scene from ayamonte

Below, you'll find a quick video clip ... I suppose a video that would be quite unentertaining without a quick introduction from myself.

This little bar ... literally, in an alleyway, off of a side street, and barely marked from the outside ... was the first place Brian and I decided to have a cerveza at in Spain. Our arrival was marked by an unfortunate, but somewhat humorous event. We found out after missing two buses to Sevilla, that when you get on a car ferry, and ride five minutes across the river separating Ayamonte (Spain) from Vila Real de Santo Antonio (Portugal), the time changes.

Our time in between missing these buses was spent drinking the cold, tasteless, and highly carbonated beer that is Cruzcampo, eating tapas, and drinking our first Spanish vino. Towards the end of the evening, we decided we really needed to focus on finding a place to stay. We were directed from the bartender to a hostel which we found to be closed. After this, we embarked on what turned out to be a one hour plus walk around Ayamonte in search of a place to stay. We walked aimlessly, without directions from anyone, and not surprisingly found nothing. We tried to talk with a couple people along the way - but, with us speaking (very) minimal Spanish, and them speaking minimal (or no) English, we had no luck.

Frustrated, and arguing about something, we tried to figure out how to get back towards the city center as our aimless walking had taken us to a residential area of Ayamonte. Soon, we found what would be classified as the area around the city center of Ayamonte. We blindly navigated our way through the alleyways of town - when, somehow unbeknownst to us still, we turned a corner and found our watering hole.

Earlier on in the evening, our watering hole was deserted. Two or three hours later, we walked in to find the below scene. An extremely smoky bar, filled with many drunk local Spanish men - all clapping and listening to traditional Spanish music.

You won't be able to tell from this video, but it really was fascinating. They could all make different clapping sounds for different songs ... and nearly everyone in the bar was taking part at some point in each song. All impromptu - a bunch of locals having a good time out. The man with the jean jacket was doing everything he could to teach me to clap along. While we couldn't communicate with each other (at all), I had a terrific time.

'Edinburgh by Wednesday'

'Edinburgh by Wednesday' - I couldn't help but laugh as I read this in my latest post. By Wednesday, I clearly meant Saturday.

Brian and I arrived back in Edinburgh this afternoon. It was only fitting that as we landed on the runway of the Edinburgh Airport, it began to rain. Why wouldn't it? Needless to say, as I walked through the cold, wind, and rain of Edinburgh's streets I began to miss Madrid, Sevilla, Ayamonte, Manta Rota, and the other towns of Southern Portugal and Spain. Though, after an eight day holiday turned into a twenty day holiday, my Current Account at the Allied Irish Bank in Galway probably sighed a sigh of relief to know that I can now begin seriously searching for a employment.

We stayed longer in Madrid because A) We really enjoyed the city B) There was plenty we wanted to see and do and C) We found a cheap ticket leaving today.

So, back in Edinburgh. The plan? I'll look for work and a place to live either here in Edinburgh or a smaller town north of here.

Check back for pictures and more on Madrid.

spain

Hello all, from Madrid. I was finally - again after another week - able to pull myself away from Sevilla. Something about Sevilla - be it the tapa bars, the warm weather, my wonderful tour guide and translator, Cat, or the comfort of one the the nicest hostels I've stayed in yet - wouldn't let go of me. But, after seven nights, I was finally off to see my third, and probably last Spanish town - at least for a couple months.

Sevilla is a beautiful and comfortably sized city - approximately 600,000 people inhabit Sevilla. The main portion of the city is comprised of skinny, cobblestone, streets and alleyways and only after seven nights did I begin to have a vague idea of how to get around the city. Brian and I figured out the most entertaining way to see the city of Sevilla - on the seats of our very own Sevici Bicycles.

Speaking of these bicycles, and the ease of alternative transportation they provide, I've decided to do a quick - positives and negatives list of Sevilla ...

