4. Inverness and The Highlands (updated)

I left Edinburgh and headed north to the Highlands.  My bus arrived in Inverness, but I had to rent a car to get to the West Coast and reach my little hostel off the main routes.

I asked for a very small, economical car, like a Fiat 500, but they gave me this Citroen "pocket rocket" as the rental company called it. It has a 1.6 litre diesel engine with lots of low-end torque.  Despite this, I averaged 4.4 l/ 100 km for the two days of zooming up and down the Highland hills. Puts my 2.0 liter Suzuki to shame at 8.6 l / 100 km for similar driving.

Hadrian and Finn think sometimes I drive on the wrong side of the road. So this was great - not only did I have drive on the wrong side of the road, I had to drive on the wrong side of the CAR! This was very scary for the first half hour (I'd driven a Morris Minor in the UK a long, long time ago), but after that I was pretty good. Except that I kept instinctively checking my mirrors and going for the stick-shift and window buttons in the wrong places.

Once I got out of Inverness and into the Highlands, it was glorious.

John in The Highlands (cue the bagpipes...)

In the distance among the clouds is the mountain where I'm heading to.

This was my little Hostel West of Dundonnell.

Although I don't have ancestors (that I know of) north of Inverness, I really wanted to go hiking in the Highlands.  I picked this hostel because it's right beside An Teallach (pronounced "Ad Chalockk"), one of the biggest but more accessible "Munros", so named after the man would first started cataloguing the Highland peaks over 3,000 feet.  This one starts right at sea level, and you climb over 1 km vertical to reach the summit.

Here I am about a third of the way up, with part of the Atlantic Ocean in the background and the cloud cover still above me.  That didn't last for long.

As I climbed, the different peaks of An Teallach came into view and became more and more impressive. Also, a damp, misty wind started to blow between up the different sides of the mountain. I saw quite a few farmers' sheep at the start, then further up deer and finally mountain goats.  I didn't get any good pictures because of the mist.  They would appear in my periphery, like ghosts.

This is looking down at ~60 degrees about 50 m vert. or 10 min. to climb to the summit. I came up an easier route ;) Near here I met a German climber zooming down past me.  We talked for a bit and he was upset that the trail was poorly marked, and "...in the Alps, we would never have markers missing for the full route".

At the peak of An Teallach (pronounced "An Chee-lakh"), over 1 kilometre vertical from the sea down below

It's sometimes hard to tell how steep it is in mountain shots. The top of this cairn is flat, so you can see how steep it starts to descend into the mist. On the way down, echoes of a mountain goat lamb bleating had me thinking I was moving away from it, but then I realised I was between the lamb and a ram.  The ram started moving towards me from about 100 m.  I quickly went away from both.  I don't give me much chance of outrunning a mountain goat on a mountain.

I couldn't see 150 metres for the last half of the climb because of the mist / clouds, but when I got back down 6 hours later, it was a beautiful sunset. I went for a nice drive up the coast.

Looking back East towards my B and B

Looking North across Little Loch Broom

A beach looking out onto The Minch straight towards the Hebredes and the Atlantic Ocean

I ran into a fellow James who was doing acoustic analysis up the road in advance of a potential hydro project - they measure the current ambient sounds and project the impact of having a hydro project in the vicinity. James was sorely missing cigarettes, so when I went up the coatst, I found a little general store and picked some up from him.  This small gesture led to us having dinner together and a fine conversation about Glasgow (where he lives), and Referendum (although not a Scot, he can vote because he lives in Scotland), and music.

This is the Dundonnell Hotel 2 km up the road from my hostel.

After my climb, I returned to the Dundonnell Hotel (the only establishment within an hour's drive) and had a cuppa Earl Grey - so civilized out in the wilderness!

That night, some of the locals got together at the hotel and played some traditional songs.

My hostel's keeper is playing guitar at left, and the owner of the Dundonnell Hotel is next to him singing.  Between them, they played about 10 instruments, which seems common with these improvised groups.  I found such musical get-togethers in both cities and countryside, which was wonderful.

After a terrific time in the Highlands, the next day I jumped in the car and took some backroads back towards Inverness. The back roads may be partially single lane, where you have to pull over tp intermittent passing lanes. On my way back to Inverness, I was able to stop at a town where research indicates one of my ancestors is from, and also drive along Loch Ness and see Urquhart Castle.

This is a church (a "Kirk") in Kilmorack converted into a contemporary art gallery.  It appeared to be the only building in a town one of my ancestors is possibly from. 

This is Urquhart Castle which governed much of the nearby forest around Loch Ness for the king, but struggled against repeated raids from the McDonald Clan of the North. Nope - no Nessie!

Inverness is a medium size town situated where the River Ness flows into the ocean. It was nice to walk through with beautiful neighbourhoods.  I only stayed a day, but was excited to find out where I was staying overnight.

