June 26th: Geordie Pour

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June 26th: Well, onwards and upwards. It is sweet n sour to leave Leeds; I've enjoyed being back, it still feels like a place I could happily live and it was really great seeing people again... on the other hand, half of the reason I came back across was to see NEW places, different ones from last time!

More morning pandemonium (the fuss that mums have to put up with eh?) before bidding farewell to Emma and Gav.
I was once again pleasantly surprised by the friendliness in Leeds; though my library card had expired from disuse, the librarian let me log on to one of their computers so that I could print out a couple of bus tickets that I needed. He saved me from having to search out a net cafe for something that took all of 2 minutes.

Had a last wander around Leeds, which included the Leeds market; a place where you can find everything from produce to jewellery, from electronics to smoking paraphenalia etc. There seemed to be lots of sales pitches going on, more than a little haggling too "£1 for that? fark off mate"
~later~

The bus trip was interesting in that it started by driving through the first neighbourhood I'd lived in in Leeds (Sheepscar/Chapleton) which I'd avoided visiting on acount of the mugging and all that... I guess it was good to see the old 'hood from the safety of the bus. Much of the rest of the trip I was dropping off... maybe it was just the warm vibrating bus, but I believe I will aim for an early night nonetheless.
Got temporarily lost (as is my way) in Newcastle, but eventually found Grainger St & my hostel, The Albatross (course you don't get any wafers).
Met up with my mate Myk and we went for a few drinks... actually I've been drinking the last few nights, it might be worth laying off the sauce tomorrow.
Myk is doing well, he's currently sizing up Ph.D options and taking the chance to do a little schmoozing at a book signing, luckily none of this seems to have corrupted him and he's still my favourite thing about Newcastle... after 'Geordie Shore' of course. Speaking of GS; there are so many people dressed like the munters from that show, guys with poncily styled hair and v-necks that plunge halfway towards their bellybuttons to try and show off whatever they have going on in the pec department. Some of the girls are just as bad, skin tight dresses that start just above nip level and barely make it down to the bottom of their arse.

Met a rather talkative kiwi/aussie (born in the first, raised in the second) at the hostel, he's been travelling 3 months so I was able to get some info out of him, though he scared the bejebus out of me with his talk of prague pickpockets!
(oh by the way it was raining in Newcastle, that was the reason for my awesomely witty pun in the title)

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Photos

Grey's Monument
a big phallic object in the middle of Newcastle, no wonder all them Geordie Shore folk are obsessed with bonking