Probably the best start to my experience in Scotland would be a traditional Scottish or English breakfast. That is, without the black pudding!
Before I landed in Edinburgh, I set a goal to climb up Arthur’s seat each day, weather permitting. When I woke this morning, it seemed like the perfect day! It was chilly, probably in the upper 30s, but not a rain cloud in sight. I walked up the mountain, hoping this would be one of many trips up this time around.
I walked down to the cinema to see Jojo Rabbit. This film was a fun, amazing, and quirky look at the life of a German boy, growing up in WWII Germany. I hadn’t even seen the trailer when a friend suggested that I see it. I’ll be adding it to my library, once the price drops!
Dinner was the most delicious lasagne. I got it at Gordon’s- an Italian restaurant near an Airbnb, where I’d stayed a few years back. It was as amazing as I’d remembered!
I’m happy to report that I got about an hour of sleep. You may think this is not a significant accomplishment, but it, in fact, is. This is coming from a guy who can’t sleep on planes. It is such an uncomfortable sleeping position, even if I’m able to get the seatback reclined. How cool would it be to fly on a flatbed?
Upon landing at Gatwick, I had about two and a half hours to get from the south terminal to the north. I notticed when I was going through customs and passport control that Gatwick is doing it all automatically. You line up and make your way to this machine that scans your passport, and a camera looks at your own face to make sure they match. I had to do it a couple times since my new glasses look nothing like the glasses in my passport picture.
Now I am waiting for my third plane- this one will take me to Scotland! A Swedish lady just asked me for help finding her gate. Thank goodness for Google Translator! I took the time to explain that she hasn’t yet received a gate assignment and that she needed to check the monitor in about 10 more minutes. She thanked me, pretended to understand, and then left me- only to go ask another man the exact same thing.
London Gatwick
When he explained it, precisely as I had, she wandered off, I’m guessing so that she could ask a third person. I walked over to the man and told him that I had just told her the exact same thing that he had, but I’m guessing that she didn’t trust me.
The guy had an American accent, and he told me that he was from Chicago. I told him that I had been to Chicago for work, and we talked about pizza. This is a subject that I am fond of, what can I say? He told me that his name is Billy Branch and that he is in London singing. I googled him, and sure enough!
I have added one of his albums to my Apple Music and will check him out the next time I feel like listening to the Blues. He was very kind and great to chat with. This is what travel is all about: The lives you touch or are touched by along the journey.
Edinburgh, Scotland | 17:55
After traveling for over 24 hours, I really didn’t have the desire to deal with public transportation. It cost me £25 to get an Uber from the airport to the flat. Had I chose public transit, it probably would have cost me under £6, if I remember correctly. I didn’t have the strength, however. By this point, I really wanted a bed.
The problem I was faced with: I didn’t know how to get into the apartment. When I’d booked with AirBnb in the past, I’d receive a message from the owner/manager about 24 hours before check-in explaining how I get into the place. Usually, it’s a lockbox with a key, or there is a code on the door or something. This is my first time using Vrbo.com, and I received no such message.
After about 15 minutes on the phone with the property management company, I’m inside the most awesome little flat! Location is everything, and I have the most fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle! This place is up on the 4th floor (the 3rd floor, if you’re from this side of the pond), and there is no elevator in the building, so I get to lug my bags up the stairs. When I walk in, it’s totally worth it!
I’m so tired, but I need to go grab something to eat. I went to Pret and grabbed some soup and a sandwich, swing by Boots to grab some shampoo and body wash and head back. I’ll head out in the morning. I need food and sleep.
It’s time to start ‘Phase 2’ of this vacation, which I am going to mark with #Scotland 8! I’m excited to return to this place that I love so much, and every time I’ve visited over the years, I’ve found that I love it more and more. Back in 2017, Scotland was voted, ‘the worlds’ most beautiful county’! This doesn’t surprise me at all. I didn’t even take the survey, but I agree. It’s true, I haven’t been to a million different places, and sometimes you can’t compare apples and oranges, but I feel that nothing can match the beauty of Scotland!
I am sitting in the Salt Lake City International airport, waiting for my non-revenue flight to Los Angeles. When I left for Scotland two years ago, I asked my nephew, Sam, to crash at my place overnight, and then he drove me to the airport since I had an early flight. I decided I didn’t want to inconvenience him again last year.
This last year, I parked my car at my sister’s house, close to Park City. I loved this idea, having my family watch over my car while I was gone for such a long time. The only bad part was the fact that I had to get a Lyft from her house, all the way to the airport (like a good 40+ minute drive) and then from the airport back to her home when I got back. This was very expensive! Not to mention having to drive my car from her house, all the way to my house after having been awake for more than 24 hours! I basically saved no money by doing this.
This year, I decided that the best plan would be to leave my car at home. This way, it can be in my garage, out of the elements. I’m not saving any money by parking it all the way at my sister’s house, and she doesn’t have room to park it in her garage. It cost me $55 to get a Lyft to the airport, which is steep, but I’ve had plenty of time to prepare for this trip, financially.
