Onwards to Scotland

A new continent and a new country to explore. I am currently in the far northwest of Scotland on the Isle of Lewis safely waiting out a nasty windstorm in a cozy hostel so I have some downtime to recount my adventures. I landed in London a little over three weeks ago and after a lot of questioning by a border guard about my long list of previous travels I was allowed to enter the United Kingdom. It was a crazy transition from the remote reaches of Mongolia to the monstrous city of London. I spent my time there navigating between all of the main tourist attractions and doing a lot of walking. It was an interesting city, but I was completely overwhelmed and on my last afternoon I escaped to a movie theater just to have some quiet time. The best part was getting to meet up with friends whom I traveled with in Tibet and China and going out for some traditional London curry. I left behind the hustle of London and after a series of trains and a bus landed in a small town in Scotland called Blairgowrie. I spent the few days before and after the referendum vote there and it was interesting to discuss the issues over a pint at the local bar and see the campaigns that were displayed everywhere around town. It was an odd ending as the day after the vote it seemed like everyone just fell back into their normal routines. No analysis, no complaining just life continuing on as usual. I left Blairgowrie with my worldly possessions strapped onto a rented bicycle and cycled out into the unknown. Only two weeks into my ride and it has already been a crazy series of events that has tested me in a number of ways. I started off following one of the marked cycle paths that are all over the United Kingdom. It was fantastic as it takes you on a winding series of cycle only pathways and quiet streets so you don't have to cycle on the busy narrow main highways. I soon discovered a new pace of life passing through tiny farming communities on single lane roads, going miles and miles without seeing another soul and feeling like I might be the only person left in the world. The cycle path did lead to a few amusing moments. Since you are riding on everything from dirt paths to highways it can be easy to miss a sign. One morning I found myself riding through the middle of a golf course until I came to a dead end between the 12th and 13th tee. As I backtracked some kind old ladies pointed me in the right direction. As I headed north spending my days cycling and nights camping at local town campsites I was smiled upon by the unpredictable Scottish weather. I will be forever thankful that as I was easing into the cycling routine I had mostly sunshine along my way. I cycled each day with a big smile plastered on my face. There is something so incredible about cycling beside old stone walls, past grey stone buildings and over and through ancient arched bridges. It was like stepping back in time. My journey changed quite dramatically as I reached the true northern highlands. The landscape became windswept soaring hillsides and mountains dotted far less frequently by any sign of civilization in between tiny villages. The main highways became narrow single lane roads where you have to use small pullouts to pass oncoming traffic. I started buying groceries from glorified convenience stores that were frequently also the village gas station. As I reached the northwest coast I was treated to some phenomenal views of white sand beaches surrounded by dramatic sea cliffs. This is also the point I was introduced to the infamous Scottish winds that regularly blast the barren landscape here. It didn't help that I was headed directly into the predominant wind direction. I spent two days literally crawling along at a snail's pace thankful for even the tiniest 5 second break in the wind. There is nothing that can make you feel completely and utterly alone quite like riding head on into an unrelenting windstorm. I spent a fitful night trying to sleep as my tent wall collapsed regularly into my face. I woke up several times expecting my tent to be ripped to shreds or collapsed in a heap of broken poles and shredded fabric. Somehow I awoke in the morning with everything intact and after managing to pack my tent up set off again straight into the wind. The only thing that kept me going on this second day was knowing I had a warm place to stay that night. My friend James who I traveled with in Tibet lives in a small coastal village and had graciously offered to host me. After taking 5 hours to cover the distance of a marathon and realizing that most marathon runners can run that same distance in less time than it took me to cycle I had arrived in complete shambles on James' doorstep. I can't express how grateful I was to James to get to stay in his place with a postcard view of the bay below. I spent a couple nights there waiting out the rest of the windstorm, getting fed amazing food and getting a guided tour, not on bicycle, of the spectacular scenery all around. It is always hard to say goodbye especially knowing I was heading out on my own again, but with the winds calmer it was time to continue on westwards along the coast. The scenery is some of the most beautiful I have had the chance to see and really is indescribable with the variety of colors and features from ocean and sand to soaring rocky peaks. I made my way to the touristy town of Ullapool where I was excited to shop in a real grocery store and enjoy the amazing calm weather and blue skies. I have now made my way by ferry over to the Isle of Lewis and will be spending some time cycling south along the island chain known as the Hebrides. I haven't made it very far yet and a day of vicious winds has myself and my new cycling friend Ty holed up in our hostel waiting for some calmer weather tomorrow to continue on. I met Ty on the ferry and he is 7 months into a 2 year long cycle journey, so incredible! Last night we decided to head to the local pub for dinner which is about 7km away from our remote hostel. On the advice of one of the local ladies we set out walking with the hopes of hitching a ride. The only problem being that of the only 5 or 6 cars that passed us in an hour no one stopped. We were both disappointed as it was the first attempt at hitchhiking for both of us. A simple plan to eat some dinner turned into a 14km round trip odyssey, but I guess that is all part of the fun of traveling. It is a good thing that the walk back was fuelled by a couple of pints. It has been a good rest day, getting the bike tuned up and catching up on the internet. Hopefully some good weather lies around the corner. Until next time....