Executive Decision...

SEAN AND LEO


Well gang, the time has come for me to re-group and alter my plans. Because of unforseen events, namely what I will forever refer to as the "Tango Incident," I will not be returning to England to see Damian Marley as originally planned. However, I believe my new found plan will be much more enriching and frankly was meant to be. See, traveling is all about the entire experience, so if you have setbacks you have 2 choices. You can sit there and feel completely sorry for yourself, or you can treat it as a path that you may not have normally followed. (I did, admittedly, have moments of total self-pity, but it didn' last too long!)

Now, I will be spending the next 6 weeks in Germany, or thereabouts, and will end here in Berlin with the Love Parade. And as luck would have it, Damian is playing here in Berlin on July 6th. Thank goodness I have booked accomodation in this fabulous hostel called CITYSTAY right near the big TV tower, very central but quiet. So, I will be here for the world cup final, hopefully staying with Carmen and Chad's cousin Carla and her family. I will go from here to Prague, then to Austria, on to Munich, Strassbourg and then hopefully my dear friend Frau Simone Mueller will hook me up with some relative, otherwise I am thinking about going to Budapest by train and then on to Warsaw, Poland. Flights are cheap! Okay, so there it is but Liverpool Sean's friend Leo just showed up and we are going out clubbing tonight. (Well, I'm hobbling, they are clubbing but at least there will be some cool underground music! Whoo Hoo!

I've been convalescing all day, trying not let my energetic mind talk my bruised body into running around like a fool and so far so good. Sorry I can't post photos, can' figure out how to work this bloody euro computer. Oh well, I guess it's time for a beer! LATERS!

The Gimp Returns

AMSTERDAM


Hello all! Just a brief note to let you know I arrived safe and sort of sound here in Berlin. I am going to try and take the next couple of days to rest my shoulder and back and then I can enjoy Prague. I am coming back to Berlin in July for 10 days so I'm not having a complete heart attack at not being able to go clubbing tonight, which is basically all I've wanted to do for about...8 years.
The little minor physical setback is just a way of telling me that I am not immortal and sometimes when one has to slow down physically, she gets a whole new spiritual and intellectual experience. (I have a tendency to run every where...so hobbling through Amsterdam was quite an experience!)

These keyboards are quite difficult to navigate so the crux of the Busabout Northern Loop may be done from Murphy's house, but I will try at least to post while I'm here. Also, this is especially for Uncle Jack and any journalists reading this, sorry for spelling errors when I am in a crunch with time, it's tough on these little freaky euro keyboards! LATERS!

First Minor Setback

BRUGGES TOWN SQUARE

UGH...

Well folks, I've had my first little setback of my trip! Turns out that my shoulder is a lot more messed up than I originally thought so I am kind of incapacited at the moment and can't take my long dreamed of bike trip to the sea. I may still be able to do it tomorrow, as the bus to Amsterdam isn't due to arrive until 1 p.m. and bike rentals start at 8, so if I play my cards right and just keep my shoulder rested, I still have hope that it will be fine. See, Andy from Oregon is the son of a pharmacist, so he gave me some pain killers so help ease the stress but it ended up giving me a false sense of security and I just ran around like nothing happened. Now that I am living al fresco, I realized that I should have just gone to the pharmacy and bought a sling, slinged it up and then it would have healed properly. Hey, but live and learn. I would have done the Tango all over again at the top of the Sacre Couer because that is stuff of legend, I just would have rested my shoulder instead of cooking pasta dinners and running up stairs.

Today is a holiday here, something about the march of the blood of Christ. I guess there is supposed to be a bit of cloth from the Crucifixion at the Church here is town. Gran, this will be where I buy your rosary. Then, mom can come over and "borrow" it. He hehehehe. Sorry, inside joke. I will buy you both one! So, I am going to be a good blogger and sit in the town square and take notes and photos and try to blog tomorrow, unless I can take that bike ride. Otherwise, you will all have to wait until Berlin because I am going to get absolutely NOTHING done in Amsterdam. That is a guarantee. LATERS!

Gay Pareeee...

VIEW FROM THE SACRE COEUR

In Paris after a bit of a long bus journey from London. I'm finally aboard the Busabout express and it's pretty cool. We took this massive ferry from Dover (yes they have white cliffs) and cross the Channel arriving in Paris around 5 p.m. Sunday night. I ended up meeting not one, not two but FIVE Americans and have been hanging out at their apartment ever since. It's right behind the Sacre Coeur at the top of Monmartre and have having a better time than I anticipated. I'm in an internet cafe at the moment and the minutes are ticking away but I will try to write more tomorrow after I arrive in Bruges. Suffice to say I had a little dancing incident at the top of the stairs leading up to the cathedral and am kind of sore but it's cool, I'll heal just in time for Bruges where I plan to chill, eat cheese, ride a bike and read. I'll have more time to post my Paris adventures, but I did get a picture of the chicken by Jim Morrison's grave! Off to the Eiffel Tower to eat bread and cheese and drink cheap red wine with my new friends Andy from Oregon, Julian from Texas and Maisy from Scotland. LATERS!

Leaving London...Again!

But, I'll be back hopefully by the end of June to relax, refresh and also head up to Nottingham to see Damian Marley! Again, as usual, Bernie sorted me out with some gadget that will let me download my photos to any computer so I might be able to post recent photos right away. Wish me luck! In case you haven't noticed, I have finally FINALLY posted all current photos and while I love Google stock photo images in a pinch, it ain't the real thing, baby. I've had a great time this week, I can't believe it's over all ready but it's time to move on.

