Leaving UK

Bristol

After I got fine, there wasn't much craziness happened. Maybe like, I couldn't do much stuff. Writing blog, playing guitar, watching anime, and had some BBQ with my friends. Summer was close to the end, the weather got worse and worse each day. It was getting colder so I bought some clothe and shoes. When I wear them, everyone was laughing. And that was the end of my hippy days. There was a food festival in Wales once. I have done some house parties. There some mushrooms were served couple of times. And the last day, I went to golf with Finn. Said bye to everyone. Packed up. Two weeks in Bristol has passed like that. And I took a bus to Lonodn.

London

Five days to flight to Berlin. I spent the last days in London. My friend Mateo from Italy came there as well. We stayed in Teretko's (friend from Sydney) flat for the weekend. It's been a long time to meet them so that I was happy to see them.

Begging of October, it was unexpected weather for the London. Every day was hit on perfect blue sky, the temperature was over 27C and I had perfect farewell time in UK. Jamming with friends, making sushi and walked around the town. Camden town was really unique and fun to walk.

Finn and Raf, Jo has came down to london, we had a house party on my last night. The music has kept on till morning, had a great time. Took out a blanket to the backyard and welcome the sunrise with Maddy. Went to have some pizza for the breakfirst. Said promise to meet next summer and good bye. The day was fun but sad. Head back to Teretko, picked up my backpack and hit the road. The new journey to Berlin has started.

In the end of summer, Bestival

Early in the morning, said bye to Raf's family and head back to Finn's. Packed up my stuff and pushed them into a van. It was really hard just to close the door of the van because the van was completely full with other stuff. Stayed in Finn's for the night and we headed out to Bristol next day. Ben and lucy has joined us in Bristol, we had some fish and chips for the dinner and hit the road with 3 vans, Raf, Ollie, Finn, Lucy, Ben, Joel and Jo, to the location “Isle of Wight” the island in south England in the evening.

It was about 4 hours to get to the ferry port, took an hour of break at there, took another hour of ferry ride to the island and got lost on the way to Tesco wondering around for couple of hours, it was after 4 in the morning that we arrived in the car park of the festival. We had about 4 hours of sleep in the van and I woke up in back pain and shake of van.

The hurricane, the Ireen has come down to UK. The rush of the rain and the violent wind attacked our camp site furiously and we prohibited to go inside of the Bestival site. The radio told us the horrific news of hurricane, the cloudy dark sky gave us bad mood and the days of living in van made our back in terrible pain, we were absolutely not in the condition for the festival. Apple and chips wouldn't filled up our tummy so that we went to town for more sandwiches and coffee. In the end, we couldn't get in all day long. We stayed in the vans for one more day.

Next morning, we had a clear sky after the hurricane then we rushed into building up the Cafe Tango to get back our one day delay of work. When we get out of our van, it was the moment the I feel so much happy about stretching out my back and legs that completely frozen from sitting in a suits for two days.

When every one was working on building the cafe, I was playing guitar an gave them some tunes to cheer them up. The kitchen was done by the evening and I made pasta for everyone. Jo, Jon and I slept on the floor of the kitchen for the night and we started to work early next day.

The first day, Cafe Tango has started business nicely. We did have a Cafe Tango juice bar this time right next to each other. So our crew was around 20 people that I could change shift and had break as I want thus I enjoyed the festival well in Bestival. It was over 60,000 people participated in this event and I couldn't see the edge to the edge in the camp site. Too many stages, cafe and work shops, but the main thing of the festival was the artists in Bestival. It was just awesome.

First night, I went to see “Santigold”. It was a really huge stage so I only could see from the distance. But, she was impressive. Thousands of audiences were looking up the stage fanatically, the powerful sound of Santigold was shined in color in the big blue marquee and the bass was reverberating all around the stage. I was in the middle of the insanity, lost my friends and ripped off my memory, and the night was passed away.

The second day, actually we have been there for four days, I woke up in hunger and made my instant noodle for break fast. I was surprised how busy the break fast was. We set up Cafe Tango right in front of the camp site so that there were many people for breakfast and coffee. Anyway, this was the busiest breakfast in Cafe Tango. I manage to make my space and squeezed in my pot of noodle on the stove and threw into my damaged stomach.

