Earthquakes And Cultural After Shocks
I flew from Nepalgunj, back to Katmandu for a couple days to see the damage in slow motion. People were still sleeping in vacant lots a month after the series of earthquakes had shaken more than just the buildings but the very mental fabric of the people. Most were unsteady and when the night fell upon them thousands across the east side of the country slept in the open fields and spaces away from the carnage that shook the very base of all they knew physically and mentally.
I flew into Heathrow on a Tuesday and blasted off to the Gosfield House Hotel, (ph. 020 7636 9285) and stayed there while I fixed my computer. It is in a great location near Piccadilly, I first went to the Regent Street/Oxford Street Apple store and had a chat with a great gal that worked there. She explained that if I wanted to get my computer fixed in a hurry that Apple wouldn’t be the way because so many people had technical appointments and that just around the corner was a company called, Amsys. 44 Poland Street, London W1F 7LZ. Telephone: 020 7287 0609. Email: psworkshop@amsys.co.uk. Alma was the gal behind the counter and she was AWESOME. She had me sorted before the weekend so I could take off and get out of London.
I went to school in London for a spell with an exchange program way back in the day and loved it. It was full of Londoners. Today I’m sorry to say that I spoke more Spanish and Thai in my first two days in London than I did English. Things have certainly changed here. My usual search for music began that first night but not before heading to a pool and going for a swim in a pool and a short walk through Hyde Park.
I dug through my stuff and found my ‘oyster card’ I’ve had for years and found out I can travel on the tube for a very, very long time from now. Coming from Nepal where you walk everywhere or ride a bike, motorbike, etc. It was nice to be flashed somewhere in an instant when time is of the essence. Some dear friends I met in Thailand a year ago live near Liverpool and a few in Manchester. This is my friends second appearance in my blogs.
I made contact and headed for by train Liverpool and found the Mercy River Festival. I landed in music, tall ships and friends. Straight away I met a friend from Manchester and had a proper night out among his people where he grew up. I only have ‘trainers’, running shoes, so I couldn’t get into any snobbery bars and that is just fine with me, they never have good music anyway. I arranged a second night to meet another friend from Thailand who is a yank that lives in the area for the second night and that was a hoot. All three of us had met in Pai, Thailand more than a year ago and here we were having beers, listening to music and having a laugh. I stayed up all night and chatted until it was time for me to go to the train station and head to Edinburgh for hopefully better music. I was hoping the further north I went the better the music would get.
A sleepy ride to Edinburgh and with no pre-arrangements I went to a hotel I had stayed at before, the Apex City Hotel at 61 Grass Market. Edinburgh.reservations@apexhotel.co.uk. The room was immaculate and the service impeccable. I got a couple nights because I didn’t want to miss any music. I went directly to the Royal Oak for muse at about 5 pm. I was a little disappointed because they were playing American country but that isn’t the norm. It just happened to be so I moved on to The Scotsman on the cusp of the Royal Mile. There’s a good bag piper up the mile but in a club full of Irish and Scots stomping feet, clapping hands and singing along, well I had to pull in and stay put for a good portion of the eve listening to music history, legend, and laughter.
A leisurely morning ensued and I wrote the morning away on some manuscript or other. It was time to go to the Castle and have a look at the jewels. As I approached I saw the masses of people before me and the annual construction of bleachers where a festival will be held. I moved quickly through the castle having already been there in the past and content with my memories. After a spot of lunch in a local Scottish Pub/Restaurant I remembered The Hebrides Pub at the bottom of the hill. On Mondays local musicians show up about 400pm and have a sit in with their instruments. There were 11 musicians and 20 guests. The musicians range from classically trained to watching dad and picking it up in youth. The music drew in a crowd even some faces I remembered from the last time. I did have to go back to the Royal Oak after dinner knowing my luck would stay the course and so it did. The Oak as it is locally called is a tiny pub with 1 to 8 musicians and about the same room for guests. There is a small bar with 8-10 drafts and many bottled ciders and other options. There is no need for electronics such as speakers or amps in any of these pubs.
I was on the train the next morning after breakfast and on my way to Inverness and the Loch Ness without the monster. The country just kept getting more beautiful as I went. The trains are efficient and clean. Once again traveling by the seat of my pants I arrived with no prearranged reservations and went to a local travel information desk that searched for accommodations for both Inverness for a couple days and the Isle of Skye and a train ticket to get there but first there was a music scene to explore and once again I was right on time with 60 bands coming in in a day. I settled into the Cavell house located fifteen minute walk up the Ness River. The Cavell House was build around 1860, I don’t remember exactly but the couple had it decked out in antiques and the breakfast included was traditional Scottish including fresh strawberries and assorted fruits. The grand kids were seen periodically helping out. I strolled into Gellions and listened to three young men play their hearts out and it is still one of the best performances I’ve heard yet.
I took a tour up to Loch Ness to check out the castles and the Lake (Loch). The hills are all green and the rhododendrons are in bloom among blue bells and so many others. I took the tour by myself and motored back down the loch and through a loch or two back into Inverness. I walked back down the Ness River trail into town and up to the Castle Tavern with an outside patio and the sun was still high in the sky at 7pm. I met two wonderful reporters there and we had a chat and they invited me along for the festivities. Once again it couldn’t be a late night all of us had something to do like take a bus to the Isle of Skye. I wanted to stay a few days but there seemed to be very few accommodations available so I had to settle on only one night. Once I got there I found more places to stay but had already booked my return. So since I was short on time I chose to hire a taxi to at least see most of the island and a few of the sights including the MacCleod castle in Dunvegan. We drove a loop around the Isle of Skye with a stop in Portree. It cost a bit but I didn’t have time for anything else. The sun was setting as I returned and sat out and took advantage of the light house to block the sun and came up with a pretty cool shot if I do say so myself.
I caught the 10 am bus back to Inverness and enjoyed another sunny day on the banks of the Ness River and watched fly fishermen do their thing and made arrangements to get to Belfast, Northern Ireland for the next day with the Scottish Rail/Sail option they offer. I stayed again at the Cavell House and was happy to be in a warm comfortable place with good people around.
Next stop, Belfast.
