Quick Recap:
Day Four, 65 miles across the Scottish Borderlands, was blown away by the unexpected beauty of the place, and the space. Lots of open farmland, grazing land and forests here. GREAT conversations with the locals en route. To me it felt a lot like being in America.
Finally quit and pitched in a quiet spot just outside of Crawford in Lower Lanarkshire, became acquainted with the Scottish midge, hordes of 'em, tiny little guys. I dunno which is more.... the total number of stars in the universe or the number of midges in Scotland around any given campsite.
Day Five (today), Glasgow is a whole 'nother world. An all-White city for those interested, but lots of hard folk, reserved and taciturn with outsiders.This in sharp contrast to the Scots in rural areas.
Like any big city, go through the wrong areas and problems are readily evident. I was advised not to let my bike or my gear out of my sight for a moment, anywhere in Glasgow, and I'd believe it.
Met some friendly folks there too, including some tatooed druggies, and quite a lot of middle aged guys walking home drunk from pubs (was there a game on?).
I did notice that Scottish women are pretty.
The people who put up the bicycle route signs need to be shot (metaphor), four hours lost in the city today, trying to follow them signs through a maze, including places where ya REALLY didn't want to leave your bicycle, or even ride it while still sitting on it.
I survived, finally whipped out the ol'iphone and opened the app instead of trying to do it old school. Shoulda done that much earlier. Found downtown about 5:30, checked into a hotel around six. I still had to navigate back out of the city while losing light and in the rain, so I opted for a hotel. Fifty miles of useful distance today, at least another ten of wasted meanders.
Prob'ly best to avoid big cities from here on in.
Was blown away looking at the map that Edinburgh is only SIXTY MILES east of here, and the road that leads through the boonies down the remote Kintyre Peninsula I intend to ride down begins just fifty miles away to the Northwest, I could be there tomorrow. Amazing.
Birdwatcher
