Kokino

For those who love aliens and ancient mysteries, Kokino is one of the few Macedonian attractions that may beckon.  Located northeast of Kumanovo near a village with the same name, Kokino is an ancient observatory that helped people during ancient times understand and mark calendars through lunar and solar movements.  Artifacts were recently found in the area, and many of them date back to almost 4000 years ago.  Thus there is evidence to suggest that people settled in the region since the Bronze Age.

Reaching the mountaintop, it is not evident that this mountain stands out as being an observatory.  Yet the stone tops were cut in a way to mark the moon and sun in their most extreme positions in relation to earth, marking the yearly equinoxes, as well as some of the year's full moons.  One can sit on a "throne" carved from the mountain in order to observe the celestial objects measured through the stone markers.  Furthermore, NASA has named this observatory one of the most impressive ancient observatories in the world (joining others like Stonehenge).   One can learn more about Kokino through the movie link below (subtitles are provided):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEIF6KHSLVc

We were about a week off of the Spring Equinox, but we did manage to travel to Kokino on the day Europe reset its clocks forward by one hour.  Therefore, waking up at 4:30AM to catch the ride to Kokino really felt like a 3:30AM wakeup call.  We eventually caught a bumpy kombi ride from Kumanovo to the isolated spot near Kokino.  All of the morning dew and rain had frozen, so we were welcome to Kokino surrounded by the beautifully frosted surroundings.  At the top of Kokino, we braced the frigid winds and imbibed the breathtaking views of the surrounding area.  For me, this was the coldest calendar that I had ever visited.

Dropped off at the base of Kokino

The view of the surrounding area from the top of the observatory

The solar and lunar markers from the POV of the "throne"

Part of our group

After, we headed north from Kokino to continue along the same path which a few hiking groups were spearheading.  We unfortunately took a wrong turn and were forced to scale down a forested hill covered in slippery, soggy leaves.  Eventually we scaled to the top of the mountain facing Kokino only to discover that we still had a few more ascents and descents to undergo before the end of our hike.  The latter part of our hike hugged the Serbian-Macedonian border (where I illegally traveled out of country for sporadic, multi-second bursts of rebelliousness).  Finally, a few of us accidentally became separated from the group and wandered off trail, adding many more kilometers to our hike before we found our path again.

We ended the 6.5-hour hike at the Memorial Center near Pelince, where we enjoyed a few beers before our ride back to Kumanovo.  In my opinion, Kokino was not the most impressive visit that I made during my Peace Corps service, but I was elated to enjoy another gorgeous hike so early in the year.  I only wish the photos that I took with my crummy smart phone could do the hike more justice.

Much warmer temperatures upon our descent from Kokino

The Countdown

A few weekends ago, I realized that I had ten weekends left during my Peace Corps service.  Given that we rely on a number system based on ten (thanks to anatomy, but unfortunate towards mathematical practicality), this would have been the best time to start my countdown for my remaining time in Macedonia.  However, I forewent writing this post for a couple of weeks, and hence now I have EIGHT remaining weekends left in Macedonia.   Oh well.

Recently, as I wrap up my work with my organization and prepare to close my service, I have shifted my focus from one Peace Corps goal to another.  Those who have served in Peace Corps or are contemplating service should know that Peace Corps has three main goals, listed below verbatim:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served

3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

As soon as I felt integrated enough into the country and with my organization, I quickly shifted the focus of my service to Goal #1.  Frankly, Goal #1 is often the driving force that appeals to and attracts Americans to joining the Peace Corps.  The benchmark I set for myself has been measured by this goal alone. 

Now as I prepare to leave a country that I have grown accustomed to, I feel like it is time to don my figurative boots one more time before I hang them up.  Throughout the early part of my service, Macedonia continued to fascinate and enchant me, so I tried to experience as many customs and locales as time and resources allowed me.  However, as soon as my focus shifted primarily to work, and as my digital cameras unexpectedly turned to junk, traveling and photographing my adventures (mostly through this blog) became much more difficult. 

As for Goal #2, I never intended to overtly pursue this goal while I was here, possibly due to my personal understandings of the meaning of integration.  Some Americans do a great job of sharing the diverse experiences of being American to their communities by presenting traditions and American history through presentations (many times at the American Corners scattered around the country).  Instead, I hoped that my community would evaluate their experience of Americans through their day-to-day interactions with me.

Now I am taking this brief period to indulge in what I enjoy most about Macedonia and to try new things, and sharing my experiences here on behalf of Goal #3.  For the former, much of this includes hanging out with close friends and host family, hiking through the picturesque mountains, and enjoying the delicious cuisine.  As for the latter, there are some things that only Peace Corps volunteers can get away with (one of my sitemates dyed her hair pink).  Thus, I am pursuing life choices that I otherwise would not make while back in the USA.  For example, in February one of my sitemates and I agreed to a pact where I would grow out my facial hair (I never let it go unshaven past 3-4 days) and he would shave his (he has not been clean-shaven since he was 23).  The results of our pact are shared in the picture below.

Finally, I have a fairly modest, but personally exciting bucket list that I hope to accomplish before my time in Macedonia ends.  Luckily for those who read this blog regularly, this should entail some more interesting stories (and maybe some photographic records) of the interesting attractions Macedonia has to offer.  And, coincidentally enough, this list contains EIGHT items!

1. Cook 3 Macedonian Dishes

2. Eat Albanian Cuisine at an Albanian Restaurant

3. Visit the Mother Theresa House in Skopje

4. See a puppet show at the Children's Theater in Skopje

5. Visit a winery in Negotino

6. Visit the casinos in Gevgelija

7. Visit Dojran Lake

8. Visit Brajčino

So, with my eyes on the horizon, I am poised to enjoy these last weeks of Peace Corps with a new sense of discovery.  This past weekend, I visited my training site of Lozovo, and while walking through the woods, I discovered a fruit tree in bloom hidden among the endless rows of coniferous pines.  It reminded me how unexpectedly a place so familiar can continue to take my breath away, and I hope for many more similar experiences.

Pleasant Discovery in Forest near Lozovo