edinburgh – The Design Ocean

Arthur’s Seat. This is one of the highest points in Edinburgh. The climb was fairly steep towards the top. The view was worth it though. You could see all of Edinburgh and cities/towns beyond it in all directions. The thing about hiking alone is that you make friends easily with other solo hikers. I met a man named Ang who had also heard of Arthur’s seat and decided to climb it. He flew all the way from Vietnam to see Scotland. I love people who go far to see something amazing.

This was taken at the top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh. Scotland has a thing for really nice views. This park was a complete surprise to me. I saw some interesting structures from the bottom of Princes Street and just wanted to find out more about them. Turns out, there are multiple monuments atop a lovely hill.

Leith Walk: A waterway that twists and bends around Edinburgh with an awesome path that leads to unexpected sites. I took a photo here, because it reminded me of a scene from a fairytale. Maybe a princess used to live around here a thousand years ago. Who knows?

This was taken near the top of Arthur’s Seat. I was getting tired and decided to stop for a moment to catch my breath. Luckily, a raven decided to do the same. (Although, I’m sure it wasn’t tired at all.) The clouds set an interesting scene and the view beyond was something incredible.

This is a photo from the edge of Everglades National Park in Florida. There was a single row of palm trees along the road. It got me thinking about how we arrange natural objects in artificial positions.

This is the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. The inside is heavily decorated with a number of blue tiles. Women must cover themselves upon entering and everyone must remove his or her shoes. It sits on top of a hill so that you can see it from many places in the city. Its minarets blast out the call to prayer (ezan) 5 times a day.

Sultanahmet, a large square in Istanbul that sits by to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The women in the photo are wearing hijabs. It’s common to see many women wearing hijabs and niqabs in Turkey. There are also occasionally sitings of gypsies with children asking for money. If you are Asian, most Turkish people will think that you are Japanese and greet you with “konichiwa.” My mom and I experienced this on a daily basis.

Hagia Sophia / Ayasofya in black and white. It’s currently under construction, but still as beautiful as ever. The interior is, of course, epic. It’s amazing to think that this has been both a Christian church and a Muslim mosque. I love that Istanbul’s history is so rich.

Istanbul from the sea. It’s so easy to only see the touristy parts of the city, but if you stray further into the Bosphorus, there are many other places worth seeing. The ferry that goes from Europe to Asia is inexpensive (5 TL) and fast. Bebek is a beautiful neighborhood in the northern part of Istanbul. There are yachts by the water, cafes with stunning views and a coastal walking path that stretches for 10 miles.

STARBUCKS WIFI

Good free WiFi is hard to find. A Scottish woman joked with me that only 3% of Scotland has real high-speed internet. Regardless, Starbucks will always get you free WiFi and outlets to plug your devices into. There are a bazillion Starbucks in Edinburgh. The most spacious one I’ve encountered so far in on Princes St. Waverly Station Starbucks is quite cozy and generally a bit warmer, which may be important in the winter. The central Starbucks in Old Town (off High Street) is nice as well, but generally more crowded.

OTHER WIFI

McDonald’s has free WiFi as well, but you need to go through a verification process that involves them sending you a verification code via SMS, which you may or may not be able to receive depending on your phone’s messaging plan. Waterstones Cafe on Princes is also quite roomy and offers free WiFi (faster than Starbucks) without requiring a password. The Central Library in Edinburgh has free WiFi as well, but you have to enter a library membership number in order to reach it. The Cafe inside the Main Library has 4-5 computers with fast internet. Hostels generally have free WiFi, but they are as slow as winters in Boston. Some hostels have multiple WiFi hotspots. Find the one closest to you; don’t assume the one you used in the main lounge (e.g. “Hostel Free”) is the best one.

TRAVEL

Get up early, especially if you want to travel to neighboring cities. Edinburgh to Glasgow: £9.50 / Edinburgh to Stirling: £12.50 / Bus in Edinburgh: £1.50 / Bus in Glasgow: £1.20 or £1.90 depending on distance / Bus prices vary in St. Andrews, Stirling.

Umbrellas are definitely necessary in a downpour, but not particularly useful during the short bursts of drizzle and light rain Edinburgh daily. Get a good hat instead that will keep your head dry and warm.

CONVERSATION

For Americans: “Hiya” = “Hey there, how’s it going.” and “Sitting in or taking away?” = “For here or to go?”

Talk to people you don’t know, whether its shopkeepers or other hostel residents. They won’t all be from the city you’re in. You’ll find travelers from everywhere. If you don’t know how to start a conversation, I recommend starting with a question.

Use “Globish” (Global English) with non-native English speakers. They’ll thank you for it.

Call/chat/email your loved ones often. They miss you. Skype/Hangout/FaceTime will suck without good WiFi.

FOOD

Haggis is actually good. But eat some green stuff too.

For hostelers: get ready to spend at least the same amount of money on food as you would on shelter. Food for a day (if you eat out) will usually be more expensive than a night’s stay in a 12-person room.

Tag: edinburgh

Photos from Edinburgh, Miami and Istanbul

On Traveling & Working Remote in Edinburgh