Newcastle - Edinburgh - (Glencoe - Loch Ness - Inverness) - Glasgow
Aye me laddies and lassies,
HADRIANS WALL
My last day in Newcastle involved venturing to the outskirts of the city to find the Segemum Museum which contained some Hadrian Wall ruins and a ruined fort. It was pretty unspectacular considering all that was really left was the foundations - you had to rely on their museum's computer reconstructions to work out exactly what you were looking at. I then continued on to Whitby bay, to see huge sandy beaches and freezing cold North Sea waters. Don't understand how the crazy Brits can go to beach resort places like this in the freezing cold wind and water, all in the name of relaxation and fun!
SCOTLAND
Scotland, the land of Kilts, Whisky and Haggis, also a land of large grey granite cities separated from one another by vast areas of desolate land, of highland hills and mountains, valleys and glens, and cold icy deep lochs. Also the land of thick accents and drinking lots at all hours of the day (clubs close at 3am but pubs open at 6am meaning virtually 24hr drinking if you went back to the hostel and drank during the 3hr transition period)!
Tried haggis the day I arrived. It's actually pretty good, it's just like eating the stuffing you get in your roast chicken (probably because it's made of the same stuff, just different animal). You can also have haggis on all sorts of things like jacket potatoes or some on some serving of meat. Just don't think about what it's made of (same goes with black pudding, hotdogs and minced meat).
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is a beautiful windy city, full of grey Georgian? Style buildings which despite the bleak colours, it's style still manages to make the city very picturesque. Was fun just wandering the many closes and wynds of the old town, the model looking Edinburgh castle on top of a cliff in the centre, and the surrounding hills.
GHOST HUNTING IN EDINBURGH
I've become addicted to Ghost tours now, simply because you get a tour of the city at night, a bit of history, some cool stories, and a bit of scary fun. So I did two in Edinburgh.
One was the City of Dead tour, which has as it's drawcard the only keys to the infamous Black Mausoleum in Greyfriars Cemetery, regarded as one of the top five most scariest places in the world because of the "MacKenzie Poltergeist", known to attack tour groups and leave scratches and marks on people the day after (though that's probably due to the drinking - Edinburgh parties every night!). Didn't get attacked though it was frightening enough being locked up in a cemetery at night sheltering within the Black Mausoleum itself. One woman even fainted. And all this in the name of thrillseeking fun!
The other one was the Auld Reekies Terror tour, involving us going down to some haunted underground crypts and vaults, including an underground pagan temple. I actually found this alot more scary, especially as I swear I saw some white figures walking past the doorway behind the guide, this doorway leading to the most haunted dangerous (due to poltergeist attacks) vault in the complex. Which we then had to stand inside with the lights off while the guide explained the scary stuff about it.
Took some photos, but hard to tell if there are any strange floating orbs of light or shadows or ghostly faces until I extract the photos from my digital camera. (apparently 1 in 2 people have orbs appear in their photos).
I do however bear some scratch marks on my arm, which no reason as to what caused it. This is what reputedly many people who visit the poltergeist places end up with, and it's more freaky when you think it is all fake until it actually happens to you!
THE REST OF SCOTLAND IN A DAY
Due to time constraints I decided to do a day trip around Scotland that involved going all seeing the highlands, mountains and lochs, Glencoe, Loch Ness and Inverness - all in 12hrs, most on bus!
Scotland has truly extraordinary nature, with towering mountain ranges topped with frost and snow, to the flat glens of grass and heather, to the deep dark depths of the lochs full of mystery and intrigue, capable of hiding a monster despite our best scientific equipment. No sigh of Nessie the Loch Ness monster unfortunately, only
replicas dotted about as statues, paintings and merchandise.
GLASGOW
Glasgow is not really a city of sights. Besides the town hall and Cathedral, it has the usual shopping malls and chain stores which seems to be the standard British city these days. Did however enjoy the free Religious art and life museum depicting relics and exhibits on most religions in the world today. Only by comparing them can you notice the similarities of stories and rituals behind them.
I love their accent here, even though I can't understand a bloody word of it! Ireland is next on my list, and I reckon it would be even harder to understand there!
There is a bit of rivalry between Edinburghers and Glaswegians. Glaswegians say Edinboogers are moneypinchers and unfriendly snobs, whereas Edinburghers say Weegies are dirty and ugly and talk too much crap. I don't think either stereotype is true, but I do prefer the Glaswegians to the Edinburghers as I do think they are alot more
friendly and talkative. And as I said before, I love the accent.
Anyway, just arrived in Belfast now, more on that next email!
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