Inverness

Would you believe the room I stayed in at my hostel was called The Hobbit?  The rest of the hostel was in a nice house with a big kitchen, a modern laundry, and a lovely treed neighbourhood.  There was a young German couple that was very displeased with the accommodations and asked to be moved, but I find this much cooler than The Hilton!  

Room for 5 hobbitses and nothing else! Germans have the highest standards / expectations it seems. This appears to be both a blessing (e.g. the quality of their cars, the reliability of their train system) and a curse (traveling through such "backward" countries, ex-husbands!).

This is from the bus ride from Inverness to my last stop in Scotland, Glasgow.  Notice that the middle "tree" is a cell tower in disguise.  This is a nice touch compared to our ugly towers.

3. Scotland - "Idinbrra"! (updated)

It's almost like icing on the cake coming to Scotland.  I've been orienting so much of my planning around India, and also Italy, starting in Edinburgh (the locals pronounce it "Idinbrra") has been a wonderful surprise. After only 2 days, Italy and India have a lot to live up to! I'm kinda sorry you have to read through so much stuff in this first travel post...

In Canada I had begun waking up earlier and earlier to preemptivey avoid jetlag - 4:30 by Wednesday morning. So when I arrived at 6:30 Thursday morning (1:30 AM Canadian time), I wasn't too exhausted.  The double-decker airport bus got me into the city centre and I walked 15 min. to my hostel which is housed in the dorms of the University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a beautiful old city. This is the street next to my hostel:

Note the half-assed cow on the wall.
Note the half-cowed ass on the wall.

After unpacking, I surprised myself by taking a (tourist) walking tour.  It turns out it had just the right amount of detail and history for me, not too academic or dry (Scots aren't dry, I'm learning).  Interesting facts / myths I learnt about:

• Half-hangit Maggie's 2nd death
• The legs of equestrian statues tell how their riders died
• How Walter Scott tricked the King of England into breaking the law

(If you're intrigued, get the full story at bottom) 

For dinner the night I arrived I went to have the classic Scottish dish of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) in whiskey sauce. It was actually delicious, the haggis being nutty and beefy, and the whiskey sauce creamy and sumptuous. I chatted with 6 20-something guys beside me about the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence, Scottish music, apprenticeship & job opportunities, and Rob Ford and Justin Bieber (yes, that's what were known for now - the Trudeau and peacekeeping years are long gone).

The 6 young guys I talked with are not the ones in the background.

Scottish Independence?

Speaking of the referendum Scottish independence, I've asked locals (gently) how they're voting and all will reply albeit cautiously.  So far, this is what I've heard:

• 5 Yes (for independence) 
• 3 No (for staying in the UNITED Kingdom)
• 2 don't know / abstain (which immediately started a fight among the guys)

The Yes folks will say they're voting Yes but most expect to lose.  The most interesting reason I heard for voting Yes was "Us Scots are always blaming the English for everything. Well I figure, why don't we giv' it a go, and be responsible for ourselves. And if we fail, well we gave it a shot!".  Eh, Quebec? Another funny anecdote, in talking with an American and a Spaniard about the referendum, I said 'it's a lot like Quebec in Canada and Catalonia in Spain, eh?' to which Maria the Spaniard said "Oh no, that's completely different." "Really? Why??" She said "Because the Catalans are nuts. I mean who would Barcalona FC play against? Would they create their own league? With which other teams?? No, it would never work. They're idiots." I guess we're blindest about the things closest to us. To me, they are ALL wishes of the heart. Nobody can make a credible case for pragmatism, that they'll be more prosperous being smaller. But that doesn't stop minority nations wanting sovereignty, and financial improvement is not paramount to many.

Here are more photos of Edinburgh:

On my way back to the hostel, I dropped into a busy pub on the Royal Mile to see a couple of guitarists belting out tunes by U2, Killers, Bryan Adams and more.

On the second day I went to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE which had a cool exhibit of 25 years of renown Scottish artists. I liked Douglas Gordon among others. In the afternoon, I walked through Princes Street Gardens and, inspired, drew this picture of the Edinburgh Castle (I went near the Castle, but it was wall-to-wall tourists and touring old buildings is not my favourite thing):

 

The 2nd night, I went to a tiny bar and saw a fantastic Dutch, folk-gypsy, pirate, fiddle band called "Scotch" that played great fiddle-based songs to a raucous crowd. This pub near the university was just pure, fun, cosmopolitan entertainment (check Scotch The Band out on Facebook). I liked the lead singer's trumpet-amplified fiddle:

 

Curious historical facts / myths from Edinburgh

• The legs of equestrian statues and how their riders died: Equestrian statues worldwide use a code (or at least a convention) to indicate how the rider died: 
• horses' opposing legs up = unnatural death (e.g. murder)
• all hooves on the ground = natural death (e.g. old age, disease)
• one leg raised = injured in battle, but survived
• both front legs raised = died gloriously in battle!

