Scotland and Ireland Coasts...the good, the bad and the ugly

The Scottish and Irish coasts are amazing...beautiful, picturesque, like something out of a fairy tale. For the past five days or so, I have primarily spent my time in these remote areas, visiting the Isles of Mull and Iona in Scotland and the the Northern coast of Ireland near the Giant's Causeway.

Iona was incredible; with morning and evening worship services, beautiful white sand beaches and a great eco-friendly hostel right on the water. It was here that St. Columba established an abbey that would soon convert all of pagan Scotland. Remarkable to think about after a visit; so tiny, so obscure and out of place. But this seems to be the way in which God often works...and I like it. It was here in Iona that I first connected with fellow travelers (outside of really helpful guy I met on the bus to Edinburgh). It was nice to feel part of a community, whether the worshipping community at the abbey (google Iona Community) or the hostel community. I arrived in Iona with no money (a little foolish on my part, but needed to make the transportation connections) and was graciously cared for by my fellow travelers with a couple warm meals and great conversation. Things seemed to work out...you know when things fall into line, like it was meant to be, when things make sense and all you can do is give thanks.

The Northern Coast of Ireland was a bit of a different story. I arrived in Glasgow late at night and decided on a whim to chance it and head to Troon (coastal town where I would catch the ferry in the morning). Bad decision. Ended up in Troon, surprisingly a really nice town, but didn't know about the lack of accommodations there. Spent an hour walking around looking for lodging (was going to chance it and crash outside by the church, but decided against it this time). Wound up at an Irish Dancing gathering that was absolutely hilarious...ate there leftover chicken nuggets and was finally directed to a hotel by some rough guys in kilts (the hotel was overpriced, but it worked).

Then took the ferry in the morning (Saturday) to Larne, waited four hours for the bus up toward Portstewart, where I thought I would stay a couple nights. Found out the buses don't run on Sunday (and Portstewart is 15 miles from the Causeway where I wanted to go), so I decided to hop off in Bushmills, only two miles from the Causeway. Unfortunately, the hostel was booked. Walked a couple miles to two B&Bs and they were both booked. Then met a big, burly dude with lots of tattoos that offered to give me a ride to some other B&Bs. Hitched a ride with him to a place that had a vacancy sign on it. When to the door and met this old lady who informed me that the "B&B" was actually her house, and there weren't any vacancies. However, she did offer me a ride across the road and fortunately found a place to put my head for the night.

The trip up the Irish coast was long, frustrating, disappointing...nothing seemed to work out. Quite a contrast to Scotland, where everything was like clockwork. I guess that is how things are...Sometimes things work, sometimes they "don't". A trip like this reminds you of a God who is there in the good and the bad, the times when all your lips can do is give praise and the times when all you want to do is curse. These are good things to learn and relearn. The coasts of Scotland and Ireland have reminded me anew.

People or Places?

I used think there were two routes to travel, one that takes you to beautiful places (mountains, ocean, cities), the other that take you to beautiful people (people you know, trust, love). I would tend to pick people over places any day of the week, visiting places that have people you want to see and develop deeper relationships.

These past couple days, a third route travel route emerged. I was reconnected with my cousin Maureen, his husband Richard and their two great kids Hanna and Chloe. I haven't seen Maureen since my grandfather died a number of years ago. It was beautiful to be with them. To laugh, hear stories of life in England, eat great food they prepared and sleep in a home. Their hospitality was tremendous and I felt so welcomed.

They live in a beautiful town called Melsonby, in the Yorkshire area. From there, we traveled to the Lake District (home of Beatrix Potter tales) and one of the National Parks in the area. Stunning landscape with breathtaking views abound. I was amazed at the great, big fields filled with sheep and the incredible stacked stone fences. The lake was fantastic as we took a tour on of the lake from Bowness. Our day was capped off with an excellent meal at the CB Inn, partaking in the local brew on cask, Black Sheep Bitter. Outstanding.

This part of the trip truly brought together both beautiful people and beautiful places, a third way. And I am thankful.

I Sat Next to William Blake

Yesterday I went to Westminster Abbey's Evensong. Magnificent. Traveling solo has actually not be too rough, but being in a space, a church with a couple hundred people worshipping in unison...well, it lifts the soul. It was also a fitting "end" to the day, making sense of all the things that had taken place up to that time. You know what I mean? When something seems to put everything into perspective, seems to bring to light all the cluster and confusion of the day....like a phone call from a good friend, the smile from a newborn, an embrace.

These events can reach through and, even in the silence (maybe because of the silence), speak the love that we all so long to hear. This is the experience I had at Westminster Abbey. Worship. Communing with God. Hearing God's gentle voice reminded me that He loves me, that He loves you. I hope that you will find a fitting end to your day, that the silence might speak to you, that you might experience a love far greater and more majestic than you can ever imagine. And may you find rest there, true rest in this love.

London Calling

Tolkein said "Not all who wander are lost", but I love getting "lost". I got in yesterday to London around noon. I had a little bit of trouble at customs because I was winging my lodging for the night. Took the Underground to Piccadilly Circus and managed to find my way to Piccadilly Hotel, a nice hostel close to a lot of the major sites. Then came the real fun.