So, the optimist that I am, I'll begin with the:

• Sevici Bicycles (positive) - The concept behind them is brilliant. All throughout Sevilla, you find computerized bike stands which have bicycles you can rent - some 150,000 of them. You can rent them for 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, for two hours, etc. You pick them up at any stand ... and then drop them off when you've reached your destination (or somewhere within a two or three block radius). They're dirt cheap. For a tourist like myself, I paid €5 for a 7 day pass (residents can get a year long pass for €10) - after this, you could ride a bike for 30 minutes each time for free, an hour was something like €1 ... and it went up from there. What an ideal way to commute to work, class, or the bar and save money - not to mention, mother earth.
  

• Tapas Bars (positive) - Genius, as is the eating and going out lifestyle that they promote. You go to a bar (late, 9:30 at the earliest), have a couple beers, and order a couple plates of tapas - small plates of appetizers - hot or cold ... vegetabley or meaty ... seafood or fried food - this type of eating and drinking, in my opinion, makes for a far more conversation friendly evening. After one bar and a couple plates of food, you move on to the next.

I mentioned 'having a couple beers' while you're out enjoying tapas. To be fair, this brings me to one of Sevilla's negatives ...

• Cruzcampo (negative) - Southern Spain's beer = boring, tasteless, and is served far too cold and carbonated. To be fair, I'm coming off of a four month period of consuming the world's greatest beer - Guinness - but, Cruzcampo didn't do a very good job of winning me over. To put this in perspective ... Back in Iowa, I would say my least favorite beer would be Miller Light (Sorry, Rob). But, if you put a Miller Light and a Cruzcampo in front of me at the bar tonight, I would gleefully reach for Miller's Light and boring brew.

• But, a positive came from growing tired of drinking Cruzcampo - I switched to ordering orange juices. Only kidding. But, I did develop a taste for tinto de verano ... a popular Spanish drink. Tinto de verano is a refreshing mixture of one part wine, one part Refresco Lemon (essentially sparkling lemonade), and garnished with a lemon. Mom, try one, I reckon you'd love it.

• Cigarette smoke = a major negative for Spain. For the last four and a half months, I enjoyed the joys of going to a pub / club / or restaurant and not coming home smelling like an ashtray. Ireland, smoke free (though sometimes in small villages near pub close, the ashtrays would come out ... but, this was kind of cool in a rebellious, teenager hiding smoking from their parents (the Irish police) sort of way). Norway, smoke free. Portugal, smoke free as of January 1st, 2008. Not in Spain - there is no shortage of cigarette smoke in Spain. I knew things were getting out of hand when Brian and I walked into Dunkin Donuts this morning (we were tired and desperate, and it sounded really good - plus, for €1.85 you got a donut and a cup of coffee), and there was a haze of smoke throughout the store.

• The old, jolly, bartenders who work behind the bar in small, Spanish watering holes definitely need to be noted as a positive. They all always seem so happy and are quick to make jokes and poke fun at the customers. But, to be true, my inability to understand these bartenders surely needs to be noted as a negative.

• I've never really regretted not learning Spanish until this past week. I watch my friend Cat in awe as she converses with the previously mentioned jolly bartenders or any of her other Spanish speaking friends - or, for that mater, as she translated the menu each night for Brian and I. I'm to the point where I miss hearing English ... not so much that I miss the English, but I merely miss being able to converse with the bartender, or hearing a neighboring tables conversation, or reading a menu, advertisement, street sign, etc - you get the picture.
  

All of the negatives aside, I've very much enjoyed my time here in Spain. I've seen very little of the massive country and hope to travel here again in the future.

Brian and I arrived here in Madrid early this morning at about 7:30am. We had the genius idea to save some money by not booking a place to stay yesterday evening - instead, we caught the 1am bus from Sevilla to Madrid - from here, we'll be able to book a flight straight into Edinburgh. The bus ride was ... well, for lack of a better word, miserable. I expected a 1am bus to be nearly empty - but, the bloody coach was nearly full. Sleep was next to impossible thanks to two, very loud men who decided to talk each others ear off for the greater portion of the bus ride.

