...That is, four Bread Loaf seniors and a LOT of hen and stag parties. Now, if you don't know what a stag or hen party is, BE THANKFUL. Annie, Ali, Jessie, and I certainly got to know more than our fair share this weekend in edenic Edinburgh.
Our first introduction to the tradition in the U.K. of throwing someone a stag (bachelor) or hen (bachelorette) party came on our 6 hour train...which turned into an 8+ hour train due to multiple delays along the route. We wouldn't have minded the delays if it weren't for the fact that we were literally surrounded by women in whoopie cushion costumes and men impersonating Elvis. Man, the Scots and Brits really know how to get the party started--and started they did at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. They were smashed from the get go and didn't stop drinking, singing, and dancing all weekend. The train was also overbooked--and because we bought our tickets so late, we didn't have reserved seats (and others did), so every stop along the way, we were weaving our way through these parties and the train cars hoping to find an empty seat. All in all, it was hilarious. But it was a loooooong ride.
We arrived in Edinburgh and promptly found our hostel...who couldn't find our reservation. No problem, the guy at the counter said to us, you probably are booked at the hostel down the street with the exact same name (same name? same street? different hostels? whatever). We arrive at the 2nd hostel only to hear that they did get our reservation, but somewhere between them "booking" us and our arrival in Scotland, they gave the 4 person room away. Sorry, they said, we're completely booked; we emailed you an hour ago to let you know...
Looking back on the moment we realized we had no place to stay and that every single place was probably going to be booked by that point, I have to laugh because the four of us kicked into overdrive. Jessie ran out the door looking for hostels on foot, Ali buried her nose in her tourbook, Annie grabbed a phone, and I tried to get online. Twenty frantic minutes later, we found a place who would take us in, and for cheaper (hooray!), but they couldn't promise we would be in the same room with each other and the rooms would house between 10-14 people, men and women. We looked at each other, reverted back to our college backpacking mindsets, and told them we would take the spots and we'd be there in 5 minutes. The adventure had begun.
And now, I must go to London to catch our showing of Twelfth Night tonight. I promise I will continue the Edinburgh saga when I return--lots more hens, stags, and laughs involved!
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