I went to my local last night, The Pied Bull, and met up with that family again and this time met the wives, kids and went back to Bill and Heather's house for some dancing and a midight curry feed! My first one ever! They are neighbors and live right down the street from Murphy so now I have more new friends and this time some ladies to boot! (I was losing my mind for a while there, love the boys, but it's nice to talk to a female now and again!) By the way, if Trey Parker and/or Matt Stone are reading this...you have to hear Jim's son's original song "shave that ginger beard! It's the funniest thing I've heard in months and I wish I had a link so you could all revel in this hilarity. Thanks to Jim, Joanne, Heather, Bill and young Alex, the nicest most well behaved teen ager on the planet.

I'm off to Gay Paree tomorrow, then it's Bruges, Belgium, followed by a weekend of debauchery in Amsterdam. Yes, I know...stag night...but, I've got their number and plan to stay well clear. Hope you enjoy the photos and will try to get back on line in Paris!!! LATERS!

Scotland

Looking back on my time in Scotland, I have to say that it was one of, if not the most amazing place I've visited. I've long wanted to make a trek there because I feel an intense, indescribeable connection to the people, the landscape and the heart of the country. Having been there for 10 days gave me a better understanding of myself, and why I'm so intense and passionate about everything I do. The wild look in everyone's eye, the crazy sense of humor and lack of fear in people's personalities made me feel like I had found home. I will go back and hopefully sooner rather than later.

Scotland is a land of giants and fairies, of bens and glens, of whisky and pub culture and a landscape that conjures up raw emotion and elation. It's a land of passionate, proud people and a long, rich history that anyone would be happy to share over a pint of Tennants and a plate full of haggis and tatties. It was the first logical stop on this tour of mine and I would beg anyone to go there. You won't be sorry. Just be ready to laugh constantly and be prepared to shed a few tears.

I'm sure I could have taken better notes on this trip, but I think it was the perfect place for me to decompress after so many months and years of working and saving and weeks of packing and planning. It also gave me the courage to move on to my next adventures with confidence. I just wanted to rest and meet people and laugh, but my memories and brochures should spin a pretty good yarn. I've tried to break it all up so I could add photos and like I said, the ones of me should be coming. LATERS!

Edinburgh

My train left Friday morning, May the 5th around 10:30 from King's Cross station for a Northern bound ride from London to Edinburgh with no transfers. Now, this is becoming increasingly important because the bloody train and tube system is deep and vast and one can get just about anywhere using this method. HOWEVER! They also have a tendency to break down, have delays, have alternative bussing and are generally frustrating. You have to really be diligent to get to and fro and I'm finding that one of my biggest challenges is travel and it will continue to be I'm certain. Finding my destination and later arriving is becoming the thrill of any day.

So, I lug my backpack and day pack from Streatham, leaving around 7 a.m. "just to be sure" and after 3 transfers I make it to King's Cross around 10, just in time to pop into the loo, which costs £.20 and find my train at platform 9. I ask the porter "is this going to Edinburgh?" Yep, I found it and life was going to be grand! I walk into the cabin where she pointed and literally my jaw dropped because the tables were decked out with coffee cups and doilies and I thought "dang, these trains are cool...I had no idea!" So I put my bags away, put on my fluffy pink socks, fire up the I-pod and the train pulls out right on time! Yippee!
Then, these people from no where start coming around with a trolly full of beverages, like tea, coffee, juice, cookies, etc and they are just as sweet as could be. I thought "dang! these people are nice...I had no idea!" I had a few cups of tea and a shortbread cookie and they even offered to go and get me something from the buffet while I just sat there in my fluffy slippers, munching away, sipping away, rocking out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I thought "dang! I am such a bad ass...I had NO IDEA!" My next move was to the potty, which was clean and posh with a shaving area and pretty soaps and a great mirror with a light and I was just really amazed by the whole affair until I stepped outside and saw a big sign that read "FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS ONLY!" I thought "dang, I'm a complete idiot...I had no idea!"

While I slither back to my seat, praying that I don't have to suffer the humiliation of being frog-marched down to the ghetto section, I notice that someone is coming around checking tickets. I remembered that mine was just sitting out like a neon sign reading "this girl is poaching a first class seat" and I was just about to say something when the dude calmly punched my little ticket, smiled and said "welcome aboard." Good God! Dodged that bullet and just kept my ticket hidden the entire way up.

The train is a perfect mode of transport because the English countryside is absolutely spectacular. It's just like the movies, rolling green hills, little farms and brick houses and fields and fields of yellow flowers that look like mustard. (Someone corrected me and told me what it was but alas, I have forgotten.)We passed through York, which I couldn't really see, and Newcastle, which I hear is a really fun town. We saw some coastline which reminded me of Mendocino and then it appeared like my own personal mecca...EDINBURGH! I officially had the chills and may have shed a tear or two. I was coming home to spawn.

EDINBURGH

Edinburgh is a young, vibrant city with cobblestone streets and windy passageways. The capital of Scotland, it has everything from the Scottish Parliament, to Roman Ruins, from a bustling port to packed pubs and cafes. It's built around Edinburgh Castle where fireworks and bagpipes fill the air during their many summer festivals. You can walk around the Royal Mile, or climb up the many ally ways, called "closes" where little apartments and churches hide right off the main road. I loved "Grass Market," the booming nightlife section, where stag parties roam the streets like packs of jackals waiting for the kill. (I swear, I must have "kiss me tattoed on my forhead because I attract the stags like CRAZY! Imagine me trying to avoid men, but the collective I Q becomes around 17 when these blokes get together and I run like the wind.)

When I arrived it was blazing sunny skies and about 80 degrees farenheit. I was literally walking around "rainy/foggy" Edinburgh in a tank top and sunnies. I checked into Brodies Hostel right on High Street, Royal Mile, and lugged my suitcase up the stairs to discover that the only bed in my room of 20 was on top and in the middle. Okay, kind of a pain but not to worry. I just RAN for the shower, freshened up and ran back out the door. There were many pints and Scotsmen awaiting and I wasn't going to sit in a cave!

