I've been slacking. I get it. But I have a valid excuse and it's simply this - I've been living the last two months in Edinburgh, Scotland. If you don't think that's a invalid reason to forget about a blog, I present you with the following case:
I left London after a four day introduction to the UK and headed North to Scotland. The four hour train ride passed quickly by the views of green countryside and Ocean shore. Sitting across from me was a British woman in her sixties and her fourteen year old granddaughter. The grandmother had grown up in Edinburgh, since she moved away was returning for the first time in 30 years. An American sat a few rows away, holding a loud conversation on his cell phone revealing to his hotel that he had left his government passport in his room. He was frantically requesting that they check the mattress beneath his bed. When they found it he asked them to mail it to him by express post, he then carelessly announced his credit card details to the passengers around him.
Common sense travel tip # 1: If you hide your passport beneath your mattress at a hotel -remember where you hid it and double check that you have it before you get on a train to another country.
Common sense travel tip # 2: When on a train full of other travelers do not announce your credit card information loudly so that everyone can hear. Find a quiet place (i.e., the toilet or luggage compartment) and gently whisper the information into your cell phone.
When I arrived in Edinburgh I was greeted by a friendly cab driver named Kenny. At first I thought Kenny was very rude. After climbing the uphill ramp of Waverley train station with my heavy luggage I was offered no help to hull it into his cab. He then revealed that he had a very bad knee that needed surgery. Kenny greeted me with a warm welcome, he even busted out some dance moves proving that the Scottish have an awesome sense of humour.
We arrived at Castle Rock Hostel and I remember being wowed by the Edinburgh Castle across the street. I checked in, lugged my stuff up the stairwell and passed out in my bunk bed labelled “Mr. Chatterbox” in the “Mr. Men” room. Castle Rock advertises its self as the number one hostel in Scotland and boy is this statement true. Three floors, 288 beds, a large self-catering kitchen, a patio with a BBQ, an internet room, three lounges... one for hanging out, “The Posh Lounge” for a bit of peace and quiet, and the newly added “Groove Lounge” for record playing and sing-a-longs. The staff are super friendly, every inch of the place is clean daily and the environment is very social. It’s no wonder I ended up staying for two months.
In a nut shell finding a job was hectic, making new friends was fantastic, I was homesick everyday for the first month and the only privacy I had was in the shower or toilet. There were many nights I spent drunk but learning the history of Scotland made up for all the brain cells that I must’ve killed. Some nights were spent walking through haunted graveyards; others were spent chatting with my Castle Rock amigos. I climbed Arthurs’ Seat once, Carlton Hill twice, went through two jobs in just two months – serving at a bistro and handing out flyers for comedians at the Fringe Festival. I danced like mad in the pubs and clubs, drank whisky mixed with beer mixed with cinder mixed with tequila mixed with sangria. I went to the movie theatre to see Harry Potter on opening night, waved at Prince Charles as he passed by at the Highland Games. I spent all my earnings on Fringe Festival shows seeing Sam Simmons, Sound of Fury, The Teak Show, Lilly Through the Dark, Porn the Musical, Jane Austin’s Pornography, Woody Sez, Dead Cat Bounce.. Wired and my favourite Die Ruten Punk’d! I dressed up as Syphilis during the “favourite disease” party; skate boarded down hallways and lost my warm jacket from Canada pub hopping throughout Edinburgh. I tripped on the cobble stone streets, went for runs along the Meadows in an attempt to work off all the booze... which reminds I once cycled to a Kung Fu class on the other side of town causing massive total body pain the next day. I discovered the peace and quiet of Edinburgh at Cramond Beach and The Royal Botanical Gardens. I overheard the festivities of the Military Tattoo every single night in August, went to the Writer’s Museum, the Underground... a three day Macbackpackers tour to Isle of Skye. Folk music and castles, dipping my feet in Loch Ness, rain, wind, rain and more rain... and luckily a wee bit of sun.
Edinburgh is a great city with something for everyone at all times. The cobble stone streets are crowded with pubs and much the city’s history and old architecture has been persevered. It’s a town booming with University students and tourists. My only complaint would be the uphill walking. On the flip side, my legs are in the best shape of their lives thanks to those endless steps to each destination.
Fast forward to: Saturday August 29th, 2009 – It was the end of Fringe in Edinburgh. The streets were booming with tourists, promoters for shows, buskers, and a big buzz. I was handing out flyers during the day and going to shows at night. I wanted to see more of Scotland and decided to embark on a two week adventure. In July I went on a 3-day Macbackpacker tour to Isle of Skye (highly recommended) where I was able to explore a bit of the country. We spent our days travelling on a coach bus, checking out Scotland’s beautiful scenery and historical sites. Our guide Collin grew-up in Scotland and had many stories to tell. Normally I’m not a fan of tours but this is definitely one worth experiencing.
This time I wanted to do my own thing at my own pace. So I packed my backpack, bought a pair of waterproof hiking boots and took off to Inverness on the East coast of Scotland.
So the journey begins... again.
Part One: Nessie and I - a look into my day trip to the infamous Loch Ness.
