THIS IS THE CAMPING CAVE THAT GERO BUILT…
When most people come across a cave they usually think bats, bears and spiders. However, my husband, Gary (now, Gero of Macedonia), found a cave in the Plačkovica Mountain and saw a project. One of his assignments as a Peace Corps Volunteer for the local Municipality was to attract tourists to the area. What better way than setting up a Camping Cave and geocaches?
Geocaching
Prior to Construction
The cave is shallow with a high ceiling and basically two levels of rocky floors. It faces south and has a spectacular view of the Zrnovci River and the Mountain Canyon. The cave is 40 minutes south of Zrnovci up the river Canyon accessed from the west middle trail out of the village at the swimming hole known as ‘The Little Jump’.
On daily trips small bags of cement, tools and wood were carried to the Cave. When the rocks around the Cave area were depleted rocks along the trail were collected and carried in for the construction project. Water and sand were extracted from the River. Once dried and screened, sand was mixed 3:1 with cement and hand blended with water into concrete
Single Bed Lower Level
Lower Level Bed with Slats
Completed Single Bed
Now there are 2 stone beds, a wood stove and a stone throne nearby
Upper Double Bed
Wood Stove in Progress
Chimney on the Rise
Stone Throne
On the hillside beneath the Cave site are a Paulownia and fig tree planted six months ago. Below them, on the River, is a waterfall, plunge pool and wading pool and massive rocks on which to sit, stand or lay. On one of these large rock platforms is a large boulder in the shape of a heart sitting on a concrete pedestal Three rock ‘chairs’ provide seating around the ‘table’
Heart Table Near the River
Friends on the Upper Bunk
This is a lovely space to spend the day picnicking and swimming and it is an enchanting place to spend the evening. As the sun slips behind the mountain the sound of frogs and splashing water cascading downstream are the only sounds heard (well, OK, maybe an occasional mosquito). The night sky is filled with stars undiluted by street lights and in the summer the occasional firefly slowly flashes past. Turtle Doves gently announce the rising sun and start of a new day.
View from the Cave
Split Level Cave
The camping cave, once a dream, is now a reality upstream of a tiny, rural village in Northeastern Macedonia called Zrnovci
The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
This post was originally published on August 25, 2015.