The outdoor cafes were jammed with locals enjoying the weather and most of the seats were taken, so I just walked up to the the cute Scottish bartender and said "something cold and beery." I got a laugh from the guys around me then went to the window to watch. I usually do a walk-through of a city straight away to get my bearings, but the ride was long and I was parched. I'm in the window when I get tap on the shoulder which startled me enough, until I turn-round to see an older gentleman with yellow teeth and about 15 hairs growing out of his bulbus nose, holding a beer and smelling like a dirty ashtray from 1957. Then he starts mumbling something about having nothing to do over the weekend and would I like to join him or something and all I could do is stare at his nose and when I finally came-to from the smell of tobacco I said "oh, gosh, no thanks," chugged my beer and got the hell out of there. (I was nice mom, don't worry.) Great, was this going to be my only prospect of the night? Time for the walk through.

Now, I mentioned earlier that Edinburgh is a young city, and what I mean by that is the people are young. Most of the staff in the shops, restaurants, pubs and tourist attractions are under the age of 25 and I reckon that most of the professional offices are a little further out of the city center. There are also a lot of transplants from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa with the odd Brit or Irish thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, I can't work there without a visa and I'm quite bitter about it so that's all I have to say about that. I stopped into a cool hostel called Belushi's during my walkabout and found 12 Brits on their stag night watching Rugby and so I turned around and ran to the next bar called "Sportsters" which has free internet and a local crowd. I met a nice Aussie dude named Brad, who was on his way to Poland and we chatted for a while until a team of Irish on their stag night came in and took over the entire bar. Before I could make a run for it, I was spotted and from there it was slightly hilarious and mildly annoying. They were absolutely TRASHED and were getting really raunchy (remember the I Q of 17?) so I had to go on the offensive and tell them they were out of line, which had to be bad because nothing offends me at all. Well, thank-god for Catholic guilt because the next thing I know they are aplogizing profusely and offering me drinks and I was like "oh sure guys, that's a safe move!" Needless to say, I ran to Grass Market and met some nice locals, danced my ass off and called it a night!

SATURDAY was pretty chill, I did some touristy stuff, walked for about 4 hours, did the postcard thing and took a late afternoon nap. After a quick freshen, I went to the pub across from Brodie's and met this mental Aussie named Tim, and his Irish friend Andy. Well, Mr. crazy Tim has decided to walk the whole of Scotland with the clothes on his back and £30. He is keeping a blog if you are interested, www.findingtim.blogspot.com

I'd forgotten how easy it was to gather people in the chill room at hostels until I just shouted "anyone up for a pint?" and about 5 people just grabbed their stuff and headed out the door with me. This is where I met Annie, a cute girl from Wales and two American guys and we all went to Grass Market for dancing and a few pints. This is where I met perhaps the most gorgeous Scotsman in the history of man kind and oddly enough, he rushed right over to talk to me as soon as I started dancing. Of course, his name...SCOT MACDONLAD! Really, Scot freakin' MacDonald. (I can't make this stuff up!) Well, we had a bit of a laugh and naturally he wanted to see me again and naturally I was leaving and naturally that is the story of my life.

SUNDAY was just chill, kind of nursed a hang over and took a walk with Annie and the boys then went to Sportsters to play pool and met these two dudes who own a golf shop called "City Golf," right in Edinburgh. They are only 23, but own their own business and can play pool like sharks. Anyway, I took it easy and went to bed early because Monday was on deck and the Haggis Bus was looming. LATERS!

Isle of Skye

THE HAGGIS

Around 8:30 Monday morning myself and a bunch of backpackers gathered outside the Haggis Adventures office right up from Brodies on High Street. It had ceased being balmy and I was smart enough to pack a scarf, beanie and hoody. Right on cue, this yellow bus pulls up and out pops Chloe and Neil, our tour guides for the next six days.

There were 14 of us in our group, a bunch of Aussies, a few Canadians and me...the lone Yank. Chloe, 23, was on the microphone in a heartbeat, trying to break the ice with a few jokes and one rule about no farting at any time on the bus. Neil, 21, was bouncing up and down in his seat, singing random songs which I think he just made up as he went along. This was 5 minutes into the ride out of town, and somehow I knew we were in for a lot of fun. First stop: the William Wallace monument. Now, I have to say that young miss Chloe really impressed me with her knowledge and enthusiasm about Scotland's history. I thought I was a history geek but she is a fair match. The monument itself is massive and sits on top of a hill, but the funny part is at the bottom there is a little stone monument that is about 5 feet tall and strangely resembles Mel Gibson. Chloe was more than happy to inform us that, while Braveheart was a great piece of cinema, it was completely historically inacurate. 1) William Wallace was a LOWLANDER, so he would have never worn a kilt. 2) The battle of Stirling Bridge was extremely important because they destroyed it in real life, not in the movie. 3) The French chick was about 2 when Wallace died. 4) The blue face paint came along 200 years later and 5) Robert the Bruce was a very fine warrior and king. Now, you should be warned now that I am going to cram as much of the history that I remember into these postings so if history bores you, just skim through! I on the other hand, got quite a few golden stars for remembering such facts.

BENS AND GLENS

As we entered the Highlands, we were all amazed at the weather. Sunny skies and warm winds were not what we expected but what followed us the entire time. Chloe and Neil said to enjoy it because it would never happen again!

