05.05.16 | Fort William, Scotland | 05:49

Since the third leg of my journey begins today, I have been walking around this morning, taking pictures in the hostel. This hostel is very quirky, and there are so many tiny details that I love about it! I was going to turn on some lights to get better pictures but realized that this is how I want to remember this place- the lack of light adds to the quirkiness. I don’t claim to know what I’m talking about, but all I know is this is what I’m feeling this early morning.

Crianlarich, Scotland | 13:36

Here I sit, at the Crianlarich station, waiting for my connecting train to take me to Oban. The small waiting room is cold, and I almost didn’t want to write this update because my laptop is cold like ice. I just had a great ride from Fort William, and it so happened that two of my hostel mates, Anton and Lukas were on the same train. We had a good chat, took some pictures together, and Lukas and I even drank IRN-BRU together. I think that makes us bonded friends, or I just made that fact up.

From where I sit, Crianlarich appears to be a tiny town. I need to remember to look it up later and find out precisely what makes it tick. It reminds me of Virden, New Mexico, in size, but it is green and not brown. It looks very peaceful. My next train is supposed to leave here in about half an hour.

The waiting room here is so tiny, and even though there’s a heater on the wall, it doesn’t seem to work. There’s a button on the wall that reads PUSH TO OPERATE HEATER. I push, but nothing happens. I suppose I should be grateful to be out of the moving wind for the moment, at least.

14:20 | Crianlarich > Oban

I’m only a few days into this trip and I’m already loving all the nice people I’ve been meeting. This is one of my favorite reasons to stay in hostels. All of a sudden, I’m no longer traveling alone but am part of a group of travelers from different parts of the world. Yes, there will be the snorers who keep me up, but I think the benefits greatly outweigh the downside.

Oban, Scotland | 15:41

So far, my only exposure to the city of Oban is walking from the train station to the hostel. I didn’t even know what this place was like- the only reason I chose to come here is that they had hostels listed on the internet and the fact that ScotRail would take me there. I already know that I’ll be back for more visits to this fantastic place! Such a great spot, right on the water! I could live here!

18:47

This hostel is another great one! This used to be a church, but they converted it to this good-sized hostel. I need to see if there’s a story there. Perhaps I’ll ask the reception desk tomorrow what the deal is.
For dinner, I walked down the street and found a restaurant called Cuan Mor. This is Gaelic for “Big Ocean.” The food was very great, and the restaurant sits right across the street from the water. I had some seafood chowder and a steak pie.

When I walked out of the restaurant, the sun was beginning to set- it was cold! The wind was coming across the water, and it felt like I was in the arctic. On my walk back to the hostel, it started to hail! I had to duck and cover under a few store awnings on my way. It looks like I have two German roommates tonight. They seem nice- I’m sure you’ll get a full report tomorrow.