Day 175 – Sunday 3/4/12

After having enjoyed being outside so much yesterday, I decided to still join the American Corner folks for a journey today.  I still was not feeling the best, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity!  I had not yet gotten up to Popovo Shapka, so I was really looking forward to getting to join them.

The Girls Club, Boys Club and Debate Clubs of the American Corner had planned a day at Popovo Shapka.  This is the ski mountain just outside of Tetovo on Sar Mountain, 1,780 metres (5,840 ft) above the sea level.  Popovo Shapka is not as well known as some ski resorts in the world, but it is known throught the Balkans for its great slopes and beauty. It is different than the resort areas I have been to in Colorado. Shapka has gone through a privatization battle.  I see its condition and I see both positive and negative.  Negatives include that it could be so much more developed and accessible to visitors.  Tetovo could have more income as a city by using Shapka for more tourists.  But a positive would be its naturalness, it is not as developed as some resorts are.

We took a bus up the mountain with about 45 students, Gezim, Saranda, Arianna and I.  Gezim and Saranda work at the American corner, and are wonderful!  Arianna is Saranda, sister, as well as one of my students from SEE-U.  It was quite the curvey drive, but the bus driver did a wonderful job!  Most of the road was cleared for 2 cars, but there were still some areas that were still one lane from all of the snow that had fallen in the past month.  We arrived at the top, and this was the first scene I saw- the entrance area-

Popova Shapka

Walking a little further, I was able to see some of the restaurants and hotels. This view is looking to the east:

Popova Shapka

The students had planned an afternoon of events and games to play.  They had sack races, three legged races, sledding races, capture the flag, and tug-o-war.  The students who did the planning did a wonderful job and all of the kids had a great time. The American Corner gives such wonderful opportunities to the students in the community of Tetovo.  The experiences with friends, the leadership opportunities, and knowledge they gain is not matched in many organizations.  Below are pictures of the area and two of the games that the students had planned. 

One of the several ski lifts

Lodge on the hill

Looking towards the houses/cottages

sleds waiting to be rented

Hotel on the mountain side

I MADE IT

Racing to the flags

Arianna and I relaxing- getting a bit too much sun

Arianna, Saranda and I 

AC students playing tug-of-war

After the games and a sandwich lunch on the side of the mountain, a few of us walked up to the hotel on the side of the mountain for a coffee.  Having been sick for two weeks, this was quite the difficult walk for me! But in the long run, it wasn’t harmful :)  The hike brought an adventure in itself. There was still so much that the snow on stairs up to the hotel was up to the railing… Gezim even found a spot that was hallowed!  His leg went STRAIGHT DOWN!  The view from the hotel was more than worth the walk.  It was like every way I looked was another view like a post card… amazing.

Walking up to the restaurant for coffee

There was so much snow, Gezim's ENTIRE leg fell in!

Where his leg was!

View from the restaurant

Another view from the restaurant

Made it to the restaurant

view from restaurant to the southeast

view from the restaurant to the southwest

enjoying our coffees

The AC crew 

Popovo Shapka is beautiful.  The mountains and nature were breath taking.  It was also such a nice day outside that for most of the time we didn’t even wear our coats and I even got sunburned on my face.  Being outside all afternoon made me so excited for spring!

Lesson: Giving students the opportunity to plan events and be leaders is the only way they can ever rise to the occasion and learn how to be the leaders of tomorrow.