Negotino News!!

Remember..this blog in no way is reflective of the Peace Corps..and it's Allan's turn to write, so here he is!

A stroll thru Negotino.
Kathy and I take a lot of walks thru town and here is what we see. First, dogs and cats, lots of both. Nearly all are strays and they give wide bearth. Some of the dogs sport ear tags which mean they are strays that have had some shots as opposed to just plain old strays.  No one pays them any attention and it is not good to be dog in MAK and even worse to be cat. This is as opposed to guard dogs which are well cared for and not to trifle with.  Not too many run of the mill hounds around.

Houses are mostly block and ceramic tile and concrete construction mostly 2 stories.  Often construction is a long term process, I'd say a decade in many cases.  I am a big fan of do it yourself and this is ground zero for that!  One awesome feature of every house is a pergola. These are metal frames with a metal-spaced roof. They are planted to grapes, kiwis, vining flowers.  The area underneath has a table and chairs and often has an outside kitchen of sorts. These are great spaces and I've got good ideas for Boise.

The streets wind in all directions with narrow alleys. Kathy and I often walk around at night and people are out visiting, making homemade brandy, roasting peppers over wood fires or fixing stuff. The alleys are dark and uneven and we are close to the family action.  It is pretty cool. The town itself it pretty worn but trying to kick-start itself by developing wine tourism. Good wine here but the municipal scenery is an acquired taste. It is however, growing on us.
Kathy and I are doing great and are learning a lot about MAK and ourselves. We appreciate hearing the news from all y'all so drop us a few lines from home.