First Day in Scotland

At the Sheffield Interchange

We barely slept last night. We secured an early departure to Scotland, and didn't want to miss the train. We didn't even bother unpacking, though some of us re-packed a lighter load, for our 1-week trip to Scotland. Our train would leave just before 9 am. This would be our first train ride in the UK aboard the National Rail.

Transit at York

We had a brief 20-minute stop over at York, followed by another 10 minute transit at Edinburgh before ending our journey at Dundee 6 hours later. Edinburgh looked really nice. We could see the castle from inside the train station... very majestic. We decided to visit here in the days to come. The train ride was pleasant, kind of like the KTM Komuter in Malaysia. Weather was nice, though there were spots of rain that looked pretty depressing. Overall though, it was nice.

When we arrived at Dundee at about 3 pm, we were surprised to learn that the car rental companies were closed. They close at 12 pm on Saturdays. I was very disappointed. So much for all that planning. We ended up taking 2 taxis to our accommodations near Blairgowrie. The cottage we rented was pretty remote, and I wondered how we'd ever find it without a taxi (fitted with GPS). Even the taxi driver heavily relied on the directions I printed from Google Maps.

Neids Cottage Surrounding Hills

Despite not getting a car, and having to pay extra for the 2 cabs we had to take, we tried to keep our spirits up. We were definitely tired (and hungry) from the journey. And after hearing about our predicament, our landlord graciously offered to drive us to the local Tesco for some supplies. Tesco, by the way, was a good 10 miles away. How nice of her to accommodate us. While Mak Long and Uteh followed our landlord to get groceries, I explored the nearby area with the kids.

The Neids Cottage, as it is called, is splendid. The house itself is large, with 4 bedrooms and 2 bath, a large living area with a fireplace, and a very cosy attic. It's surrounded by greenery, and a stream. And since we won't be getting a car till Monday, I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend in the country. We ended our long journey relaxing in our new abode.

Reunion, Enroute

Reunion at Heathrow We arrived into Heathrow Airport. Customs and Immigration was pretty smooth and uneventful. We were greeted at the terminal by Mommy's extended family, namely Nenek, Mak Long, Uteh and Andak. We would be meeting Pak Usu when we arrived at Sheffield.

Enroute to Sheffield

We were tired, but our excitement kept us in high spirits. At the terminal, we opted to take the National Express bus to Sheffield, instead of the train. The train station apparently is pretty far away, and the bus would be more convenient. The lady at the counter said we can take the return trip into London, instead of back at the terminal. And so we were on our way to Sheffield. It was a 5 hour trip to Sheffield, kind of like taking the bus from KL to Mersing.

When we arrived at the bus station at Sheffield, Pak Usu was waiting for us. We actually arrive an hour late due to Friday afternoon traffic. Pak Usu didn't seem to mind the waiting. And we took our first English Black Cab to Pak Usu's place. And here we re-grouped and prepared for our trip to Scotland the next day.

Pak Usu's Room at Sheffield

We're on Our Way

How exciting! Today we begin our journey to the UK. Melur and Arman seem very excited. Mommy and Daddy are also very excited. Although, we're there to attend Pak 'Usu's graduation from the University of Sheffield, we couldn't resist a chance to experience the UK for the first time. When else would we ever venture here. Our trip will include one week in Scotland, a few days around Sheffield and the Peak District, ended by a few days in London. I think this is a vacation more for Mommy and Daddy than for the kids, but it'll be a family vacation nonetheless.

We departed from Vancouver International Airport at 5:45 pm, and arrived 9 hours later at about 10:15 am London time. The kids really enjoyed the flight. I wonder how the kids will handle the jet lag. Only time will tell.

Shopping at Kitsilano

Well... Daddy took a short video of the kids today, as we headed out to Kitsilano to do a little more shopping. We're going to the UK this week, and Melur, Mommy and Daddy need new shoes for the trip. Yesterday, we went to Metrotown and did some shopping too. Sorry... despite having the new camera, we were so busy shopping that we didn't take any pictures, other than this video you see below:

Anyway, yesterday's shopping at Metrotown was mostly at Zeller's, since it's cheap. Arman got 3 new pairs of pants. Melur got a new pair of shorts, a set of lip gloss (yes, a SET), and some new underwear. You see Melur and Arman in their new shorts in the video above. Both kids also got new rain coats in preparation for the rain in the UK. Daddy got a poncho, and Mommy got an umbrella. We also got toiletries and some snacks for the trip. This was from yesterday. Today, we went to Kitsilano. Melur and Mommy got new shoes from the usual Shoe Warehouse. The store closed early, so Daddy wasn't able to get anything there. Then we visited the Dollar store to get some hangars and facial tissues. Finally, on the way way home, Mommy spotted another shoe store that was still open. This is where Daddy bought a pair of Rockports to wear in the UK. With that, we should be all set for our trip on Thursday. Hope you enjoyed the video. We'll be packing our stuff later this week. We're so excited to go.