I rolled into Oban (OO-ban) early in the day. I got a bed at the Jeremy Inglis Hostel, which was dirt cheap (£6.50/nt) and there was free grub. The woman who runs the place for Jeremy is in constant motion. I've never seen anyone run around all day like she does.
Anyway, I walked around the town and checked out the local sites, mainly McCraig's Tower which was originally supposed to be an art museum. All that was built was the exterior walls so it now has a Roman Collesium feel. There were great views of the harbor from there.
I also visited this old ivy covered castle that I can't remember the name of....
However, the highlight of Oban wasn't Oban, but a small island across the bay called Kerrara (CARE-er-uh). I get corrected on my pronunciation all the time so I might as well use my new knowledge! Kerrera is owned by the McDougall clan and they are paying for the Gylen Castle to be restored.
The island itself was great for walking and I saw an eagle, some deer, and yes, MORE SHEEP. I swear, I'm going to turn into a sheep.... baaaaaa. After a long day of hoofing it around the island, I took the ferry back and bummed a ride with an older Irish couple who saw me on the ferry.
As a reward for having such a good day, I went into the local Tesco and bought myself some new undies, a bra, and a tshirt, all for £12.50. I'm such a Tesco slut. ;)
I finally made it back to the mainland and I stayed for a night in Fort William, which BLOWS. I have never been to a more LAME and tourist shop filled town in my LIFE. It wasn't even nice enough out to go cycling through The Great Glen, so I bolted out of town, ASAP. The hostel was also nas-tay even though everyone seemed to think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Bleh.....
After a beautiful day in Flodigarry (during which I did nothing but stare at the amazing views), I took the bus to Kyleakin (pronounced Kai-LAA-kin). I stayed at a really great hostel, called the Dun Caan Hostel. It was owned by a Scotsman and his Norwegian wife. What a homey place they had and I really felt like I had a temporary break from all the usual hostels.
Anyway, when I got in, the Scotsman told me that it was low tide enough to go visit Castle Moil. I got some great pics of the ruins, which are said to have been built by a Norse princess married to a MacCloud (I think) chief. She would run a chain across the thin waterway and tax everyone who wanted to pass, with the exception of her Norse countrymen. Rumor also has it that after each ship paid their tax, she would flash them, hence her nickname of Saucy Mary.
After that little excursion, I took a walk over the controversial Skye Bridge. The toll to cross the bridge is £5.70 each way, which is about $9 US. Apparently the company that was building the bridge in the early 1990s went under and The Bank of America bailed out the project. Basically all the tolls now go to the BOA and the Skye residents are VERY touchy about it. I got a sense for this when I asked two older ladies I met on the bridge about it. They got all bent out of shape about the whole topic. Oops, wrong topic! Actually, I already knew this, but I wanted to see what they would say.
I polished off the day by having a few pints with an Irishman who was finishing up university in Edinburgh. He had worked in Montauk for a summer and he was telling me about the horrible living conditions they had out there bc there was no decent place for hotel workers to live. He didn't seem to bent out of shape about it though.
Not the most exciting day, but not bad in the slightest!
I fucking HATE midges.
We don't have these little bastards in the States (or at least where I live), and until about a week ago I seemed immune to their little bites. However, after my Old Man of Storr hike, I seemed to be covered with their little pin-prick bites. I had at least 10 of them on my arms alone. Grrr.....
I thought the worst was over until last night in Fort William (and a shithole of a hostel) when I fell asleep with the window open. I had on long sleeves and long pants on, but the little bastards bit the back of my neck and the backs of my hands!! That shows me not to tie my hair back!!!
I hear they don't like cigarette smoke so I'll have to meet some smokers or light up a few myself to keep the little buggers away.
To make matters worse, I just opened my journal so I could get ideas for my blogs and I found 2 dead midges in between the pages. GROSS. Bleh!
I spent Sunday outside and now I have midgie bites and a farmer tan to show for it.