• "Half-hangit Maggie": around 1820, Maggie Dickson was sentenced to hang for hiding a pregnancy out of wedlock. She was hung and put in a casket, as were many others sent to the gallows that day, and brought to the commoner burial ground.
       Several hours later, undertakers were shocked to hear banging coming from one of the caskets. After some deliberation, she was brought back to the gallows and the noose put around her neck again. At the last moment a man amongst the throng of eager spectators shouted out "she can't be hung again! she's already served her sentence!"
       Again after some deliberation (this was an exceptional case after all!), the noose was removed and Maggie - her neck somewhat out of joint by this point - was saved.  The man went on to become a successful lawyer, and Maggie eventually married him. True story.
• Walter Scott tricking the King of England: During English rule of the late 18th century, the wearing of tartan & kilts, playing the bagpipes, and other symbols of Scottish culture were outlawed. When King George IV visited Edinburgh, Walter Scott asked him if he would like to wear a kilt. The king was a fan of Scott's Waverley and Rob Roy and took him up on his offer. Scott made sure the King climbed on a high horse and paraded him down Edinburgh's Royal Mile proudly wearing the symbol of the Scots to the crowd of royal watchers.  From then on, because of Scott's "trick", Scots have worn kilts to represent their culture.

On the 3rd morning I had to move on to Inverness and the Highlands, and will share soon, but before I left Edinburgh I picked up 3 Edinburgh Fringe tickets for the night I'm back before my flight to Italy.  I love the Toronto and Ottawa Fringes, and Edinburgh's is the biggest arts festival of any kind in the world. I'm looking forward to being surprised.  Whew - what a great start in Scotland!

2. Final checklist

The last few days have been consumed with last minute preparations.  I double- and triple- checked my lists, and "assembled" my gear, adding medicines to my medical kit, stuffing clothes into a dry-sack, putting shampoo in small camping containers, etc.  

It looks like this before everything goes in the bag, and amazingly everything fits to about 85% capacity, so I have room along the way.  The pack loaded down is lighter than I expected (20 Kg?), although the carry-on daypack is another 5+. This with full medical kit, 6 Canada maple leaf T-shirts to give to new friends, electronics, scrapbook stuff, and the heavy packages of pencils a friend suggested I bring as a gift to village schools (although Me-to-We said they prefer action to handouts - I'm hedging my bets).  My hiking boots are probably the heaviest but they're on me for travel. See packing list if you'd like details.

I'm leaving my loved ones behind. Adventure beckons. Time to get on the plane.

1. Preparing to be uncomfortable

What

Why

How

Who

Where

WHAT
In a week I leave for India, by way of Scotland and Italy. The last time I traveled, to Africa way back in 1987, I kept for myself a hand-written journal of notes, ticket stubs, beer labels, reflections and in situ sketches, etc. about what I discovered and learnt. It was personal, idiosyncratic, subjective, and creative. I liked that.
     Now there are things like the Internet, email, camera-phones, and Facebook that demand constant communication, plus a wider circle of family and friends that expect updates. I'm ambivalent. 

     But I will write and I promise you this: I'll try to be interesting.

WHY
This trip is not supposed to be a "holiday", as much as an adventure, a journey, an undefined quest. I kinda want to be uncomfortable, uneven - physically and emotionally. Maybe because I'm more comfortable spiritually this way. Wish me luck.
     I want to be able to reflect on what I experience.  I also want to share with people who are interested. I want to take advantage of "all mod comms", like my trusty tablet, while recognizing their discord with traditional and historical means of communication, which I think are generally more private and universal, less ubiquitous, less immediate, and both more and less permanent.  Another one of the paradoxes of this trip.
     It's possible some of what I write, being so far from what's familiar to me, to be contentious, so please don't judge. If you like to judge, please don't read.

HOW
I'll write notes in this blog, and I'll take pictures, some of which I'll post.  I'll also bring a sketchbook and hopefully draw things that interest me visually along the way, and I'll also include some of these in posts.

WHO
Just me... at least to start. That wasn't the plan, but it is what it is. I'll be seeing a lot of Hadrian in Italy if not later.  But I won't be alone: much more than monuments and relics, I look forward to being fascinated by the individuals I will meet, and that they might provide me with new histories, perspectives and opportunities. I'm staying in hostels wherever I can because meeting and traveling with people from around the world is one of the greatest things (for me, much better than the comfort, repetition and isolation of a generic hotel chain). We learn from and through others. 
     The promise of "kinetic friendships" is exciting to me, as is the concept of how this trip will presumably change who I am: it's strange to know change is coming, but you don't know what it will look like, you know?

WHERE
Places I plan to go to are on this Google map of my trip.  If you select a location, to some I've added details like links to local weather, any major festival the place is known for and its date, and so on. I'll update the map as I travel. I'm as interested in remote landscapes as I am in busy bazaars, challenging terrain and unexpected encounters. May there be many!

OK, back to packing.