Macedonia, Albania - Something different

After a long break I'm back with writing and I have very good reason for that. I'm not in Mexico anymore like I were in my latest writings (year ago). I'm back in Finland but I'm still traveling and living a dream.

Since I came back to Finland I joined into student organization called AEGEE and I'm very glad I did. I have already met amazing people around the world and I have been organizing some international events. AEGEE was also the reason why I visit Macedonia.

Enough about me and now it's time to talk more about the subject up there. I got the flights to Macedonia with good price (220€). Our route was Helsinki-Budapest-Skopje. The flights went

well and in no time we were at the Airport of Skopje. There we were waiting for a while, maybe 1,5 hours for a bus to Struga. At the same time we met some other people who were heading to the same event, so time flew by and we were able to taste some local foods and drinks. The bus ride from Skopje to Struga took about 3,5 hours. Struga is about 10km from the border of Albania.

I didn't expect too much from the hotel because we got 4 night with 40€ (food included) or so we thought. When we got there around 9pm we heard that there were some problems with the organizing team and the price would be 50€.

Okey, that's not too much either, but anyway it was a surprise. Bigger surprise came when we went to sleep. In the hotel there wasn't no heating system what so ever. So the first night was pretty cold. Because the temperature during nights wasn't that different that we had in Finland (near zero).The trip was mostly meeting new friends, party and try get some touch of the local culture. Whit the last thing I didn't do as good job I was hoping, but at least I had some conversations and good moments with local people.

My first full day we visited Ohrid. It was maybe 16km from Struga and we couldn't miss that opportunity. Ohrid is very beautiful city with all fortresses and nice architecture what mixes old elegant buildings with modern looking class giants.

Also I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets in my life end of that day when we were at one hill next to Lake Ohrid. It was nice moment with punch of nice people.

I don't know where or why I got the idea to visit in Albania. Maybe because it was so near and I

would regret if I wouldn't do that. In the morning I just got the idea out loud to my Dutch

friend with who I was staying in the same hotel room and we decide to do something without thinking too much. Also we asked one Polish friend to go with us and she was in.

We did maybe half an hour research how we could get there. First we were thinking of bus to the Tirana (the capital city), but there wasn't too much busses going there and there wouldn'tbe no busses coming back to Struga or Ohrid (and bus to airport was leaving next morning 8am).

So after that we got an idea to take a taxi, because the prices are not that high for us.

At the border everything went well. We just gave the passports to the border of Macedonia and we got those back in a second, same thing with the border of Albania. First thing we saw in Albania was a beautiful view with hills and valleys. After a while we saw something different, a very bad truck accident. What we understood, everything was fine with the driver, god bless with that.

We drove to the first real city after border. It was about 20km from the border. It was nice little town and in a first sight it seemed to have nice relaxing atmosphere. It was Sunday afternoon and all the people were on the street just standing and talking with each other.

We notice that normally there is not visiting that much tourists because we got maybe a bit too much attention. You could feel huge difference with the people in Macedonia and Albania. In Macedonia I felt safe all the time, but in Albania after a while I started to feel a bit unsafe.

The people seemed to be very nice, but they had something in their eyes that I didn't feel confident. Of course we met some wonderful people and we have to understand where the people come from. We have to understand that Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe and somehow you can feel it.

That's why we went off road and out of the city after few hours. We found abandoned trains and some shelters etc.

Everything in a nutshell I was happy that I saw so different kind of country than any country I have seen before. It just shoved me that I haven't seen anything yet and I have to keep traveling.

Also I had chance to eat some Albanian hamburger and it was a nice experience.

3 capuchinos, 3 hamburgers and 3 beers were total around 7,5€. Not too much.

Somethings I notice during my trip was that there is a lot of tasty meat foods and cheap beer in Macedonia. So if you have a chance to visit in Macedonia, don't waste it. People are nice, food is good and they have some beautiful cities. Definitely worth of visiting.

I hope you enjoyed my writing and you'll be waiting for the next one.

-Seppo

Last month!!!!

Hola todos,

It has again past some time from my last time. This time I kind of had a good reason. My computer went broken and I had to wait about three weeks to get it fixed. When I got it back I notice that my keyboard buttons are not in the right places, okey most are, but there is maybe 3% percent of the buttons in the wrong places. I think I will go to fix this, when I'm back in Finland.

Otherwise things has been good. I have anymore 1 month left before I will get my plane back to Finland. There is many things I love about Finland, but one thing (cold) is not one of those. I have a feeling that I will survive.