My last few visits to Scotland, I have used my mobile phone freely. AT&T, my service provider, has decent coverage in most of the places I go, and a pretty competitive plan for international travel. It’s $9.99 plus tax for a rolling 24 hours of use. This gives me access to my mobile phone plan, which is unlimited data, talk, texting. It’s been a blessing not to have to watch my minutes or gigabytes. The only problem, however, is that this will add up to a whopping $609.39 plus tax by the time I return home.
This year, I have discovered Skyroam, which is a mobile wifi hotspot. The device looks like an orange hockey puck. You pay $179, and it offers a rate of $8.99 per rolling 24 hours if you buy it, or $9.99 per day if you decide to rent the device instead. This isn’t a savings over what AT&T offers me, but Skyroam also provides a rate of $99 per month for unlimited use! This is how I plan on saving some money abroad. Rather than paying the $609.39, I’ll be paying $377. I’ll let you know soon enough if it’s working throughout my travels.
I’m sitting in the B terminal at LAX. My flight doesn’t board for about an hour and doesn’t leave for about two hours. It took me a while to get through security- not only are there so many passengers in the line, but my bags had to run twice since I forgot to take my laptop out. I’m used to going through security in uniform, and when I do that, my computer doesn’t have to come out. My focus is on Scotland, not on safety- whoops!
The B Terminal at LAX
Before coming back through security, I walked down to In-N-Out Burger on Sepulveda. I enjoyed my double-double, animal style. It’s been a few weeks since I had a good burger, so this was a great lunch!
Double-Double, Animal Style
LAX-LGW | 21:22 (California Time)
Before boarding, I ran to a newsstand in the airport to purchase some chocolate for my flight crew. All I could find (within my budget) was some Hershey’s Nuggets, and even though I usually get something more decadent, this would have to do.
Thanks to this little token, they have been a fantastic crew, continually checking on me. They gave me a blanket, a pair of headphones, and a couple of bottles of water- they keep asking me if I’d like any snacks.
I’m sorry that I didn’t write yesterday. By the time I landed in Salt Lake City, my body had been up for just about 26 hours. I had to stop at one of the airport stores and buy some caffeine so that I could make the drive home safely. Thank goodness the plan worked. I recall driving home last year after being up for almost 48 hours after my flights home from Scotland. I got pulled over doing 75 in a 35. I explained the situation to the officer, and he understood. He let me go with a warning.
When I got to the house, I fell asleep for about four hours. Later on, I slept again- another 6 hours or so. I was awake from 01:00 until about 05:00, then fell back asleep for another and a half. As of now, I would say that I’ve had plenty of rest at this point!
I need to say- I have a fantastic family! I feel like this vacation has brought us closer together. It’s not that we were necessarily far apart, either. It’s just that we all have our own lives and thing going on- I’m sure it won’t be long before I see them again, but this was time and togetherness that I guess I needed. We chose this location because of my mom’s life-long dream to go to Hawaii. I feel like this was a perfect choice!
I can now check another state off my list: 47 down- 3 to go. I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to go to either Alaska, North Dakota, or Maine soon enough. I can’t wait to blog about visiting those last three. I just need to get there.
This morning, I have been unpacking my bags and washing clothes, just so that I can take other clothes and put them into a backpack. Do you recall that at the beginning of Hawaii, I told you that it was just ‘Phase 1’ of my vacation? I’m excited to say that after being home for only a day an a half, ‘Phase 2’ will begin tomorrow. Come back and check the blog tomorrow!
Today was another beautiful day with my family (the last one, unfortunately)! I woke up early enough to do one more load of laundry- I had plenty of time because most of the family didn’t rise very soon.
First, I want to tell you about Mali. Mali is a cat who has been hanging out at our house last night and this morning. He/She has even made it into the house a few times. Much to Melanie’s dismay, since she is allergic to the creature. I, on the other hand, would have happily let it stay over for the night and would have even shared my bed. Alas, my family wasn’t on board.
When I woke this morning, it was still outside, meowing and meowing. I went out and picked it up (I’m not sure if it’s a male or a female, but will assume it is male from here-on-out.). Melanie gave me some leftover pepperoni to feed to him. He liked it but didn’t finish all of it.
I chose the names Mali, because the Hawaiian word for “Stranger,” according to the internet, is “Malihini.” I took him over to some neighbors to see if they recognized him, but they didn’t. When I was walking back to the house, he squirmed around, signaling that he wanted me to put him down. When I did so, he ran back to the neighbors house. Oh well- Mali is their problem now.
Mali
Once my family was up and ready, most of us headed over to see the lighthouse at Kilauea Point. It was beautiful, but we couldn’t get closer without paying an entry fee. No thanks.
Kilauea Point
We made the drive down to see some waterfall that boasts a higher fall than Niagara Falls. That may be the case, but it isn’t anywhere as large or as breathtaking as Niagara falls. It was beautiful to see it from above, however.
