Yesterday I shared about how, after leaving Albania, we had entered Macedonia on our way to Kosovo and arrived in Tetovo just about exactly when a Macedonian counter offensive began. I then described how we, that being George, two Americans (whose names I cannot recall) and Paul - another English guy - then travelled on to Skopje in our white Defender 110 Land Rover and from here I will now pick up the story.
We checked in at the Hotel Brahm's for the night and went out to find a restaurant to get something to eat. I don't even remember what we ate as my most stark memory is of George falling foul of the BBC. There was a journalist who was trying to conduct an interview in the same place as we were eating (I think at that time he was just learning the trade and I have seen him on TV since) and he came across to hush us. We weren't being particularly loud and we had as much right as he to be there and if he didn't like it he should go and find another, quieter location, to conduct the interview. Miffed, the journalist went off with his figurative tail between his legs.
George did then explain his hostility and it wasn't just about having the right to have a normal conversation in a restaurant. He had been hands on during the refugee crisis that was sparked by the Kosovo War and he told us how he directly witnessed a child fall off a cart as a family were fleeing the war. On this occasion the journalist asked the small child be put back on the cart so he can fall off again, because he hadn't caught it on camera. Disgusting!
All of this was to prove to be a sideshow for the main event though.
We soon made our way back to the hotel and retired for the night. George had a room for himself (the privilege of being the boss :) ), the two Americans had a room together and I shared with Paul. Paul and I chatted for a bit before getting our heads down and while it took a while - certainly for me - to fall asleep it was soon morning. We got dressed and organised and went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I think George was already there, but either way for a while there were only three of us and it took some time for the Americans to come along.
They were bleary-eyed and clearly more tired than the rest of us and the reason soon became more than apparent.
I think they said that it was at about 2am that they started hearing strange noises coming from the en-suite in the bathroom and there was a terrible stench that was almost vomit-inducing. They got up and somewhat bravely decided to peak inside the bathroom and the stink assailed them anew, but that was nothing compared to what they saw. The gurgling sound was coming from the shower and raw sewage (yes semi-liquefied human excrement) was almost boiling out of the plughole such was the ferocity of its bubbling.
They closed the door to the ensuite and went to report it to the reception and ask for another room. They were told that there were no more rooms available and nothing could be done about it and so with heavy hearts and huge reluctance they returned to their room. I think they said they damped some towels and put them around the bottom of the bathroom door and opened the balcony door to try to alleviate the stink, but still they slept very little.
I must admit it, and this was down to both of the American's characters, they told the story so well that at the same time their descriptions were both horrifying and hilarious.
We finished breakfast and George, who was picking up the bill for the evening and breakfast, asked to speak to the manager. George can and usually is a hard negotiator, but what happened next left him - and the rest of us - dumbfounded. George asked that the cost of the contaminated room be removed from the bill and the manager refused, so then he pushed for a discount, still the manager didn't budge and then finally he asked for either the breakfasts to be free or at least discounted. The manager refused to budge and finally George pointed out how the hotel had failed in its obiligation to provide a safe and clean room.
I think the manager either got bored or had something else to do, because he cut George and any of his appeals for decency off with an irrefutable fact.
'Well they slept in there didn't they!
And that was the end and there was nothing we could do about it. George reluctantly paid and I am sure there was plenty of commentary as he did so, but by then the rest of us were packing up the Land Rover.
One of the things we had picked up from other guests over breakfast was that the Macedonian Army had locked down Skopje and that the border with Kosovo was closed. It seemed that we were going nowhere fast - or at the very least would have to return to Albania. We'd come so far and with George's determination there was no way we weren't going to try and that part of the adventure will be in my next post.
Until then, and as always, stay safe and well my friends.
NB Header photo is representative and NOT from the actual hotel which I am now unable to find. Maybe it went out of business!
