Traveling to Ohrid

Normally the drive from Skopje to Ohrid takes around two hours but we took the scenic route to see more of the Macedonian countryside and two hours turned into almost six. Which of course included numerous potty breaks and even some alongside the road.

Truman got to experience traveling third world in style with a traffic jam out in the middle of no where. Everyone just got out of their cars and sat along the roadside for around 40 minutes until we could pass. (photo included)

Along the way we saw Mavrovo Lake and the monastery for St. Jovan Bigorski (a.k.a. St. John the Baptist). Truman tried to pull some fashion drama on me when she refused to wear the skirt provided by the monastery. Women cannot enter without a skirt and men without pants. They provided both for visitors. Getting her to agree to a photo took a few threats as well. I would hate to ruin her fashionista status back home but I think she looks pretty darn cute (smile).

Background information on the Monastary St. John Bigorski

Sv. Jovan Bigorski (St. John Bigorski) monastery is dedicated to Sv. Jovan Krstitel (Saint John the Baptist). It is located on the road between Gostivar and Debar, in the beautiful valley of the river Radika among the villages of Rostushe, Velebrdo, Bitushe and Trebishta.

It is mentioned in the monastery files that the Monarch Jovan started building it in the year of 1020 and when the monastery was attacked by the Turks in the XVIth century, only a small church remained. The rebuilding of the Monastery has been started in 1743 by the jermonarch Ilarion who was the first Igumen at the "Bigorski monastery".

Sv. Jovan Bigorski (St. John Bigorski) is famous for its iconostasis the most beautiful one in our country. It is done in tiny woodcarving by the magical hands of Petre Filipov - Garkata from the village of Gari.

The monastery is also famous for the Icon of "Sv. Jovan Krstitel" (St. John the Baptist) which is believed has a mysterious power. The Icon was found by the monarch Jovan in the year of 1020, on the same place where the Monastery was built later on, and it was floating over the river Radika. In the XVIth century, under the Turkish ruler Selim II, Turks burned the Monastery and the Icon mysteriously disappeared and returned later, again un-harmed, to the same place.

The old mansions with the spacious wooden balconies and the dining room furnished with authentic furniture from the time of the construction, late XVIIth and early XlXth century, add to the monastery's ambient.