I can see why more people don’t do this more often. Besides the whole incredibly expensive thing, even with staying in hostels. After spending pretty much the majority of the entire weekend with my wonderful, amazing, awesome mother helping me out with this stuff, I’m coming to the realization that pretty much the only way that you don’t end spending a fortune when you’re already over there is to bike everywhere and live off of granola bars.

However, I want this trip to be more than that. It’s not very often that I’m going to be able to work up the gumption to do something like that so I want this to be touristy (because I am a tourist) and see a lot of amazing sights, but I want to eat me some authentic food too. I don’t care if true Brits don’t eat “fish and chips” anymore but eat burgers and fries instead…but at some point, they ate fish and chips, so that’s what I’m going to it. Likewise with haggis. It might scare the hell out of me to look at it, but it’s authentic Scot food, and therefore it’s going to “get inta meh bellah” as Fat Bastard would say. On that subject, I’m sure that you’re summarily executed in Scotland if you even bring up that ridiculous caricature of Scottish culture. Besides, the books I’ve read say “it’s a bit mushy, but delightfully zesty.” – seriously, who can resist a description like that?

The Isle of Man is starting to tick me off though. With all of their hidden fees and surcharges for just getting to their island, not counting the fact I had to completely modify my return trip to be through Liverpool instead so I could see the home of the Beatles still, the Three Legs of Mann are turning out to be a real hassle. It’s one thing to charge a lot for a service or entry, but it’s another thing to say your ticket is going to be one price, and then tack on a bunch of little ones before you hit the “purchase” button. What do they think they are, an airline?

I’ve become a member of the International Hostel Association as well though, which should save me 3 {monetary units} whenever I spend a night in one of their associated hostels. It was only 20 bucks for the year too, so I couldn’t really argue with that since it’ll probably save me £40 before my trip is through.

Also…what gives with Wales?!? Why are there no trains running through you??? This is supposed to be the 21st century; can’t we properly cut some holes through the Cambrian mountains without destroying the natural beauty of it? I mean, some might say that I should have planned the trip otherwise first so that I would have known this, but I was a little surprised to see that in order for me to get to Mount Snowden, the highest point in Wales and England, I would need to pretty much go around the entire country by way of Chester, and then double back in on myself. Sigh…thank goodness for the Britrail “Flexipass” which allows me to get unlimited rail time for a limited number of days so it’s not a big deal, just a little one.

Now…I don’t want to make it seem like I’m not enjoying the whole process immensely though, or that I’m going deranged here because of all of this. I probably would be if not for the generous help I’m getting in this regard. I hope that when I do this again next year (and you better believe I will) I’ll be a little less helpless and have more time to stay over there. Or who knows…why even leave?

One week and a day until the show gets started!