Checked in at another hostel tonight ... will tour the city tomorrow ... and hopefully head back 'home' to Edinburgh by Wednesday. mk

For now, I'm 'stuck' in Spain

Hello, all. Here is the latest craic. As the title of this post states, I'm currently 'stuck' in Spain - alas, there could be worse places to be beached.

To explain why I'm stranded, I must first explain how I got here.

Brian and I booked our tickets to Spain when we were still on the Emerald Isle. We knew we would be leaving the UK and wanted to get to Espana to visit our friend Cat - we figured the cheapest way was the best ... but hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

We booked a cheap fare from East Midlands in England to Barcelona. As you know if you've been following my journey, we have yet to see Barcelona. When we were in Edinburgh, we decided it would be cheaper for us to fly to Faro - when considering transportation to East Midlands, accommodation along the way, etc - than to catch a bus or train to East Midlands. It was, for about 20 pounds we booked a one way flight to Faro and somehow spent a week in (somewhat) sunny Portugal where the cost of living was significantly cheaper than the UK.

Our flight out of Barcelona was to leave today at 1:40. The next problem was getting from our current location of Sevilla to Barcelona. Having only traveled Ireland when we booked our ticket, we wrongly assumed (ass out of u and me - in this case, more just me) you could hop on a bus to any city for at most 20 quid. Sevilla, as we have come to learn is a 16 hour, 95 Euro, bus ride away from Barcelona. Once we arrived in Barcelona, we'd then only have a ticket to East Midlands - which, as we now know, is a 50 or 60 Pound bus or train ride from our current home of Edinburgh.

What we end up with, is the fact that for now, I'm 'stuck' in Spain. The goal: figure out the quickest, most cost-effective way to get from Sevilla to Edinburgh.

But, for now, I'm off to wander the streets of 17C (65F) Sevilla.

salud, mdk

portugal, looking back

As I've said, I'm not entirely sure how I spent one entire week in the Algarve of southern Portugal. Considering the speed at which the week flew by, I clearly enjoyed myself.

From Faro, where I last posted in Portugal, I headed west and south to the town of Albufeira. I must say, during the majority of the week, Brian and I had one thing on our mind ... renting motorbikes and spending two or three days exploring the roads of southern Portugal from two wheels of a motorcycle. Needless to say, we were unsuccessful in our attempts to rent motorbikes. There was no shortage of places to 'hire' (European for rent) motorcycles from, but many of these businesses were closed for the off-season.

While the off-season made our attempts at hiring a motorcycles unsuccessful, it most definitely added to our enjoyment of our time in Portugal. I can only imagine the difference in my perception of the towns we traveled to if it was the middle of the summer. First, the temperature would be unbearably hot. We enjoyed 12C - 15C degree weather during the day and cool, crisp evenings at night. Also, fellow travelers and tourists were few and far between. During high season, the towns we traveled to would have undoubtedly had an entirely different feel ... one that I don't imagine I would have enjoyed nearly as much.

We arrived in Albufeira late one evening early on in the week. Albufeira, as many of the towns in the south, is split into distinctly different sections - old town and new town. Old town Albufeira was very similar to the streets we encountered in Faro - full of skinny, cobblestone streets and alleyways, cafes, hole-in-the-wall bars, and restaurants serving fresh and cheap seafood. When in Faro, we were far enough inland that we didn't see the sea. After getting off the bus in Albufeira, we wandered the streets of town until we found a tunnel under a hotel. We weren't entirely sure, but from our map-reading, we derived the sea was directly on the other side of the tunnel. We were correct ... I was so excited to again see the ocean - albeit through the darkness. The scents, sounds, and view of the vast expanse of darkness before me was indescribably peaceful.

Brian and I had unprecedented luck finding cheap accommodation while in Portugal. Bartering wasn't difficult when checking into a accommodation. With no tourists in town, many places were happy to simply have a room rented. I think the best experience was in Faro - we had checked out a couple residencials in the town center. The owners had asked anything from €30 - €45 a night (for two). (The average price we paid for dorm style hostels in Ireland was in the range of €20/person) We walked into one place, "The Dandy Residencial" and the man told us it would be €30 for the two of us. We told him we would think about it and proceeded to walk around Faro with the hopes of finding something cheaper. As we meandered our way through the narrow streets, we somehow came across the same residencial. From the balcony above the street, we all of a sudden heard the owner shouting, "Okay, two beds, twenty-five Euros." Perfect.