I set out to explore Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, etc. and got very distracted along the way. The ended up taking about nine hours, all walking. (London has a great subway system, but I just like to walk). I just wanted to walk around and observe, to learn about the culture and worldview of the city and people. It was fascinating. Here are a couple things I noticed/experienced:

• Entertaining/Playful: Witnessed a street show in the Market area of Covent Garden near St. Paul's Church. It entailed a guy juggling knives and a chainshaw on a eight foot unicycle while only wearing pink spandex boxers (see flickr picture)
• Different Street Codes: Obviously the people over here drive on the other side of the road, but didn't know that about the escalators, until I tried walking down the up (interesting)
• Expensive: A six pack of Bud cost $15 in the supermarket, while most everything really is twice as much than in US
• Helpful: People were helpful when I had questions...when I was lost around the University of London, the guy said, "Buddy, maybe you should get a map". I had a map, but that is beside the point
• Nice and Clean: The city is remarkably clean and the people dress really, really nice (also drive great cars) Almost all the guys were wearing three piece suits. Crazy. The parks are incredible as well.

I'm met some cool travelers as well. Lots of young people, primarily from Europe, but also connected with a kid from Minnesota last night. Great to meet other travelers and share stories, hear advice about other place to visit/check out. Well, internet cafe time is running out. Until next time

Bon Voyage

Friends...Today is the day. In about four hours, 11am Pacific time, I board a US airways flight to London via Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. After so much planning and replanning, the time has finally arrived. I am filled with so many emotions: joy, sadness, excitement, etc. These emotions remind me of the blessings of friend and family both here in the States and abroad. And I am thankful.

I will rely on the kindness of strangers throughout this trip, arriving in London with a rough guide, but not a detailed itinerary, a place to stay, etc. This is something that is exciting to me, albeit difficult; to trust others, to ask for help, to rely on others for simple things like a place to live or food to eat. I think living in such a way is good, and true and beautiful; to enter into relationships with hands open, willing to give of oneself and receive what God has in store. It sounds simple, yet is challenging.

Thank you again for journeying with me...your support and encouragement is a huge gift, more than you will ever know. I look forward to sharing stories and pictures along the way.

Packing List

Planning what to bring on a four month trip around the world is no small feat, particularly when considering climate change (russia and singapore) and pack size (using a 35L bag, slightly larger than school backpack). So, after heading to REI (my second favorite outdoor store next to Exkursion in Pittsburgh) to pick up some last minute items for the trip, I decided to share with you my packing list (this includes what i will be wearing when i leave) (if you see anything missing please let me know)

AROUND THE WORLD PACKING LIST

• 2 synthetic t-shirts
• 1 long-sleeve synthetic shirt
  
• 2 long-sleeve wrinkle-free travel shirts
  
• 2 pairs of lightweight, wrinkle free pants
• 1 pair of lightweight, wrinkle free shorts
  
• 1 swimsuit
• 2 pairs of synthetic socks
  
• 3 pairs of ex officio nylon underwear
• 1 pair of rainbow sandals
• 1 pair of low/mid hiking boots
  
• 1 soft shell, microfleece jacket
• 1 bandana
• 1 hat
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• 1 pair of glasses
• 1 pacsafe shoulder bag
  
• toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, soap, chapstick, dental floss, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, mirror, contact lens fluid)
• medical (band-aids, hydrocortisone, neosporine, advil, imodium, laxatives, iodine tablets, motion sickness pills, vaseline, sports tape, tweezers, cough drops, toilet paper)
• miscellaneous (ear plugs, sharpie, duct tape, superglue, power adapters, collapsible bowl, spork, clothes line, silk sleepsheet, safety pins, drainplug, alarm clock, deck of cards, sewing kit, headlamp, digital camera, moleskin mini-journals, wifi phone, sig water bottle, money belt, mini locks, bike lock, travel towel, ipod, bible, rough guide travelbooks)

I might have accidentally omitted a couple items, but I think this is pretty much everything. Please let me know if there is anything you can think of that would be really valuable to bring. Some of you have a lot of experience travelling light and via backpack.

Couchsurfing

Beside connecting and staying with friends and friends of friends throughout the trip, I became a member of Couchsurfing.com, a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit. Couchsurfing is a community of over 700,000 people around the world who have voluntarily offerred up their "couch" for the night (or multiple nights) for others in the community to stay (for free).

It is a pretty awesome idea, epitomizing the very idea of hospitality, particularly to strangers. The hope is to internationally network people and places, to create educational exchanges and facilitate cultural understanding. After signing up on the website, you simply create a profile, make your "couch" available (you can also say that you are interested in just grabbing coffee) and email other members to ask if you can stay on their "couch" when you travel. Think Facebook/Myspace meets the travel industry.

Thanks so much to those of you who have emailed me with names/emails of people you know around the world. Always looking for more. It is exciting to connect with your friends and get to know them. Head out one week from today.

Map of Trip

Around the World with Chris Cooke


View Larger Map

So, one of the things I've done is create a personal map on Google Maps, "Around the World with Chris Cooke"...pretty cool little feature. You can zoom in and out to different areas and see a little bit about my route and some of the places i am planning to visit.

Basic Plan is this: Fly into London, travel around Europe (Western/Eastern Europe), take Trans-Siberian railroad from Moscow to Beijing, explore Asia, head to Australia and NZ for some R & R before flying back to Los Angeles.

The map is public and a sketch right now (i think you can even add info on my map). However, it does give you an idea of some of the places and people I plan to visit. If you know of anyone in and around these areas, please let me know (as i hope this trip to be built around relationship).

I've spent a large portion of today putting together an online database of contacts and important phone numbers/emails. Not the most glamorous work, but fun to think through this vast, global network of relationships around you. Thankful for your friendship and help.

Introduction

Thanks so much for travelling with me around the world. Over the course of the next four months, I plan to travel over 30,000 miles around the world (plane, train, boat, car, etc). This "solo" journey will take me from the US to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia/NZ. I'm excited about it...something I've wanted to do for a long time.

I view you as essential travelers with me; people who can point me in the right direction, connect me with others, get me back on track and provide encouragement along the way. I hope that my writing may give you renewed insight and vision into your life that can help you in your day to day. Thanks!