Alexander Jack

Edinburgh – We stayed in Edinburgh or (Edinbvrgh as they spell it) at a hostel that was far nicer than my hotel in London for a fraction of the price. The city of Edinburgh is extremely topographic. At almost every point of the city it seemed we were standing on top of a hill looking down. It may have been the frequent elevation changes or the medieval presence of the town, but I am in love. The people were as friendly and cordial as Nebraskans, but in a town with overwhelming pride thick with history. The city had a cold-clear nip like a Colorado town and just as scenic views atop any building or mountain. Oddly enough, the town is renowned for being one of the scariest places in the world. For instance, their major tourist attractions are graveyards and gothic cathedrals with hourly “ghost tours.”(nope, didn’t see one) The city had an odd dichotomy though. During the day the sun would cascade across the hundreds of stone buildings and change a dark, pointed city into a beautiful stretch of generations of manmade buildings. Although once the sun sets, the city devolves to its sinister, jack-the-ripper style city. At multiple points, Erika and I were just creeped out by just the buildings, not the people.

Of coarse being in Scotland, I was able to sample various scotch-whiskeys, and a lot of it I did. To put it into perspective, all the retail and business hours are from 10 – 5 or 6 but the pubs (and many there were) are open till 3 am. The pubs had amazing food and drinks with an extremely live atmosphere [I should write a column for the Edinburgh tourism boardJ.]

Dublin – To answer you question, yes I had a Guinness. But I’ve also drunk, Guinness in Omaha, London, and Edinburgh. I’ve always enjoyed Guinness. Was it any different in Dublin? No. Not the drink that is, because after touring the Guinness factory I’ve learned that every single Guinness whether its for a sporting event in Africa or the Dubliner in Omaha, is guaranteed to be perfect. The factory was indescribable; hopefully Erika can do it some justice, it’s like a God to the locals. They produce 4 million gallons of Guinness a day and supply the staggering 10,000,000 glasses enjoyed daily! So after the procession thru the tour and learning all the care and involvement for a single glass of Guinness, I was offered a free pint. Standing there with my Guinness in hand, I could not have had more appreciation for anything. It was the best beer I’ve ever had, and not because it was a Guinness, but because of the pride the Republic of Ireland has instilled in their product.

It wasn’t until our journey to these two towns that I realized, London is just a big city and the novelty has worn off. I now progress through the city with IPod headphones in my ears to block out all the noise. It still is spectacular, but not in a physical sense. I’m starting to see the undercurrents of the city, the politics, and segregation. This part, once oblivious to me for the first month, is starting to rear its ugly head.

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