We also had nights when we struggled to find accommodation. On one of our last nights in Portugal, we ended up staying in a small town just up the road from Manta Rota. Manta Rota was small and had no direct bus service to the town near the border of Spain and Portugal where we hoped to spend the night. On our way to the town north of Manta Rota we came across a bar where we decided to have a pint. We've found that the best places to have a beer are the places where the locals congregate - this bar screamed local. We were shocked to go inside and find €0.90 beers, pool tables, and electronic dart boards. Three things we haven't seen since leaving Iowa. We somehow lost track of time and therefore missed our bus. This wasn't the end of the world, we would just spend one more night in Portugal. Spain and Sevilla could wait.

After asking the barmaid in broken Portuguese where the nearest (and we found, only) residencial was, we made our way to our hopeful accommodation. We rang the buzzer outside the door and two or three fretful minutes later, the owner made his way down the street from a neighboring bar. We let him know we needed two beds - he quoted thirty Euros and we asked if we could see the room. Mind you ... all of this is happening with a distinct communication barrier - the owner's English was only slightly better than our very bad Portuguese. After seeing the room, Brian said to the owner, "veinticinco?"

Aparantely, bartering wasn't an option with this Portuguese residencial owner. He proceeded to scream no, immediately turn off the lights leaving us in darkness, and promptly escort us down the dark stairs of the chamber while we quickly pulled thirty Euros out of our wallet.

So, in memory of my time in Ireland, I'll end with this description of my time in Portugal - "It was grand." And now, some pictures ...

view from the plane en route to faro

faro

the tunnel in albufeira leading to the sea

albufeira at night

Plates of tapas at a wonderful tapas bar we found one evening in Albufeira.

Same bar, same table, different night. We got 'stuck' in Albufeira and ended up spending three nights there.

Now, as I've said, we had brilliant luck finding cheap accommodation in Portugal. This view is from the balcony of our best find in Albufeira. We spent one night in a hotel where we had a balcony with a sea-view and a buffet breakfast - all for €25 a piece. In high season, the room we had rents for €150/night. Granted, it was the most we paid for accommodation, but it was worth the splurge for one evening.

strange, three wheeled vehicles - a common sight in portugal

manta rota

A view of a seaside village down the beach from Manta Rota - Cacela - an oasis we couldn't reach. We had read about this small village - described as having many restaurants serving fresh seafood. We could get to Cacela from Manta Rota via a road or, we thought, the beach. We decided a 2km walk along the beach was far more appealing. Unfortunately, after our 2km walk, we realized that Manta Rota was on the other side of a small, inland river that we couldn't cross.

sagres and espresso, a brilliant combination

on the ferry from portugal to spain

sun setting over portugal

Many times during my week in Portugal, I literally became speechless when thinking about where I'm at in my life. I can't describe the contentedness I feel. I have no regrets with that path I'm chosen - really, I can't imagine myself in any other place. I know I've said it, but the more I travel the more distinctly clear it becomes - I'll never again have this opportunity to see the world.

Thanks for continuing to follow me on my journey. I'll leave you with a quote by Mark Twain. All the best, mk.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Fancy a laugh?

So, a girl I know from good ol' Atlantic, Iowa (A Town), is spending a year living and working in New Zealand and Australia. I've been following her blog and I must say the allure of beaches, sun, and surfing in New Zealand may influence my future travel plans. Anyway, I can't help but share one of her most recent posts with you. It definitely made for a good afternoon laugh here in sunny Sevilla ... hopefully it provides you with the same, wherever you may be ...

Follow this link to her post, and the link at the bottom of her post to the video ...

a taste of home

Anyone who knows me will know this: I love coffee. I drink coffee often and in excess. Without caffeine, I'm not sure how I would function.