I decided to revisit The Old Man of Storr, a rocky outcrop on Skye. As it was Sunday, I had no transport so I asked the girls at the hostel how hard it was to hitch. They said they did it all the time. So I stuck out my thumb and not 5 minutes later, an English guy who runs a B&B gave me a lift.
He dropped me in the "car park" and then I took the less crowded trail which would take 3-4 hours bring me through a forest around the backside of the Old Man. I got through the midgie infested forest and then I hoofed it up the STEEP hillside. Whoa, maybe I shouldn't have done this on my own!! Too late now!
So I reached the top of the trail and came around the corner. I can't even begin to describe the sight. You guys will just have to wait for pictures of the amazing clear blue day. I sat there for a LONG time, taking in the view. There was NO ONE around. I whistled and it bounced off the rock faces and the sheep jumped from surprise. It was great.
I found another path that led up to the base of the Old Man but my legs were too skakey for me to scrabble up. :( I wandered back down feeling VERY accomplished, even more so after a bunch of teenie bopper Aussies were huffing and puffing from the slight incline of the tourist path. :)
I hitchhiked back, and had a great dinner of Chicken Korma.
It was a perfect day.
Ahhhh, I love Skye. This island is part of the Inner Hebrides. I had been here before on a Haggis tour with Steph, back in 1999 (I think?). I loved it then, and I like it even more now. It's mountainous, scenic, and there are lochs, bays, and streams everywhere.
As soon as I got off the ferry in Uig, I felt better, like my journey was back on track. The weather had finally cleared up and I was feeling renewed. I then had a sudden dilemma. This was Saturday, and I needed to get to a hostel for Sat and Sun, because no buses run on Sunday. This was doubly bad when I realized it was a bank holiday weekend. So I showed up in Portree, the main town on Skye (Steph, the one where you bought that celtic batik, remember?) with no where to stay and no real hope of finding somewhere. I tried B&Bs all over because the hostel was full.
I nearly cried when the tourist info people couldn't help. So I wandered the streets, looking for a room. I then decided to poke my head in the hostel to see if they had any cancellations. SCORE! They did. Whew. I booked in for 2 nights. I then spent the rest of the day relaxing and drinking tea. :) Ahhhh.... it's all good.
Wow, it's amazing how cut off I felt after 4 days of no internet. I feel like some sort of junkie. I need my FIX!
Anyway, much has been going on. I went from the Isle of Lewis (all wet and a huge peat bog) to the Isle of Harris where is was wet and WINDY. Needless to say, I wasn't diggin the Outer Hebrides. On a good note, I did meet some interesting people. There was Helen and Geoff, the English triathletes who had just come back from 5 days of sailing with their friends. We had a game of Scrabble that humbled me. They made this nifty concoction of unsweetened semolina pudding that had chunks of peach in it. Very good!
The following day, I decided to visit St. Clement's Church in Rodel. I was the only person on the bus so I chatted away with the driver. When we got to the church, he said it it was locked, the key was under the rock. Um, ok.
I walk up to the church, it's locked, and there is said rock. I look under and there is one of those massive old school keys that must have been 3 inches long. I go in, and its very creepy and dark. I shoot some photos and then meet the bus driver back. He and now the other local (toothless Esther) suggest I take a walk along the water from beach to beach. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but then that EVIL wind kicked up and I wanted to shoot myself.
With that, I decided no more Outer Hebrides. I'm going to what I know, Skye.
Rain SUCKS
I took the ferry from Ullapool to the Isle of Lewis. I saw the Standing Stones of Callanish, and was soaked through to the bone to do it. I wasn't as into them as I was the Ring of Brogar in the Orkneys. I guess if you've see one standing stone, you've seen them all.
I promptly left Stornoway this morning and headed for Tarbert, which is where I am now. The weather the last few days has sucked the big one and been keeping me inside and therefore I cannot enjoy the beauty of the Isles. It's supposed to clear up a bit tomorrow but tonight we should expect almost gale force winds. Oh goody. Not only that, but the weather is like Sybil. The sun can be shining brightly and you can still get pissed down on. Grrrrr.... I just want to get out!!
