I’m known to have bouts of wanting to wander aimlessly anywhere, and more often than not, these are the times when I run into street performers. I adore these chances, as they make me feel that I was on the right place at the right time. At one time, I may think I’m lost, but I may be actually meant to bump into something special.
Here’s a montage of some of the fascinating acts I chanced upon in 2011. Yey to brave hearts and creative minds.
The place was so British, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the mice wore monocles. – Bob Hope
Pub walks. Free museums. The Stonehenge. Music that’s undeniably genius. Haven of the world’s literary giants. Say what you want about England, but without a doubt, it will remain to be one of the world’s top destinations. I have the makings of a tree-hugging hippie girl in my core, but although I resist, I think I’m slowly being wooed to the dark side of city-crawling with bustling metros like London.
Watch the vid for shots of my frenzied sprinting across London, Stonehenge, Liverpool and Bath. If you want read more of what went on in Jolly Old England, click here to recount past England posts. If you’re on your way to London yourself, here’s a few sightseeing tips you might find useful:
Video Track: Love and Memories by O.A.R.
Shuffling from the romantic vibe of Scotland onto the hustle and bustle of London stressed me out at first. I wanted nothing more than to run back to Edinburgh’s inviting calm and tell them I was only kidding when I packed my bags to leave. But sigh, there was shopping to be done and tourist traps to be seen, so off I went! Continue reading “The Blitz aka The London Pass Challenge”
1. The Mighty Nessie Summoning Chant
Our guide told us that this chant was 99.9% effective — as long as we go all-out with the bellows and the dance steps required to convince Nessie to surface from Loch Ness. Well, our guide was a local after all, so we figured he was telling the truth. After taking a quick peek at the Urquhart Castle, we made our way down to the banks of the loch, where Kyle taught us the words and the steps. Believe me — we summoned everything bestial within us and poured out our hearts and souls into the chant — much to the delight of the other tour groups who were snapping away with their cams.
Continue reading “3 Reasons Why Our Day 3 in the Highlands Rocked”
Picture a genteel castle, perched on a solitary island in the middle of Loch Duich. Picture the classic stone bridge leading to it, that has seen both gallant knights and violent warriors. Picture a small room with tiny windows, albeit with a breathtaking view of the loch. Ladies and gents, welcome to Eilean Donan castle.
I didn’t think that it was polite to set foot in Scotland and leave without even caring to peek at Loch Ness, so I booked a 3-day Skye-High Haggis Adventures tour to roam around the Highlands. It was a bit daunting though, given that it was the first multi-day tour that I’ll be taking solo. Continue reading “Invading the Scottish Highlands – Day 1”
Breaking out from the borders of England, I took an 8-hour journey by coach from Liverpool to Glasgow. Whenever I wasn’t nodding off to sleep, I got an eyeful of some stunning British countryside along the way.
I got off at Glasgow at 6 am. Now, if this was the Philippines, I would probably catch at least two grandpas sweeping the leaves in front of their homes at this hour, but the roads of Glasgow on the other hand pretty much still deserted. I got to stroll around for around an hour, snapping away pictures of what I imagine to be streets bustling with life, when it wasn’t the break of dawn. On a Sunday.
Well, it was bound to happen, my first official backpacking mishap — but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let me tell it from the start.
Two weeks have passed by in just a blink, and I’ve barely gotten to write about it. Although it doesn’t seem like it, I was sent to London to do some actual work, so most of those first 14 days were spent within the Canary Wharf office.
Continue reading “Kaladkarin’s UK Adventure – Oh yeah, work.”
I heard that the Portobello Market at Notting Hill was a mecca for quirky shoppers, so I set off even if the clouds were taunting. Served me right — I got my first dose of the infamous London moody weather. Close friends will know that I’m averse to actually having to open an umbrella; I would rather grin and bear it. On that day, however, I was never so happy that I had an umbrella handy.
Continue reading “Kaladkarin’s UK Adventure – Portobello, Priscilla & Piccadilly”
This was not the way I pictured my adventure would start.
Imagine me there, all smiles as I walked into the arrival hall of Heathrow Airport, armed with the most luggage I’ve ever had to carry in my entire 26 years — then I realize the hotel cab was nowhere to be found. No signboards with my name, not even a signboard of the hotel. Que horror.
Continue reading “Kaladkarin’s UK Adventure – Touchdown London”
.: ishcapades 