Finding Hoops by the Lake
Okay, so I found myself in Ohrid. Beautiful place, right? That lake is something else. Anyway, after a couple of days soaking in the sights, walking around, you know, the usual tourist stuff, I got that itch. The one where I just needed to shoot some hoops. It’s like a habit, can’t shake it easily.
So, I started looking. Didn’t really have a plan. Just started walking away from the main tourist drag, figured there had to be a local court somewhere. Asked a guy at a small shop, he just kinda shrugged. Asked another person near a schoolyard, they pointed vaguely down a street. It wasn’t super clear, you know?
Walked for maybe 15 minutes, peeking down side streets. Then I heard it. That familiar sound – a basketball hitting pavement, the squeak of sneakers. Bingo.
The Court and the Game
Found this outdoor court. Nothing fancy, mind you. The asphalt was a bit cracked here and there, nets were kinda worn, but hey, it had hoops and lines. That’s all you need, really. It was tucked away a bit, next to some apartment buildings. Felt pretty local.
There were already a few guys playing, looked like a pickup game was just getting started. Mostly younger dudes, maybe late teens, early twenties. I just kinda hung around the edge for a bit, watching. Didn’t want to just jump in.
After a few minutes, one of the guys waved me over. Didn’t speak much English, and my Macedonian is, well, non-existent. But basketball has its own language, right? Pointing, nodding, simple stuff.
Joining In
- They needed one more player to make teams even. So, I joined.
- The game started. It was pretty fast-paced. Lots of running.
- My shot was rusty at first. Clanked a few off the rim. Felt a bit awkward.
- But then I settled in. Started passing more, playing defense.
- Managed to hit a couple of outside shots later on. Felt good.
- The guys were cool. Some friendly competition, but mostly just having fun.
We played for maybe an hour, hour and a half. Sun started going down. It got pretty sweaty. We didn’t really keep score properly, just played game after game. Called our own fouls, the usual pickup rules.
When we finished, lots of fist bumps, nodding. Even though we barely spoke the same language, it felt like a good connection. Just playing the game. It’s funny how that works. Left the court feeling tired but really satisfied. It was a cool way to see a different side of Ohrid, away from just the postcards. Definitely a good memory from the trip.
