Tim's Live Journal

a bit blurry since i was too exhausted to write yesterday. started off with morning breakfast at hotel. first time eating kipper, liked it. black pudding was over-cooked, dry and very salty. went back to oban distillery and bought a variation that you can't buy in the states -distilled in 1993. drive was long. car got stuck in a ditch after i turned to let someone pass. got it towed out for £20. stopped at a cafe called 'the castle stalker'. the scone wasn't as good as the place i ate before. had a conversation with an elderly couple sitting next to me. we talked/philosophized about travel and the impact it has on humanity. did a search under 'bed and breakfast near talisker distillery' -called up a bed and breakfast and reserved a room. drove to skye. stopped in between to climb a grassy mountain range, yelled at the top of it. couldn't find the b&b through the GPS. made several calls, getting very frustrated. went to local bar to ask for help and they didn't know where the place was. finally figured out that i mistakenly booked a bed and breakfast in 'newcastle england'. may have to pay £50 for mistake. just -rechecked the website again and found it was misleading and that i'm not a total idiot (but still an idiot for not recognizing an ad from the search listing even though i've been a web designer for over 12 years and yes, i know this is a run-on sentence). ended up working out great since i found an awesome bed and breakfast (first one i saw driving through), with a astonishing view of the loch, and hosted by the nicest couple for only about £85/2 nights. ate at the local bar (only place to eat within miles) and found it to be really good. the atmosphere was what you would expect from a scottish pub. lots of wooden benches and loud clientele. had a pint of 'guiness cold' (2 degrees colder than reg guiness) and large prawns. a bit amused/alarmed when a fight nearly broke out between an old drunk and some young kids. the guy kept swearing and threatening in such a thick scottish accent that i could only pick out common vulgarities along the lines of 'kick your ass' but waaay more colorful. the kids kept it going by taunting the old guy. one choice comeback: i know why you're so upset, its because i fucked your old woman (or mom). bartender had to get out from behind the bar to make sure they didn't end up killing each other. old guy kept saying (thick scottish accent) "i really like you danny, i really do, but i'm gonna to kil' ya!". it would have been a really interesting night if a fight actually happened, but they ended up making up (i lost interest at this point). got back to the b&b and was so exhausted that i immediately crashed after showering.

Had a delicious breakfast comprised of fresh fruit, black pudding (much better than the previous morning), canadian bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, pressed coffee and orange juice, along with an interesting discussion with the folks running the place. spoke a lot about history, and a couple of their previous tenants -including a texas security guard/private investigator described as a giant. again, talked about travel and its effects on humanity, seems to be a recurring theme with me. david, the proprietor, set out a map and gave me advice on where to go. very kind of him, but useless to me since i'm map-illiterate. started day off at portree (capital of skye) to pick up medicine for my bug bites (from biting horse-flies and midges) and allergies (the scottish call pharmacies 'chemists' btw). as of this writing allergies and bites are still annoying me. before leaving the town, had coffee and brioche at an italian cafe. the drive through skye was scenic and yet the real fun came from running in the rain barebacked on a mountain range. i had started hiking on a trail with only my camera and no raingear. in the middle of the trail it started to rain so hard it stung my skin. worried that my camera was going to be damaged so i took off my t-shirt, wrapped my camera in it, and ran back over a mile to the car. luckily my camera doesn't seem to have been damaged. besides the camera bit, i have to admit that it felt great to run in the cold rain along a mountain side made of rock and pebble. during the drive back, i started falling asleep in the car so i pulled over and napped a bit. took pictures of sheep. now, i'm back at the b&b eating a homemade scone, drinking tea, and sitting in a comfy chair. :)