Scotland 2007, Day 2, Glasgow

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Saturday, July 28th, Glasgow

10:00am- Start our descent into Glasgow (they’re 8 hours ahead of LA). Mike (or is it Mark)- my seat buddy- has been kind enough to stock pile food and forms for me while I sleep. So, I fill out the immigration form and finally have some food (hadn’t eaten since midnight Friday morning (LA time).

10:30am- We land and the hunt for the suitcase begins. Find it on the conveyor belt and pick it up. The front zipper flap (which, luckily, wasn’t holding anything) is now torn and the metal frame under the fabric of the side handle (that you could carry the suitcase with- it’s got rollers, who’d carry it?) is now bent way out of shape and it bulges. I’m so tired and unsure I don’t care and start to walk to the information desk. I ask 3 different desk/travel agencies if they know where Globus Tours meet. They have no idea what I’m talking about. I go outside to stare at the buses, hoping to see one or a sign indicating they pick up there- nothing. I go back inside and log into WiFi (because Sprint service doesn’t work in the UK- well done Sprint!) I find the number for Globus and, since I can’t call them to ask what I should do, I send a mass email to my friends hoping someone checks their email and will call Globus for me. A friend at work, John, does just that, but Globus is closed. At this point the tears want to come, but I’m a big girl and fight them. I then continue to wander around asking people if they know of Globus (it probably doesn’t help that I’m dressed like a Hare Krishna and I’m wearing Reebox sneakers). Finally some lady says “Oh, you want Linda. She’s in a red dress and is here somewhere”. I go looking for the lady in the red dress in hopes that she will show me the secret passage to Narnia. I find her and happily hand over all power and control to her. We wait for a few more people and then head to the hotel.

1:00pm- We arrive at the hotel and I practically skip (yeah, right) off to my room. We’re staying at the Novotel and I get to tour the city for 5 hours until 6 when we meet back at the hotel and have drinks followed by dinner. I start wandering the streets of Glasgow. The architecture is beautiful. I walk for about 2 hours, pretty much looking up the whole time (except for every 5 minutes when it starts to rain again) and pretty soon I’m lost. Not only am I lost, I can’t remember the name of the fucking hotel nor what street it is on. I look at the key card for my room, and it has the maker of the cards name on it. Just then I see a double-decker tour bus and decide to take a ride and find my hotel. 1 hour and 15 minutes later, no luck. But I’m pretty wet and cold (see, I couldn’t sit downstairs because how was I suppose to take National Geographic pictures thru rain spattered windows?) So, I start walking in the direction that I originally came from (this much I know). Along the way I stop and ask a lady at a coffee place, another lady at a bakery, and finally a cop as to where the hell I’m suppose to go. I’m able to give them tiny details of what the hotel looked like and all. Then, I realize- my camera! So, we have a fun little slideshow while I show the picture that I first took when I left the hotel. The police woman recognizes the area and points me in the right direction. I am proud of how I portrayed an intelligent American...not.

6:25pm- I walk into my hotel and everyone is ready for dinner. My tour guide was quite worried about me. I’m worried about me too.

6:30pm- We sit down to a buffet style dinner. Everything is okay, nothing to go crazy over. Finally, one of the more ballsy women at our table gets up and tracks down some salt. I have the urge to hum “Glory Glory Hallelujah”. She finds some and we all jump on it.

6:40pm- Fire alarm in the hotel goes off. We all stop (about 20 in the group), look around, and then continue eating. Eventually the staff starts herding us out the door and we’re all grabbing our drinks and bread as we go. I stand outside and explain once more as to where John and Mom are. 10 minutes later, the firemen, who look NOTHING like U.S. firemen- and that’s a bad thing, say it’s fine and we all go in. I finish my meal and say goodnight Gracie.

7:30pm- I take a hot bath (which I fall asleep in) and crawl into bed. However, I can’t find the top sheet. I have the bottom sheet, and then the comforter. I call the front desk and tell them that it’s probably a dumb American question, but isn’t there suppose to be a top sheet on the beds. The lobby girl said “I don’t know”. I can’t even begin to think on where I want to start mocking her on that answer. She says she’ll find someone to bring me another sheet. That never happens. If I get cooties from this comforter, I’m going to be pissed.
I instantly fall asleep. Quite a day, and it’s so outlandish I can’t really comprehend it. We’ll see what tomorrow brings- hopefully mom and John will catch up in time.

Midnight- Hotel phone rings. I trip over everything considering I don’t know where the hell I am and pick it up. It’s some guy from Globus making sure that I made it to Glasgow okay and found the hotel. I’m so tired I can’t even point out the fact that he called me at the hotel therefore not only interrupting my deep sleep and waking me up, but answering his fucking question. He babbles for a couple of more minutes and then we hang up.

12:15am- I can’t fall back to sleep so I am sitting here writing this log and I’ve polished off about 8 mini Cadbury candy bars (a variety pack- sweet!) I’m going to be so tired again on Sunday.

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Photos

Glasgow
This was the building across from the hotel and the first picture I took (therefore the one I was showing the cop, the baker and the candlestick maker.)

Glasgow
Kilts!

The illusive hotel
During the fire call.