Today's adventure was one of a different sort. It marked the first day Matt and I got lost in the city.
After classes today, Matt and I decided to head up to Prince's Street, where there are huge department-type stores. We wanted boots for both of us and a jacket for him. We got there around 4 because my dorm's lights were out (probably due to severe wind...30 km/h!), so I had to bring my food over to his kitchen to cook it (I had a great lunch though--eggs, toast, brie, and a clementine).
We shopped around but the only things we bought were groceries. Getting back on the bus to go home, we assumed (wrongly) that any bus #3-- would bring us back to the city. Well, as it turned out, bus 33, which we took, does go back to the city. But then it hangs a right sometime before our stop and goes on a round-about tour of Edinburgh.
We passed the Royal Infirmary, and then began to wind through residential streets. Thinking the bus had to complete its cycle sometime and would bring us back to the city center, we stayed on board. Until, that is, the driver came up to tell us that we were at the last stop before the bus heads to the garage to "sleep." Another couple, who didn't speak much English, was also on the bus. The driver pointed us toward another stop where "all buses go into town."
Well, we had a problem. We only had one pound and change between the two of us. Buses only accept EXACT change, and they prefer coins, since there isn't a pound-note anyway. So, I took 10pounds from Matt and ventured into a tiny Cantonese take-away restaurant and asked one of the ladies inside if she had change for a ten because I needed it for the bus. She didn't, but a really kindly lady overheard and counted out ten pounds, to us university students who need pounds for laundry and basic living, those coins are pure gold. I thanked her and told her she was a lifesaver. We then went back to the bus stop and asked more random Scots if the buses coming went to Nicholson Street, Cameron Toll, or Craigmiller. They told us to head down a DIFFERENT rode to the bus stop and take ANY bus to get to town, but to take, specifically, 37 to get to Craigmillar (where our houses are).
Even with ten pounds in my pocket (enough to take five buses between me and Matt), we decided to play it safe and wait 28 mintues for the next #37 to arrive (luckily there are nifty electric signs that scroll the bus numbers and when they'll arrive at nearly every bus stop).
By this time, I was cracking up laughing. Matt was worried our food would go bad but in 30-degree weather I thought it would probably be fine. We finally got the bus (two minutes early!) and within ten minutes were back in Matt's kitchen cooking gourmet burgers and asparagus (I make the BEST asparagus, by the way, tender but crunchy with just the right amount of seasoning).
So basically, the day after I was bragging that I know my way around the city sooo well, I went and got lost (although I blame Matt for choosing to take the 33 bus in the first place).
This is probably the beginning of a fun weekend.
-A-
PS: I forgot to add that, while cooking, one of Matt's hallmates, Pablo, asked us what we had done that day. I told him we had gotten lost because we had assumed any 3- bus was safe, but 33 got us into trouble. His response was that the two buses that aren't okay to take into town are 31 and 33. Of allllll the buses out there...Heh. Oh well, now we know!