Compare to breakfast, the sells of pizza was much less and quiet so that I could take some break in the afternoon and I went out to take shower. I haven't take shower for almost a week so that moment of the refreshment was like in heaven. Even though the shower room was 30 minutes walk away and it was cold water.

I had a couple of hours of break so I put out card board and blanket on the glass, had some nap under the lovely weather with Marla and we had nice chat about how happy I am to be there and all.

In the evening, “Danny Byrd” was playing so I asked my shift to my friend and I took away to the concert. This time of the day was bit busy so I had to go the concert by myself. It was completely opposite side of the site so it took me about hour of walk to get to the stage. I made it on time and Danny Byrd has started in a small marquee.

With the rhythmical sound of drum and bass, all the audiences have gone mad and the moshing has began. I run into the crowd as the insanity sound, push and scream, gone berserk. Covered in sweat, somebody stepped on my foot, some elbows hit my face, but get involved into this riotous crowd with joy. I wonder who did started, the violence would be justified by the music. But also nobody come here to fight. There wasn't a single hater but everyone's got satisfied in smiles.

When the bass sound fading out, everyone kept some distance, made a circle and take a look around. Suddenly, the sound would come back in rhythm, then all of us went back in to the mad moshing. Moving my conscious and body as I feel like and jumping into the sound of bass hard. Was I stupid to other's? Pushed so hard that got me out of the space, stepped so bad that ripped my shoes in pieces. Got really tired and the sweaty heat steamed me like chinese food. I squeezed out from this stifling stage and came out to the refreshing breeze after moshing till I died. I felt so content. But my shoes was torn like cloth. I walked back to Cafe Tango on bear foot but my agitation would not stop that I showed my shoes to everyone and talked about great moshing and played more drum and bass tune at the Cafe Tango. I changed the shift so I had to work till close but I worked like I was still in the concert. The constant pure ecstasy filled up my conscious, I was dancing and jumping till 4 in the morning in Tango.

Next day has also started like the day before, hangover, instant noodle and busy work. But this time we had lot crew and the day has gone smoothly.

“Diplo” was playing for the night and we all got together and seen his act. Diplo was also great and I had friends so that we all got high together. I lost the one another colorful night, only the anacatesthesia has staying in my memory. I got lost once and wondering in the thousands crowd. When Jo found me in the wonderland, I was impressed of the chance of encounter in the crowd. We all back to Raf's tent, drunk till we don't remember.

The finale is always.

I could get out of the work by 9pm, we went to see the long waiting “Bjork”. It took me a while to convince everyone to go but we made it on time. We have seen her from distance but I was laying down on the mysterious sound of Bjork and my mind was dancing in the air. After that, Sarah has a friend “Ben Haward” who's performing in Bestival so we all went down to his little stage.

A guy plays acoustic guitar and sing, and a woman plays cello. It was surely an art. The melody was flowing through my exhausted mind beautifully and cured my messed up conscious. All the audiences were sitting down on the ground, some were looking up Ben Haward like goddess and some were closing their eyes and seeing something invisible. The line of the note was written in the air slowly in front of the stage, it was like that I found the calm ocean in a dark forest.

It is interesting to describe about music. It's like to express something that I don't understand, it is also luck of the clearness although it can be a way of a communication without a word even if it's incoherent. It is simply complacency expression if other's complain, but I can not write for the other's sympathy. When I write the impression of music sincerely and accurately, the beautiful scenery will appear in my mind. This is the reason I started to like writing.

Anyway, after the concert of Ben Haward, we did some wrestling on the ground for pump up. We were all tuned down by beautiful melody. This was the last night, we had to go for parties. It was fun fight. When I got Ben in crossed arm, everyone's yelled for me. It was cool. And then, we all head to a marquee and got dance together. We all back to Raf''s tent and played with balloons till we passed out.