The LOWLANDS and HIGHLANDS are completely different entities, both with their own cultures and histories. Religion and territory played a part in conflict more than Scotland vs. England, and that we should be warned that most of the stories are about gruesome, bloody battles and tragedy. The Highlanders were fierce, warrior tribes with clan chiefs and fought and terrorized eachother for centuries. We passed quite a few battle sights and none of them sounded at all pleasant. It was a hard life and when you combine this with a culture of men who like to get drunk and fight, you are going to get some death and destruction. Nevertheless, in true Scottish fashion, Chloe and Neil made the tales fun by regaling us at every stop, usually starting the story with "now...imagine...through the mists of time..." The country side was beautiful, however, with deep and pure lochs (lakes) and glens (valleys) and bens (mountains) and there was literally not one bad view.

ISLE OF SKYE

After about 8 or so hours of driving, we finally came to the Isle of Skye and the little fishing village of Kyleakin for a night of pints, pool and Neil's guitar playing at Saucy Mary's hostel and tavern. Imagine the lot of us trying to sing American Pie at the top of our lungs, while Mr. Neil plucks away and the pitchers arrive fast and furiously! It was GRAND! The locals always seem to smell the Haggis busses right as they pull up, and trickle-in wearing their "welly's" or rubber fishing boots, and smell of deisel and old smelt. You can't buy that kind of stuff in a gift shop...it's brilliant! (They are pictured above with me and some random girl who jumped into MY picture!)

The next morning I actually managed to rise and shine around 7 and go for a run along the pier then grab breakfast at the hostel before the 8:30 launch. This is when we began the ritual of starting every day by singing a little Scottish ditty called "Dignity" by Duncan Blue. It ended up becoming the back drop of our entire week. Out first stop was another little fishing village about 1/2 hour North of Kyleakan called Portree or "Port of the King." They have everything you need, including a batik shop, post office and the best, cheapest Bakery in the region. Here you can stock up on bacon pasties, sausage rolls, cheesy bread and tea. Just be ready for the locals to snarl at you if you are on a tour bus, as the line went out the door and it took 10 minutes to be served. It was well worth it, however! There are also loads of Bed and Breakfasts right along the pier which is lovely in the morning sunlight.

The rest of the day was spent listening to Chloe spin tales of fairies and Fergis the Giant, of Battles between the MacDonalds and MacCleods at Duntlum Castle and of Flora MacDonald, the one and only heroine of the Scottosh Highlands. I was enthralled with every single tale and would have slurped up another hundred if we had the time. On the way back to Saucy Mary's, we stopped for a hike along a beautiful ridge and sat amongst the thousands of sheep that roam the Scottish countryside. One little lamb jumped up out of no where and after startling us all half to death, managed to entertain us with it's antics that would make the toughest Rubgy player melt.

Back at Kyleakin we all decided to have a footy match on the lawn right in front of the hostel. Now, I've never played soccer in my life so I was a bit nervous that I would look like a complete buffoon, but thanks to good hand-eye coordination, hours watching football and a whole lotta moxy I managed to keep up the pace rather nicely.
Team Neil came from behind to tie Team Chloe 6-6 and a re-match was set for the following night! (I was on Team Neil in case that wasn't implied.) The rest of the night was spent challenging eachother at everything from pool to darts, from trivia to cards and by the end of the night, we were all completely knackered and ready for bed. But that wasn't before local kid "Billy Bob" and his yellow welly's danced around all the pretty girls, trying to get their attention. It was the stuff of legend and I have the photos to prove it!

The next morning we crossed the Skye bridge, said goodbye to Saucy Mary singing "dignity" at the top of our lungs. This is when Chloe announced that she had a special suprise in store for us, after a visit to Eilean Donan Castle.

LATERS!

Ullapool

SUPRISE!

As we pulled away screaming our theme song, Chloe announced that because the weather was so exeptionally beautifl, we were going to go and find a beach somewhere and have a picnic! A first for the Haggis tour bus, Neil and Chloe were perhaps even more excited than we were, but a picnic on a sunny beach in the Highlands sounds like a good plan anyday. We all pitched in £5, went to the store and stocked up on goods before heading to one of the most famous castles in all of Scotland.

EILEAN DONAN CASTLE

Eilean Donan Castle is famous for many reasons, it's history, it's beauty and the fact that it was the central figure in the movie "Highlander." Demolished by the British government forces in 1719 it was later bought and rebuilt to nearly exact replication in the early 20th century. Interestingly enough, it is still a working castle and the MacRae family still live there in the old servant's quarters. Take the tour! It's worth the £3.40, especially when you see the kitchen.

CHICKEN LITTLE

It was at this point I was starting to get frustrated about my camera situation. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my new fancy camera doesn't work like my old crappy one because I can't get my head into the lense without taking away the background. My whole idea of taking my own photo with monuments was crumbling before my eyes. However, when I mentioned this to Bill Curren, a sixty year old Aussie dude traveling with us, he told me that I should find something and take it's photo. That way, I don't have to worry about being in the picture but I can prove I was there. That is when the idea of Chicken Little was born. So, from here out, I decided to take my little chicken mascot with me and use it as a model. It has become one of the best ideas so far and you will see why when I post the photos. Thanks Bill!

PICNIC

In true Haggis style, we grabbed our food, about 30 cans of Tennant's and hiked down to a gorgeous beach along the way. It was swimsuit weather I tell you, and one of the best parts of the trip. Of course, Neil busted out his guitar and he and Canadian Dave Allen were serenading all of us once again. Amazing and frankly, didn't want to leave! But, we had to make tracks and head up to Ullapool for our footy re-match and a pint.

