Remember last year I mentioned that I have a brand new Electric Mountain bike when I wrote my blog Life. This bike adds to the collection of mountain bikes here as we, and everyone who comes here loves going for a cycle into the mountains. You can read about some of our trips in my blog Cycling around Kocani. I have already clocked up more than 400km on my bike and was eager to discover new places to cycle to.

We decided to explore the village of Orizari, located in the municipality of Kocani. This route is different from the one we usually take when exploring the villages around Kocani. Orizari is a small village with approximately 400 inhabitants. It has its own school and a beautiful church perched on a hillside overlooking the village entrance.

A small stream flows through the village, effectively dividing it, but the two halves are connected by bridges—one halfway into the village and the other at the far end. The houses are scattered in what seems like a haphazard arrangement, though this pattern likely has historical significance.

We learned that there is a monastery further up the mountain at the far end of the village, so we decided to check it out. Before long, the asphalt road turned into a gravel path, and we passed several houses that appeared almost off-grid. At one house, we saw water being pumped from a well at the bottom of the garden.

When we finally reached the Monastery of Dobra Voda, we enjoyed a well-earned long drink of water. Then the discussion began: Should we continue up the gravel path and higher up the mountain, or return the way we came? Since my husband wouldn’t be my husband if he suggested turning back, we decided to head across the mountain.

It was hot, steep, and bumpy. However, we knew that if we cycled across the mountain, we would eventually join a road leading us back down the other side of the village. We weren’t sure how far this mountain path would take us or how “off-road” it would be.

The views across the mountain range were stunning, but it was challenging to fully appreciate them while focusing on cycling. Despite the dry conditions making the path less slippery, it remained a difficult terrain to navigate. Sometimes, there were tracks to follow, but we had to make split-second decisions about whether to stick to the track or stay on the side. It was crucial to keep moving and avoid sudden braking, as that could cause us to slip—an unfortunate scenario when skin meets gravel. Although we weren’t traveling at high speeds, we both cycled at our own pace for safety and stopped regularly to check our route.

Its not about how fast you go, its about the freedom you feel along the way.

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We joined the road and enjoyed a freewheeling ride all the way back to the village. However, freewheeling isn’t as relaxing as it might seem, especially on an uneven road with hairpin bends and no visibility of oncoming traffic. While we were more likely to encounter a slow tractor than many vehicles climbing the mountain, the wind in our hair and the sense of freedom made it all worthwhile.

We stopped for a refreshing drink in the village before heading home for a long, relaxing afternoon. We cycled a total of 20 kilometers, which is less than my daily commute in the Netherlands. It’s not the distance but the effort it takes that truly counts!

I would hasten to add that for all these cycle trips its important to have advanced proficiency in cycling, there are a lot of potholes to contend with on a normal road, and negotiating the traffic can also be challenging. The right gear is also important; as you can see here I was not wearing an helmet, usually we will wear helmets when going off road but here for whatever reason we didn't. It was not one of my best decisions in life... I can only improve from here.