Monday, I always be surprised but the when I got out from the tent, the camp site was completely different world from last days. Most of the people has gone back to home, there weren't much people around us but rubbish. I had an illusion for a while that I came to a different planet or its the world end. The tents lost the weight of the bags and people inside, the remaining power of the hurricane blowing though the entire field and no one would care to stop things flying anymore. Then, the tents were rolling around involving more and more tents and shit. Most of the trees were dressed in colorful tents, mysteriously beautiful. And the shelter-belt tree was like a bank filled up by the non stoppable flow of the rubbish.

We kept packing up in the dark night and we head back to Bristol around 10 o'clock.

It is really straight and long highway in the night time, and the reflecting lights on the side of the road continue forever in the darkness. That brought us the drowsiness and the mental fatigue inevitably in the car which running high speed on the plain highway. The unchanging view of the front gave me the suspicion whether if it's going forward or not. I could feel a magical power in the car engine which runs without effort of mine, made me believe that I was on a flying carpet heading towards to a magical land. I listened carefully to my breath in between dream and reality and I saw the illusion of the traveling through the time in the flowing light. The well designed buildings from the world expo appeared all around me. Raf was driving the van and Ollie was sitting next me but they come out in front of the front window, wearing clown clothe and jumping around the highway. The brightest light came into the darkest sky, then I feel that I can go further than here. But there was weird feeling from my instinct that I should not cross the line. A circus started with cheerful music. There was a paradise reflecting on the front window much clearer than I could say its imagination.

In a moment, I woke up. Raf was also exhausted that he parked the van and having a rest. After that, we all got to Bristol at 6am. Safe journey and the comfort of bed, I still appreciate that feeling.

I took a rest for three days like a hibernating bear.

A slice of Wales

After three days of rest, we have been invited to a rave party. I was just getting better that I really couldn't feel like a party yet but the energy of Walsh is madly kept on going. Anyway, it was a somebody's 40^th birthday party, so I expected that will not be too crazy. I underestimated Walsh people. It was somewhere but nowhere in farm, in a birthday person's house but the area was bigger than football feild. They used a massive shed for concert area, a stage and a bar. Nearly hundred of people and some performances and live bands were playing the loudest music I could image for a house party. Finn's dad, Raf's mum were having fun in between the youngs and everyone was having a great time. It was too big for a 40^th birthday. Well, that's Walsh rave party. There were people that I met in festivals so that I can get involved nicely. And the party went on till the morning. It was an event that I learnt an English culture.

In the mid day, the party was over and everyone's got slightly showing the exhaustion. Raf and I decided to knock off from this madness and we head down to his house. The path of Wales is narrow and very windy. But Raf drove there near 100kh, told me that he used to do some racing in that area. It didn't sound safe to me either proud but we arrived in his place safely.

Raf's mum is an Italian and very cheerful and fun to talk to. The house was the best house I ever seen in my life. It was very old house but has beautiful atmosphere from wooden made wall, roof and all catering stuffs are hanging down from ceiling. It was really beautiful house so that I thought it could be a national heritage. There are so many old houses in Wales. I dreamt that I really want to live place like this when I get old. I had a dinner with his family and stayed the awesome house for the night.

Shambala festival

I bought a ticket for the first time for a festival. It was 125 pounds. I thought it was bit expensive but Shambala festival was one my friends recommended also all the Cafe Tango crew was going. So I decided to go. And, I don't have to work so I can enjoy as much as I want without worry about anything. This Shambala festival was one of secret festival that the location was hidden and all the artist weren't announced that made me so curious but also anxious.

On the afternoon of Friday, Raf drove Fin and me to the site. We got lost on the way, took us about three hours to get there and it was raining when we arrived.

While I was carrying my stuff to the site, I was really shock that I spent money on this festival. We don't have Cafe Tango, so we have to walk quite long way to get to camp site, and I had to set up the tent in the rain. We don't have kitchen to hang out nor cook something to eat. I had to walk with lots of my stuff, its getting dark and cold. I talked my friends little bit. And at the night, Finn, Imogen and I walked around a little bit and I wanted to do something but I was too hungry to do anything and it was rain outside. So I went to bed early.

