We just kept riding, it was glorious, the tyre stayed up, it was pumped, we were pumped as we headed towards the border.....
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Arriving at the border we where told to line up with the wagons, a separate route to the cars... seemed strange, using internationally observed hand gestures it was confirmed we needed to stay on the road we were on.... honk, hoooooonk... the truck behind us started to sound his horn and shouted wrong way in English.... more internationally observed sign language later it seemed the official new nothing and we were indeed in the wrong lane... quick U turn then back into the car line... 1st official realizing we were English, just said traveling. to which we replied yes.. on to the next window....
PAssport - handed over
Documents for bike... ok,
No problems. I was free to move on. I waited to see if Scott had any issues.... good job i did... Problem !!!
No Possible !!
BIG Problem......
needless to say we shit um !!!
after quite a lengthy exchange using lots of the words problem, big problem, no possible, the customs official deemed it a good idea to get his boss. A very smart, forceful looking man, who looked although freindly, not to be messed with.
Problem and big problem and no possible were still a constant.. he explained that if we were travelling to another EU country, its no problem... said twice for good measure, but as this wasn't EU... BIG Problem.....
It was obviously at this point I had new we had f'd up .... " this IS EU is said, when did Greece leave the EU? i thought it was us 1st?"
"Greece? said the confused guard... "this is Macedonia no Greece" !!! even the brass on his lapels steamed up as he was clearly getting flustered by our extreme level of incompetence. I think he must have thought we were taking the piss.
I quickly explained we had a ... quite a serious navigational error that had brought us to him... but an error none the less.
Many apologies later and me asking him not to mention to anyone else that he'd met dummer and dummer that day, we were free to go.... back to Bulgaria.... but no !!! STOP !!!.
PASSPORT !! jeeeesus, I wondered what was in store for me after my half hour of no mans land... it seems I'd been signed out of Bulgaria but not into Macedonia ... i was truly in no mans land... and needed signing back into Bulgaria before I could move on...
Crazy... on we went back down the road, towards the Hotel paradise 3* heaven as it was going dark , we had our tails between our legs,
The Adventure had truly begun.
