We got our things settled, then went to explore and find food, which ended up being Wagamama! It was soo great to see them, and we were so excited we couldn't stop talking. We went to a couple bars in the area, but there was not much happening, and bars close at MIDNIGHT on sundays. How lame.
But we got a tip for a cool bar/club and headed over there, got in free, and danced to good music all night.
Ok, its been too long and I forgot to finish posting about this. Contrary to what Bwalt (jerkface) says about him falling asleep when I write, he can go read cool things elsewhere. PS, you look like a blueberry.
Anywho, Manchester was grimy and all the men spoke with that dirty accent you hear rugby players in movies talk like. The holidays are kind of a crappy time to travel in Europe, because everything is CLOSED! But whatever, we made the best of it. Our hostel was rad, in the center area and super huge. We shared a room with some 18 year old Canadians, and met a ton of cool people in the lobby downstairs. We became good friends with the guys who worked there (What up magic! and Scottish nightclubbing) and so Ash made up her (intoxicated-sorry M.M.!) mind at 2 am that she would go to Edinburgh to get her passport dealio worked out. In the end, it took her almost 24 hours, but she got a temp passport and money, just in time for NYE!
On NYE, we got on the train with 37,045,798,094 other people and their bags, and made our way to Glasgow. Our reserved seats were by the most annoying child ever and crowded, so then we moved to the car behind us that was akin to Siberia. Anywho, we powered through the cold, took tons of pictures and pretended we were Geishas, and finally ended up in GLASGOW!
We took a cab at the speed of light from the train station to our hostel, got hooked up, then got gussied up, and went out to find HOGMANAY! We ran around every corner of the stupid square looking for the box office that we never found, but were eventually escorted in by a burly security guard. At that time, it was too cold to be *completely* sober, so we headed to the bar and met some Scots who bought us drinks, even though they were terrible.. and we looked like an American flag:
We made it outside just in time for the countdown, and it was perfect! Fireworks and people screaming and happy, and I was with 3 of my best friends :)
The Scots are a nice bunch, even if they don't wear undergarments beneath their kilts, which was a definitely a possibility with these guys.
Like Manny, most stuff in GGow was closed on New Years Day and the following days, so we mostly wandered hoping to find something open. We met a cool kid in our hostel, James, who you could tell was constantly bored, and some Swedish guys that we met up with at a club called the Garage, apparently the biggest in Glasgow. Whateva, we went on "cowboy" night so everyone looked silly, but we had a really good time. And now I have friends in Sweden and Scotland!
Alright, so by this time its been a lot of laziness and wandering due to lazy Europeans and their bloody holidays! But Edinburgh was obviously the BEST place. EVER! I love love LOVED it, and was so happy to be there. Right when we got off the train we walked out to a Winterfest Carnival overtaking the city, blasting music and rides and games and ice skating. It obviously wasn't classically beautiful like Edinburgh is, but it was a nice contrast to see it all beneath the huge castle looking over everything.
But I must say, we thought it would be a rip-roaring good time to go on the big ferris wheel...of DEATH! I don't think I let go of the pole in the middle the entire time, and was busy saying prayers and keeping my eyes shut. Four girls, 21 years of age, scared shitless. It was so embarrassing, when the little kids around us were having the time of their lives. Either way, mental note to never do that again. And to grow a pair.
Our hostel was huge, but we were in a room with just the 4 of us so didn't have as much of an opportunity to meet people. We wandered most of the city the first night, and attempted to go on a ghost tour but got there too late. We did get to hear a story about the "suicide bridge" (Waverley bridge) in the middle of the city though, which connects the 'new' and 'old' parts (even thought its allll old, let me tell you) but the first person to cross it was a woman in a coffin that was being pulled by a horse who got scared...or something. I can't remember, but it was a good story in theory. Either way, people commit suicide here frequently as it lies over the main railroad tracks, and is ideal in the most morbid way. Because it is illegal to stop someone from committing suicide, people have been known to encourage the jumpers in order to clear traffic and get to work. Where is that hardworking spirit around the holidays, huh Scotland?!
We found a bar/club called the Three Sisters, in an old underground lair or sorts, and it was a cool place that we really loved. The second night we made it on a tour of the Underground City Total waste of money, but cool history lesson until I nearly peed myself in fright. These vaults housed hundreds of people, who were plagued by... well, a plague of sorts, but also living in dark, moist areas without proper nutrition or sanitation. Most of them were Irish immigrants who came to Scotland after the potato famine, and couldn't afford to live elsewhere. The vaults are no bigger than my room now, with 10 or more people "living" in them. Needless to say, many didn't live for long, and they are now believed to be haunted. There have been countless reports of paranormal activity, so of course Vanessa was stoked. We were in a big group, and the guide took us through, explaining everything (in the middle of the night, mind you.) and then played this really FUN game of blowing out his candle, the only source of light. Not once, not twice, but THREE times. And then BAM!! Some freak in a halloween costume jumps out of nowhere, we all scream bloody murder and possibly leak bodily substances, and he runs away (laughing, I presume) and we have to pay for this. I say I love Edinburgh, but God knows why...
Either way, it was cool to know and we got it out of our systems and ready for our next day of sightseeing. We did the bus tourist thing, but it was well worth it. The highlights were the castle, in the daytime and at night, being able to overlook everything, and Arthur's Seat, a giant mountain you can walk/hike/climb/crawl/huff and puff your way up to get a different view.
We attempted to make it up, but based on our diets of wine, beer, and pasta...we didn't get too far. But what we did see was well worth it! We also saw the school/monumental edifice that Hogwarts (What up Harry Potter!) is said to be based on:
And Bobby the dog, who stayed with his owner everyday until his death, then followed his funeral procession to the cemetery, and continued his allegiance there. He obviously deserved his own statue:
Alas, the trip had to come to an end, and the Verg (Vanessa and Sarah Bergner) left at 4 in the morning, while Ash and I slept a bit and then ran around trying to send my package, get breakfast, and get me back to the bus station for my NINE hour bus ride to London. Boy I sure love public transport. WOO! From London Victoria, I had to wait for another bus in the middle of the night to Stansted airport, an hour north of the city center, and from there wait until 7 am for my flight. Thats the thing with these cheap airlines though, ungodly hours in order to ease the pain on your wallet. But there were tons of people also spending the night there, so I curled up on my jacket like a true homeless person, used my scarves as blankets, and plugged in my laptop to watch a movie. Only hours later, I landed in Århus and thought "Holy guacamole, what am I DOING here??" It was smaller than probably the San Martin airport, but after another 45 minute bus ride, I was in the central train station with friends. And another hectic bus ride and stop to buy rations and linens, and I was in bed. Dead to the world.
And then the story goes on...
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