On a good note, I got throughly "pissed" at some local pubs last night, The Lewis Bar (where 2 Germans, a Scot, and I amused the locals with our dorky tourist ways) and then some afterhours pub the bartender recommended. I had a half bottle of wine, 2 whiskeys (McCallan I think), and a pint of Stella Artois. I was feeling PRETTY queasy on that bumpy bus ride this AM and nearly got sick a few times. Well, I guess that wasn't so good, but last night sure was good fun. We all had bolted out of the hostel to avoid a really unfortunate Dutch guy who was annoying the crap out of everone.
Needless to say when Annoying Boy rolled onto the bus this AM, I was less than pleased. Luckily he didn't notice me as I hid in my copy of Bonfire of the Vanities (why am I reading this?? It's total CRAP!).
Tomorrow I head to the very southern tip of the Isle of Harris to visit the Rodel Church which houses some nifty graves. Maybe I'll get a decent walk in as well. I keep seeing all these beautiful photos of Harris, and wonder where (and when) the heck they were taken.
The bus ride to Ullapool from Durness was stunning. More mountains and lochs, but there was something different about this mountains. Maybe it was the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack I was listening to, but my imagination was just going silly. The landscapes were all very dark, moody, and almost sinister.
Most of the mountains are partly covered in grass, which gives them the appearance of big rock beasts trying to shed their grassy skin. It really does appear like they are molting. It also reminds me of the huge turtle mound in The Never Ending Story that comes to life as well. Many of the smaller mounds look like they are creatures slumbering under a blanket.
As you can tell, I was sitting there imagining all the cool fantasy movie prospects this area of Scotland has. It just SCREAMS witches and fairies and evil guys on horses, sort of like Willow.
There is also a massive lack of trees due to the harsh winds and also the massive deforestation and clearing of the lands by past occupants. Mostly what we were driving by yesterday was tall grasses, heather, and peat bog. In the middle of all that nastiness, we passed a huge herd of massively antlered stags, which again reminded me of The Narnia Chronicles (of which The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is part) and the white stag.
The only other beasties were saw though were the stupid sheep that like to run in front of the bus rather than along side or behind.
They didn't slow us down too much, and the ride was well worth it.
I spend tonight in Ullapool, and then tomorrow I will head to the Isle of Lewis and the town of Stornoway.
Relaxing weekend
I decided to take it easy the last two days because I don't want to get immune to all the incredible things I see. I want them to stay unique. In order to do just this, I came into Durness on the bus which met the postbus from Tongue. The scenery during the ride itself was well worth the £7.80, forget the fact that it got me to where I wanted to go. Mountains, lochs, and hairpin turns were the order of the day.
I kept pronouncing it DurNESS, but I noticed the locals would keep correcting me that it's DURness. Ok, ok. I get it.
Anyway, so when I got in, I checked into one of the nicer hostels I've stayed in, the Lazy Crofter Bunkhouse. It's all new, very clean, and there are comfy couches to lounge on while watching a bit of TV. I kept feeling compelled to either take photos or write something down, so it was time to do a little of neither.
I went for a leisurely walk down to the Smoo Caves, which are really worth a look see. They were formed by both the sea and inland fresh water. In order to see into the cave you have to take a short rubber boat with a tourguide named Colin.
Colin seemed very knowledgable about the caves but became distracted when he saw my tibetan scarf. He promptly asked me to have a pint with him and the Aussie girl who collected the £ at the cave later at the pub, which embarassed me in front of a group of loud elderly Germans. I said yes, but then decided against it later in the day.
Instead I decided to hang out and rest because my legs were VERY tired.
The next day I went for a walk and became decently lost in the hills and finally, after being bitten a good bit, made it back to the road. Whew. I thought I was going to get caught permanently in a bog.