I woke up with sunrise and went out for a walk. Everyone was still sleeping but the day has changed to a beautiful sunny day, I had to do something. I wanted to eat but I didn't want to spend some money. The festival was not so small but its also not big either. Took me about couple of hours to walk around and seen briefly. I went back to tent to cook some lunch. I borrowed a cooking stove from some people that I met near my tent and made a noodle soup. Shambala festival is also has lots of events and shops. There were hand craft course, Indian curry and small stages so on. It also has a forest behind a lake. In the lake, there was a submarine (it was not real) and a windmill. In the forest, it was like a maze and this was my favorite stage that made out of a tree house. The time has flown to evening without notice. I went back to camp site. Finn and I got out to eat diner together and had some curry, we went to the forest and saw a concert that played on the tree house. It was a live concert of a harp and an acoustic guitar. The melodious sound of the instrument was flying throw the air softly and the view of the tree house with sunset at the background created the world as a fairy tail, made my world so peaceful and dreamy. And we went to a concert of the Correspondent. I have seen him in Edinburgh but the stage was massive in Shambala that it was not considerable to Edinburgh. Correspondent was really great but then I heard that Lamb is playing after. I was really happy. I didn't expect that at all. I told all my friends that we have to be there and we have to go crazy.

After a while, Lamb has come to the stage. It was the best thing I have been and seen in my life. I was just stunned. The sound of bass and melody; the trip hop, involved everything around me and I was shaking all over. We got circle, hugged each other, closed our eyes, and be together. Sound of Lamb has penetrated my body like lighting, I closed my eyes until I can not see anything. I could not feel anything but steps that we rhythm. Have I ever loved a music this much? I got intoxicated by my own happiness and faced to beauty of music. Maybe I heard it from somewhere but I was sure at this point that if there is a God, he must be a musician. As the live finished like waking up from sleep, it was truly like a dream.

Then the massive wooded horse was on fire as it celebrates the Shambala. The fire got around within a second and it became seriously hot. The fire has risen up tens of meters and got everyone in chaos. People from near the fire wanted to go out but the people from distance they want to come closer. That was a horrific moment of the festival. We were in the front but it was hot enough to burned my friend Amelia's eye blows from the heat. Anyway, nobody get hurt seriously so it was alright.

Then, we head to a stage called Kamikaze and the drum and bass concert has began. I totally forgot about the line-ups but its the my favorite genre, moved my body in the rhythm. I got confused that it was the beginning of the day. The fierce sound of the bass run throw my head after I woke up from the dream that I just had. Everyone got together on a little stage. When I got on the stage, I could see the whole floor and the people who attracted into the DJ delightfully, bouncing with the sound of bass in the flashing light disconnectedly; it was like a stop motion film, they were able to be seen in sharp detail but in a same time they were in a blur memory, surely it was like still in a dream. It was the world of motion of rhythm and the moment of the lighten ecstasy.

It was about 3 in the morning, the concert of the Kamikaze has finished without remaining in my memory but my friends were talked about this hidden stage. They opened up one of a fence, and there it was. A small path to go throw to a back stage. We passed through like we were going to wonderland and we found the little stage. The stage was made out of a police car, the DJ were wearing police uniform and playing awesome tunes. It is an English humor and quite funny. They making fun of the London riot which just happened two weeks ago. Some raged people has come out and attacked the police car, then some police officers came down to assault them. It was news that closed to me so that made me laugh a lot.

When I looked upon the air and gazing into the darken sky, a bright meteor dashed through my mind. The empty space took my attention for a while and my conscious has gone away for instance. When I realized, the sky was lightly bright and the number of the stars has disappear. When sunrise has come, we took our way back to tent. But the party has kept on going in Raf's tent till the mid day.

