MONSTERS IN LOCHNESS
Episode 5
My greatest dream of our Scotland adventures was to swim in the monster lake. So here we are, waiting for sun finally to come.
Shoshana: After th Isles adventure we were exhausted and looking forward to the warmer weather. After another day sleeping in wilderness and two days of hitchhiking truck worker, amazing girl from Glasgow and pregnant women that traveled for doctor‘s check in Inverness, we ended up in the tourist center of Loch Ness mystery, the village called Drumnadrochit. My greatest dream of our Scotland adventures was to swim in the monster lake. So here we are, waiting for sun finally to come.
Natalia: First day we booked three days in the horse camp little bit outside of village. It cost 10 pounds a day but we were desperate to wash our clothes and ourselves. After day spent near washing machine and shower we decided to get a girls night out when we found out there is a concert of traditional Scottish music in town in the evening. We took our best clothes, put some make-up and with our best looks we went to party all night.
Shoshana: Or at least we thought so. Here, parties are bit different. You don’t stay up all night drinking beer and dancing. Here the bar closes at midnight when you are lucky and then you have to go home. There is nothing else to do unless you have a private party at house. Well, we had only tent, so we enjoyed beautiful scottish music, watched mixed couples dance to the rhythms and took a long walking trip to our campisite.
The water was shallow and deep waters were far in the distance. Yes the fear of monster is there event if you know it’s a fairy tale.
Natalia: At least, we were fresh to take excursion about Lochness monster next morning. It was exciting and dissapointing at the same time. The excitement came from learning the fact that scottish people really believe that the monster exists but the dissapointment came from not learning anything new at all. Every information given was some that you could read on internet while doing research.
Shoshana: The rest of the day we enjoyed a little of sun that took pity on us, went for a walk aroung local graveyard and finally tried to swim in the Lochness. It was warm enough (15 C) but we went down only half the body. The water was shallow and deep waters were far in the distance. Yes the fear of monster is there event if you know it’s a fairy tale. I was glad that I fulfilled my dream but little bit disappointed because it wasn’t what I expected.
We managed to hitch-hike a very nice elder local man that lived up the hill and told us about beautiful scenic hike with picturesque panoramas on the west of Drumnadrochit.
Natalia: For our last day at Loch Ness we planned hiking trip in nearby forests. As usual as it can get for us we got lost again when trying to find a path on tourist leaflet. As usual as it can get when we get lost it’s always a good sign. We managed to hitch-hike a very nice old local man that lived up the hill and told us about beautiful scenic hike with picturesque panoramas on the west of Drumnadrochit. He also invited us for a tea and showed us his once-in-a-lifetime scene of Loch Ness from his house on top of the hill.
Shoshana: For our last day at Loch Ness we planned hiking trip in nearby forests. As usual as it can get for us we got lost again when trying to find a path on tourist leaflet. As usual as it can get when we get lost it’s always a good sign. We managed to hitch-hike a very nice old local man that lived up the hill and told us about beautiful scenic hike with picturesque panoramas on the west of Drumnadrochit. He also invited us for a tea and showed us his once-in-a-lifetime scene of Loch Ness from his house on top of the hill.
People lived there with their own time rhythm.
Natalia: Unfortunately, we had to make farewell’s, as we were to work at Tartan Hearth festival held near Inverness, the capital of highlands. The city reminded me something of Košice, the capital of eastern Slovakia. It was cultural, but small. People lived there with their own time rhythm. Most importantly it was not overcrowded and everything was within an hours walk.
My dream was to explore the ruins of battle at Culloden Moor, the battle where Scotland was devastated by British army.
Shoshana: However, as the end of our trip was approaching, we were low at budget and so we got accommodated in Bunchrew Caravan and Camping site which was ten kilometers outside the city. Best choice we could make. The owner was the most helpfull person you could ever meet and provided services you wouldn’t normally get even when you paid. He locked our valuables to safe without asking when we wanted to go party one night, he charged our electronics with our man power (cycling on some environmental bike that charges stuff :D) and rent us a bike for a half price calculating the best time we should start our trip. While staying there, we got a little bit angry with Natalia at each other as a result of continually being in each others company. So I went on my biking trip alone while she stayed reading at the camp. My dream was to explore the ruins of battle at Culloden Moor, the battle where Scotland was devastated by British army. It was demanding to bike through the foreign city on the left side of the route but I managed and even found my destination in time. Culloden Moore is just a large field, which wouldn’t be attractive if not for the famous battle in the past. When I walked along the path, there was indescribable energy that I felt all around the place. Maybe my brain was playing me or such places bear remains of historic events.
The surprise of the evening was that sometime after the midnight the music stopped, the beer was no longer sold and there was nothing to do.
I’m back here because I had not fulfilled my dream, I had not swim in the Loch Ness.
