After a day in Skopje, we stopped by Lake Makta on our way to Ohrid. Makta for my non-Macedonian/non-Bulgarian speakers means womb. I am not sure how important it is to know this but there you have it.
<a title="Green blue river of Lake Matka by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6991640896/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/6991640896_7666059a94_z.jpg" alt="Green blue river of Lake Matka" width="640" height="427" /></a>
The lake is beautiful and was created when the Treska river was dammed. The water is a lovely blue-emerald green color. I've never seen anything like it. H., the science teacher on our trip, told me that it's because of the rocks the canyon is made out of. Ah, <em>Science</em>.

After this trip I'd wholeheartedly recommend vacationing with a science teacher. H. knows all sorts of great things--like what's the difference between a billy goat and a goat? And she put up with my ridiculous questions: like what would happen if you crossed a chicken and a peacock?
<a title="Hiking along Lake Matka by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7137716195/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/7137716195_56d0e3418e_z.jpg" alt="Hiking along Lake Matka" width="640" height="427" /></a>
Anyhow, the lake, river and canyon were beautiful. We had a coffee on the lake and then went on a walk. A walk that turned into a a hike about 30 minutes in. We thought that we were headed to a monastery. Turns out we weren't. We were just walking along a cliff enjoying the view, throwing rocks, whistling, taking pictures and otherwise enjoying ourselves.
<a title="Along Matka by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7137719131/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/7137719131_2028b1e4c6_z.jpg" alt="Along Matka" width="640" height="427" /></a>
These things happen sometimes.
<a title="Irises up-close by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6991634238/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6991634238_280645b864_z.jpg" alt="Irises up-close" width="640" height="427" /></a>
So we walk and walk and the path become less and less well maintained. The scenery is lovely and the weather is wonderful so we don't really worry about things but at about an hour in we decide that we've got to turn around so that we can actually drive to Ohrid in the afternoon.
<a title="P. and H. at the muddy river bank by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6991645686/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/6991645686_68b6e883d8_z.jpg" alt="P. and H. at the muddy river bank" width="640" height="427" /></a>
On the way back we scampered down to the water. The shore was incredibly muddy. The kind of mud that you sink into in a big slurp. P. took her shoes off to put her feet in the water and we all decided to follow suit. The water was cold and the mud was well mud but the day was warm and we figured that the mud would dry and the we could brush it off. This is more or less what we ended up doing. Sitting in the sun on rocks, we joked around about our free spa mud wraps.
<a title="Muddy feet by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7137726229/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7137726229_fb980220b4_z.jpg" alt="Muddy feet" width="640" height="427" /></a>
After our 2+ hour walk, we found ourselves back at the lake. We ordered plescavita and beer. Yum, yum.

Then we walked down the hill to our car and drove to Ohrid. Not a bad adventure if I do say so myself. I had a great time. I hope this comes through in this post because frankly, it's not as easy for me to write about a hike as it for me to write about rambling through a town or checking out a new restaurant.