The sunday is the final day, I woke up in the afternoon and scrawled out from my tent. I can hear some music from distance. Again, I borrowed the cooking stove from neighbor and made myself some instant noodle soup. It was only 18 penny a packet but made me feel good. I had it with couple of porched eggs and spinach. I felt better but went back to tent again and I slept till evening. We went to a live band from Bristol “Disraeli and the small gods”. It was really cool tune but the stage was just too crowded that we couldn't dance or even move. Then the firework started for finale. The firework was quite nice but I was looking at them over the lake so that the energy of the fire was really nothing compare to yesterday's burning wooden horse. Then we went back to the Kamikaze stage but it was also similar to last night; felt like luck of chemical, it has gone without climix. At last we went to a DJ set in a small marquee and there was projection of mysterious arts on the ceiling in black and white. But it was just looked like an old TV. Maybe I was bit tired but also that the Saturday night was just as best as it could get. We all went back to Raf's TP and stayed and chat. And my sight has faded away with blink of my eyes.

I realized myself in the afternoon, most of the people were packing up and heading back home. We didn't have Cafe Tango so that we had o go out of the festival as same as other people. Some were still sleeping and some were still drinking. I was just impressed. I looked around. There were countless broken tents and colorful rubbish all around; it was just like a dump world. I found myself as an empty bottle in the empty field then I push myself forward to pack up and go. I remember as a flash but I felt it was taking us forever to leave that place.

I am impressed that Raf's energy that still able to drive car back to Bristol. I was worried about his driving skill with his exhaustion but I fell asleep just after we got on the car. We straight to hit to a bar in Bristol and had more beers and chat about the festival. I am completely amazed their stamina.

Soon after, we went back to Wales and prepared for next festival the “Bestival” but I got sick and stayed in bed for three days while Raf and Finn were packing up.

London tour part 3

We woke up 4 in the morning for Cecile's flight from London 9 am to France. I throw my coffee into my sleeping head and said bye to Jack, got on the car with Cecile and Jack and head to London. I am amazed by Cecile's driving with such a sleepy head. We arrived in London about past 5, said bye to Cecile and Fredric and I went to Victoria station and had a nap on the floor. We killed some more time in MacDonald when the rush hour started and he went to airport to go back to Norway. And I walked to a backpacker near the Hyde park, left my stuff there and visit Teretko. She is also old friend of mine from Czech that we live together for a year in Sydney. I haven't met for 6 years about so it was really exciting to meet her. I had a dinner with her and talked about past six years, plans of futures and life of London.

Next day, I met another friend from London that I met in China while I was traveling through Yangshuo and had a lunch together in Bond. He showed me around the center of the London a little bit but he got a work so I couldn't stay with him long. I walked around the town by myself and went back to backpackers.

The reason I visit London town once again is that my mother she was visiting London for holiday and I was there for tour guide and as a translator. But, I didn't even know much about London, so well, I just wanted to touring around this expensive town with mum. I got a call from her about 7 in the afternoon, picked her up from her hotel and took her to a Moroccan restaurant. We had some wine and nice meal, talked about travel and family, had a fun.

My mum called and woke me up 9 in the morning next day and the busy touring has began. I am not used to waking up early so it was bit tough but she got short time in London so it has to be in rush. We passed through the Hyde park and visit a shop called Liberty. The shop was built from a battle ship dismantled into pieces, and rebuilt to the Liberty building. So it has unique atmosphere of old wood and black metal, and the inside was decollated with lots of fabric and ornament. It was beautiful and fun to walked around inside. We had a lunch in a pub, walked through SOHO till Thames river, took a boat and slowly traveled throw to London bridge, and in the night, we went to a theater to see a musical “Billy Eliott”. It was recommended by a lot of my friends that I totally enjoyed the show as well; the kids characters were truly talented. Even my mum without understanding a single word, but she was impressed as well.