This weekend I had my pre-christmas dinner with punch of friends. It was a bit different experience than my previous pikkujoulut (pre christmas party's). We had a pinjata and we put it up middle of street. Always when car came we had to go sides and after that continue hitting the pinjata. Only time will show how my Christmas will be here in Mexico. It will be my second time spending Christmas abroad. First time was few years a go in Thailand.

Now I have to start planing where I could travel before Christmas and after new year or during new year. I have been thinking about going to Cuarnavaca, Monterrey and Texcoco (I'm not totaly sure how to write the last one). Already few days ago first friends left to Cancún and some friends will follow tomorrow. This place start to feel empty after 20. of december, when almost all friends have left from Mexico City. Here should still be about 22 million Mexican people hanging around. So maybe I can find some party somewhere. Of course I have made many good Mexican friends here during my stay and punch of exchange friends will stay here until January or February and some are staying till next Summer. So I shouldn't be worried to not having a good time.

Tuesday I have my last exam and after that it seems that I'm heading to Tepoz with some Mexican friends. Tepoz is about 45 minutes or 1 hour from Mexico City and there we'll have a big house and two pools. It might be that we are also partying the start of holidays and enjoying some good food. Sounds nice, I know.

Still living a DREAM!

a bit different weekend...

Hey,

My last weekend was a bit different than it has been usually. I almost forget the fancy clubs they have here and I went back to competing in sports. First on friday I heard that my school will have a football tournament between careers and somehow I was able to talk my self in to tournament and marketing 2 team. Here under you can see our team.Tournament started at 3pm and I heard that I will be in the team at 2.30pm. I didn't have all equipments that I would need for the tournament. If we speak true I had only shoes to play. I had about 30 mins time to go somewhere to buy black shorts shin protection and football socks. Shirt I got from team.

Tournament was fútbol rapido games. At least in Finland we have more less similar sport called futsal, but only different is that we play fútbol rapido outside. Basically it's football with small field and with 6 players. Games are 20 minut

es long and in this tournament if you lose game you are out from the tournament.

First game if I speak true, was easy. We won the game 5-1. Second game was already much harder. It ended 2-1 for our win. Win goal we got from other teams error in penalty area. El Capitan took the penalty shot and he made a goal and game went to 2-1 and game for us.

About third game I don't remember too much, but I think that we won it 3-1.

Then we got our final game at 9pm. There was lot of people watching that, although there was american football game going next to us. Past week nights h

as been very cold here and it was very cold already at 9pm. Somehow we made it trough and we won the final 3-1 and we won the tournament. That was freaking awesome!

So it was a good day and good return to football fields after more less 12 years. Of course I have been playing some football once in a while, but it was 12 years ago when I last time compete in football.

Saturday I just relax after hard friday and I was trying to get ready for 10km race on sunday morning. Yeah, I went to run with few friends 10km on sunday at 8am. Okey that's not too early or something like that, maybe it is for sunday, but anyway the main thing is that it was freaking frizzing at that time in the morning. You might not believe that, but it was. it remind me a lot about Finland and some november mornings. I think that mercury was somewhere near 0 celsius. Anyway I made it and I felt good after the race. One thing I notice during the race was that my condition could let me go faster, but my feet were still sore after the football tournament. So my only worry was that if my feet is letting me run all the way. I know it's not that long race, but I haven't been running anything like that in a long time and I was more less happy with my time (45 mins) after everything.

I might go to run one more race with some friends, but before that I have to buy new running shoes. These ones I have now is killing my foots.

Anyway it was a nice and different weekend. Now I have to get ready for my partial exam week. Tomorrow is my first exam. Hope me good luck. You will here more about me soon.

Seppo

What a fuck is Mexico?

Hola,

What is Mexico for me?

Definitely is not something I use to read from magazines in Finland. Magazines are full of articles about drug wars and shit like that. Of course it's one part of Mexico, but it's not the whole truth, not even near.

For me Mexico is place where time to time I feel even safer than in Finland. That can be weird for some people. Maybe I have just been lucky and been in the right places in the right time. I was two weeks in Spain last summer and I got robbed two times during that time. I have been 4 months in Mexico and I haven't been robbed even once. I really recommend this country for people who wants to see some kind of mixture with latin culture, Mexico's own history and Southern culture. People are very nice and friendly here. Of course because you are not local, they see that and might try to use you or fuck you in the eye. Still most of the people I have met here are amazing people. I have had so many good experiences with my Mexican friends during my time here.

