A Continuation of My Confusion: Kosovo

After being baffled by statues in Macedonia, I headed onto an equally as confusing city – Pristina, Kosovo.  Ground zero of the war in the late 1990s, the city is a curious collision of past and present, finished and unfinished.   I arrived in my usual manner - up for anything and less than prepared.

The "Old City": one of the oldest buildings in Pristina

 The overall experience involved a lot of head shaking and second glances, but a lot of fun.

I started off with lunch at Te Nazi restaurant, a recommendation I had received from a friend.  How could I resist a restaurant with that name?  The food was delicious; there was not a common word spoken with the staff, all of whom visited my table in attempts to translate various menu items.  In the end, I got a delicious and filling combination of meat and bread, which is quite typical in the region.  Now full of local food, it was time for adventuring…

Street art messages and the National Library on University of Kosovo campus

First I headed towards Bill Klinton Boulevard, which is one of the larger roads through the city, and home to a famous statue of good ole Bill.   Then it was onto the Kosovo Art Gallery, which is a small building that had missing exhibition pieces.  The absence of the work was not intended to be considered "contemporary".  They were simply not there, though the title plaques remained.  I shrugged and thought it was best not to ask.   It also housed a permanent collection of very peculiar artwork on the second level.  Finally, I headed to the National Library of Kosovo, which also serves as the library for the University of Pristina.  It was recently named one of the ugliest buildings in the world and for very good reason - check it out.  The building looks like a burnt marshmallow with zits. 

Out and about in Pristina: a strong US presence everywhere you look

That was enough for one head-scratching day.  Everywhere I turned I was confused.  Was this some sort of Tim Burton production commissioned by the US government?

Protests on Mother Theresa Blvd; Memorials for lost Kosovars

The following day I set out with some hostel friends.  Across the street from the library on steroids is the Cathedral of Mother Theresa.  Grand (in stature) from the outside, the church is shockingly unfinished on the inside.  The crucifix, unseen at first, hangs off to the left, unseen but probably more accurately un-searched for by patrons.  Though it was midday, the church was completely uninhabited, save for about three hundred purple plastic chairs.  I asked if it was finished, and the response from a local was “Yes, but no one uses it.  It’s here to make Westerners feel more comfortable about the mosques”.  I later learned that about 3% of the Kosovar population considered themselves to be Christian, yet here is an enormous, unfinished cathedral on the main boulevard.  Not quite what I would have expected. 

Saint Theresa Catholic Cathedral 

Across town, we saw another abandoned church with a random dumpster fire in front of it.  This time it was Orthodox and appeared to have been ignored for the better part of a decade.  Apparently, it is being lobbied to be used as the location for the newest disco in Pristina.  The Orthodox Church has yet to be swayed by the university student’s pleas and the doors remain padlocked with the grass and weeds remaining overgrown. 

Casual fire in the dumpster with an abandoned church in the background

 Throughout my stay I experienced a handful of what one may call highlights, if the term is being used loosely.  I saw a protest of Kosovar miners, met a famous local contestant from Europe’s version of America’s Got Talent, tasted local snacks at the market, meandered through the endless cafes and bars, and taste tested more of the region’s infamous rakia. 

Street Market: so much cabbage

 For a city that was full of confusing and unfinished architecture and history, the locals and atmosphere were vibrant and welcoming.  Despite my curious observations above, I rather enjoyed the city and the warmhearted locals.  

It was hard to pack up after a few days and leave a city with such a bizarre, but alluring character.  Luckily, I had met Tommy and Ian at Hostel Han and traveled onto Montenegro with them.

Exploring the Kosovo Art Gallery in Pristina

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Macedonian Madness

If you’re looking for a place to boggle the mind, head to Skopje, Macedonia. 

Bridge to Parliament, statues everywhere

The most notable feature of the city from a tourist perspective: its statues.  If you think that there are too many statues in Paris or Rome, you have no idea what “too many statues” looks like.

These small memorials around the city mark the day of the deadly earthquake in 1963

Recently, in attempts to boost tourism and give the city a much needed facelift, the Macedonian government poured millions of euros into this "monumental appearance" effort (I didn't make this up...).   Some of the recent additions look like they were DIY projects created by children, and others are ornate statues you would expect to see in the Louvre.  The project is focused on creating new roads, concert venues, and buildings, as well.  Sadly, most of the project's attention has remained focused on the city's new stone citizens.

Look closely - those aren't all lampposts, they are more statues

While I was in Skopje I went on the city’s Free Walking Tour.  Our eclectic guide showed us the statue of his great-grandfather who was a local, not quite famous, author.  Other statues lining the streets are in honor of citizens ranging from local politicians to church benefactors.  These aren’t the “big bucks” benefactors either, just the ones who dropped a few coins in the donation basket on Sunday…one time…a few years ago.  He wasn't laughing as he told us that all you have to do to become a Macedonian statue is live in Skopje for a few months. 

Tour guide and his relative's statue

Behind the endless stone faces who stare (or glare) at you as you meander through the city, there is an interesting culture.   To me, it was not exactly the “Eastern versus Western” convergence that is present in its neighbors' cultures, but rather a very curious “Past versus Progression” juxtaposition.  It is an extremely rich country in terms of history and natural landscapes, but hopelessly impoverished and corrupt, economically and politically speaking. 

Locals fishing in the river behind a 250,000€ art piece entitled "Hope" 

When I was walking through the city one morning, I had to actively dodge a group of Roma children huffing bags of glue and fighting one another quite aggressively.  These group members, both giving and receiving the pounding, included little girls.  All of them were dirty and obviously high, and it seemed they were homeless, without a monitor, and not quite participating in activities that usually lend to a bright future. 

I was not completely confident that I wouldn’t be robbed by the little gang, despite my size and the fact that it was in the bright daylight.  I kept my head down as they shouted at me and begged me for change with the hands that weren’t tightly gripping their bags of glue.  I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets as I walked past them briskly.  I felt helpless and confused, but more frightened for myself than eager to help them.  I don’t think I was making Mother Theresa particularly proud with my complete indifference to assisting the less fortunate. 

Inside a local Orthodox church

That is another Macedonian “Fun Fact”, and one that is much happier than homeless Romani children beating each other.  Mother Theresa was born and raised in Skopje, Macedonia.  We visited the cathedral-turned-museum that boasts a collection of her habit, journals and letters of correspondence, and even her original Nobel Peace Prize.  It was a very cool surprise, especially since I had always incorrectly associated her origin with her later works in India.  

Mother Theresa's birthplace and home site before the earthquake

It’s interesting to think that Mother Theresa left her hometown where there is so much blatant poverty (but don’t worry they have statues!) to devote herself to those less fortunate in India.  After she left at the age of 18, she only returned to Skopje four times during the remainder of her life.

Mother Theresa Museum

During another afternoon, I visited the Skopje Fortress surrounding the city with two Peace Corps Volunteers, Ansley and Kris, who were taking a few days off of their projects in northern Albania.  We had a great discussion about their PCV experience and time in Albania so far, obviously including both positive and negative aspects.  

One of the other discussion points during our time together included the recent Serbian-Albanian football debacle.  I think this is a perfect example of the region’s history, both past and recent.   How did this happen?!  Well, it all depends on who you ask…

While in Skopje, I stayed at Urban Hostel and, very shockingly, met a fellow Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket who was studying in France for the fall semester on my last night.  We had dinner together at a delicious Macedonian restaurant near our hostel and laughed at the odds of our chance interaction.  It was a great way to end my time in the very curious, but interesting, city of Skopje.

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