The monastery is believed to be built by the end of the 16th century, but may be older. They have found inscriptions in old Slavonic that suggests it was built much earlier. Or at least the original one, it was destroyed in 1923 and this version is a reconstruction built on the same foundation, during the 1970s and 80s. It is, however, no visit inside the Abbey today, because it is closed. After a closer look around the Abbey, I listen a bit bored on a guy who claims to be a sort of healer and who also want to teach me to photograph. I skip the "lesson", take some spring water and begin trek back, along the trail, as darkness now have started to fold over it. The road home provides no more adventure ingredients, only interesting motives. 

But back on the street Neretva, a guy almost backing in to me with his car, where I have set up the camera on the tripod. But it goes good and he is stepping out and wondering what country I come from. When I reply: Sweden, he says: I have friends from Sweden - Marcus Rosenberg and Jonas Olsson - "They played in my team in West Bromwisch, in the English Premier League. It is the Macedonian football player Goran Popov, who is at home in Strumica during the holidays. He becomes a suitable ending to the "adventure", and by finally looking in the rear-view mirrors he avoided a tragic end of the story. 

Monastry Sveti Elija

Sv. Elija Monastry church