Okey then some weird stuff. Most of the places here they don't throw shit papers to toilet, they put them to trash. That might sometimes make toilet smell a bit. Still I prefer than the shit wholes on the ground in Thailand with water bucket and without toilet paper.

Food. Food is good and it's cheap. For example eating out side good meal with soup, pasta, beef with salad and dessert can easily be more less 2 - 3 euros. Expensive, I know.

In first months I use to eat just tacos on the street. It was cheap (one taco 35cents) and easy. This surround area of my house is full of taco restaurants. Then I notice that after a bit over one month it started to show that tacos are not maybe the most healthiest food in the world. I was going to the gym 4 times in a week and still my stomach was getting bigger.

Now I'm eating a bit healthier and not drinking coke (it's much more sugary here) with every meal. With hard training I finally start to be in condition of my life. Although I'm drinking kind of a lot alcohol.

You could say, at least I say that Mexico is like many countries in one country. There is so many things you can do or see inside of Mexico. For example Mexico City is huge. They have so much things here. Then you drive 1,5 hours away from the city and you get to this huge lake where you can do everything; water ski, water board, drive with jet-ski, parachute glide or just relax with perfect weather. Weather there is perfect and it's just 1,5 hours away from the Mexico City.

Okey first I had a bit problem with soap. They use those soap pieces in shower here. I had first problems to find these tube soaps that most of the people are using in Europe. Also most of the people here think that I'm from US and it's not nice. Some nice surprises also. I really start to like regaeton music here. Also, it might be a big surprise for most of the people, but yeah I have learn some salsa dancing and also bachata. I'm very proud of my self.

Downstairs there is few Mexican friends drinking beer, so you know what that means. I have to go and get my first "ensipurasu". If you want to know what that means, ask from some Finnish friend of yours, if you don't have Finnish friends. I can't say anything more than bad luck.

Un abrazo

Seppo

Long time no see... Where the hell have I been?!?!

Hey you all,

I know it has been a long time since I wrote here last time, but I promise I will be more active in the future. My problem hasn't been that I wouldn't have anything to write, I could say it's more the opposite.

Where I would start. I use to live with two Mexican guys near of my school. It's this 4 bedroom house what is made for partying. Trust me, we have been doing that. Anyway because of personal reasons my other flatmate move to Cancun where he´s family is living. So now in my house is only living me and my friend Jorge. We were able to negotiate the price lower for rest of my time here. It was a good thing, because now I don't have to find a new apartment just for 2,5 months.

Yeah I have still 2,5 months left in this country where I could live much more time than that. I'm having time of my life. I'm just recovering from Halloween and it was crazy. You can see one of the pictures from halloween up there.

About the parties. It's very normal here to have huge home parties with maybe 6 euros entrance cost and then you have a open bar. I like that. I really like the girls here. They are nice and they are beautiful. Living in Nordic country 24 years it's nice change come to Latin country like this. It's also nice to be so called güero (blond or white person in mexican slang). Everyday I get some nice smiles and interested looks.

Oh yeah, and the school gym. It's amazing. The best gym I have been before. There is everything I need and a lot of room. Also it's free to go to different classes like Cycling, body pumb, body combat etc. Also I started to play Fútbol rapido here in my school. It's a bit similar than Futsal, but we are playing outside and in a field what reminds me a bit of ice hockey fields which are out side in Finland.

One crazy thing here is that we usually start our weekend on Thursday. Here is one club near where 5 foreign people will get one bottle of whiskey, tequila, vodka or rom for free and with some juices. So it's good to go there to get your free drinks and after that to some other place continue.

Next weekend one Mexican friend will have a birthday party on friday so I'm definitely going there to party and Saturday I will be sober and just relax at home, because on Sunday morning I'm going for this one 10km run that my school and CCM is organizing. I think it will be fun, at least if I don't have a hangover. I don't remember when was last Saturday that I was staying at home. Of course not even during exam weeks.

I think next time I will write some huge differences I have been seeing here. I promise that it will be soon!!

I hope that you enjoy your time reading what has been happening here in Mexico.

-Seppo

Puerto Escondido: Best moments in my life and near dead experience!!