Since leaving home four months ago, proper percolated coffee has been extremely hard (read impossible) to find. In hostels or bed and breakfasts, the free coffee you get is the instant stuff. It was very difficult to get used to, but somehow I developed a taste for it. At restaurants or cafes, the coffee you get comes via an espresso machine - steamed water is forced through pressed coffee grounds producing the drink we know as espresso. If you order a 'coffee' at a restaurant or cafe, you will get what is referred to as an 'Americano' - the espresso mixed with hot water. Interestingly enough, this term 'Americano' comes from the WWII era when American soldiers found the European way of drinking espresso to strong - cafes would mix the espresso with steaming water. Strong, but good - it took me some time, but I began to enjoy the Americano coffee; but, it's not Folgers in my cup.

Anyway, I woke up this morning to go find the complementary coffee here at the Samay Hostel. Tired, I stumbled up the stairs to the common kitchen - I was elated to find a proper, coffee percolator. Ten minutes later ... a taste of home.

safe in spain

"It's amazing how time flies."

Cliche, I know. And, to be honest, I really hate to begin this post with such an overused phrase - but I really am shocked at how quickly the last eight days of my life flew by.

Somehow, I spent seven days in the Algarve of southern Portugal. Did I accomplish anything of significance? To be honest, no. I drank extremely cheap beer. I ate cheap, fresh seafood. I stayed in very nice, very moderately priced accommodation (the cheapest I've found since I left home). I wandered the streets of Portuguese towns. I took walks along the beach. I drank very dark, very strong Portuguese coffee. And, most importantly, I had seven days of sunlight. After spending four months in Ireland - and then having traveled to Norway and Edinburgh - some vitamin D from the sun was much needed. Also, I've decided since leaving Portugal that the Algarve is the perfect destination for cost conscious backpackers in the middle of January.

I'm currently in the south of Spain, in Sevilla. I arrived here yesterday evening. The plan was to arrive sooner, but as I've figured out in the last four months plans don't typically hold true with Brian and myself. Sevilla, from what I've gathered, is a wonderful city; to me, it seems to be the quintessential Spanish city - mind you, this comes from very little knowledge of Spain or its cities.

I sat down in my hostel lobby with the intentions of filling you in as to what the last week of my life looked like ... pictures and all. The other travelers who were here didn't allow me to get that far into my post - conversations about Spain, about traveling, about the UK, and, I guess about living ensued.

I'll be back with more soon. Until then, all the best,

mk

it's just Domingo

I've been in Portugal for just over 24 hours and have already fallen in love with the country - and, I've yet to leave the quaint little town of Faro.

Faro is everything I would expect it to be. Brian and I have spent half of our time wandering the streets and skinny alleyways which are covered in smooth, light-colored cobblestones. I was excited for the sun, though it has yet to break through the clouds. Nevertheless, even when overcast (and 17 degrees Celsius!), Faro feels far more brighter than Ireland or Edinburgh. I can't wait for the sunlight.

We arrived yesterday - Sunday - to find the streets of Faro essentially deserted; nearly all the shops and cafes we came across were closed. When we saw our friend Cat in Edinburgh, she told us that the Spanish celebrate Christmas on January 6th. My thought was that the Portuguese also celebrate Christmas on this day. When I was ordering beers at a bar/cafe yesterday, I asked the man behind the bar if today was some sort of a holiday. He looked at me somewhat perplexed - in part, maybe because of the language barrier - but, in part I guess also because of the apparent absurdity of my question. "No," the man told me, "it's just Domingo."

I could get used to Domingo in Portugal.

hello ... and goodbye from edinburgh

Greetings, all. Happy 2008 to you. It's been some time since I've last sat down to write - so much has happened, I'll do my best to fill you in on the life of me between today and the train ride to Voss when I posted last.

I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland. I've been here since New Years Eve. But, how did I get here? It was quite the journey - filled with both ups and downs.

