d o t t i e: ohrid

Language and Cross-Cultural In-Service Training (IST)

IST last week was wonderful! IST is an annual event where all current PCVs gather to improve their language ability and learn more about the culture we live in. Every day we had a different schedule, with about 3 hours of language class per day. Everyone could look at the list of classes and just sign up for whatever topic he or she wanted to take. Classes were limited to about 6 people and lasted one hour each. I had a great time reviewing and hopefully improving my Macedonian - I took classes in the perfective/imperfective forms, colloquialisms, imperative, and food. In two other sessions I started to Turkish! We also attended an informative session about Roma people in Macedonia, an optional Oro dance class, discussed cultural challenges that we sometimes encounter as volunteers, and watched the film "The Crucible of War," a documentary about the breakup of Yugoslavia. Phew! It probably would have seemed like a lot less fun if the location in a small town on Lake Ohrid wasn't so breathtakingly beautiful. Peace Corps practically had the hotel to ourselves (with probably about 80 volunteers and staff attending) so it really felt like a retreat.

Photos of our hotel and vicinity:

Ohrid

Our last night at IST, I opted to take a walking tour of Ohrid. Here are some images from the tour with a few details about what's pictured:

During King Samuel's reign (976-1014 A.D.) Ohrid was the capital of the first state of the Macedonian Slavs. Samuel’s Fortress in Ohrid dates back to the 3rd century and initially had three entrance gates, of which only one, the Upper Gate, has been preserved to this day. Before and after Samuel’s reign, the fortress had been demolished and rebuilt several times. The highest part of Ohrid, which is 100 meters above the lake level, is surrounded by 10-16m high walls, built of stone, lime, and sand from the lake, and two defense towers. After the arrival of colonizers from Asia, led by their commander Mino, the town started spreading outside the walls, on the surrounding plain.

Amphitheater

This ancient theater was built in the hills of old town of Ohrid in the 3rd century B.C. In the 2nd century B.C. the Romans added rows of seats and made a radical intervention in the orchestra pit in order to adjust it for fights with animals. The cages for the animals were built adjacent to the surrounding walls. When the site was excavated, bones from lions and other animals were found in the former cage areas. Initially designed with over 4,500 seats, the theater was reconstructed in 2002 and now has the capacity of 1,700 seats and is used for outdoor performances.

Gladiator Restaurant located just above the amphitheater (of course)

Church of St. John the Theologian
Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century.