Pound for Pound

Hello all...  So yesterday made one week since leaving the East Coast, arriving on the European leg of my travels, and the start to my international explorations beginning in England!

On Monday morning, 16th August 2010, I stepped off the plane and onto the soil of the island of Britain.  Boarding a bus toward London, I headed in the direction of my only known 'plan' which was my accommodations for the first night.  Unfortunately, being that traveling with such little has got me focused on being as minimalistic as possible, I had discarded the piece of paper with the actual address of my hostel!  After getting off at the bus stop I had thought I had remembered was near my hostel, I walked around for sometime before stumbling across a McDonald's... and... free wi-fi!  A couple on holiday was nice enough to offer me a few minutes on their computer and I was back on track with where to head (be it a few miles by foot away).  A good first lesson in the art of getting lost and finding your way out!  Valuable Lesson #1 - A small pocket notebook with a record of your transport/accommodation/directions information/etc. is an invaluable asset to have on your person at all times when traveling!

After tackling the transit system and size of New York City, traversing the sites in London were a breeze:  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace (and the changing of the guard), The London Eye, and The British Museum!  It was quite a lot to see in just a couple days but after running around the city I was, again, ready to escape to the countryside (there is only so much hustle & bustle afterall a Kauai boy can take).   My first priority was to visit Stonehenge which dictated my next move to the city of Bath, England.

A short three hour bus ride from London, Bath receives its name from the natural hot water springs that occur there.  It is a charming city of about 85,000 nestled in the south west area of England.  A short day trip/tour brings you to the site of those ever so famous large stones in a field: Stonehenge!

With Stonehenge checked off the list, and after consulting my Rick Steves' travel guide and conversations with some Brit's at the various hostels (who I have to point out aren't always the best to offer advice because of what seems to be a resistance to travel... even amongst their own small country), it was off to escape further into the countryside.  Only trouble is... booking transportation the day before you plan to head-out is not always as convenient as you would hope!  With a temperamental internet/computer at the hostel, and consequent lack of reasonably priced transport to be found, it was an extra day in Bath (and a skip over a jaunt to Cardiff, Whales) before the next leg of the journey.    Valuable Lesson #2 - book future transportation, accommodation, etc. two days in advance, hard as it may be when traveling day-to-day, whenever possible.

The "Lake District" of England is a long nine hour bus up from Bath towards the northwest corner of the country.  One of England's three main national parks, it is the picturesque rolling green hills, clear lakes, and stacked stone walls you think of when you think of an English countryside.  At least, it was yesterday!  Today, as is more often the case in England, it is raining... which, lucky for you, means a travel blog post :)

Valuable Lesson #3 - In England, always have your umbrella! 

Yesterday, I subjected myself to one of the most amazing and well known treks in The Lake District; an 8 hour, 12-mile hike around the "Farfield Horeshoe".  Ascending 3,000 feet up a ridge, with views of seven different lakes from the top, it was, as they say, "BRILLIANT"!

I'd say by now I'm feeling very much like a traveller; used to the long buses, the repetition of packing/unpacking, introductions to new people, and constant changes that accompany each day.  Travelling is not easy.  In fact, at times, it feels like work.   Fortunatey, in England, there is always an ice cream shop not far around the corner to help ease the travel burn... this, along with my daily frozen yogurts in California are probably to blame for the few extra pounds I seem to be carrying aroud!  In Englnd, you pay with pounds and gain some pounds it seems :)  These pounds, however, are sure to come in handy come SE Asia!  In conclusion, travels of this sort are not all fun and games but, already, I am convinced that this is what I need and should be doing and grateful for the opportunity.

Tomorrow (as I so intelligently planned a day ahead), I head up to Edinburgh, Scotland with tentative plans to head a few days later to the Scottish Highlands, followed by a flight over to Ireland, and, by a flight to Portugal!  Although, as a friend of mine once said, "we see what happens..."

PS
Below are some random thoughts/musings/quotes etc. I've picked up so far:

• "Follow the magic." -- from my friend Ryan Moore referring to traveling
• "A tourist doesn't know where he left, a traveler doesn't know where he is going."  -- Paul Theroux
• "Travel is intensified living - maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure.  Travel is freedom. It's recess, and we need it." -- Rick Steves
• An accent makes you instantly 50% more attractive.  Smoking makes you instantly 50% less!

PPS
More photos to come!