Saturday, we hiked around Kaçanik with Mathias. We hiked to the UCK sign, Guri i Sphum Park, the Ottoman walls and the little picnic area. It was hot, but it was not too bad as we left at 10 am after Thom's language lesson. The views were as good as when we hiked it with the hiking group, but it was a bit warmer and we didn't see a single turtle. The picnic spot was really nice as it was in the shade and there was a nice breeze blowing.
When we got back Thom and Mathias stopped for a cold drink, while I started a salad for dinner. After dinner, we took a walk out to Guri i Shpum under the rock face and stopped to get spring water on the way back. There are springs through the area and there are place the put a hose or pipe and you can get spring water. One is not far from our apartment. After that it was off for Thom's nightly ice cream shop (40 cent dips of ice cream). Thom says the ice cream is good. It looks more like gelato and he wants to try every flavor.
On Friday, while we enjoyed the cool air of Brezovicë, Thom mentioned that the hiking club had cancelled the trip to Ljuboten that had been originally planned for the weekend. We had hoped to go with Mathias and the hiking group. Valon thought he might be able to get some people together to hike Ljuboten on Sunday. Sure enough, he did and at 6:45 am, we headed with Valon and a cousin (back for a visit this summer from Arizona) to Bulica Restaurant for coffee. Bulica is at the trailhead to Ljuboten and I was there once before with teachers after the school picnic at Strazha We met Dënis and his son, Orion at Bulica. Dënis is a pharmacist who lives in Prishtina.
The trail started out pretty easy, although it was almost entirely uphill, on a gravel and dirt road leading to some picnic areas and some cabins. Although this is part of the Sharr National Park, there are still a few small farms and there were cattle grazing at the foothills of the peak. The hike to last picnic area was relatively easy and we took several breaks along the way. We ate lunch at the last picnic area and filled our water bottles in the spring and then headed up. The trail was very rugged and steep and skirted around the first peak heading to a ridge that ran between the first small peak and Ljuboten.
Unfortunately, there were three guys on motorcycles and they were not very considerate. The first time we saw them, was on the road leading to the picnic areas. We moved off the road to let them pass and then they also moved off the road and almost hit one of our group. Later, we saw them on the lower peak.
It took awhile to get up to the ridge as we were not really on a trail. Even when we got back on the trail, the trail was rough and rocky. Finally, as we neared the last rise to head to the top, the motorcycles starting heading up the trail towards us. They were still not close and it was slow going for the bikes. One of the bikes finally made through the really rough area and starting heading up the trail that I was. Thom and Mathias were up ahead and others were behind me. We all start moving off the trail and climbing up the peak away from the trail and the crazy motorcycles. The one finally passed me and then tried to continue on around the curve. His bike stalled in fell over and it started sliding down the slope, but he was able to hang on to it and after a struggle, he righted the bike. He then started walking his bike up the same way I was going.
I did not want to be around him, so I hung back a bit and he made up to the top with his bike. Finally, I made to the top as well. The views were amazing. We could see down to Brezovicë, Strpcë, and even a lake across the way surrounded by other peaks. There was a guy on a bike that had walked his bike up and was riding it down along with a guy that had hike from North Macedonia.
When our whole group arrived, we spent a little time and then headed back. Dënis and his son were going slower (as they did not have the right hiking shoes) and they told us to go ahead. We headed back down which was slow going because it was steep. It was faster going down, because we took a lot less breaks. This time we went to the other peak and headed down on a less steep path. It was still very rugged, but we finally made it back to the picnic area. We filled our bottles and waited for Dënis and his son, after about 20 minutes of waiting, we were able to reach them by phone and find out that they were all right. We waited another 10 minutes, to see if we could see them, but we couldn't. We finally had voice contact, but they were still on the steep slope of the peak. They told us to go ahead (We still had 2 hours to hike and it was nearing 5 pm).
We started walking down the road and this was much easier, but we were tired. We were closed to the area where there are some cabins and another motorcyclist was out on his bike. He was riding on the dirt roads, however. He came up on the road behind me and I stepped to the side and he stopped his bike. He pulled his helmet and googles off, and then put on his glasses. He asked me if I remembered him. It took me a second, but then I realized he was an English teacher that I had met at the Gymnaz. I had met him briefly, but I remembered him and I remembered that his name was Bajram. We talked briefly. He was staying at his family's cabin and he invited us to their barbecue. We declined as we all wanted to be down before dark.
The air was definitely cooler on the mountain and we could really tell as we walked. The rest of the walk was uneventful and I spent a quiet evening relaxing. Thom and Mathias went out for qebapi and ice cream. Thom stopped by the Prime Bar, and found out that Buki speaks a little Danish. Buki's sister lives in Denmark. Mathias and Buki were able to speak together in Danish.
Photos from the hike to Ljuboten
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