The following day I woke up and decided to take a walk on down the beach again. This beach walk was very different because there was no one there. The first beach I visited had little naked kids running around and people wading in up to their knees. This beach was totally deserted. It felt slightly weird. I knew I had to be careful because there is an area along the coast that NATO uses for live missile target practice. I didn't want to get caught in Cape Wrath! I like my body in one piece thank you! Anyway, this beach had massive black volcanic rock sticking out of the yellow sands, with birds flying everywhere. The dramatic clouds in the background made for a very cool photo (or I hoping so).
It was a very revitalizing weekend.
Who would have ever thought that Thurso, basically a seaport where the Orkney ferry leaves from, is backpacker heaven? After the last 11 days of moving around and doing stuff the way I wanted to, I finally got stuck doing something I didn't. I had wanted to go from Thurso to Durness, but my Let's Go UK guide had outdated information about a bus from here to there. The bus service they mentioned is no longer in service. Angela (a German girl I met) and I attempted to hitch a ride for 45 minutes with no luck. My only other option was to catch a post bus (a little bus or van that delivers mail and people to remote places) to Tongue (another town) and then connect to Durness. That'll happen tomorrow morning at 9:40am sharp.
In the meantime, I checked into the Thurso Youth Club Hostel which had been recommended by Angela. For £8 a night, you get a bed, free breakfast, free laundry (with detergent and fabric softener), free movies, free internet, use of a pool table, and all the video games you could ever hope for. There is nothing a traveler likes to hear more than FREE LAUNDRY services. Plus, Richard the really amazing warden here, just informed me that we can use the public swimming pool and sauna for free as well.... I'm off!!!!
A few days ago I visited a small island, called Rousay which is off the main island of the Orkneys. I was misinformed on the main island about the availability of supplies on the island, so I was only able to stay for a day. I might have starved! Luckily, something had told me to pack up my leftover pasta, cooking oil, and a box of cereal bars from the previous night and therefore I had food. I was able to get water and chips from the one bar/restaurant on the island.
Rousay is known for it's rich archeological sites, many of which are neolithic and Viking. I knew that the Westerness Walk was too far for my tired legs, so I settled for reaching 3 different cairns.
cairn
\Cairn\, n. [Gael. carn, gen. cairn, a heap: cf. Ir. & W. carn.] 1. A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument.
I had a breathtaking walk along the water. The first cairn was called Taversoe Tuick, and was unusual for a neolithic dwelling as it was multilevel and the top level could be closed off from the bottom one for protection. You could crawl all over these places, it was really cool.
The next cairn was Blackhammar Tomb. I felt like I was sneaking into some secret agent place because you had to slide open this massive metal door to get in. Finally, I went to the Knowe of Larso, which was a very large cairn. I went inside, and while I was in there, it began to pour outside. The weather up here in northern Scotland and especially the Orkneys, is super crazy. It changes in 2 seconds. Knowing this, I sat all alone in this neolithic dwelling, eating chips and having a drink of water. It was creepy to think that someone had been probably doing something really similar 4500-5000 yrs ago, or they had been placing their dead relatives there!!
This cairn was up on a white rock hill, surrounded by more heather. I was very impressed with the way my Gortex shell repelled the wind, and I was able to stand up there for a long time admiring the view.
On the way back, my legs were really tired from the walk and the previous day's bike ride. I thought about hitching back with, or at least trying to. I was about to stick out my thumb to the first car in about 10-15 minutes when I looked over to another island. The biggest rainbow I have EVER seen was right across the bay. I had never seen one full with purple. Honestly, it was such a beautiful sight and being there, all alone on Rousay, with not a human around was really what I was looking for on this trip to northern Scotland.
To top it off, I have mastered the use of public transportation in Orkney and was able to take a ferry to a bus, connect with another bus to get where I wanted to go, in time to check to my hostel, and take another bus out to Skara Brae. Go me. :)
Today something really incredible happened. I had been doing something rather touristy by visiting the 5000 yr old neolithic village of Skara Brae. I came back awed by it, but yet not, all at the same time. Go figure. So I decided to take a walk along the water, down past where the ferry had driven by the day I first came in to the Orkneys.
