Arran 09 & A new semester
Jan 25th, 2009 by John
Hello folks, well it appears I survived another trip to Arran! And the weather was excellent (for Scotland) so I only got wet feet most days instead of every day :happy: And as an American might say “I’m like actually going to like break it down for you”
Day 1: ‘Exciting’ weather conditions meant that after a 10 hour minibus ride, our ferry was cancelled! Thankfully we were able to stay with someone’s friends nearby. A taste of Scottish hospitality when 10 people descended unexpectedly on them. Lovely people to be sure.
Day 2: First ferry cancelled but we were on the Isle of Arran by the afternoon. The waves certainly made for an interesting crossing. So all in all we only lost half a day on the island.
Day 3: Saw red squizzels in the morning. Funny lil’ things. Our first trek out into the marvellous Arran countryside. Some of our party began to realise that designer handbags, jogging bottoms, trainers and Gucci sunglasses were perhaps not the order of the day… We had our first sightings of red deer up on the hilltops (hills? compared to Cambridge’s monotonous flatness they were practically mountains of epic proportion). In the afternoon the kit problems were confirmed as those clad in trainers quickly found themselves covered in mud and the poos. I’m not sure they found it quite as amusing as the rest of us. More red deer sightings :]
Day 4: How time flies. We were supposed to go to Holy Island to visit the Buddhists, but again weather (and sissy ferrymen) argued otherwise. Instead we went off to find the cave were (allegedly) Robert the Bruce hid out before slapping the English up. Whilst there he came up with the phrase ‘If at first you don’t succeed…’. Then off to Machrie Moor again. And with identical weather to the year before and the persistence of hill structure, the photos are identical to last years’!
Day 5: Glenashdale falls as last year, very pretty indeed. And in the afternoon we saw FIFTY wild (in the non-rabid sense of the word) seals out on the rocks! Quite a sight. All fat and whiskery :catfish:
Day 6: Homeward bound alas. Just as the group was really bonding we had to leave. But what a splendid time was had! And some excellent new people met and plenty of controversial issues discussed. And ironically, quite a bit of German and a very limited amount of Chinese learnt.
What else is new?
Well I got my results from last semester, averaging 74% so hopefully I’m on the way to a first *touch wood :U *. And the new semester begins for me tomorrow! Because we are jammy and late-starting. So nosy grindstone soon enough. I have an interview with Saddington & Baynes on Thurrrsday, about work experience. Hopefully that’ll go ok, but I have a week to learn Photoshop’s mac keyboard shortcuts :V
That’s about it really, hope everyone else is doing fines :happy:
Sounds like a good trip, I am jealous.
But quit yer whinin’ about a 10 hour bus ride – 24 hours on a coach to France is where it gets interesting :unhap:
Pff! Well I didn’t see YOU blogging about your skiing adventures! But yes, you lose the coach journey game. :car:
What beautiful pictures
It really makes me quite jealous!
Yay Red Squizzels!!! I agree with Robyn, John, those photos are gorgeous!!! I’d love to see red deer and seals! And Adam, I’ve had some mad, fun several-hours-long bus rides!!!