ULLAPOOL

Ullapool is a sleepy little fishing village on the North West coast above Inverness. It's clean and quiet with modern conveniences and old charm. Our hostel wwas right near a campground, around the corner from the pier and close to pubs and restaurants. After a shower, I joined Neil, Chloe, Pete and Spikey for a pint and then the rest of the group saunters up and reminds us of the footy rematch. I thought it was off because the soccer fields were closed, but a challenge is a challenge so we all agreed to meet at the primary school down the street. Chloe and I still had beer left over, so we stayed behind and hung with Spikey for a few then changed and headed off. Unfortunately, we were lost in a matter of minutes and let me tell you never ask an Ullapudlian for directions because NO ONE KNOWS!!! We finally show up to the school only to find 50 little kids running around playing footy so we walk and look and walk and look and no sign of our group! So, we went to the nearst fish and chips shop and sat on the pier eating fried food and listening to Spikey's stories about Pamplona and Oktoberfest. Back to the pub and there was the group, all hot and sweaty accusing us of chickening out! Right. Turns out, they went to a totally different locale and neglected to send a scout to tell us. Oh well, Aaron ended up really messing up his knee so maybe it was better I took it easy. While we enjoyed our last pint of the day, about 35 little kids came in with traditional highland instruments and played a little concert...right in the PUB! Then, more musicians and before we knew it, we were AGAIN being randomly serenaded by locals. It was grand I tell you! Another great day on the Haggis bus and ready for Loch Ness in the morning! LATERS!

Loch Ness

OFF TO SEE THE MONSTER

Ullapool ended up to be the most mellow night of the trip, most people hung out at the hostel and went to bed early. Of course, Pete and I had to have one more pint so we went down to the pub where I learned all about the rules of Cricket and why Arsenal can beat Barcelona in the Premiership final. Pete and Spikey are 2 Aussies who work for a tour company called BACKPACKER Co. that takes people to festivals, like the Running of the Bulls and ANZAC Day in Gallipoli, Turkey. Two great people with the best job in the world. They are only in their mid-twenties and have already been to more places than most people will ever see in their lives. GOOD ON YA!

The next morning we sped off for Loch Ness and it was at this point I realized I was spending wayyyyyy to much money, but also realized that I was having the time of my life and that I would fare much better in Europe so what the heck! And as always, Duncan Blue singing away at full blast! "Sail it up, sail it up..."

COLLODAN MOOR

The Battle of Collodan Moor is perhaps the most remembered and important battle in the history of the Highlands and perhaps all of Scotland. I won't run on about it, as there are websites galore that will do a much better job, but suffice to say it was very moving and something I won't soon forget. I will say that it changed the whole Highland way of life, because after this total massacre a decree came down from the government that:

1-Anyone caught wearing a tartan would go to prison
2-Anyone caught with the bagpipes would go to prison
3-Anyone caught speaking the Gallic language would go to prison
4-Anyone caught harboring a Jacobite rebel would be killed, along with thier entire village and family
5-Anyone caught with a highland weapon would be beheaded, shot, killed...on the spot.

Lastly, the reason so many people in the former colonies are from Highland decent, is due to the Highland clearances. The Highlanders lost their money, their way of life and consequently had to leave because they couldn't pay the landowners rent and so the entire countryside was turned into...you guessed it! Grazing land for sheep.

My only other story about Collodan Moor, has to do with a young lad named "Young Neil." Way back...through the mists of time a family of 4 went to Collodan Moor to take the tour. Young Neil was about 10 at the time and was in the gift shop when he noticed a gentleman taking a gun out of a locked closet. Young Neil thought "wow, we get to play with guns!" Until he saw the man put the gun into his pocket and leave. Young Neil followed the man to his car, took down his licence plate # and told his parents. The called the police, the man was arrested and Young Neil got a handsome reward from the Scottish National Trust. He is also going to be in the book about the builiding of the memorial! (I had to tell that one, he was so excited to tell us.)

CLAVA CAIRNS

Now we get to Chloe's all-time favorite spot in all of Scotland! Clava Cairns is one of those ancient mysteries like Stone Henge. Around 4000 to 5000 years ago these rock formations were created by teen agers (people didn't live over 30) and they brought these massive rocks for miles to form 3 circles in a field. It took over 70 years to complete but the most amazing thing about them is that they face the sun in a certain direction so that on December 21, or winter solstice of every year, the light hits the back of the caves one a single point just perfectly. In fact, it is not open to the public on that day because scientists clammor to study the electromagnetic fields surrounding the rocks. I simply can't do it justice, so google the site and the images, or better yet just go there yourself. People go there to get "healed" all year 'round. CRAZY!

NESSIE

Of course, no trip to Scotland is complete without a trip to Loch Ness. First thing was to stop at a gift shop and find the cheesiest Nessie souvenier we could find and Spikey won with a Kiwi fruit playing the bagpipes. No thanks.

Then, the LOCH. Well, first of all, I believe in the creature for many reasons and there are so many scientific facts about the Loch that I won't bore you but it's one of the deepest bodies of water in the UK. It's black and dangerous...don't try to swim in there...but the water is pure and fine to drink, as is most of the water in the country.

We arrived in Port Augustus around 5, just in time to check in at Morag's hostel and feast on the all you can eat pasta dinner. This was of course, after a fierce game of Trival Pursuit and a pint. Soon after, we found ourselves climbing aboard Captain Jimmy's tour boat, where he would do his best to convince us of the existance of Nessie. For £7.50 you can look at Jimmy's sonar gadgets and see how deep the Loch is, where the creatures are and listen to his stories. Again, I was already a believer so I hid out on the top deck in the freezing mist with Neil and Fergis and sipped my SheepShagger brew.

After the tour, we made it over to the pub and had what was my personal favorite night of the entire trip! We sat and swapped injury stories, (Neil wins that one hands down) talked about travel, I threw in a few radio tales and then Chloe and I apparently had this hour long discussion about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but neither of us can remember! Ha! Thanks Neil and Pete for getting us home and thanks Chloe for being my partner in crime!

