March 22, 2012

Scotland :)

         Onto Scotland!  Our first stop (after a splendid 3-hour bus ride of course) was New Lanark, a cotton mill village that was founded in 1785, founded by Robert Owen.  It was built during the Industrial Era and Owens wanted to create a new kind of village and mill that provided decent homes, fair wages, free health care, and an education system for villagers.  It was an interesting little town and had a few gems in it that included a replica of working cotton machinery and the “Annie McLeod Experience.”  The cotton machinery was awesome to see, it was huge and you could tell how amazing it must have been when it was first introduced into factories.  It spun hundreds of yards wool quickly simultaneously.  It obviously brought huge changes to life and efficiency.  And yes Mom, I was thinking about North and South the entire time and wishing you were there to see it with me.  I’ve seen hell, and it’s white.  It’s snow white.  

New Lanark

                Ahhhhh…the “Annie McLeod Experience.”  Best.  Thing.  Ever.  Basically it was a short ride (yes, ride) that took you through the life of a factory worker, Annie McLeod.  Two people could sit in small seats (like in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland) that propelled you slowly through a series of rooms that had wax figures acting out factory life and Annie narrated.  It was fantastic.  Here’s the description of the ride:

“We are the past…but we are part of the future too….remember us remember us…”

Enter the spirit world of New Lanark and travel back in time on this exciting dark ride.  Be taken on a mesmerizing journey of discovery by the ghost of mill girl Annie McLeod who magically appears and tells her story of life in New Lanark in 1820.

The Annie McLeod Experience!!

If that doesn’t make you want to hop on a plane and fly to New Lanark then you don’t know the meaning of fun.  It was the most thrilling, 1 mph ride I’ve ever been on.  And that’s saying something.  Sadly, the professors said they probably would skip New Lanark with the next group of students.  I guess they just couldn’t handle the intense Annie McLeod Experience.  Shame really.

Cotton being made

Look at how much it's making!  Soooo much and so fast!

                 So back on our beloved bus (this driver was a heavily tattooed British smoker who sold water for 50p.  Our bus was built for people who have legs that are 1 foot long (it would be very roomy for people with stumps for legs).  The bus included a creepy, tiny toilet in the middle of the bus.  Most of us refused to use this disgusting porta-potty and judged any weaker girls who succumbed to the temptations of a smelly, hot, portable bus toilet).  An hour later we were in Edinburgh and our first stop was at Edinburgh Castle.  We only had one hour to explore the castle (which is not enough at all to explore a huge castle and the grounds surrounding it), so we basically walked through a couple rooms and took lots of pictures on the cannons.  A successful castle trip.

Castle time

So apparently they had British red police boxes back in castle times too...?

A palace bagpiper

                Then we were off on our own for the rest of the day (with places we were assigned to see of course on our own time).  We stopped off at the Scottish Parliament (just saw the outside of it.  Boring), The Palace of Holyroadhouse (where the royal family stays when they’re in Edinburgh), the Sir Walter Scott Monument, Capitol Hill, the Royal Mile, and other dull sites.  

                Best moment of the day was definitely when we stumbled upon a traditional Scottish band who were playing in a little area outside a museum that looked like the Parthenon.  I’m not sure exactly what they were doing, because there was a red carpet rolled out in front of them, lit torches, and a man furiously snapping away with a professional camera.   Band pictures maybe?  Two members were very large (one shirtless, one in a tasteful cutoff tee), playing drums.  They’d wave their arms around and bang on the drums, making their fat jiggle.  I tried including a video I took, but I couldn't get it to load....but trust me, it was AMAZING!

Best. Moment. Ever.

                Then dinner where I couldn’t get my burger until I said that I didn’t want any tomaaahhhtoes (instead of “tomatoes” like I had been saying).  After that we went on an “Underground Tour of Scotland” where a tour guide, dressed in a creepy cape, took us around Scotland telling us creepy stories from the past and then took us into some dungeons.  It was actually a very disturbing experience and we all wish we’d never gone.

                But then we made “fun” plans to wake up at 4:30 AM the next morning to hike up Arthur’s Seat and catch the sunrise.  So around 3 AM we finally went to bed, the promise of a nice and early jaunt in our heads.