I sat, I thought, I relaxed. After a bit, I started wandering back. As I came back up the road, a little old man stopped me, with the thickest Orcadian accent. He wanted to know if I had seen any seals bc he hadn't spotted any. I replied no, and expected him to walk off. Instead, when he heard my accent, he grinned from ear to ear.
"Are ye from de States?"
"Yes, New York," I replied.
"Awwww.... I was there in 1943, I was. My father was born in Brooklyn ye know, but he came back because his father lived here all his life. I also visited Boston, where we came in, and also New Orleans, where we christened our new ship. We also had to stay in New Jersey while we was waiting for the ship to be ready. We also stopped in Peekskill and Poughkeepsie."
He continued, "I have a small favor to ask of ye, I was in correspondence from 1943 until 1.5 yrs ago with one of two sisters I met in New York. I haven't gotten a response from my last three letters. Do you think ye could send them a letter for me, and try and track her down, so I know she is alright?"
With that, he handed me a little slip of paper with her last address that he had been carrying around, just in case he ran across an American. He had another one with his address so I could send him a reply. You could tell it had taken him a long time to write out that address. I don't know what sort of help I can be while I'm here traveling so I think I am going to have to pass this task on to my mom. (Hey Gloria, you'll be getting a separate email with the details, and if you could do a little research or digging, I'd appreciate it.)
I felt like I wasn't really saying nearly as much as I should, so I asked what he did when he was younger. He was a seaman, "all me life," he said. With that he started to tell me about the German boats that came into Scapa Flow during WWII. Eight of them were sunk, and this prompted Churchill to build the Churchill Barriers which were later used to connect some of the smaller islands to the main island.
Then he began to tell me about the scallop shells along the opposite side of the camp grounds, "big as me fist they are!" I said I would check it out on my walk down to see the seals around 9pm, when he said they are more commonly seen. But that was no good because the tide would have come in by then.
George then decided it was best if I borrowed his bicycle to ride back to the camp grounds, have a "wee walk" and pick up a few shells. Normally I don't give a hoot about shells, but there the fact he was sending me off on his own bicycle, with all his groceries in the basket, made me not refuse. I went, picked up a few, and rode back. He teasingly chastised me for not looking for bigger shells. Really, I did my best!
With that, I returned his bike to him, and he saw his grandson who was coming in with a lobster he had caught in a trap. We waved goodbye and I promised to do my best to find his penpal.
Meeting George really made my day. Until today I hadn't really interacted with any of the Orcadians. I'm glad the one I met was him though. Wait until you see his photo!!!! What a character!
Yesterday as I was waiting for my bus to the pier to catch a ferry for Rousay, I stopped into the St. Magnus Center. This St. Magnus guy had quite an end. He was an earl in Orkney when it was the tradition to have several ruling at once. He and Hakon, another earl, were constantly at odds about how best to rule. They decided to have a peace meeting off of one of the remote islands. Each were to have 2 boats of men, of equal number.
When Magnus looked on the horizon, he saw Hakon had brought 8 ships and realized it was his execution. So, Hakon chose his cook, Lifolf, to execute Magnus. Lifolf began to weep, so Magnus told him not to because he had prayed for God's forgiveness for Lifolf. He instructed Lifolf to stand in front of him and strike him with one mighty blow to the head, with an axe. It seemed to do the job. Hence the Orkney Skull Splitter!! For anyone who has drank it, the Orkney Skull Spiller Ale is really good.
Magnus' bones were buried in honor.
Some years later, Magnus' nephew Ragnvold was trying to defeat Hakon's son, Earl Paul. He swore that if he could defeat Paul, he would built a huge cathedral to St. Magnus (who was considered a martyr). Well, he was successful and there is a church on the spot.
Magnus' bones were moved and placed in the church. Many hundreds of years passed and people forgot about the bones being in the wall. When the wall needed fixing, a box of bones was found in the wall. When the box was opened, a skull with a massively split skull was found in the box. It was then carbon dated to the right age, thereby proving the tale true.
Finally, after testing and records were made, the bones were finally replaced in the wall, for Magnus' final resting.