Hola,

I hope that I got your intrest with my title. Really this trip was something different that my previous trips to beach resorts. First thing I loved was that laidback surfer attitude I saw there. I have seen Cancun and Playa Del Carmen and beaches in Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and many other places, but any of those places isn't like Escondido. I was doing that trip with my friend Antti who spend he's holidays in Mexico. Our trip start with short 18 hours busride and it was an experience byt it self. Good thing was that it was a nightbus, so we were able to sleep a bit. I have to say that city buses is like a crab here, but these long distance buses are better than similar buses in Finland.


When we finally arrived to Escondido we were a bit hungry, so we took a taxi to one restaurant that other friend had suggest before. Restaurant was perfect and almost next to that place we found our hotel for next 5 days. Lonely planet had been suggesting that hotel and we checked that place and it was really nice. Price was good. a bit over 10 euros for night. Al tough we took a room without AC, but we didn't regret that choice later. Room was good enough for us and save some costs.

After that we went to the beach and of course I saw that waves were big and that I shouldn't go that far to swim to the ocean, but my plan was just go to the water and took a photo with the small waves near beach. Sooner I thought I was a bit too far and tried to swim back to the beach. It was maybe 10-15 meter from beach, but I couldn't go anywhere. I tried, but I wasn't moving anywhere near the beach. Then I notice that I shouldn't waste my powers and I should just jell help. So I start to jell to my friend that I need help and fast. First he didn't understand that I'm really in a trouble, but few seconds after that he went to call for lifeguards and then I saw those guys coming and I just tried to be calm till they would be next to me and save some power. Finally one lifeguard came, but soon I notice that he is also a bit trouble. We didn't get that much forward. I think that he's colleague saw that and he came to help us. So with help of two lifeguards I finally got to the beach and I was really pleased. That was first time I have felt that my powers is not enough and without some help I would die. It really made me think about many things and I almost buried my dream about surfing. After all that I heard that in that part of the beach the waves is 3rd biggest in the world. Of course depending about the time of the year etc. I really learned something from that experience.

The next day we had nice trip to the open sea and I saw something that I haven't sean before. In the water there was this direct line where water change color from green-blue to turquoise-blue. It was something new for me. After that we went a bit further and we catch one turtle to boat and I was able to touch it and sit next to it. I really enjoyed that boat trip although if I remember right I might had a bit hangover.

Next day we were planing to leave to Palanque, but in the evening when we went to check some bus tickets for next day all the busses even somewhere near Palenque were full. So we had to stay in Escondido few more days and in the end I'm happy for that. I had time to try surfing and I really loved that. I was planing to try it again in the last day before our bus leaves around 8pm. Of course in that day I got my stomach sick and I went to toilet maybe 10 times in 10 hours. It wasn't that nice.

Also in the last night we met some very nice Mexican people from Monterrey. They were our neighbors in our hotel. We sit with them in their terrace and drunk some beer. After that we went to this beach bar and one of these Mexican friends were playing guitar and we were singing together many good songs. Example: 3 Doors down - When I'm gone, Plain's white tees - Hey there Delilah etc. It was a very good night for ending the trip.

Next day spending many hours in a toilet and laying in hammock we went back to Mexico City with that 18 hours in a bus. We met many nice people during the trip and we had really good time. I'm really happy that I went there and I will definitely go there again. I recommend that place for all the people who would like to see a bit different kind of beach resort.

-Seppo

First day after recovering from jet lag

Hey,

Today morning I felt first time even a bit refreshed after my coming here. Maybe it was because 10 hours sleep or something. Although during the night there were some mosquitos distracting my dreams.

Yesterdy we agreed with my friend Antti that we'll see today and we'll hangout with each other and see a bit how is Mexico city about. First time without local help. So I took a taxi to my future school because Antti is staying near there with one mexican friend. After that we got an idea leave to one shopping center near. That place was nice and I have been there once before during my last trip here. Next to the mal there is this market place where you can find some shoes and things like that with a very low price. I found for my self one pair of Converse with a bit over 30 euros.

Then we went to eat something and we found this amazing place with a amazing price... soup, pasta and meat meal together only about 2,5 euros including papaya water. Not only the price and food was good, but also the service was one of the best I have ever had. There was some spanish names of the foods we didn't know. So the waiter brings us some samples we can taste and choose after that what we want. That way we got our perfect meal. Of course because the good service we gave a very big tip.

Tomorrow Antti have been planing to get a first tattoo and I promise to go with him if there will be some problem with language, maybe I can help. Also I will get my mexican sim card and buy maybe tickets for our trip to few amazing places in Mexico. Including some beach and other amazing things, bu more about that later.

-Seppo