Next day, my mum had a class for flower arrangement and I had to come around with her for road guide and translate. It was about half an hour away from London by train, in a little village surrounded by the beautiful hill and lake. Our lecture came to pick us up in the train station, drove us around the town and took us to her house where the tutorial was held. It was massive house with amazing garden and sunny room. My mum, I and one more girl from Japan were the only student for the day. Flower arrangement was more interesting than what I was imagined of playing flowers. Anyway, we had tea and cakes in her house and we went back to London town. After the dinner, mum went back to hotel, and I went out with some friends that I met in last London trip. From this morning, my mid finger was swollen up badly and I couldn't take it anymore. So I decided to cut this pus out of my finger in the night. Got myself a razor, antidote, bandage, and a bottle of vodka, then we started to drink and drink on the street of London town. After I got really smashed, the operation has began on the street of London town. Jez was the doctor in charge, Paula from Spain, she took in charge of a nurse, and I give my finger to them and playing doctor has started as earnest. After disinfecting, Jez cut the pus in a flash, it bled thick blood slowly, I screamed in the dark and Paula gave me sanitizes gauze, had a puff and shot of vodka then I started to play guitar and shout some tunes. It stays in my memory like flashing lights, awesome memory of London experience has gone in the dark with my blood on the road.

Waken up by a call from mum in the morning, met up in Kensington park and had chinese together. I didn't feel like London tour because of loss of blood and hangover so that she went to shopping by herself and I spent couple of hours laying on the park under the beautiful sunshine. She came back from shopping and showed me some souvenir happily. We went to an Italian restaurant and I had some seafood pasta and a bottle of wine. I had it with great appreciation of having mum and family. And then again, I hanged out with friends in the evening. We got kicked out from the street we were drinking this time, so we decided to go to Kensington park to drink. It was closed at the night but we sneaked into the park throw the gate, sit near the lake and we had some drink. It was pinched dark and there was nobody but then I put out my guitar and played random codes. We put meaningless lyrics on to the tune and yelled. The melody flowing throw in the quiet park made the lively air with friends and lovely evening has gone with the wind. The faces in the dark has shined by the hazy moon light but I could clearly see them through the laughing sound. The stars were shining brighter than usual and we created our own perspective of the world and the party was kept on going throw the night.

When I woke up from the dream, I got confused what the hell is happened on the bed in the room of 21 people. The mobile rang and I turned back to reality. Checked out from the guest house and caught up with my mum in the park. We walked around the flower garden and chilled out on a bench. I saw her off till her hotel and said good bye. Bond street, SOHO, London bridge, sightseeing boat and good restaurants so on, it was the week that I become a true tourist. I took a bus to go back to Bristol and I had some rest in the end.

Bristol

Its been a while that I have a proper place to live and bed. I spent time quietly, writing blog, playing guitar and drawing pictures. Got myself a ticket to Berlin and Shambala festival. It will be chaos in three days, I had nice resting days in bristol.

Brighton

It took me about 10 and half hours to get to Brighton from Edinburgh. Because I haven't traveled for so long time since India, when I arrived in Brighton with sea breeze and beautiful sunrise in 9 in the morning with sleepy head and pain in my back. Brighton is located in south England on the coast, the weather is nicer and warmer and it has beach in the town. The longing blue sky made my first impression of Brighton comfortable and I hit to the street. I came here to meet Cecile a French girl that I used live together in Melbourne for two years. I haven't seen her for over two years so it was quiet exciting. Cecile and her friend Jack came to pick me up from bus stop by a rental car. We went down to the beach and had a cafe. It is famous that Brighton has a beach but this beach is not sandy but it is a rocky beach. Millions of colorful rocks are covered the beach. It is kind of beautiful but not comfortable to walk around. Also, it was warm but just warmer than Edinburgh that I would not swim in the beach... We were going to drop my stuff in Jack's house but when we got to place where Cecile parked her can, there wasn't one. It was not parking area and the car has towed away without a trace. Jack talked police officers and explained whats happened, call a number that they gave him, hit to a bar chilled out a bit with some beer and took a bus to pick up the car and Cecile paid massive fine that I felt bad about, and my first day of Brighton has gone. In the evening, Cecile and I went to airport to pick up friend Fredric from Norway and we all went out to drink in the town. Mostly, we were drinking in a park just in front of the bar and got smashed. We stayed in Jack's room and all four of us squeezed ourselves and slept in the room. It was a tiny space but its free, I can't complain.