INVERNESS

We pulled out the next day to the strains of...you guessed it "Dignity" on our way to Glen Ord Distillery and Inverness. We were scheduled for a "fancy dress" party (costume party) and wanted to go to the charity shops in Inverness to pick up supplies. Spikey and I had already sorted out our costumes, but I needed one more element to complete my outfit. First we stopped at Glen Ord Distillery and tour the place, drank Whisky and then headed off to good old Inverness, the capital of the highlands. Apparently, it was completely destroyed 7 times and managed to be rebuilt each time. I searched high and low for a joke shop that would have the missing link to my dominatrix outfit and finally came upon this sort of "window" in a little indoor mall with a lady folding tee shirts on the outside. I asked her if she had any hand cuffs and she went into this little junk room and seriously about 15 minutes later, came out with pink furry handcuffs. This was right about the time that three gorgeous Scotsman rounded the corner, sipping their afternoon coffee, staring at me and then at the handcuffs and back at me and smiling. Oh god..."That'll be five pounds!" hehehehehehe. I just looked at them, smiled, paid the lady and got the hell out of there. Great, another rare run-in with cute men and I'm buying hand cuffs.

That night we had a great time at the party in the bar at Morag's, poor Petey got attacked by all the girls pouring chocolate on him, and Dave got his kilt lifted up several times, but oddly didn't seem to mind. A guy named Dave that looks like Ralph Wiggam from the Simpsons sang traditional Scottish music and then finished the night with, of course, DIGNITY! I think we scared him when we all stood up around his little 5 foot space and screamed the entire song at the top of our lungs. Great way to end the night. I actually turned in early and started getting post Haggis depression when I realized we were going home the next day. LATERS...

Bye Bye Little Yellow Bus

BYE BYE NESSIE

Well, I have to admit, I was sorry to see this morning arrive, but alas...time to head back to Edinburgh. Poor Aaron was really injured and couldn't even walk so Pete and Dave carried him to the bus and we propped him up on the back seat while Chloe arranged for the hospital in Inverness. As the final strains of Duncan Blue filled the bus, I said goodbye to Lochness, shed a few tears and promised myself I would come back one day.

We headed to Inverness and had about 2 hours to kill so we all started towards the mall in city center and it gave me the creeps so I ditched the group and headed for the nearst pub. After all, it was Saturday and Scotland were playing Japan in football so I thought I could drum up some fun! Of course, in no time, I find the mandatory mumbling Scotsman with hair growing out the top of his nose, a stag party, and two elderly women in the corner sipping whisky. This was, however, my first run-in with a grooms party of a groom, best mate and 7 year old boydressed in full scottish kilty regalia and of course, I didn't have my fancy new camera so I didn't get a photo but Donna and Nicole showed up and I am going to try and get them to send copies. I said "who's the victim" and it was the kid's dad, on his second marraige. Now, I wonder if you have noticed by now that we are in a pub, on a Saturday and there is a 7 year old in with his dad, who is drinking pint after pint with his best man and about to be married? Well, that's just tradition after all. Don't worry, the kid was drinking orange juice. I sat down with 2 Billy's, a Dave and a Graeme, had a pint, a nip of Whisky and a few laughs. Again, that is why I travel! Sure, Loch Ness is amazing, but this is just local flavor that can't be beat.

We all took naps on the bus and then all of the sudden, there it was...Edinburgh. Ugh. Wow. Mandy and I had agreed to get off the bus and meet for a tattoo, so we were making our plans when Neil and Chloe shout "ready guys?" And all of the sudden, Duncan Blue comes over the stereo at full blast and we are bounding down Prince's Street, screaming "DIGNITY" at the top of our lungs and clapping and crying and laughing and wow. I was overwhelmed to say the least.

We got out, hugged and said goodbye to Neil and Chloe. She was off to Newcastle for a party with friends and Neil was off to Glasgow, where he lives, to reunite with his girl and "get drunk." Crucial for a Scotsman who can't drink for a week because he was driving. (By the way, he is going to Ireland on the 8th of June for 5 days in his girlfriend's new Mini Cooper...yes, an inside joke but hilarious.)

We ran to the tattoo parlor with no luck because they all close at six, so I will have to wait until I go back. We just met for one last pint, then a few of us girls met up in Grass Market to laugh at the Stag's and I ended up meeting a really nice English bloke, who was tired of the Stag thing and wanted to talk about his wife and kid. I bored him with stories of Scotland over a cappucino and called it a night.

The next day, it took me almost 10 hours to get home because of train delays and bus failures, but I did meet some great people in Newcastle at the train station, one sweetie named Sue Hedley who has contacted me so I can visit her the next time I run through! I finally arrived at Murphy's around 8 p.m. Saturday, tried to make sense of my week while he made me some pasta and laughed until we cried. Then, without fail, out of no where...what comes on the T.V? BRAVEHEART! I swear, I can't make this stuff up. Geeze.

Anyway, thanks Chloe and Neil, you are total rockstars! Pete and Spikey, you will see me on a tour, I guarantee you! Manja, maybe I will see you in Germany! Tania and Dave, give it up, you are in love so stop denying it. Donna, Mandy, Nicole, Melissa and Kate "Dark Horse" Doyle, thanks for being great room mates and please send those photos!!!!!!! Aaron, I hope you made it home okay and that your knee is better! Bill, good luck on your travels and thanks for the chicken idea...Roxanne, keep charging little one, stay strong and things will happen, I promise. Tom and Paula, I didn't mind switching seats, I'm glad it made your travel easier. And to everyone, thanks for singing the National Anthem with me. That could have been a real disaster. Please stay in touch guys and send those photos!

LATERS!

