#i...stupidly started my hike as soon as the downpour ended...then it started again

[aisling-saoirse]

Caught in a Storm, Hedden Park, NJ - August 3rd 2024

[aoibaratraveler]

UK Road Trip Week 3

Ahhh late post was initially meaning to post every Monday but what can you do when you're on the road with limited signal sometimes and always wanting to look out the window and the pretty sights.

Day 15:

Woke up early and was finally able to put in our big bag of laundry into the wash. We weren't really able to do the things we thought about doing like going for a hike or a bike ride because we wanted to wait for our laundry so instead we took it easy and watched the last episode of izombie and once V was done with her skype interview we went grocery shopping for dinner supplies since we were going to cook ratatouille. We got back to the house and prepped all the vegetables and V made vegan chocolate pudding for dessert. Once everything was prepped and ready we decided to go kayaking for a little while before everyone would be back for dinner. Since there were 3 of us and only 2 kayaks, the bf and I decided to share one but boy was that a mistake because the bf sat in front with me in the back (so he was sitting in between my legs) and I'm not sure how but all his weight was on me and when I tried to position myself to paddle, it put so much strain on my abs and was the most painful thing so it was a struggle but at least we had a laugh and got to see a cool cave and some beautiful waves; got pretty drenched though. On the way back the bf and V switched and she and I sat together which made the paddle back much easier because she's lighter and I sat in front this time for good measure. When we got back, we quickly whipped up the rest of dinner (which was delicious) and chowed down. We then drove V's parents to an evening event and then the bf had a go at driving "Marvin", a classic 70's Volkswagen beetle that was gifted to V and her sister by their parents when they were 17. We got back and played games until midnight and V's parents returned just before we were to call it a night. V's dad decided out of the blue though that he wanted to show us the strangest card trick which involved being able to manipulate two rows of cards to be completely black and completely red even though we were the ones dealing it. Afterward, V showed us a curious card trick as well before we finally hit the hay.

Day 16:

Had a nice long catch up with V this morning before saying goodbye so much so that we didn't leave her house until 12:30...when we were expecting a 7 hour drive ahead of us...on the plus side when I mentioned to her parents that lately it's been cold while camping, her mom went and got us a duvet to take with us that she was planning to donate anyway. The drive was lovely and scenic but I was feeling a bit ill because of my indigestion so couldn't fully take it in. We were short on time since we didn't want to set up the tent when it was too dark and we only made one stop on the drive in a place just outside of Land's End called St. Just. It was a cliffside surrounded by lush green rolling hills and fields that was just gorgeous and gave such an atmosphere with the overcast. The rocky cliffs partially covered in grass and flowers were wonderful as they overlooked the clear blue-green ocean water. We sat there for a while and just took it in but I was sure that I could just sit there all day and still want more. It was most definitely my favourite stop by far. Afterward, we continued our drive from Cornwall to St. Clears which is just outside of Carmarthen in Wales and arrived at about 9:30 and were able to set up the tent even though it was already quite dark and managed to finish before the rain really poured down.

Day 17:

Today we experienced a downpour for most of the morning and day with the sun really only coming out at 5. We decided to leave early so we could drive through Swansea and then Cardiff. The clouds and rain didn't help the run-down atmosphere that Swansea was giving off with numerous shops that we drove by being closed down. When we got to Cardiff we decided to head straight for Tim Hortons which was nice since I was feeling a bit homesick although it obviously wasn't as good as what I've had in Canada. Afterward, we walked to the Millennium center which was the location for many Doctor Who episodes. After that, we watched the Liverpool game at an Australian sports bar and then headed to Caerphilly Castle which is the largest castle in Wales and had a nice little stroll before heading back for the night since we were still pretty tired from the previous day's drive.

Day 18:

As soon as we woke up today we attempted to put away our tent but struggled because of the periodic downpour that seemed to come down very hard every 10 minutes or so. We felt a bit bad though because the tent next to us was huge and the guy who was taking it down was on his own and seemed completely unfazed by the rain. We set off as soon as we could and drove along the Welsh coast/Pembrokeshire coast and again saw some gorgeous coastal views from St. David's to Trefin to Fishguard. It was especially lovely because the rain had cleared up. The cove in Trefin beach that is part of the Pembrokeshire coast national park was my favourite part of the drive and just beautiful. When we arrived in Aberystwyth we walked around the beach for a while and the bf showed me where he used to live. We even got pizza for dinner from a place called Hollywood pizza where he used to go most nights after drinking. Super cheesy with a buttery and crispy crust. We then continued our stroll and hiked up Constitution hill for some gorgeous views of the city. After a few minutes at the top, the bf was too cold so we walked down and caught a bit of the sunset on the before heading back.