Ugh, I am TIRED. Yesterday I decided to be ambitious and rent a bike for the trip to The Ring of Brodgar and The Standing Stones of Stenness. Along the way I stopped at Maes Howe. The ride was about 12 miles one way and on the way there it wasn't too bad. On the way back I had the wind against me and I near DIED. I almost hitched the last few miles. but I knew I'd be mad at myself if I didn't finish.
The Ring of Brodgar was probably the best site, once the MASSIVE hoard of Germans left. There must have been 50 of them. It was really breathtaking. It's a massive ring of stones, and the middle was covered in purple heather. The heather attracted hundreds of bees and their high pitched buzzing was very X-Files-ish. It was unsettling to say the least. I walked around the circle several times, but kept coming back to the same stone. It was interesting how this one stone kept attacting me. Very creepy and surreal place.... oh, the ring is also lined up with the Maes Howe tomb. I can't even use a compass correctly yet these neolithic guys could line up buildings a mile from each other, AND in line with the summer solstice.
The Standing Stones of Stenness were also nifty, but there were only about 5-6 of them. Either way, they sit in the middle of a random field. I was trying to get some decent photos of them, but everytime there was a good bit of sun or whatever, some dumbass would walk over to one of the stones and pretend they were pushing it over.
Today I am off to Rousay on the ferry. I will spend a day there and then come back and spend a day in Stromness, to see the famed Skara Brae. Skara Brae is the oldest house ever found it is said. We'll see. No more bike riding for a while though so I have to find an alternate way to get there.
So, after a LONG day of travel (3.5 hours on the train, then 2 on a boat, then another 1 on a bus) I finally reached Kirkwall on the Ornkey Islands. I'm staying in a very institutional hostel and hope to move tomorrow to another island and a less prison like atmosphere.
Last night I met up with another BootsnAall member, David Kessler, otherwise known as everyman. We had a few drinks at The Bothy Bar. We had Black Isle Ale and I forget the whiskey. Good stuff. We yapped for a bit and then parted ways because my hostel has a curfew!! :(
Today I have rented (or hired as they say here) a bike and I am going to attempt to get to a few sites that way. The sky is gray now but it seems to clear up around mid-day. I will write more about this adventure later or tomorrow, as my last bike adventure ended up with a trip to the hospital in China. :)
The Johnston's took me over to see their son and daughter in law, in Aberdeen. Paul and Lynne have the most amazing flat and everything is coordinating and decorated perfectly. We wandered around, checked out their old university, went to the Aberdeen beach (ICK!) and then went to this tiny fishing village called Footdie. All the tiny cottages had their backs to the sea, almost like they were shunning it. In reality, it was to keep the heat in though.
We then headed to the mall to buy something for Vicky and all the stores had the HUGEST clothing. I have never felt like such a toothpick!!!
The next day we went to Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire. Very pretty gardens.
Finally, we headed over the hills on this back road to get back to Inverness. The weather was incredible and all you saw were hills and mountains and glens and heather. The clouds were dramatic as well. VIcky was feeling sick so I didn't ask Anne to stop. However, I may stop at the Aviemore hostel on the way back so I can enjoy it again.
Today I got to meet Dave McPhie's sister, bro in law, and niece, Anne, Jim, and Vicky. They picked me up at the Inverness train station after I caught a brief ride down to Aviemore yesterday on the train. They are all the sweetest people. I hung around doing average day stuff with all of them, which is fine by me. I'm not dying to go do the Culloden Field or do more hokey touristy stuff. No whisky tastings or kilt makers here please.
Tonight for dinner we are having the HAGGIS. I can't even tell you whats's in it. Ok, maybe I will. It's random sheep parts all cooked up in a sheep's stomach. It includes organs and other odd bits and pieces. Well, it smells good.
Later in the evening, we are heading off for a drive around Loch Ness I think. Should be fun. :) Tomorrow we drive to Aberdeen for an overnight, and then I had out the next day (Monday) to Thurso so I can catch the ferry to Orkney. I should be up there for a few days and I have no idea what the internet connection deal is up there. I could be incommunicado for a few days.