For more information about Haggis tours, go to www.haggisadventures.com
For more information about Backpacker's, got to www.backpacker.co.uk

One of the Lads

Well, in true Gina style I am surrounded by boys while in London and can't remember laughing so much! First Murphy, John, Ultan, Dave, Dan and myself stopped at the Toucan in Covent Garden for a couple pints of Guinness where we proceeded to swap dirty stories and I kept up quite nicely which is hard with this crew. Next off for some Indian food for egg fried rice and a tall Cobra. Now, this is important because the rice was only £2.50 and the beer was £2.50 and so that is a handy £5 meal! The lads were also happy to share which was lovely and thanks to Murphy for picking up the tab...(HE REALLY DOES THAT TOO MUCH) Next, it was to a place called The Hospital where we watched a screening of the movie short "The Beholder." It's really quite good and to view it you can go to www.bounderandcad.com. Nice job Aidan and Lisa and all who worked on the film. It's going to be screened at Cannes next week. Next we went to a club and listened to Ultan and John serenade the crowd and people let me tell you these guys are really talented musicians and lovely guys and as soon as their website is live I will direct you promptly! Another tidbit about London is that there are PUBS and CLUBS and the PUBS close exactly at 11:00 p.m. and they will literally come up and GRAB the beer from your hand even if you just bought one so save yourself the agony and order up early. Dan managed to find a CLUB so we went for a few more pints and a chin-wag then a cab home for more chatting by the fire and at that point I was so cozy I curled up on a bean bag with a blankie and was serenaded to sleep by UltonJohn and felt like the luckiest girl in the world. It would be like Dave Matthews singing you to sleep. Amazing. They are going to make it big one day and I knew them when they were just singing in the living room! (Trust me, they are going to make it big.) They are back to Ireland today and I am going to meet up with my new Aussie friends and watch Aresenal get their asses kicked over a few pints. Murphy promises me that he will help me with my camera issues tomorrow night so I can post my tales of Scotland with live photos. For now, I'm off for a run and then on the tube for a night in Shepard's Bush!

LATERS!

Post Scotland Depression

Hey all, I'm back in London couch-surfing at Murphy's with two of his friends who are over from Ireland to play a gig tonight. Last night about 16 of us went to see a Dave Matthews acustic show at the Hammersmith Apollo and after, Ultan and John kept us well entertained into the wee smalls. (This usually means John regaling us with tales from his ever-so vivid imagination!) I haven't seen John in over eight year's but the Irish are loyal friends and once again Murphy has made my week with his social planning. After mixing Whisky and a bus full of crazy Aussies for 10 days in Scotland, I'm trying to repair the damages...now it's gallons of water, moisturizer and concentrated injections of Emergen-C! This, while being surrounded by Whisky drinking Irish is the biggest challenge so far on my trip! But in true Murphy fashion, he whipped us up a proper full Irish breakfast made up of bacon, sausage, beans, tomato, toast and eggs.

Tonight we are also going to a screening of a movie short called "The Beholder" which has been accepted at Cannes. Tomorrow I'm catching up with Spikey and Pete, two of my Aussie mates from the Haggis tour for Pictionary night and no doubt a few pints! I am, however, going to spin my tales of Scotland by tomorrow, so I will let you all know when that is posted and I should have a bonified photo uploaded as well. Sorry it has taken me so long to post, but I'll do my best for tomorrow. I have laundry to do anyway. That is, if I survive another night with the Irish! For more information on the movie, go to www.bounderandcad.com


LATERS!

Wild and Sexy!

SCOTLAND! I love this place so much, everything makes sense to me here. From the landscape to the cutest boys I've ever seen, I am having the time of my life. I'm still challenged to get to a proper computer and I will do, so I can fill in the gaps of the last few days, but suffice to say I love it here and have much to report. Thanks to Robert Taylor and the Contra Costa Times for running a piece on my trip, now that is a great challenge to try and post as much as I can! I am traveling on the HAGGIS Tour Bus for six days of Scottish fun, with a bunch of Aussies and Canadians, mostly students, and one "geezer" from Australia. (That's not trying to be rude, anyone over 60 is called a geezer.) Our Scottish tour guides, Neil and Chloe are passionate and energetic and keep the whole thing wonderful. Chloe knows her Scottish history like she made it up herself and Neil is a cute nutter who sings everything and has absolutely NO inner monologue. It's hysterical. I will try to post tonight as this is the best computer I have seen in a while, that is after a day of traveling around the Isle of Skye with my new mates! I am staying at a place called "Saucy Mary's" which is named after a lady who used to stand on the top of her castle and lift up her dress as the sailors sailed through the harbor. For some reason, I'm convinced that I was her in a previous life! Off for brekkie then a trekkie! For more info on what I am up to, go to www.haggisadventures.com LATERS!

Home to Spawn

So much to say and this keyboard is horrific so I will update later, but e-mail isn't working so on behalf of all the people who worry about me, I just arrived in edinburgh for the weekend, took the train from London. Amazing vistas, great train and now I realize why I am just a bit out there! the scots have a wild look about them that feels normal to me. Anyway, I can't get this keyboard to do what I want so i will update when I get to a proper internet cafe. LATERS!

I Need a Camera Crew

I swear, I can't even keep up with the images and stories rumbling around in my little noggin. Kensington and the ACE were a blast, I have blisters from walking, I've met at least 100 people, been to a comedy night and was offered a job at the Pied Bull. (They are really such lovely people) Tomorrow I'm off to Edinburgh for the weekend and then I'm taking a backpacker tour of Scotland. I get back on the 14th and then will go to Dave Matthews with Murphy's crew on the 15th, then off to Paris on the 17th where I will begin the Busabout journey of a lifetime. I'm trying to book a seven day Croatian sailing trip down the Adriatic coast, wish me luck as they are almost 100% sold-out. If nothing else, I can go to Greece instead. Check out their website www.busabout.com for more info. Gotta go and see about some batteries for my camera and then finish packing. I should have brought my hiking boots and a raincoat. Oh well. LATERS!