The following morning is also sunny day, the comfortable Saturday has began with music bass noise from a distance. I heard it in Edinburgh that Brighton is a town for gay and hippy. There was a biggest parade in the town, gay pride was held. There was massive parade on the street for miles and miles. The street was decollated in lots of colors, hundreds of gays and lesbians were dressed up in fetish and many crazy looking vehicles like bus and even police cars were driving down the street slowly. The parade has gone hour and hours, and we went down to a park had some beers on the glass. We hit to a pub at the night and got drunk till we fall.

Another perfect blue sky has come upon us but we were having a hang over so we just stayed in Jack's house and chilled out in the garden for whole of the day.

The day has began with another perfect blue sky, we decided to go to beach and swim. In the morning, We had beer on one hand and in the other, but the beautiful sunshine has replaced by the cloud from the sea in the evening. The wind started strong and cold, penetrated our skin, ruined our plan completely. Cecile and Jack went away for car move and talk about work. Fredric and I stayed in the beach waiting for them but it was freaking cold. Evacuated into a pub had couple of beers with jazz live music then couple of hours later, Jack and Cecile came back with the costume. I was a monkey, Fredric was a devil, Cecile and Jack were tiger. We put on the costume and head down to the town. Everyone was laughing but it was really cool in the town with costumes on. We went to Jack's friends house and they feed us with lovely roasted dinner. Four whole chickens and vegetables, there were so much that we couldn't finish them all but it was really awesome. We talked about music, hippy and hand crafts till early in the morning and the day was passed me by.

Next day, John came to visit us and we walked around the town but the weather was still shit as England weather so mostly stayed in and chilled out whole day. We watched a movie “Happy Feet” and fell asleep.

Back on a street Edinburgh

I regret that I booked the flight to Edinburgh right after the festival. I was in pain all of my body and not ready to carry big luggage at all. But I had to go on. John gave me a lift to airport and I arrived there an hour before the flight. But the flight to Scotland was an international flight even though the currency is same, able to go by bus and not even need a visa. When I showed my ticket, they got really in rush and tried to get me through the line. I had to pay for the excessive luggage fee 25 pounds but there is not time to argue. I run into the line of custom and took me long time to got through, went to the gate number that's written on the boarding ticket and there was not a flight. I felt shit “did I miss it?” Then I asked. The gate has been changed. There was 10 more minutes before the flight. I run and run to the gate but the gate was way too far. I was sweating and exhausted. I was the last one coming up on board. But I made it.

I was on the bus after the flight, going to Edinburgh town. It is one of the world heritage town and I was just stunned by the view of the Edinburgh. When the bus reached the middle of the town, I could see new town on the one side and the magnificent view of old town. There was a castle standing upon a hill majestically, and its surrounded by massive wall of the stone. The town was built by stones and rocks, colored in calm, gives me the impression of hundreds of history in behind.

This time I used the couch surfing for accommodation. Because of the fringe festival season, it was really hard to find one in Edinburgh but I finally found one in town. Although it was only for two days and I had to find another couch for after. Anyway, the host was Vic a girl from Lithuania. And she came to bus stop to pick me up. She showed me around the town a little bit while we are walking to her house and I was just stunned by the atmosphere of the Edinburgh town. She gave me a mattress and a blanket in her house. And she took me to a cafe and we had chat about Edinburgh and the day has gone.

Next day, Vic went out to find a job so I went out to the town by myself for an adventure. Well, this is still Scotland. The weather was cold and the sky was cloudy in grey, and rain has started as soon as I got outside. And also the color of the town which comes from mold on rocks gave me a mournful feeling in my eyes. But, Edinburgh has unique air of UK that carries my foots on road and took me into wonder the little allies and get lost enthusiastically. I visited a national museum. It was huge and got lost inside again and I spent about couple of hours easily. After couple of hours of getting lost, I finally manage to find Vic's house and we had a light dinner together. The main events for the day was the concert of “The Correspondents” in voodoo lounge. It started about 12 o'clock and it went on till the sunrise. I have gone crazy with this Electro Swing sound and dance till I die. Rarely, I met a Japanese girl in here and we had a cafe next day.

