Galway to the Cliffs of Moher
The Coast of Northern Ireland
Rapid Transit to Glasgow
Highlands of Caledonia
In Hibernia…
Land of the Gaeilge tongue, shamrocks, and guinness.
Edinburgh by Day
This… England, or Random Musings from Newcastle to Edinburgh
The idea of an unscripted journey is often a catch-22. The past week in the UK has been unplanned other than booking the arrival ticket to London. I’ve subsequently darted here and there with only a rough idea of certain must-see locations. After 5 days based out of Brighton (visiting the South Downs, Stonehenge, Seahaven), I headed north through London, Durham, and Newcastle. The last minute decision to meet a traveler friend lead me to Durham, but the unscripted nature cost a dear fortune as the train ticket was 141.10 pounds ($237) for the 4+ hour train ride, cattle-class, standing room only! Needless to say, the UK is exceedingly expensive. It is, in reality, considerably cheaper to fly than to take the coach or train.
As it is, the capricious decision to visit Durham was rewarded with a visit to two Unesco sites: Durham Cathedral and Hadrian’s wall — dating approximately one thousand and two thousand years old respectively. The cathedral at Durham is the epitome of Norman architecture, with precision cut and grand sweeping arches, with stunning art work set on the bend of the river Wear.
Beyond North of the Hadrian’s Wall
Durham, UK
London Calling…
Or how to rush through a mega-metropolis in a day. It’s possible to see the British Museum, Covent Gardens, Millennium Bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Bridge, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Palace of Westminster, London Eye, St. James Park, Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus… all in one day strolling nonstop along the River Thames. The pain will certainly come later, but at the moment, it seems absolutely worthwhile.
An Eternal Note of Sadness
Here be a Pile of Rocks
The Allure of the Metropolis
Entrance to the Mayan Underworld
The Shadow of Tulum
The Yucatan sun sears the pavement, and every moment of open exposure further scorches the already-burnt skin. It’s no wonder the local Mayan descendants wear a golden ebony complexion. Although life surrounding Tulum is crucially associated with the tourist trail, the predominant local culture yet tinges the surrounding region with an aura of a quintessential sleepy feel of a typical Mexican town.
Perhaps the slowness of life is a bit infectious as I, too, lingered much longer than expected. Further, pleasant encounters with other travelers only added to the enjoyable stay. Today’s happy occasions involved pooling money to rent a van; thereafter we all went snorkel at Playa Akumal with giant sea turtles off the reefs; followed by a swim in the aquamarine waters of Casa Cenote; a visit to the soft sands of the local beach concluded the day. Our group then rounded a few more backpackers (more and more resembling the United Nations) for authentic street food from makeshift carts before concluding with some love music at a mojito bar. Indeed, pleasant time with pleasant company.
Alas, all things must pass on and each person eventually must go their separate ways. Come tomorrow the seating sun will be another memory so I’ll revisit the freezing temperatures of New England.