London Baby, Yeah!

I can finally use that title with some sense of pride as I have begun to settling into life in London. Hanging at Murph's has given me the opportunity to chill out, store some stuff and just plan the next few months with peace and ease.

First of all, I have to apologize for the constant use of stock photos from trips-past, but I'm having a couple of issues with my camera. I have a new fancy digital camera that the lovely Lori Gulisano gave me for my trip! (Thanks Lori!) However, I made the mistake of NOT buying rechargeable batteries and the regular AA sort run out every five minutes. My old crappy digital camera had a built-in rechargeable so I would just switch between the two batteries I had and never ran out. Secondly, I still have to get Murphy to download the software from my new fancy camera into his hardrive so I can download current photos. I have some great ones from the rugby match and our Saturday night out. I was at least smart enough to start a Kodak Gallery account and downloaded a bunch of old photos from my last trip here. If all else fails, Google images work wonders. Okay, back to the trip...

So, Murphy's friend Paul arrived from Boston early Saturday morning and we all sat around to Bernie's famous Irish breakfast: eggs scrambled soft, sausages, bacon (kind of really like American thin ham) grilled tomatoes, baked beans, whole grain toast and Irish tea with milk. Paul has been working in Europe for the past few years and just came back from a gig in L.A. so there are two Yanks staying at the house at the moment. He will be staying here for the summer while Murphy is in Ireland and I will pop in and out between tours. (I hope he doesn't read this, he would die if he knew I called him a "Yank" seeing as he is a die-hard Red Sox fan.)
So, after a long post-breakfast nap we all hopped into the car and headed for the Rugby. This weekend was a bank holiday three-day weekend so the traffic was murder and it took about an hour and a half to drive 20 or so miles. I dare say that I was NOT looking forward to watching 30 or so strapping young lads running around in tight little shorts tackling each other but I managed somehow to suffer through! The stadium reminded me of a polo grounds and even had a club inside with pictures dating back to the mid-19th century. Really cool stuff. What wasn't remotely cool was the beer, in fact it was perhaps the crappiest beer I've ever had! YEACH!!! Warm and flat for about £3...of course I had two as it was the only beer available. Bernie's younger cousin Cathal, who is also from Kinvara, played for Ricnmond, the losing side, sadly. (That's him pictured above, he's the extremely tall one of the left.) Anyway, it was the championship match and the other team went on to play in another level of the tournament. Oh well, they were still cute! (Update, Bernie says that the beer is supposed to be served warm....yeach!)

After that we went to another friend's house, a guy called Nick and he is from South Africa. He's married to Annie, an American girl and they live in a pretty posh part of town, just South of Chelsea by the river. We had some strong coffee and a nip of whiskey and then went to the center of London where I was awe-struck by all the famous landmarks...Big Ben, Parliament, the MI-5 building, the EYE (the big ferris wheel) and on into Covent Garden where we were due to attend a friend's birthday party. We had Indian food for dinner (where I discovered I can get a big serving of rice for about £1.50) and then went to a club called "LAB." It was a blast, too small to dance properly but lots of nice people. I was DYING watching the bartenders try to make cocktails though, good god! I even piped up and said "who the hell orders a frozen daiquiri in a club at midnight?" Oops, of course the people right next to me did. Silly American. Anyway, I stuck with bottled Corona, which was also warm BTW and ended up just sipping Jack Daniels. I did have a bit of trouble understanding the accent in the loud club. I said "What kind of beer do you have?...Corona and that's it!...What is `that's it? I asked...THAT'S IT!" That seems to happen a lot.

The next day I took a train ride to Wimbeldon and then had to take a bus home because the train was out of service coming back. I said "Can you drop me at Streatham Common?" (Now, I have just busted all of you Americans because I know that you read "STREETH-HAM." HAHA! I did the same thing, only I did it out loud to a bus driver who promptly said in his best British accent "Well love, we don't have any STREETH-HAM here in London, but I'll be happy to take to you STRATTAM!" Fair enough. I got off the bus in STRATTAM and proceeded to go to my new local pub called the Pied Bull. It is your typical English pub, or the "local" as they say, and it has everything one needs in a joint. Big screen TV playing sports you have never heard of or don't understand, lots of smelly cigarette smoke thickening up the room, guys with babies in their strollers and local chaps sitting around screaming at each other about this or that, laughing and generally staying away from home for far too long. I was the only female besides the bar maid so I stuck out like a waif at a buffet. Luckily, I met a really nice group of lads who took me in and bought me beers and made me feel right at home. It was such the typical cast of characters...the dad John with his 17 year-old son, Alex, Bill who looked like he had been to one too many Grateful Dead shows and some older dude from Scotland who just mumbled insessantly and kept offering me cigarettes. Then, John's wife Alice showed up and we just chatted away until I realized that I promised the boys I would make them dinner. (They had STAYED up until 7 a.m. singing songs at the piano.) So, I bid my new friends adieu and headed off to the house for a chicken and roasted potato dinner. It took a lot for Murphy not to kick me out of the kitchen, he is as anal as I am about cooking but it's his place so I give him credit. It might have been my three beer buzz that did it.

Things have been relatively quiet since then. I'm off today to go and see about my summer plans and to stay in Kensington overnight at the ACE hostel. I just felt like being centrally located for a night. IT IS ABSOLUTELY GORGOUS OUTSIDE! Tomorrow night I am going to check out some local comedy and then perhaps take a tour to the South Coast or Scotland next week. I'll keep you posted. Until next time....LATERS!