Days 2-4 in SCOTLAND ... NEW MOBILE NUMBER!

FIRST OFF... NEW PHONE NUMBER: +44 (0) 7942 550704
It only costs me 5p to call the states!!!

Well, it’s day four in Edinburgh and my time here has been an absolute blast. There has been spectacular views, good laughs, and great friends. Right now, I again sit inside the Canongate Cafe, a place I haven't been since the first day I was here. I am sad to say the best food I have had all trip has been at Pizza Express (or maybe it was the egg sandwich at the airport). In any case, the food has been absolutely sub-par.

The people have been great. I have made such a great group of friends here. We go out and stay in, watch the office and traverse the city, poke fun at R Kelly and listen to Oasis. I will definitely be staying in touch with these people and I hope they will do the same.

Now, on to my experiences thus far. As you have read, I was plunged into a new world on day one (Tuesday, Sept 4), and it was lonely. Now I have twenty-some-odd new friends and am doing something new every minute. After finishing my tea at the cafe, I headed back to the hotel and then walked to some museums (The Edinburgh Museum was really fun!) and to some shops. That night I finally met all the other Edinburgh semester students and we went to an, er... interesting dinner at Monster Mash for ‘Bangers and Mash’. I had a hamburger (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay overcooked), but others were more daring and got haggis (innards-- think intestines, stomach, etc...). After dinner we went to a low-key pub and had a beer before passing out from jet-lag.

Day two (Wednesday, Sept 5) was an activity-filled day. I now have blisters from walking around so much, but it was definitely worth it. In the morning we had another (yucky) breakfast at the Travelodge before heading off to a group meeting in the King’s Buildings (Houses sciences and engineering classes). The walk was long (1 hour), and so was the meeting (3 hours), but both were very necessary. After the meeting though, we got a REAL TREAT! After a hike up Blackford Hill, we enjoyed views of the city in stunning panorama. To the left, the Castle, to the right, Holyrood Park, and smack dab in the middle, the city centre with its unique architecture and bustling new town. If ever you are in Edinburgh, check out these views! After the hike we came down and had dinner at Buffet King, a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant. While not eating all my stomach could handle, I did eat all my taste buds could take. The food was not tasty Chinese food like you get in San Francisco or even San Diego; it was cheap, cold, all-fried cuisine. Also, they charged for tap water... TAP WATER! After the dinner we hit up a few bars and played foosball.

Yesterday (Thursday, Sept 6) was another fun day. After ANOTHER (uck) breakfast at the hotel, we left for a tour of the much hyped Edinburgh Castle. Though The Castle wasn’t all that I expected, I did enjoy a “living history” presentation put on by two chaps in a hall next to the Crown Jewels. They kept pointing their muskets at a Dutchman (16th century Scots don’t appreciate their kind) and just got a great laugh for being 100% clean humor. After the castle we went on a worthwhile bus tour of the city which really gave me a better sense of direction around town. We saw statues, the now famous Harry Potter cafe, and a bunch of museums. After all of the sight-seeing and tourist nonsense, we got a half-decent dinner at a Thai restaurant on the Southside.

Tomorrow I move into my dorm room in Pollock halls and I am excited to see what the people here are really like (I have met but a few). I was VERY HAPPY to see that Pollock halls were very nice and recently refurbished. The pictures online were a misrepresentation as they showed the place as a run-down Reagan-era tenement. My situation at the Travelodge has been surprisingly nice until today, when they informed me that I had to move to a smoking room because they say thats what I booked, (I don’t think so, my reservation doesn’t say so). They were nice though, and said they would move me if someone cancels.

This really has been quite the experience thus far, and I am only a few days into it! I hope to meet more great people and see more extraordinary places.