MagazineNature

THE WOMB

Macedonia has a magical landscape, earth, sky, and water, but it also has an amazing underground. Pits, abysses, caves. There is a special kind of magic here and special rules of the game.

This is a story about the Macedonian womb.

Speleology, if we stick to the true interpretation of the term, would say that it is a mountaineering specialty that explores naturally created underground objects. But speleology is not just research. It is both a sport and a recreation and a hobby, for many an adventure, and all together – a lot of adrenaline.

Pits, abysses, caves … discovering the unknown. Only the bravest remain faithful to the constant search for the “most beautiful”.

The day started early, at the sunrise. A road was waiting for us to the village of Izvor (Kichevo region), where we were to meet the members of “Peoni”. We needed the day because there was so much to go through.

My “baptismal journey” into the Macedonian underworld began with Peshna the cave with the largest opening (up to 40 meters high). Legend has it that Deva and Pesha were the two sisters of King Marko. In Peshna, King Marko built a castle for Pesha in the 14th century, and the Devini Kuli, on the other side of Treska, built a castle for Deva, in order for the two sisters to be close to each other.

Speleologists say that the geomorphological research indicates there is an entrance to the underground world. From “Peoni” they have been working in it for many years, looking for that entrance, that is, as they say, “We got stuck digging, but we are persistent that one day we will enter”.

Bozguni (cave of evil), The beautiful – Gjonovica, Alilica, Momichek, Ice Cave, Samotska Dupka, Galishka Cave are just several of the most beautiful caves in this country.

In the end, why go underground? Maybe to test your abilities, or to be part of the few brave, maybe it’s a desire to discover one completely different world… Or maybe just because of the fact that besides the overground, we also have an underground. “And there is a special magic here… special rules of the game.”

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