I don't want to leave...

Another day waking up in Fort Augustus, well it could have been better considering the room six of us shared was smaller than the room I share with Kiley in London, but it doesn’t matter. On this trip I didn’t bring any shampoo or conditioner, as my bottles are much too large and I don’t have small ones. I did pop into the shower, to save myself from looking like a grease ball for a few more hours. I will not recommend not bringing shampoo on a trip. I can’t believe I will be walking around Edinburgh on Monday with gross hair, oh well. That will teach me to get small bottles next time. When we arrived on Friday I mentioned how the card machine stopped working, it wasn’t working Saturday either. This morning, Sunday, after my shower and dressing I walked down into town to the cash machine. It was a nice cool morning, with low clouds. I got my 50 pounds out and headed back to our hostel. Since my hair was very wet still, it was a bit cold, but who am I kidding, I am always cold. Even people on this trip noticed I was cold a lot; made me laugh a little. After eating two pieces of toast and packing all of my things together, we were on our way.
We drove by Loch Ness, very beautiful. Loch Ness is about 20 plus miles long and at its widest is one mile wide. I can’t remember how deep it is, at the moment, but it is more than 200 metres deep, something like 230 something. The first 10/15 feet are salmon and trout, while below that are fish called ferox, cannibal fish. They come up to the surface at night to feed on the salmon and trout, so don’t go swimming, like one young man did one night. He went out swimming and when he was found he was bone. Apparently, they can become very big, about 18 feet is one of the biggest. Alan said that Loch Ness is a scientist’s paradise; there are so many things that have yet to be discovered in this loch. It used to be connected to the ocean, or some salt water, but after the last tectonic shift the land was closed up. Because of all the other bodies of water running into it, Loch Ness, over time, has become a fresh water loch. All the creatures/fish living in it have had to evolve to live in fresh water, even the little sponges. Alan said that one of his good friends is one of the people who is looking after the loch, in a way, and trying to find out more about it. He has a boat equipped with sonar things. Alan even had a picture on his phone of something they found. He said that there are giant creatures living under there, and of course since the water is so thick and dark, we are never able to discover it. Loch Ness is one of the most mysterious loch’s around.
Our first stop was to the Urquhart Castle, one of the biggest castles still around, well the ruins anyway. The visitor center wasn’t over yet so we couldn’t really go down, instead we stood along a wall, that has a sign saying ‘do not climb on wall’, to get better pictures. They are planting trees on the other side of the wall, so if you really want to see it, you will have to fork up 7 pounds or most likely more to see it. A bit ridiculous; Scotland likes their money. It was a beautiful view though, the sun was shining, and the castle is right by the loch which makes it much better.
Our next stop was about 10 minutes drive away and it was just a gift/coffee shop and there was a little statue of ‘Nessie’ out front and also a walk way down to the loch. I can’t really describe to you how it looked; besides it was, again, amazing! I even touched the water! Woo-Hoo! Then I took a rock. I saw no sign anywhere saying I could not take a rock. It was right by the loch and the water had touched it, take that. I have a little piece of Loch Ness coming home with me. I am quite pleased. I went back up to the shop and got a few things, which my family will see later on. I guess I can tell the rest of you what I got. I got a Scottish flag, I got the one that royals used back in the day, they didn’t have the other one (maybe in Edinburgh). I got a scarf, for clan Johnstone, which is not Johnson, but close enough! I got a necklace, a pill box (for all those pills I have lying around my drawers, only some of you know what I mean) and then a bracelet. I am hoping Edinburgh has some postcards and maybe the other Scottish flag. Since Germany, I wanted a flag of every country I visit(ed). Well, I still need a Germany flag, and I need an English flag, soon I’ll need a Welsh flag. That will be a lot of flags. In my future house I will have to have a room for all my stuff that I collect on my travels. Back to my day though…at the coffee shop I got a hot chocolate, worst 2.15 I’ve spent. Not good hot chocolate at all, quite disappointing.
Our next stop was Culloden Battlefields. Alan took us up to a little walkway which looks over the battlefield and he told us the story of what happened. Another battle over independence; Scotland still doesn’t have independence. It is a long story so if you want to hear it I can relay as much as I can remember back to you. I just don’t want to bore you at this moment with a long story about a battle. After Alan was done telling us the story we were set ‘free’ to go walk about the field and see the gravestones they have. The field was covered in snow; it reminded me of how much I hate walking on snow. After the battlefield we headed to a small town where we ate at a place called Tipsey’s Pub, I decided to eat another burger. That second burger made it official that Iowa beef is much better than Scottish beef. Sorry, Mark. Ah, and before going to the pub we drove through a town called Inverness. For the first time since the states I saw a house development area. It made me giggle to myself. Americans are the only crazy ones who want houses like their neighbors, Scottish people do too! While driving through town, Alan wanted us to look at all the munters that were walking about. Yep, a munter is an ugly people. Matt, maybe you can start using that word on people. Also learned that Queen Elizabeth II shouldn’t/isn’t the real queen; when Germany started the whole King/Queen thing over in the UK, or England, there was a rule that only true royal bloods could be a king or Queen. I believe that it was after King James II, something along those lines, that is when it was broken off, after he died. Apparently some guy by the surname Hastings is the true, rightful king, and he is living in some small town, small house off in Scotland; while the fake royal bloods are ruling away. That could be true.
