One Unfknblvble Journey
Trip Start
May 07, 2003
1
64
65
Trip End
Sep 05, 2005
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Stein, Isle of Skye, United Kingdom
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
I checked in with bro Benny boy in Sheffield on the way up north. It was a great moment when we met up again for a few quiet beers and a days climbing in Manchester. The boy is a changed man: when I departed for distant shores he was jobless and practically homeless; now he has a great flat near the centre of town, a wee car, a pretty girlfriend and even has started up his own successful business - unbeleivable.
Re-entering the world of Edinburger was a poignant moment, this was where i spent most of my adult life and I have many memories from this great city. I caught it at a primo time, with the Scotland v Italy game, music festivals all over and the huge end of festival fireworks show from Castle Rock. It was so wierd to be back on the familiar cobbled streets knowing everything and everyone so well, but yet so distantly. I hooked up with many true old friends and even bumped into a few random mates on the streets. It was just three days of constant - "Hey man! So good to see ya! Can't beleive it's been so long! Let's get the beers in!". Just as I thought: most of my mates here are still stuck in the life that staying in a UK city gives you - many are doing almost the same things they were as when I left. I suppose I would be too, if I had stayed, but it's crazy that so much has changed in my world, but practically nothing in theirs.
The final leg was the train thru the misty peaks of the Highlands to Kyle of Lochalsh, where I was met by another brother, wee Ollie - who isn't so wee anymore! We sneaked onto the island and I just turned up in the family home to the shock of my parents who didn't even know I was coming! Mum of course was holding back the tears and yet again, it was quite a moment. Everyone is doing seriously well, the folks business is now booming and the twins are sorted with all the toys under the sun, new cars, boats, guns etc... Should be a fun time up here with them, although my youngest bro Matt fell through two floors the other month so is currently a cripple!
Soo....who knows what the near future will hold for me, maybe thinking about staying up in Scotland now... Really don't know though... London looks pretty nasty just now, maybe Sheffield with Ben or Inverness... or Edinburgh... I really don't know. My life is now a spotlessly clean slate and I'm open to any opportunity - just throw them at me! I've got a few ideas and property looks like the way forward. Wi the bros all being into the building trades, we can buy old shells, do them up and sell 'em on for a fortune... We'll see what happens... no doubt I'll be slaving away to the corporate bollocks behind a computer before I know it. I'm really not looking forward to returning to that horrible sacrifice of 8 hours of daylight, 5 days a week for something that holds no real interest or significance for me.
The trip in summary:
853 days
crossing 28 different international borders, some many times
taking only 6 international flights
largest overlander from Ko Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand to the Isle of Skye in the the Minch - approx 17,000 km's or 10,600 miles (does anyone know how to get this exactly?)
only 5 and a half months proper working - wahey!
1 lost passport
4 cameras - two stolen, two knacked
5 pairs of shoes - two stolen, two bust, one too stinky to keep!
approx 12 pairs of flip flops - all stolen (or lost somewhere I couldn't remember!)
only 3 barely surviving items of clothing from the start, although they're hardly in one piece!
Around 250 hangovers!
Favourites:
All the volcanos in Latin America
All the ancient ruins in Latin America
All the old colonial towns in Latin America
All the crazy islands in Latin America
The music, the parties and the genuine Latinos
Eehm I guess... just about ALL of Latin America!
Remote parts of the South Island and Great Barrier Island in New Zealand for mind blowingly stunning mountain and coastal scenery, the hairy scary locals and the mental extreme sports
Ko Phangan, Thailand for the parties and the beaches
Laos for the passive, honest people and the totally undeveloped beautiful landscapes
The beautiful ugliness of Cambodia and seeing the Khymers valiantly struggle from beneath it's dark dark history
Yunnan province of China for the lovely Naxi and Tibetans living there and of course for Tiger Leaping Gorge
Moscow, St Pete's, Copenhagen, Mexico City, Granada and Leon were favourite cities
The friendliest people were the Fijians who also had the most incredible diving
