debrief

Our last day here is debrief day. Dave and Cindy talk to the team about different things to expect when we return home and what impacted us during our time here. We said our goodbyes to Korab and Alban and started packing. We will be getting up at o'dark thirty (that's 2am in English) to head to the airport. We'll see you in Billings tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Korab has been hired by the high school to teach English. Quite a prestigous position for him.

Congratulations Professor!!

Pajizar

We went to a restaurant near the Albanian border and had lunch with the kindergarten staff. Murita told us about fleeing their village during the war and walking down this road to the border. She said there were 850,000 - 1,000,000 million people on the road. Serb soldiers were lined up on the hills watching them with their machine guns. It was cold and raining but they didn't notice the weather because they were so afraid of what was going to happen to them. Dave said when Murita first came to work for them she couldn't look them in the eye. She would look at the ground when she shook their hands. It is amazing to me that this all happened a short nine years ago.

After lunch the staff wanted to go to the pajzar (flea market) and look around. Everything you can possible imagine for sale. Every other booth was shoes. You'll have to ask Dale about the significance of all the shoes. The Turkish bath was open so we were able to look inside. We ended the day with coffee and ice cream (again!!).

Gjacova

Spent the day in Gjacova. Went to church, had lunch, drove around, bought fresh grapes on the side of the rode...typical Sunday stuff. Mother Teresa was of Albanian descent and Gjacova has a statue of her in the center of town. The average age in this town is 24 so it quite busy, especially when the sun goes down.

The cafe where we had lunch was right on the river. It was definitely one of the most interesting places we have eaten on this trip. The booth wouldn't hold all five of us so we had to eat lunch at a table (which may have been a good thing). Look at the booths from the outside of the restaurant.

walkabout

Dave took us walking through village tonight. We walked up the road to the masacre sight. It is one thing to hear the story, but it is quite another to literally walk in their footsteps. We saw what remains of the barn where the 112 men were shot down and then set on fire. We followed the road the women and children walked as their men were being killed. It was very somber and almost surreal.

We also had a chance to visit the ode (a building where the men of the village visit and smoke). It has become somewhat of a shrine to the men who lost there lives in the war. The wood working inside is phenomenal. Everyone is so glad to see us. They love Americans here and everyone wants to shake our hands. We wish we could say more than just "Good evening, how are you".

Macedonia

On our way back from Greece we drove through Macedonia and stopped to tour an
archeological dig. It was the town of Stobi and was a flourishing city about the third century A.D. They had uncovered the remains of the bath house, casino, prison, the house where emperor Theodosious would stay when he was there, some of the wealthy homes, the central fountain, the main road, the colliseum...it was the biggest city in the area at that time. This is still an active archeology dig so they had large areas roped off, but it was quite impressive to walk along the main city rode and imagine the people that have walked there before us.

We ate at McDonalds so we could get our "fix" of American food and enjoy a fountain coke. All our border crossings were very smooth. It is an eeiry feeling when the border guard looks at you with such disdain - he's got your passport and you're at his mercy. But all went well for us. The poor truck drivers though. Their line to cross over into Kosova was three miles long (no joke). Those poor guys will wait in line for 13 - 15 hours to cross the border. Side note - DON'T TAKE PICTURES OF THE GUARDS OR THE BORDER STATIONS unless you want some big trouble.

Greece is the word!!!

We drove to Thessaloniki, Greece (five of us - six hours in a little Opel) and had a blast. The city is beautiful and very crowded. There is so much history there you just can't take it all in. Paul, Alexander the Great, Roman Emperors, the very beginnings of the church. It was amazing. The city has outdoor bistros and cafes all along the shoreline. It's where everyone goes to hang out. We ate dinner in a cafe right on the sand. The owner of the cafe brought us a small pitcher of ouzo - he said it was "no charge - Greek tradition". So we all had a sample and decided we're glad we are not traditional Greeks. We visited the white tower. It was part of the wall that protected the city centuries ago, it was used as a prison in the 14th century. The acoustics on the main floor are amazing. Cindy and I were standing on opposite sides of the room and we could whisper and hear each other perfectly. We toured the archeology museum, the bgyzantine culture center and the guys went to the War Museum. Marble statues, mosaic floors, ancient pottery, coins, jewelry - 2,500 years of history. It was all just amazing.

Found a great book on the landmarks of the city, course it's all in German - so we still aren't sure what we've seen.

Last nights dinner was at a small outdoor German restaurant. The food was fantastic. Actually, everything we ate in Greece was delicious. However, make a note for future reference, if you order shrimp at a German restaurant in Greece - they will be served with the HEADS AND LEGS STILL ON!!! I can handle the legs ok, but the bulging eyeballs are another story.

Our hotel had only a few guests staying there so it was very quiet and very relaxing. We played cards by the pool and talked and laughed together. All in all some great down time with Dave and Cindy.

To Greece!!

Just a note from Amy. Stiv,Suzen and Dale will be on their way to Greece at 6am (Kosovo time). Their next post wont be until at least Thursday.