So I took the train up to Inverness today. The UK is having a heatwave, so a train with no AC was NOT a good place to be for 4 hours. Ick. Anyway, I couldn't get in touch with Dave's sister Anne, so I booked into a hostel for tonight. Though, right after I paid for the hostel, I got through. Go figure. She picks me up at the train station tomorrow AM.
In other news, I went to the beautiful Ness Islands today. It's a park located on a few small islands connected with little bridges. It's a very serene and mysterious type of place. Very "Lord of the Rings" and I expected to a sexy elf jumping around. There are tall trees and green grassy undergrowth.
I got down to the southernmost section of the last island and there was a guy sitting there in a rascal (one of those mechanical wheelchair type things). He had gotten caught on one of the stones. So he asked if I could help him out. It took us 5 minutes between his driving and my pushing before we got his wheelie back on the track. I felt bad for him because I didn't know how long he had been sitting there. At least he had a nice view. :) Anyway, he kept cursing himself for being a stupid old man. I guess he just wanted to appreciate the scenery like I did and I told him he wasn't be stupid. He was a sweetie. I seem to meet nicer old people a lot.. Whatever!!!! They're still fun to talk to!! Maybe it's the Scottish accent that makes it more tolerable. ;)
I'm off now to a pub. Laters.
Well. my first stop in Bdinburgh went really well. I had a great time. Ewan (Ant's good buddy), his roomie Phil, and Emma (Ewan's girlfriend) were really welcoming. Emma had me howling with laughter due to a story about a peg legged chicken. Apparently thye had a pet chicken who got a bum leg. They paid the vet £500 to have it amputated, and then it kept falling over, so they made a PEG LEG for it. Craziness!! Anyhow, they rocked.
Today I woke up and decided to get sweaty. I walked up Arthur's Seat. There are three paths I am told, and I took the medium steepness one. It wasn't very hard at all, though had I done the hard one I would have been cursing the whole time. The walk up went through some really nice wheaty yellow areas that had purple flowers every once in a while.
Being at the top was alright and you literally are in the middle of the clouds, but the view was very hazy and you couldn't see very far. The walk down was possibly the best part because I took a different route down. The trail was covered in super soft grass at certain spots. It was almost like walking on soft green carpet, and I just wanted to roll around on it. I refrained for the sake of not getting eaten alive by the bugs. :)
I'm most likely off to Inverness tomorrow and will be staying with Dave McPhie's sister Anne. All this free accom is really helping out the budget!!! Woo hoo!!!
So today I was going to go climb up to Arthur's Seat, which overlooks Edinburgh, but the weather was crappy. I didn't want to get up there, and have gray photos, so I put it off to tomorrow.
So instead, I decided to roll by Greyfriar's Kirk. I read they have a decent graveyard (always a fav for me) so off I went. Another bonus, it's free. I bought my sandwich for lunch, and off I went. I nearly missed the place because the actual structure is under construction.
So I walk in and I was looking at the scafolding, wondering it it was open. An adorable little Scottish lady, Marjory, walks up to me and tells me to come inside. She shows me around and I chat with her and her friend Jane, for over an hour. They were great. She was telling me about her kids, one of who lives in New Zealand with his girlfriend (MOM, see Portland isn't THAT far) and how she loves visiting him because of how beautiful it is. The two of them (Jane and Marjory) were so adorable. Marjory was all jealous when I said I was going to India for 3 months. It seems India is a much more popular destination around here than in the States.
Then I wandered outside, sat, had lunch while sitting on the edge of someone's mausoleum, and relaxed. I photographed some interesting graves/monuments with crumbling skull sculptures with both my reg 35mm and my Holga crappy camera (thanks for insisting I take it Vince). I think they will come out great.
