Day 14 - Prelip, Macedonia

Much of life in the Balkens is about choice or more appropriate - lack of it. When we get old and need to move to a lower maintenance home, we simply sell and move. Here, houses can be up for sale for more than a decade. Last year I wrote about a house for sale here for more than 10 years. It's still for sale so selling off and moving elsewhere is not an option for most people. For those that seek greener pastures abandon their homes or as the older generation die their houses become empty. There are many villages that have become ghost towns because of these reasons.

Lack of employment, lack of appropriate partners for a relationship and lack of money all equal lack of choice that we take so much for granted. We often agonise over choices in life but having choice in the first place makes us rich.

Vlatko and Ana, after everything is paid, work for $AU0.20 an hour each. They work almost 100 hours a week.

Finn and I caught the bus from Bitola to Prelip. A Macedonian man who spoke English quite well chattered most of the way. Vele picked us up at the Autobuska stanica (bus station) and visited his aunty. She asked us to return for dinner but that just won't happen. 

We then ventured to Ana And Vladko's place where we will stay the night. Given my Macedonian consists of about twelve words, Ana having about the same amount in English and Vlatko hovering around zero, it made for an interesting evening. At the last moment, Vele decided to come so we had an interpreter.

It's in bed by 11.30 for a 3am start to complete my photo essay. Vlatko, Ana and their three children - David and twins Matea and Maté do this every day - seven days a week. I admire their tenacity in attempting to carve a living from what most of us would struggle to attempt.