From this day, I had no place to stay in Edinburgh. I looked around the prices of some guest houses but it was about 30 to 40 pounds a day. I totally feeling not to pay for that. I decided to think about it later and I hit to the town. There was the biggest performance festival i the world “Fringe festival” was held in Edinburgh town and the street was filled up by the performers and tourist from all around the world. It was really huge festival and lively in whole the whole town. I went some comedy shows that day and had a bit of laugh. In the night, I went to “Bongo Club”. It has a theme for the night and it was “Confusion is Sex” everyone was wearing the unique clothe, fetish dress, and some gays and lesbians were wearing only under wear and some costumed into some kind of monsters then the party was really bouncing by the craziness. Luckily, I get along with the DJs and their crew and I had a really wicked night. There were some performance by the strippers, dancers and singers in the dance hall. When I scrawled through the crowd of ghosts and monsters, I found many strangers with horrific make up were dancing in the hall. There were colorful lights reflecting from the mirror ball flashing through the foggy dance floor and lighten up the beast instantaneously. The real characters created by the artificial faces, showed me the individuals truth of humanity hide behind the society. And the human klesha revealed out, scratch down by the madness. All the people there were filled up with ecstasy of realm what they want to be. The party was insanely fun and kept on going till morning. Then we went to house party after.

I woke up in the afternoon in the house which I have no idea where it is, and the house was in silence with messed up trace of the party last night. Then I met a friend from yesterdays party, found out that he is living in the house. And I asked him whether I can stay in his place for some nights. He kindly accepted my needs and told me he was going to London for a whole week for work and I can use his room till his come back. I was going to Brighton within a week so it was perfect. Whether he trusted me or he is not cautious, but he said bye and took off to London leaving all his valuable stuff with me. He met another share mate and had a chat for a minutes and he also went out to work. Well, luckily I had a room and house for entire days I stayed in Edinburgh. The day I just lay down on a couch and chilled out, recovering my mess from the party.

Nest day, it was a heavy rainy day so I just spent the day writing blog, playing guitar and drawing a pictures in the house.

With a little bit of blue sky and a nice hot tea, I started another day in Edinburgh and went out to the town to enjoy the fringe festival. I got a call from Kara that she was coming to Edinburgh so the plan for the day was decided. She came with her friends Pete and Megan and we chilled out about an hour in a park in between old town and new city, talked about the shows that we go. Thanks to the sunshine, it was really different from most of the day of Edinburgh with cloud and cold; toured the town into lively atmosphere with many performances and tourist all around, and the beautiful fun day has began. The fringe festival is the biggest performance festival in the world; the whole town is the site for the festival so it is really huge. We got lost in the town to begin with, running through the town and late for a show, refused to go in cos we were late, a 5 pound ticket was gone without used. Well, we could just laugh about it and beware for the next. We saw some shows in the after noon and we met one comedian from Australia Dave Eastgate, he said that he used to do comedy shows in Japan and after we talked, he gave me two free ticket for his show. Me and Kara decided to go together and we spent some time walking around the town till the show. The show with no expectation nor reputation turned to the best show I have seen in fringe festival. His energetic talk and performance was involved with all the audience constant laughing. After the show, we chilled out in a bar and the day has gone contently.

We again gathered up in the town next day, walked around the town and enjoyed some shows. They had to go back to Bristol next morning, they went to sleep early in the evening. I decided to go home and I called Sadiq whether he is home or not. He was in the town seeing a show. I didn't have a key so I head back to the town looked for Sadiq. Accidentally I met him in the town and he took me into a show. I sneaked into the show and I surprised. It was a gay comedy. There were gay with just an underwear dancing on the rope and pole, jumping and scrawling into the audiences and it was really gay. But the talk and show was really funny and impressive, I think it was also one of the best show I have seen in the fringe as well. Sadiq and I went to a club called Cabaret Voltaire venue and had a drum and bass concert till late.

Next couple of days also miserably rainy and cloudy. Blogging, watching anime and drinking were filled up my last days in Edinburgh and I prepare to go down to Brighton. This 9 days experience in Edinburgh has gone by like a flash to me.