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After visiting Macedonia one thing is clear. People there talk a lot about politics. You would think that after all these wars, massacres and riots they would have gotten tired of it, but it is quite the contrary. I guess that is why they call it the Balkans and it might never stop. My friend Eric Manton in Macedonia is the local 'Rule of Law' officer. Not an easy job. The capital Skopje The international community is trying to make a difference though and they are present in large numbers through various organizations like the OSCE. But being impartial and keeping the peace is not easy and already the locals, Slavs and Albanians alike, are starting to get weary of all these 'internationals', who are telling them how to run their country while earning ten times as much as the locals do. And of course most ethnic groups still want to annihilate all others and everybody standing in their way is considered the enemy. The bazar in Skopje Even in former socialist housing blocks Santa Claus is making himself known. But when I said that I am just a tourist, most people reacted rather surprised or did not even believe me. "Tourism in Macedonia, does it exist?" is the most common reaction. It is true, there is not much to see, especially in winter, but most people are very friendly, there is quite some nightlife and you can have the luxury of being the only tourist in town. Just make sure that you like meat and lots of it, because everybody will be stuffing you full with their national dishes. Breakfast! Three Erics? No, this one is Esteban! Eric in action