Already the people I have met have been amazing and welcoming. Let's hope it stays that way. :)
Hey everyone. I made it safely. I am now in Edinburgh, staying with a friend of Anthony's (or Antony as he says it), Ewan. Ewan and his roomie Phil have been super and we all went out drinking last night for very little money. It's amazing just how little ££ I am spending considering how expensive the UK can be. This whole free place to stay thing rocks. Since I am staying with them and not having to pay for accom, I can afford to take in a few shows at the Fringe Festival. Loads of good stuff and the boys picked out 1-2 that are not to be missed.
Oh, had an interesting experience on Air India. THey have THE BEST airline food I have ever eaten. Chicken curry of course, but it was great. Anyway, this old indian lady needed help getting out of the bathroom, so I reached over and helped her out. When she looked at me, she smiled, and asked me something not in English. The woman next to me told me she wanted to know what caste I am from. How weird I thought. She kept pointing at my nosering and then sticking out her tongue, but smiling. I didnt know if I should be insulted or laugh. I smiled and walked away confused.... I'm sure than will happen a lot.
I was finishing up the last of my banking chores today at Chase. As I'm starting there waiting for the kind teller to dig out post 1999 $100 bills, I hear this Scottish accent. I look over, and there is my former boss at the other end of the counter.
I worked for Dave McPhie in his bagel shop, House of Bagels, for 3 yrs and then my sister Vanessa took up the post for another 3. He probably doesn't know it, but Dave's thick Scottish accent is what got me interested in visiting the northern third of the British Isles.
As soon as he saw me, I told him I was heading over to Scotland this Sunday. No sooner were the words out of my mouth, than he said he would call his sister in Inverness and his brother in Troon, to put me up for a few nights and show me around. With that, he takes down my phone number and says he will call with the details shortly.
I hope to hear from him. If his family is anything like Dave, it'll be an interesting experience!
Eeyartee, otherwise known as Erik R. Trinidad is planning (or rather waiting for at this point) a massive trip that starts in Oct. 2003. His trip dwarfs mine!! Check out his blog
I had a great dinner with friends last night. About 8 people came out to wish me well on my adventure. We chowed at a Malaysian restaurant in Hoboken called Satay. Mmmmmm............ It was a nice night of chatting and just general good feelings.
Thanks Steph, Erik, Stephan, Dana, Liz, Nicole, and Amy. I appreciate it!!
I figured today's chore, acquiring an entry visa for India, was going to be a painful one. When I applied for my Egypt visa it was a long day of being questioned "why am I going to Egypt", the shuffling from counter to counter, and the endless waiting. When it came time last year for my Chinese visa, I sent it off to one of those passport/visa agents. I thought of doing that again, but it's an extra $50. Now that I am happily unemployed, $50 is a big deal.
I took the train into NYC and took the subway uptown. I expected sheer madness but instead found a basement waiting room with an orderly "take a number" system. The security guard at the door, holding a handheld metal detector, waved me through, blatantly ignoring the knife in my pocket!! Hmmm..... Anyway, I sat down and waited.
A blonde lady's number gets called and she walked up to the counter. Right before she reached the counter, an Indian man cut her off and ignored her. She explained it's her turn and the man replieded he missed his turn and turned his back to her again. She accepted this! Well, I think she is going to have an interesting time in India for sure. A young well dress Indian man sitting next to me must have been thinking the same thing because we both chuckled at it.
"Is this your first time to India?" he says. Ahhh, it begins. I promptly switched the silver ring I wear from right hand to left ring finger, "Yes, it is." He noticed and didn't seem as enthusiastic to chat me up anymore.
My number is called, I submited my papers, payed the fee and am told to return at 4:30pm. I have approx 4-5 hours to kill. Fortunately, the consulate borders Central Park and I had brought my ever useful sarong with me to sit on. I found a small grocery store and picked up some lunch goodies, and found a nice shaded area to vegetate.
I felt truly relaxed while sitting under a huge tree with a soft breeze blowing. I've not been sleeping so well lately because I am too excited about leaving on this adventure. Even now, 2 days before, it still doesn't seem real. A week fom today I will be admiring the remote beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands, but it's still just an idea, not reality. For now though, I am trying to focus on where I am (or was), in NYC, and enjoy my last few days here.