After leaving Struga, the land became wild and empty. There were no villages, and we saw very few people. We slowly climbed through an area with sparse trees until we reached the hills. We stopped at a small outpost, a caracol, where about twelve Turkish soldiers were stationed to keep watch for bandits in the hills.
Crossing Cafa Sane
Next, we faced a difficult climb over a mountain range called Cafa Sane, which rose 3,500 feet above the lake. We had to lead our horses up the steep path. The landscape reminded me of a Scottish moor—hilly and covered with bracken for miles Istanbul Tour Guides.
Meeting the Albanians
We soon reached a high plain where we encountered many tall Albanians with fearless eyes. We saw a few farms, but no villages. Albanians prefer to live alone on their farms, even if they are far away from other people. When they take their buffaloes to plough the fields, they always carry a gun, because they never know who they might meet along the way.
Entering Bandit Territory
At this point, we were in an area known for bandits. The captain of my guard became nervous, but I must admit, after sitting for so many hours in the saddle, I almost looked forward to a confrontation with the bandits. I thought I knew something the Turks didn’t. They were being very cautious—perhaps too cautious—trying hard to protect me from being captured. I knew that in the Greek-Bulgarian area, I could be a valuable prize for one of the revolutionary groups, not because I supported their cause, but because I could be worth a large sum of money to the Turkish government. But here, I felt safe.
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