Today I Turned 22

To celebrate my birthday I decide I want to do go on an adventure. I have handed in my dissertation and I have nothing to do until I graduate on the 3^rd of July, a month away. Well nothing except an oral exam that decides what degree I get. No biggie.

I plan an adventure for myself to take in as much of the UK as possible. For four years I have said I would like to go to Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK, so for my birthday I made that my target. I aimed to get to Ben Nevis the day before and wake up with a great view of the mountain in the morning. However…Gabrielle, who was also coming along and who had to pack all her things and leave her flat before we left needed a bit more time so instead we set off on the day of my birthday. Not a problem. So on my birthday we would hitchhike.

We left the house nice and early with our chaperone, Cearuil and inflated our giant bananas. Two minutes and our first lift. Ruirgh liked the look of the bananas so they had to stop for us.

The morning was going well before I knew what was going on we were in the back of a car with a half deaf old lady from the Isle of Man on her way to bingo in Elgin. I realize this when I was just entering Keith.

After lunch in Elgin and an easy enough hitch to Inverness we visit Simon, a friend of Gabrielle who we had arranged to meet. Simon was a good man. I know this because his book collection contained either travel books or books I have read and liked. After a 20 minute tour of the city, taking in the second biggest second hand book shop in Scotland and the wobbly bridge, we went back, got our bags and were on our way again towards Fort William and Ben Nevis.

From Inverness we got a lift all the way along Loch Ness, which is huge, and got let off at a bus stop where a bewildered old man was waiting patiently. We got our bags out of the car, had a jump about a bit to loosen up, put out our thumbs and got a lift instantly. We lobbed our bags in the back of the car and were away before the old man had had a chance to say hello.

That lift was with a lady who reminded me so much of Ellie it was scary. I even got a chance to have a random conversation with her husband on the phone. He was very confused about what was going on but he handled it well. She dropped us right to Fort William and we met up with Greg, an American Couchsurfer who we were meeting.

We had a bit of a break by a bench and 2 girls came over and asked if they could have by banana. After much nagging I gave them the giant inflatable banana. I had held onto it for less than a day. Damn kids. But it was OK because Greg could juggle and was willing to teach.

After stocking up on provisions we had a picnic on the side of a hill. Then it happened. The midges arrived. Nothing can prepare you for the midges. They just swarm and bite and swarm and bite. They get up your nostrils, in your ears and down your pants. Its not fun. The only way to stop them is to keep moving.

We kept moving and headed towards Glen Nevis, the bottom of Ben Nevis and set up camp on a hill opposite the mountain. We quickly put up tents to get away from the midges and soon after retired for the night.

During the night I woke with the realization that there something leaning against me and I was in a tent. I had completely forgotten what was going on and woke with a start. I was dying for a piss and so crawled out of the tent to the nicest view I could have wished for. The sun wasn’t up yet but the skies were blue and it was going to be a lovely day.

I stood there shivering as I urinated, which by the way is a very odd feeling, (it just goes everywhere), and went back into the tent for a wee nap.

After getting up and packing camp we set off for the hostel at the bottom of the mountain to leave our bags so we didn’t have to carry them with us as we climbed.

We began our mighty assent like three great explorers would…with a before shot, later to be compared to the after shot. A nice strolling pace was set and banter was had and fun on all counts. Well actually it got quite steep quite early and we didn’t really expect this. To take our mind off things we did riddles. I love riddles. We did these for about two hours. By this stage, the fact we didn’t eat breakfast was kicking in and I was wrecked. We were taking breaks frequently and the pace was slow. The view from the bottom was spectacular and with each step it just got better. At one point we pass a loch half way up the mountain and notice how calm and peaceful it looks. A perfect place for a nap. We continue on a bit but the loch is calling us back for a snooze. Greg is determined to get to the top but myself and Gabrielle and can see that what has already been climbed is mountain enough for us. We saunter back down towards the shore of the loch and let seep overcome us as we lay on the sand.

I wake with another start but this one is caused by a man screaming from higher up the mountain. Or did I imagine it? Everyone I ask subsequently says they heard nothing.

With the two of us feeling groggy we plod down the mountain, no energy in our limbs. We rest often and fall more often. Just as we come to the bottom of the mountain Greg trots behind us and joins in talking about the aches. He got to the top and received our admiration for a fleeting moment until we remembered how hungry we were.

At the hostel we collected our bags and headed for the nearest eatery we could find. With grub down us we set off to walk to where would each hitch from. Them to Glasgow and myself to Aberdeen.

Once at Glen Nevis we said our good byes I set off on my own. There was a constant flow of traffic and in my experience that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Everyone thinks the next car will stop but if everyone thinks that then nobody will. In the end I got possible the best lift of my lift…certainly up there, from a nice guy called Mark. He said he would give me a lift to the turn off for the Isle of Skye and I said fantastic. On the way we got chatting about anything and everything and we got on great. I mentioned how I had never been to Skye and he said he could give me a lift the whole way if I liked. I thought about it. This was an offer of a free adventure. Negative aspect being that I would have to sleep out without a tent (which was robbed by Gabrielle) and get bitten to death by midges. Not a very nice proposition.

I was still huming and hawing when mark suggested I stay with him, his wife and son. That sealed it then. I was off to Skye. Sure I had an exam in a few days that I should probably be working on but…Skye!! I could hardly say no to a free lift AND free accommodation could I?

The rest of the journey was so picturesque with glorious weather that I couldn’t help but catch flies with my mouth. Mark was telling me all about Skye in the short time he had been living there and tried to show the family lineage of the island. Yes family. Singular.

When we arrived I got introduced to Jenny who was busy trying to set up a Montessori in the nearby town so we didn’t chat much but I got shown around the house and the small bit of land they had. It wasn’t big but they really made the most of it. They grew all sorts of vegetable organically in trenches dug themselves and in a greenhouse built themselves. I couldn’t name all the veg they grew so I won’t bother trying. They also had bees for honey and they used a bog behind the house as their water supply. However as the weather was so good and it had been for the previous 5 weeks there was somewhat of a mini drought. Unheard of in those parts.

It had been a long day and bed called me early than I would have liked it to.

In the morning I was awoken by the jubilant screams of a child. Outside in the garden, in the sun, were Mark and Rowan (their 1 and a half year old boy). After a bit of food and a short discussion about poetry we went for a walk around the headland beside the house. It was gorgeous. Went down to the water and for a walk around with the dog and words cant describe how happy I felt at that very moment. Meeting Mark had restored my faith in humanity no end and I am more glad to have met Mark than anyone else on my trip (…sorry everyone else I met on the trip.)

Then the hitch back to Aberdeen began and my first lift was from marks neighbour. Many lifts later and I was 200 meters from where I started on Clifton road a couple days prior.

I walk back to the house and realize my phone had been dead since Ben Nevis. When I charge it and switch it on I receive a panicked message wondering if I’m dead from the other two. I rest my head and sleep smiling.