The stopover in Glasgow was fun. Due to flight delays and such I didn't end up meeting up with Emma until 11:30pm -just in the nick of time as the pub she works at closes at midnight. She gave me keys and directions and I started my trek to her place... I don't know how backpackers do it, my shoulders were throbbing by the time I got to her place -thank god, I didn't take any wrong turns! Her flat was nice; I was exhausted. I guess she's just renting out her friends place for a couple of weeks so there were boxes everywhere. It was weird being in a place by myself. I guess I got used to staying with roommates. Everything was so quiet. After a little bit of internet surfing I passed out on the couch. I awoke to the door buzzer at 2am; Emma was home from work. I don't remember much at that point, I think I was still half asleep, but we chatted a bit and I fell asleep...
I am so glad that Keith hooked me up with a place to stay. I had a good nights sleep for the long flight ahead. After slightly sleeping in, Emma and I had a quick breakfast of coffee and toast. I felt like a bad guest for not visiting with her the night prior so we got aquainted over coffee. Since I had try fly out that evening, the plan was so check out an art gallery and a bit of the downtown core. To get to the airport you have to take a train from Glasgow Central to Paisley Station and then catch a bus to the airport. This all translates to taking my heavy pack with me and then just going straight to the train station from downtown. That damn pack! The sights were cool. Glasgow is a beautiful green city; its much like Vancouver; it rains a lot. It poured that day but Emma, my pack and I made it to one of the galleries. They have no admission charges there. It was a nice break. The gallery was small but had some cool exhibits. I took this photo in the gallery. They had a little interactive section; this frame was attached to a table which had crayons and paper for personal portraiture. I suppose I got a portrait of Emma the lazy way but time was of the essence.
After a little more touring of the rain soaked downtown there was just enough time to grab some snacks for the flight and catch the train. The was taken on the train, but thats about as clear as I could get it... imagine, rolling hills, green pastures, and mountains in the distance...
The airport wait was boring and typical. The flight was on time. Just as I was walking down the aisle looking for my seat someone grabs my arm. It was Sarita! The gang was on the same flight! I was shocked! Everyone was seated separately but once we were in the air we all managed to sit somewhat together. The guys decided to pass there time with a few overpriced airplane drinks. The flight was 9.5 hours, I think they went through the full cycle of drunk, relaxed, tired, passed out, hung over, then second guessing what had originally seemed like a good idea. What a way to finish off the trip!
We landed in Vancouver at 9pm but by the time we got through customs and baggage claims it was just after 10. Erik's family was waiting with a 'Welcome Back' sign. It was really cute! They razzed him about his hair cut and kept asking about the trip. We must have looked like a bunch of zombies; long flights take a lot out of you. Unfortunately, there was no time to dawdle. The last ferry left from Tswwassen at 10:45pm. We were in a bit of a time crunch, no one thought we would make it by taxi, so we ended up getting a ride from Erik's mom. We just made it!
Everyone had a bit of a snooze on the ferry. Sarita's dad came and picked us up and we made it home around 2am. The time difference kills you. I slept for almost 24hrs yesterday. Jet lag is a weird thing. I was up for a few hours, would watch tv and have something to eat and then fall asleep again. Today I woke up at 5:30am and have been trying to keep myself busy ever since...
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