middle of nowhere so I need to find a place to sleep. Campsites are not here. I pass a very chic hotel and decide to ask what an overnight stay costs. I see the owner hesitate when he mentions €20 and tell him I want to give €15. Is okay!
Such a luxury. The hotel is almost empty but I can still eat something in their restaurant. I get appetizer and dessert from them unsolicited and in the evening they even bring me coffee. I can't stop because in the morning when I prepare my things on the motorcycle to leave, they come and ask me where I want to have breakfast. Well!
With my belly full I get on a little later to start another long off-road ride.