Interesting fact of the day, ding ding ding, kangaroo means ‘over there’ in aborigine. All right, here are more facts, Robert Bruce is Scotland’s greatest hero and the actual ‘brave heart’. Dun means fortress and I believe keld means kilt (something like that).
Our next stop was to the small town of Dunkeld, hence my meanings up there. In the town is a cathedral that was built more than 1,000 years ago, and then another part of the church built almost 500 years ago. It is a beautiful cathedral; places just up from the river. It is a very peaceful area and I enjoyed it greatly.
After Dunkeld there were no more stops, but things were pointed out to us. In one small town, full of rich people, is a white castle, built by a very rich man, who died some years ago. There were no close living relatives except some nephew or other who lived in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was brought up to Scotland, where he lived only two seasons before giving the castle to the country and moving back to Africa, with a lot of money. He is still getting income from the castle which was turned into a museum, and other such things the name of his ancestors brings along. We were told he is about 31 now, and still single. If anyone wants to get married to the richest man of Scotland who lives in Africa, here’s your chance!
We learned that Perth used to be the capital of Scotland before Edinburgh, and Perth’s original name was Saint John’s Town, pretty nifty, huh?
I am not sure if this next story is entirely true, if it is I’m sure the English would have found out by now. Here goes, there is a rock called the Stone of Destiny, which is a meteorite that was found during the Holy Crusades (something along those lines) and was brought back to the country. Under the thrown of the king and queen and Scotland sat this stone until a king in England wanted it brought back to Westminster. Apparently, people in Scotland found out about that, took the stone to some island and replaced it with a piece of granite that covered the sewage. England took it back for themselves, until in the 1990’s when a university student in Scotland decided to break into Westminster and take the stone back. At which point, he broke it, had his father who was a stone mason put it back together, with a hollow rod, so this boy could write horrible things about England and put it in the rod. England did get it back and so now when Queen Elizabeth II was coronated and whoever is coronated next will be sitting on this piece of granite that used to cover sewage and how holds a note bashing England, how fantastic for them. I would like to read and see if that is actually true, about it being from sewage, a note being in it, and that the real Stone of Destiny is hiding away on some island in Scotland.
When we were almost of Edinburgh we crossed over a bridge, where right next to the bridge is another bridge called Forth Bridge, a bridge masterpiece I am sure some say.
We finally made it back to town. I made plans to meet up with a couple people on the trip, who are also staying the night in Edinburgh, so we planned to meet at 6:15 at Grass Market. I get to my hostel and settle in; in the same room and same bed as last Thursday night. Again, no one else in the room! Six rolls around and I head out. I thought I was going to be late so I was walking like a Londoner (fast walk). I wasn’t late at all. Of course, three other girls were waiting on the other side of the courtyard area from us. We finally all got together and we picked a place to eat. We headed up to the Castle Arms pub/restaurant. I ordered fish and chips (Scottish haddock) and then a sex on the beach (which is a drink). I must say that is fish was amazing! It was much better than the cod I had in London. I liked it so much it made me think about coming back again Monday before I head out. I don’t know if I will, but it was a thought. We sat and talked for some time, and I also talked to some random guy sitting a couple stools from me. He had some interesting stories to tell; about being drunk. His favorite places to holiday are America, particularly Baton Rouge, and Scotland, the northern part (not where he is living now). He was supposedly 18, though he looked in his 20’s, and he said he was kicked out of school at 16 because he beat up some English boy, and then came to Edinburgh to school and a year later got kicked out again. He has also been arrested twice in Baton Rouge, once for indecent exposure, he wore a kilt while drinking, he then lost his kilt. If he gets arrested one more time in America, he will be kicked out. And yet he still won’t stop drinking, he said he likes his rum. I also was sitting by this man, woman, cross dresser person who didn’t speak good English at all. No one could really understand her.
I made another little get together with two girls for Monday morning. We are meeting at 9 at Starbucks and probably walking around. There are also some free tours, and one is at 11 so I think I am going to do that. A couple girls on our trip did it and enjoyed it a lot. Of course, it’s free until you should tip at the end. It is around 3 hours long so that still will give me time to check out some shops around town. When I got back to the hostel, I picked up a map of Edinburgh and then walked the five flights of stairs to my room. I decided against taking the elevator again, but when I walked up them earlier in the evening my legs were starting to burn. Whoops. I finally finished the 4th book of Percy Jackson, so that gives me two things I can get out of my room in London. Now it will be time for bed. I have a feeling I will sleep good tonight, except for the light from the street, that isn’t going to help much. Night all. Cheers