Sunday, August 23, 2009

Everybody says I oughta get over myself


I think I may have gone insane.

Upon arrival in Ullapool, after a four-hour bus journey, I realised that in my haste to book accommodation and figure out where I was going to go next, I had read the ferry timetable wrong. I’d booked two nights in this tiny village and couldn’t do the day trip to the Isle of Lewis I had come especially to do; unless I wanted to go to the island for ONE HOUR. Oh bite me, Scotland. So I stood at the small ferry office looking forlorn and confused; a man working for the ferry company came over and asked if I was lost. ‘I know where my hostel is, I’m just lost in life in general’ was my automatic reply. Well done Te, freak out the locals. He looked at me like I was absolutely insane, that was all the prompting I needed to tell him all my woes in a muddled mumbled mess while randomly bursting into laughter at the uselessness of myself. He began slowly edging away from the insane Australian. Actually, he offered to store my backpack in the ferry office until my hostel opened in another 3 hours.

As it turns out I am glad I didn’t go to Lewis, I did a beautiful boat tour of the Summer Isles and got far too enthusiastic about taking photos. I’ve been looking over them thinking ‘why did I take 12 photos of that rock?’ I’m sure at the time it was the most beautiful and inspiring rock I’d ever seen.

Oh the quaintness of Ullapool, it is so charming, until the village runs out of water. Yesterday was day 2 without a shower, I hopped in and the water just never came. Grumbling about the crappiness of my hostel I went overboard with the deodorant and then went for breakfast. Sorry, Te, you can’t have coffee…there’s no water. Okay, I had orange juice and then went to use the public toilet, sorry, you can’t flush...there’s no water. How….charming. Happy to announce I was able to shower this morning. These small victories really make life worthwhile.
Today I’m on the road again. Back down to Edinburgh and then…well, I don’t know. After next week I officially have no plans. Someone choose a country for me, quick!






My Photos of Ullapool and the Summer Isles


...Okay, was just offered a job in an isolated Scottish village and turned it down. Guess I don't want to work in an isolated village, atleast I know that now.

7 comments:

  1. Hahaha all too familiar! I spent time in ullapool and couple of the bar/motels are pretty suss to say the least

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  2. Hello Anonymous, who are you?
    You're very mysterious. You're clearly Australian or down with the lingo.
    I actually quite like the main pub in Ullapool, there is wireless and Mozzarella, and they don't glare at me when I sit in there and use the internet for hours during the busiest period. Just realised that Mozzarella looks odd in that context, but I don't care. :)

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  3. i think you should get a map of the world, shoot a dart at it and go wherever it lands! i dunno where u should go next but scotland is gorgeous so i would stay there! i went camping so i know how horrible it is to go without a shower. the shower did have running hot water but it also had lots of flying daddy long legs and flys and i was too chicken! oh ive got an idea. you could go to wales thats where we went camping and its really beautiful or to ireland! its your decision and ill keep reading your blog to find out your decision! good luck x

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  4. At least you got some great pictures.

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  5. Do Italy. The men will love you. <- uh, yeah, cause THAT's a legit reason. *ahem* the language is a lot like spanish and I'm sure you'd pick it up, maybe somewhere near the border of france/switzerland, or a little village near the ocean?

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  6. no water? what is all this blue stuff in your pictures then.
    jokes.

    FRANCE.
    OR HOLLAND.

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  7. Haha Im not that mysterious! Im from Western Aus. Went round the uk last year and ended up in Ullapool. Got ripped off from a place I worked there so was a bit wary:)

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