We stopped for lunch in the town of Koloa, then grabbed a double scoop of some tasty ice cream. I don’t remember the flavor I picked, but it was definitely Hawaiian and definitely yummy!
We drive down to walk across a swinging bridge- it felt good to stretch out legs for awhile.
Dinner was barbecued chicken from a restaurant called “Chicken in a Barrel” (I think). It was another great meal. Perfect for our last meal together as a family!
23:10
I just boarded the first of two flights. I’m not looking forward to going home, but I am looking forward to what comes next. I’m sad to be leaving my parents, siblings, and their spouses. I certainly won’t miss how expensive Hawaii is! Bittersweet feelings, for sure.
Today was a great day! It was probably the most adventurous day that we’ve had on this trip. We started on a kayak/canoe adventure on some river, and ended up hiking a mile through the forest and ending at a beautiful waterfall! The only one missing was Joe, since he had to leave early for a work meeting in Washington D.C.
After swimming in the waterfall pool, and hiking back to the canoes, we explored further up the river, until we found a place and did some cliff jumping into the water. Matt had been here a few years before.
Last night I didn’t get any sleep. It was a night of tossing and turning, and for some reason, I was unable to clear my head. I’m not sure why that was. I was pretty exhausted by the time my alarm went off at 05:00.
Nevertheless, today was a great day! We jumped in the cars and headed to the airport in Lihue. It’s a relatively cheap, round-trip flight to Oahu- especially since Southwest is still having a sale.
Up Before the SunOn the Plane
We had a fantastic tour of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. This was especially meaningful that I got to be with my dad there since he is such a history buff.
Feed the Birds
We decided to drive to the Dole Plantation. It was a pretty cool tourist trap. I recommend a walk through the garden, and it’s worth it to line up for a Dole Whip come, but other than that, we didn’t do anything. I think most of is didn’t want to spend the money. But there is a train ride and a maze you can walk through.
Dinner was in Waikiki. Most of us were craving a good burger, and we found some in a mall food court. Even though my burger was tasty (it had an egg and brown gravy), and the truffle fries were amazing, I hope I never have to pay $17 for a burger combo again. Hawaii is expensive!
Today was a beach day! It was so much fun to get back into the water! I did spend much of the time partially blind because the suntan lotion that I put on my face kept getting into my eyes. Still, I can’t complain!
It was a beautiful day, and the clouds kept it pretty cooled down. I did manage to get a bit of a tan, however.
Beach Day
I wanted to try a pizza place for lunch. Hanalei Pizzeria is fantastic, to say the absolute least. I had the forbidden pizza, which had garlic butter, mozzarella, lamb sausage, feta, olives, onions, tomatoes, and spicy honey.
I sat there and ate the entire 12-inch pizza by myself, and I feel no regret since it came on a cauliflower crust! I hope I can get another pizza there before the end of this adventure!
Today turned out to be another spectacular day! Since it was Sunday, we all went and caught a church service in Kapaa. It felt so good to be with the family at church. Afterward, some of us drove to the west side of the island to see Waimea State Park. The first part was like a mini Grand Canyon. The second part was a beautiful hike through a very green area. It was lovely to look off and see the beautiful mountain and coastline!
RoosterKarenPanoramic
When we got home, we all sat down and had some chicken pot pie for dinner. As we were chatting afterward, my family got to sharing memories all about me growing up, mostly in Arizona, and then they presented me with a hanging quilt.
The quilt is fantastic! Each of my siblings added a picture of something that reminds them of me. One was musical notes because I loved singing, another was a picture of my favorite dog growing up, and there were various other squares on this quilt that means a lot to me!
I’m not sure the reason they decided to make this gift to me, however. It’s not my birthday or anything like that. It was just a simple gift to show me that they love me.
I felt this was so wonderful because I occasionally feel somewhat separated from my siblings. I was born five years after my brother, and so by the time I was in my teenage years, they were off doing their own thing. Sometimes I feel so detached from them, especially when I was growing up.
I do have to say that this was very unexpected and very appreciated. Perhaps someday, in the future, I will post a picture of this quilt. I sure do love my family!
Today was a good day. I spent quite a bit of it alone because my family all wanted to go out on a boat ride. I don’t know exactly what this ride entailed, but even though they said it was a good time, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the $140 price tag.
Instead, I decided to walk into Hanalei. I did some exploring, bought a rash guard shirt, found some fish tacos for lunch, and got my second snow cone.
This walk took about two hours, and the only reason I decided to Uber back, was because there was hardly any shoulder on the roadside to walk on. Quite a few times on the way into the city, I had to duck into a bush so that I wouldn’t get hit by any vehicles.
Every Town Needs A Crazy Person
When I got back to the house, I took a little abit of a nap. About two hours later, my family got back from the boat tour.
Matt and I made dinner tonight. We made a hash with pineapple sausages, onions, peppers, and potatoes. It was delicious!
DavTravels 