Last week, I took the 5 hour train ride via National Express with my roommate Ohan and another Mountbatten Kristin. My train left King's Cross at 10 am without a hitch and I slept 70% of the time. I was really excited for my trip and glad to get away from London for one weekend. I knew that it would be a lot colder and knew I'd spend money that I didn't have on random touristy things. By the time we passed Newcastle, the train rode along the coast where to the left of me i saw beach, rainbows and beautiful views of the (North Sea?). To the right of me, I saw the usual sheep and rolling green hills. It's so true about this part of the world - it's all sheep and green hills. I tried to take pictures of my view and last hour of my train ride but alas my camera failed me.
we get to edinburgh at around 2:30 and realize our hostel is about a 5 minute walk from the rail station, edinburgh waverley. this was the first time ive ever stayed at a hostel but i wasn't too scared. I was only worried about the noise if there would be any. We walk up the royal mile to our hostel, brodies. The check-in process: I zoned out the whole time worrying if our bunk beds would be occupied by some sort of weirdos. Alas, we get into our room and people are fast asleep. Meh? 3 PM on a Saturday? Ok…. As we speak in hushed tones, a girl awakes from her makeshift bunk space made up of tartan blankets draped around her bed bunk sides. Next thing I know it, I see a bunch of curls wrapped up in a towel running toward the bathroom. Uh ok whatever.
We proceed to leave and walk along the Royal Mile. Yes, the spreadsheet I made during that week is going according to plan. Obligatory pictures taken including Ohan’s excitement over her pics with “men in skirt.” We approach the castle proceed to pay where we encounter a kind girl who tells us it’s too late to buy a ticket. The next day it will be then. We walk all the way down to the other side of the Royal Mile and approach the Queens residence when she goes to Scotland, Holyrood Palace. It looks sooo pretty and we wish to go in but it is too late again. After taking pictures in front of Salisbury Craigs and the Scottish Parliament, we walk toward New Town for dinner. By this point, we were starved and wanted anything. We go to a place called Mussel Inn on Rose Street. Kristin and I split a kilo full of mussels in cream, shallot, garlic sauce. Oahn gets a seafood mix in Thai broth. All of us enjoy our meal greatly. Omg, it was so good and so filling. I couldn’t finish all of it.
After dinner, we head to Mary’s close for our haunted ghost tour. It was pricey at 10 pounds (9 if you’re a student), but it was completely worth it. We start at the gift shop and am ushered into a section behind a closed door. The lady, in full costume gives us the ground rules about the tour. She warns this is a real place where things have happened. This is not for the ones that get easily scared she adds. The tour group made up of approximately 15 people descends a flight of stairs down to renovation of an actual close. Our tour guide leads us to different areas of the close. She warns us of paranormal activity in different rooms. There are ghost stories and a recreation of witch trials. Before the tour ends, we go into an old apartment where our tour guide shows us a guy with a toilet which was of course completely odd in that time. We look inside when a couple of people point out a curtain/door moving inside the apartment. Is that a draft? Or is there someone there? The door/curtain moves along with the floor creaking. The door is shut after people start to get scared. Have we just encountered some paranormal activity? Hmm…we’ll never know.
Being scared wasn’t enough so we headed to Grassmarket to get our old man pub on. Lol Before that we got some crepes from a cart in the middle of the street. Later I find out they used to do hangings in that area…nice. After stuffing myself with an apple crepe, we head to an old man bar called the White Hart. For all I know, it could not be an old mar pub but that night it was. Kristin and I drank some ginger and whiskey whilst Oahn had rum and orange juice.
The second bar we went to was on Victoria Street. We go in where, according to Kristin, are giving the death stare. Kristin goes up to buy drinks where we are immediately asked for Ids. The AMERICAN(!!!) bartender proceeds to briefly question Oahn’s California ID thinking it’s fake. Better heads prevail and we’re served. As we’re sitting, chatting watching Oahn star to get red-faced and sleep, men seem to get up to the left of me and fart in my face. Hmm….that was the highlight of my evening. I wish I could show you the face I made when it happened.
Our drinking was short lived since I suck at tolerance and it seems to be the only other Mountbatten that’s worse than myself is also on this trip. Hahaaha We head to the hostel hoping to get a decent night’s sleep where…..we hear that odd sleeper put her phone on speakerphone at 6 am!!!! And talk to her when EVERYONE else is sleeping. Lovely.
Sunday begins with a 15 minute bus ride out to the Leith district of Edinburgh where we get a huge Scottish breakfast made of the following: eggs, beans, mushrooms, toamato, black pudding, haggis(!!), sausage, bacon and toast. I actually liked the haggis. I suppose when you eat everything under the sun growing up, sheep guts isn’t going to surprise you. The black pudding was gross and inedible. I tried to eat as much as I could but the plate or the “big breakfast” as it was called proved to be too big for me.
With our stomachs full, we go back to the Royal Mile to head up the castle again. While Kristin was doing Mountbatten work, Oahn and I went to the castle. We paid 10 pounds to take a bunch of really nice views and really funny pictures. Honestly, don’t spend the 10 pounds if you don’t have to. There are better sites on the top of Calton Hill. The castle is small, unimpressive as well as boring. Hahaha Although a highlight was the Prisioner of Wars exhibition. It was very interesting to see a mock up of where they would live, how much they’d eat, what they’d do to pass time.
After stumbling around Edinburgh taking more pictures, we head into Tigerlily for some drinks and dinner. Their 2 for 1 is a must if you want something different than pubs. It’s good typical hotel food if you’re craving for that. The setting is very funky. Think pink Victorian wallpaper with wicker chairs and beaded curtains. Trust me, it works.
We head back to the hostel early to call it a night. The hostel is buzzing with tons of people in the common room. We soon find out that the crazy girl is having a going away party since she’s moving to Thailand. Fun! I don’t join thinking about how much money I’ve been spending and how I want to steal their baked cake. I retreat only getting a crappy instant coffee with lots of sugar and milk. Sleep arrives fairly early that night….
Our last day in Edinburgh consists of a historical walking tour taking us to the cemetery, where J.K Rowling wrote Harry Potter, the castle, hidden passageways and closes. It was a very nice tour indeed. I learned a lot and best of all…it was free!!! Oh and the awesome pulled pork sandwich I got from Oink for lunch. The combo of apple sauce and pork was very tasty.
After a dinner stop at M&S, we kill time at the Royal Mile buying some gifts for friends and family. We board a train back to ol’ London town at 5 pm that night.
Ahh…what a fun weekend indeed!
High points: hearing Oahn get excited over seeing “men in skirt” / see her fall asleep at the dinner table at Tigerlily. Drinking Starbucks and eating awesome pulled pork, mussels and Scottish breakfast.
Low points: having men fart in my face at the pub Saturday night. Succumbing into starbucks’ Christmas cups.
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