Norway. Let me see. Norway was cold, dark, and expensive, albeit unbelievably beautiful. I last wrote as Brian and I were making the world's most beautiful train ride to Voss (in the dark!). Brian and I got off the train in Voss with the intentions of heading to the hostel that Lonely Planet touted - it had a sauna, it sounded perfect. After having a dinner of a bacon-wrapped hot dog (amazing), we headed down the road in the direction the lady at the convenience store pointed us. We recognized the hostel from a distance - as Lonely Planted described, it was seated directly on the shore of the lake that Voss surrounds. I could feel the warmth of the sauna. Unfortunately, as we got closer and closer to the hostel, I could see that one thing was wrong ... it was dark.

We arrived at the door of the hostel to find it was closed for a couple weeks for the holiday. If we were in a large city, this wouldn't have been a problem - but, in western Norway, I didn't imagine there were any other hostels open. It ended up working out okay - we were able to check into a reasonably priced hotel. It had been some time since I had slept in a proper bed - I had no complaints.

We left for the Norway in a Nutshell tour the next morning. As per the usual, I was able to make Brian and I about five minutes late. Why? Because I was trying to finish eating one of the greatest continental breakfasts of all time - bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, coffee, pickled herring, caviar (though it was in a tube, it was lovely), crackers, ham, hard-boiled eggs, and more. I wanted to get a proper breakfast in me and also pack up some leftovers for the rest of the day. Either way, we left about ten minutes later than we should have. This resulted in Brian and I running through the slush-covered morning streets of Voss. We frantically arrived at the bus station and found our bus - not 30 seconds to spare.

Looking back, the Norway in a Nutshell tour was the most organized tourist adventure we've embarked on. I also feel it was the only way that Brian and I could have properly experienced Norway with the resources and time we had at our disposal. I also feel that if we hadn't gone on the tour, I would have been very unimpressed with my time in Norway. The tour itself began with a bus ride through the mountains outside of Voss. After about an hour bus trip, we arrived at the end of of the Naeroyfjord (fjord). We later departed for a two hour trip on a fjord cruise ship - it was really amazing. I couldn't help but think how we were in the middle of nowhere - shortly after this, we stopped at a fjord side village to drop off a family who had been into Voss to get groceries. I can't imagine living in such a remote, yet remarkably beautiful area.

The tour ended with a trip on the Flam Railway - one of the steepest railways in world. We began at the town of Flam (which is right on the fjord, and therefore at sealevel) and ended in Myrdal (865 meters above sea level) some 20 kms later.

We caught a train from Myrdal back to Oslo. We decided when booking the ticket the night before we would spend the extra €8 to be upgraded to Comfort Class. This allowed us to have a more spacious seat - but, more importantly, complementary tea and coffee. I reckoned we could make up the price of the ticket by drinking heaps of free coffee and tea. We did. We arrived in Oslo five or six hours later with no accommodation booked. To save money, we decided we would ... sleep at the train station. So, where did Brian and Matt spend the evening of December 29th, 2007? Curled up, hugging their packs in the cold, well-lit, but very reasonably priced Oslo Central Train station. It was an interesting experience that I hope doesn't happen again soon. I probably got about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Since the start of my travels, I've learned that if I'm tired enough, I can sleep anywhere.

The next day was spent busing, flying, and in the end taxiing to a moderately priced bed and breakfast in Prestwick, Scotland. After a shower, a couple of our first pints in the UK, and take-out Cantonese, I was more than ready to sleep in my own bed. Needless to say, it was infinitely more comfortable than the bench I claimed in Oslo.

After sleeping in a cold train station, I have much more respect and sympathy for those who are homeless and sleep rough in Norway, Ireland, or any other country in the world for that matter. Homelessness is a horrible thing. We can't speak for how someone gets to the point where they have nothing else to resort to other than begging for change, but the fact of the matter is they are there. Human beings sleeping on the streets - it's just wrong. I was leaving Ard Bia one afternoon in December, and it was cold, windy, and blowing sheets of rain. I watched a man staggering up Shop Street - soaking wet with a can of cider in his hand. I would venture to say he didn't ask to reach this point in his life.

