North Macedonia > Through the mountains to Ohrid

As we drive off, we attract attention from the French travel group. They want to know all about our journey. “You must come to France too,” they say. Today, we are heading to Macedonia. The fastest route would be back through the capital, but we choose to drive through the mountains of southern Albania. We had received a tip to visit the hot springs of Benja. These hot springs are about an hour’s drive from Gjirokaster, though we were warned that they are difficult to find. As we approach the town of Permit, where the hot springs are supposed to be, we see a sign for the national park, which also shows a photo of the hot springs. We drive onto the unpaved road. We have no idea how far we need to follow this path, assuming there will be some park entrance or information booth along the way. But this turns out not to be the case. After driving over eight kilometers, we reach a fork with no signs. A local boy by the roadside indicates with gestures that we are on the wrong side of Permit. Confused, we turn back. The boy is right. A little further along the main road, we find another sign pointing to the Benja hot springs, this time also in English. We park the car. The hot spring lies across a small stream. We reach the pool via an old Roman bridge. Several people are swimming in the water. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of trash around the hot spring. The water is pleasant but not overly warm. We bathe for a while. Before heading to Korçë, we do some shopping in a small store.

North Macedonia - The natural water spring at Benja

The elderly woman behind the counter wants to sell us everything, but the language barrier makes this difficult. She brings various items. First, she comes with bread, which we indeed want. On the image on the fridge, we point to some meat. She also has minced meat. Together with some pieces of cheese, we have what we need for a picnic lunch and dinner. Often, people ask beforehand, isn’t it a long drive? Naturally, the distance we cover is considerable, but actually, the type of road determines whether it feels like a long drive more than the distance itself. From the hot spring, the distance to Korçë is “only” 126 kilometers. However, the narrow mountain road constantly goes up and down, so the average speed barely exceeds thirty kilometers per hour. This makes it a several-hour drive nonetheless. Midway, we approach a fork. The navigation and the village sign say left, but a sign at the intersection points right. As we turn back in doubt, a boy rushes over. “Right is the new road. That’s the one you need.” He runs a café and asks if we want a drink. Why not? The new road is a few kilometers shorter and faster. On one of the mountainsides, we stop for lunch. Dark clouds occasionally drizzle rain, interspersed with sunshine. During the lunch break, it remains dry. Around half past three, we enter Korçë. In a supermarket, we buy wine and chips, which weren’t available in the shop we visited earlier. At a gas station, we fill up with the remainder of our Albanian money, which gets us about twenty liters of fuel. Soon after leaving Korçë, we see the immense Lake Ohrid. The lake lies in both Albania and Macedonia. We drive along the southern side toward Macedonia. At the border post, there are no other cars. Our details are recorded, and we are allowed to pass quickly. At the first campsite just before Ohrid, the gate is closed, and the reception is also shut.

North Macedonia - Camping in Macedonia

This doesn’t seem like a suitable location. A little further along, there is another campsite. Here there is more life, although the site mainly consists of dilapidated mobile homes. We unfold the tent and prepare chili con carne. Just as we finish eating, thunder rumbles in the distance. We have no choice but to take shelter in the car. The now-almost customary heavy rain passes over. Inside the car, we update the travel journal. Hopefully, the tent remains dry in this heavy downpour. After the worst of the rain has passed, it continues to drizzle. It doesn’t look like it will dry quickly tonight. Around a quarter past nine, we decide to go to bed. It has been an exhausting day through the mountains, and we quickly fall asleep.