Edinburgh!

Went on a trip to Edinburgh this weekend with the International Student Society, and had such a great time!! I really wish we had been there for longer, that I had done and seen more, but that tends to be the way I feel about most places!

Being that it was a pre-organized trip, the transportation and accommodation was included in the price, but looking back it would have actually been more economical to take the train up (instead of a 10 hour bus ride with people talking loudly behind me non-stop both ways!!) and to stay at a different hostel. But, nonetheless, it was still fun! And I got to know some other students better, which is always a plus!

So, we left early Friday morning, got there after dark (which isn't actually saying much because its pitch black at 4 these days) and it was nearly 7 by the time we got situated in the hostel, which was a 30 minute shuttle ride/10 pound taxi ride to the city center. Justine and I ventured into town that night to find something to eat for dinner and then quickly found our way on a Ghost Tour of Edinburgh. I knew where we were to meet, which tour group, etc. and we were running a bit late, so when we saw a group starting we jumped in - little did we know it was going to be a Boys Rugby team! Regardless, it was still lots of fun, and we were taken down into the underground vaults in the city and heard loads of ghost stories.

Saturday we woke up at a decent hour, and made our way into town, again. We decided to do one of those hop-on hop-off bus tours because they take you to all of the "must see" places and point stuff out along the way. Came to realize that Edinburgh isn't that massive of a city - but it is really hilly! The Castle sits atop the highest hill in the center of the city, with the Royal Mile on the slope down towards everything else, and a cliff on the opposite site. The castle was quite interesting - like its own little enclosed village inside! It was so windy up there, too! I was literally being blown sideways! needless to say, my hair didn't like that very much... haha
Had a look around the old prison in the castle (which housed prisoners of war), as well as the Scotish crown jewels, and some of the state apartments.
What else... did a lot of shopping! I still need to go through all of the bags and see what exactly it was that I bought! Oh, and saw a tartan mill where they make all of the different tartans for the different scotish clans which is a HUGE deal. Oh, and yes! men do walk around in kilts like its a normal thing! That was something slightly unexpected, I must say...

As part of what we paid for for the trip, we got free entry to a nightclub, which was so much fun! I had a really great time hanging out with the other people in our group and meeting some Scots along the way! For a big city though, I was a bit surprised that the club closed at 3 (which may seem late, but for a big city like Edinburgh, I would have expected something a bit later), and taxis could not be found at that time of night! We were all waiting for taxis for an hour! and it was freezing!!!

Sunday we got a bit later of start, decided to sleep in past check-out, and missed the instructions about when and where to meet at the end of the day to head back, an hour of constantly calling the tour leaders' phones, one of them finally picked up and told me what I needed to know. And, we found that we only had 3 more hours in the city!!
I had really wanted to climb up this huge hill that overlooks the city, but Justine would have none of that, not feeling 100%, so we had fun wandering around the city some more.

Again, I wish I had more time there! I would have loved to go to the Highlands for a day trip, to see Loch Ness, to tour the Holyrood Palace, seen a Scotish dance show, and gone to some of the art galleries, but time did not allow for that, and I didn't want to drag someone along who wasn't interested in some of that and make them pay, too... any takers for next time?! In the summer months perhaps when its not so cold!!

Well, there is ACTUALLY work to be done! Finally! But, I must run off to a seminar now, but another update to soon follow with some more "normal" but equally interesting (?) things in my life...

but, all I can say is that the next 3 1/2 weeks are going to fly by! I'm actually getting past culture shock, and enjoying myself now! I really am disappointed that that took far too long for me to get over, because now I'm just getting ready to head home!

Oh well...

Seminar, presentation work, gym til late... back on Skype if anyone will be around!