Well, I have arrived at the halfway point, Day #50 of 100 Days of Travel. It’s time for recap and it’s also time for a pause while I reassess my journey in the final days of 2020. 

I said at the beginning of this project that if I thought travel was becoming too unsafe, I would hunker down for a bit. In mid-September, I felt confident that I could travel for 100 straight days, but the last few weeks have made it clear that it’s just becoming too dangerous and more than a bit irresponsible.

I still believe that travel can be done – if everyone agreed to follow some basic safety principles. But as I’ve learned during the last eight months is that people, in general, are morons. When I arrived in Macedonia, the cases per 100,000 people over the previous two-week period was 14 and there were almost no restrictions. Now, it’s hovering around 50, restaurants close at 9 pm, and you can’t gather in groups larger than four. I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

So the plan is to live in Ohrid for the remainder of my visa. It’s a tourist town and November is the off-season so very few crowds and plenty of space in cafes. It’s walking distance to a national park and lakeside villages to explore. Plus, the sunsets are epic.

There are lots of unchecked items on my Macedonian bucket list. I still need a proper visit of Mavrovo NP and to climb Mount Korab. I’d also like to revisit Solunska Glava and track down the mysterious Devil’s Wall. Warmer weather means more camping, and I already have some spots planned out in Pelister National Park along with Lake Prespa. I plan on returning in the spring, hopefully in mid-April, maybe sooner.

Below, you’ll find the posts for the first 50 days on the road. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing, photographing, and traveling around Macedonia.

-Ohrid, November 8, 2020 (Day #50 of 100)