SYNCHRONICITY OF SERENDIPITY
Episode 3
David was a passionate hitchhiker too when he was travelling and he has even hitchhiked at the same spot as us, in the rain, twenty years ago.
Shoshana: Our trip in highlands was in the spirit of a motto “Synchronicity of Serendipity (fortunate happenstance)” whose author is the first person we met when hitchhiking that day. I’ll explain the meaning of the phrase on the situation that happened. In the morning, we were aiming for a hitchhiking spot in the outskirts of Edinburgh. Just when we were several hundreds of meters before the place, it started to rain. If it didn’t we would continue to the place, try to hitchhike someone and maybe we would never met our friend David. And we would never know the meaning of the phrase. However, just because we had to stop for a 20 minutes under the trees and eat our lunch, we were able to continue when the raining stopped. And then we met David. You can call it a destiny with options if you please.
Natalia: David was a passionate hitchhiker too when he was travelling and he has even hitchhiked at the same spot as us, in the rain, twenty years ago. This great and generous man had a déjá-vu when he saw us there and decided to stop immediately. We felt so lucky because we spent the whole day together and David had so many interesting stories to tell, so many amazing places to show us. Things like this don’t happen often in life, but when they do, they are one of those inspiring moments that in some way make you a bit of a better person I think.
As usual, when we do something for the first time, we screw it, we screw it so much that a person who would try to invent the biggest faux pas couldn’t invent a worse one than ours.
Shoshana: We spent a day wandering around Loch Tay and ended up in the small village Killin, where a weird kind of beautiful waterfalls could be seen from the road. The most funny was the part when we “illegally” jumped over the fence to see the memorial of clan MacNab. Well it was open for the public but the mill that was supposed to hold the key was closed in the evening. However the local women suggested we should jump, and so we were able to visit another graveyard after all. In the end of the day we were invited to the traditional Scottish dinner and could taste the Haggis, Neeps and Tatties = a must for every visitor
Natalia: After exchanging our contacts, Dave left us next to a wonderful lake in highlands so our very first night in the wilderness could start. As usual, when we do something for the first time, we screw it, we screw it so much that a person who would try to invent the biggest faux pas couldn’t invent a worse one than ours. We started to put up our new bought tent and when we finished, we realized there was a small detail missing – the thing on the roof to prevent the rain from coming into the tent. We didn’t know how it was possible, so after cursing the whole night, blaming all the people in the world including our friend Kerr from the supermarket, getting us and all our stuff wet as mice, because it was raining. Of course we found the missing thing under the tent in the morning. I will never forget this equally funny and embarrassing moment when I and Šošana hugged in a stream of hysterical laugh. We will put a video of this horrible night.
We tied the raincloack on the top of the tent, however, it was such a windy night that around 4am in the morning it got ripped off.
Shoshana: For the first part of the night we had at least a raincloack my grandmother provided to me when I went to the airport from Košice. We tied the raincloack on the top of the tent, however, it was such a windy night that around 4am in the morning it got ripped of. Of course it didn’t stop raining till we went off. Of course our package from muffins didn’t stop the rain to spread out to our tent even though, we tried to hold it as close to the top as possible. Of course we were totally wet and cold when after half an hour of hitchhiking a fisherman took pity on us and took us to Fort William.
Natalia: After this character-building experience we decided to stay in a campsite for the next night. The day after we planned thoroughly our hike to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain of Britain. I wasn’t really persuaded about going, but Šošana’s determination didn’t give me a choice :D. We woke up at 12 o’clock and thought we could still make this one-day hike happen. After packing our stuff and checking-in in a hostel near Ben Nevis it was already 3 pm.
In the end we set up the tent in the forest near a graveyard and went to sleep. In the end, we were more scared of people in the village than ghosts around
Natalia: Seeing beautiful Scottish nature from the top of Ben Nevis the next day was priceless so I was glad Šošana persuaded me to come! What we were sure would be an easy 5-hour hike showed up to be an 8 hour hike for us, the brave hearts (1344 m). Our legs hurted even one week after! We had a rough sleep because we woke each other up like every hour because of the weird pain, I could compare it to the situation when Harry Potter had his hand-bones regrow with Skele-Gro and spent an awfully painful night. But anything for Scotland!!
Shoshana: After returning from Ben Nevis we went hitchhiking for our adventure on West Scottish Isles. It was little tougher because the time was late but eventually we managed to get a ride to village next to Loch Ness. Our driver was nice ex-teacher that was currently in business with tiny acordeons he made with his own hands (took him 2 weeks at least). We discovered that it is common for people around here to hike the three biggest mountains in Great Britain (one in Scotland, one in England and one in Wales). In the end we set up the tent (with the top we fortunately found :D) in the forest near a graveyard and went to sleep. In the end, we were more scared of people in the village than ghosts around