As I was watching this man walk up the street, I also watched all kinds of people hurrying up the street with two, three, five shopping bags in their arms. I didn't send Christmas presents home this year, instead, I opted to make a once-off donation to the Simon Community of Galway - the Simon Community provides services to the homeless: emergency shelter, soup kitchens, housing projects, resettlement work, and other accommodation options for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. There is so much wrong in this world, but together think of the difference people can make. Enough of that.

Brian and I ultimately ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the night of New Years. We didn't have accommodation booked but planned on staying with a guy we met through couchsurfing. Edinburgh is home to one of the world's largest street parties - over 750,000 people come to Edinburgh for their New Year's Hogmanay Celebration. We realized as we were busing in from Glasgow that it didn't appear we were going to be able to get in contact with our couchsurfing host. His phone seemed to be dead. Well, stay at a hostel you say? Sadly, hostels in Edinburgh had been booked for at least the last three months. We didn't want to let our lack of accommodation plans taint our New Years, so we camped out at a pub which had a stunning view of the Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is an unbelievable city to walk through - the city is nearly entirely made up of awe-inspiring buildings. Everywhere you look, you see massive buildings that scream Georgian architecture. Fascinating, really.

Sometime after 2008 rolled in, we decided we would don our packs and roam the streets of Edinburgh. Some hours later, after meeting all sorts of interesting people (most drunk), we realized we needed a place to sleep. Ultimately, we ended up making our way to a hostel on the west end of town. We sat down in the entryway, leaned back against our packs, and fell asleep. Shortly after this, someone arrived back to the hostel and let us inside so we could sleep in the warmth of the hostel reception area. Perfect! But, it gets better. Shortly after falling asleep again, a girl came from one of the dorm rooms and let us know two people had just left for a early flight - we were welcome to have their beds, she let us know. No complaints by us.

A New Years Eve that I don't believe I'll ever forget.

Since 2008 has rolled around, Brian and I have been bumming around Edinburgh getting little things taken care of - Bunac orientation, setting up a bank account, scouting out job opportunities, getting new service for our cell phones, etc. We've been staying with a wonderful girl we met through couchsurfing. Debbi is a student at university here in Edinburgh and has been terrific. The couchsurfing project continues to amaze me - Brian and I have stayed with her three nights and it's as though we're long-time old friends. Couchsurfing presents a brilliant way to travel, meet new people, and get a real feel for the cities you come across. Debbi, thanks for everything.

So, I'm basically caught up until today. As a whole, I so far have enjoyed Scotland. I miss the comfort of Ireland - my friends, my own place (though shared with a massage parlor), my job, and the dimly lit Irish pubs with good Guinness. That being said, I'm excited to see what each day brings. Today, when Brian and I woke up, our plan was to head to Newcastle, England (we're scheduled to fly out of Nottingham, England on the 9th for Barcelona).

We headed to the train station with the not-so-unfamiliar weight of our packs on our back. We arrived to find the cheapest ticket to Newcastle was just about 50 quid. We didn't want to pay this much, so proceeded to head to the bus station. Realization: the world wide web was correct last night in telling us the last bus for Newcastle left at 11:00. We didn't believe it to be true - in Ireland, you could get to any small village ten or twelve times a day. Realization, this isn't Ireland and no more buses were headed to Newcastle - or any place south for that matter. Frustrated, we decided to head to a coffee shop, get online, and see what our options were.

End result?

At 7:30 tomorrow morning, we're flying from the Edinburgh Airport to Faro, Portugal.

now ... some pictures ...

a stop on the oslo - voss train ride

beginning of the fjord cruise

pints in flam

"we are here"

third currency in a week

prestwick, scotland

i loved his mustache and wanted a picture with it.

my friend the security guard

and, a video

Again, happy new year to you all. The last year of my life has been full of firsts and of lasts - of hellos and goodbyes. I've been blessed to experience what I have in the last four months - today marks four months since I first left the US. It has been amazing to say the least - I can't imagine what the next six months will bring. I wish you all the very best in 2008. cheers.