Day 19:

The bf disagrees but I found the bed at this Airbnb that we booked for our stay in Aberystwyth super comfy and the pillows super fluffy and to be completely honest, it made me dread the thought of camping again but only a little bit. We got up and went to eat at "Sophie's", a breakfast cafe that the bf was a regular at during his uni days. It was super yummy there and the veggie sausages were on point. It was a rather humid day but again the weather couldn't decide whether it wanted to be Sunny or have a downpour. After breakfast, we headed to a place called "Devil's Bridge". It had loads of beautiful waterfalls and cool bridges. We stupidly parked in a spot that required us to pay even though the car park for the Devil's Bridge was free. The walk around the bridge and waterfall area took about 45 mins. There was a steep staircase there that, not gonna lie, terrified me at first. My fear of heights picks and chooses its moments and it had a pretty big one then. I'm totally fine with hiking up steep areas but hiking down is different so needed the bf's help then. The hike/walk back up the stairs of the place was certainly steep so my legs were shaking by the end of it. From the Devil's Bridge, we headed to Morrisons for some supplies and then back to the Airbnb to chill for a bit and watch Doctor Who. The bf and I both agree that the Matt Smith portion of the show is our favourite and that he's our favourite Doctor because he's wise but also daft and loveable. We concluded the night by having another stroll along the beach and grabbing some McDonald's...oh and since this Airbnb is working like a legitimate BnB, the room next to us was also taken so the night was really ended by us trying to drown out the sound of the couple in the next room having sex...lovely. 🙃

Day 20:

Today was the day that we were meant to hike Snowden so I got up at 8 packed my stuff, finished my chapter of HP that I was on and uploaded week 2 of my blog! By the time we got to the car though we realized it would be foolish to try and get to Snowden this late in the morning and hike it. Instead, we dawdled for a bit and then had lunch at a fusion place in Aberystwyth that I'd been wanting to try; really yummy fried chicken there. We then drove to the university that the bf used to attend and he showed me around the campus and the student housing in which he lived in during first year and recalled stories from that time. We then headed to Snowdonia National park since the bf's friend, T, lives and works there. She works in this quaint little book shop in a small town that had a such a laid back feel to it called Porth Madog. It was my first time meeting her but she was really nice and informative about what we could do in the area, she also reminded me immensely of another friend that the bf and I both know because of their mannerisms and colour of hair that they have both dyed the same colour. After chatting with her for a bit, we headed to the bay area near the town which was so lovely and serene and we sat there and read for a bit. When it became a bit cold we decided to head to Aldi for some snacks. All throughout the day I was feeling really sluggish and sleepy and no amount of coffee or energy drink seemed to help (only had one of each lol). The bf felt the same but he more so was just dreading our impending plans of wild camping but I was as well since we both had never done it before and didn't really want to deal with waiting for dusk to put up the tent and then to wake up at the crack of dawn to take it down. We agreed we didn't want to bother with the hassle, at least not that night since we were both tired and so we drove near the base of Snowden, parked in a lay by, reorganized the car and then slept.

Day 21:

Woke up at roughly 7 am and so did the bf and we both had the resolve to quickly get ready and start the hike up Snowden as soon as we could. Luckily there was a washroom at the base car park so we could freshen up. We then began the walk from where we parked the car (15 mins walk from the base) at about 8:45 am. I have already seen some quite spectacular coastal views in the UK but this was by far the best inland views I'd seen yet and my first time seeing proper mountainous views here. Such beauty, I'd never done this kind of hike before in my life.

I know I'm from Vancouver and I'm sure there are gorgeous hikes there but I never had my own car to get to them. I've hiked up Grouse Mountain and even though the views from the chalet are beautiful, it's just not as scenic a hike. My photos can't even begin to bring it justice. I was also surprised that it really didn't feel that difficult so I suppose I'm in better shape than I thought, I even seemed to be having an easier time at it than the bf. We walked along beautiful streams and what seemed like endless ridges and countless sheep just minding their own business. I might be a bit bias, but the bf is really just the best hiking buddy. He's always calm, reassuring, and well prepared and I felt the hike was that much more fun because I could share the experience with him. I honestly wish I could have filmed the whole hike to really capture what an amazing experience it was but I didn't have the equipment. Near the summit, there is a portion of the hike that is truly a scramble. I felt like a monkey as I crawled up the edge of the mountain; what an adrenaline rush but also thoroughly exhausting. It took us just under 4 hours to reach the summit. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the hike up, especially so with the lovely weather, the summit was appalling. It was absolutely crowded with tourists, many of whom were inappropriately dressed for such a strenuous hike AND who were also drinking and smoking! At the top of a mountain!? Ugh. The summit was really small and there was nothing to do but maybe go to the unnecessary pub that is there and look at the gorgeous view. So after about 30 minutes, we decided to head back down a different way. The walk down was much harder on my feet and at times very painful but I persevered because if I were to stop and rest for too long then we would have gotten caught up in an obnoxious camp group that was on our tail. It took us 2 and a half hours to get back down to the base of the mountain although it felt shorter (so did the hike up) and the total time was about 7 and a half hours from the car and back. We walked about 31 000 steps and I just felt so proud of myself to have been able to accomplish that hike at all, I was happy for the rest of the day but that also could have been because of the endorphins. We had a snack at a nearby cafe after leaving Snowden and then drove to Betws y Coed and set up in a nearby lay by again feeling fully destroyed and ready for sleep.

[themclbird]

Late Night Stories

A drabble for @luxxesitacdm with a platonic relationship between Eva (her candy) and Castiel.

The lamp in the corner of Castiel’s living room dimly lit the space, the only other light source coming from the television as he and Eva watched a horror movie together.

Both sat on the leather couch with Demon at the foot of it, Eva’s legs were sprawled over Castiel’s legs as she lay down. Neither had spoken since the movie had started half an hour ago, absorbed into the plot of the movie. Or at least, Castiel thought that they both were.

“This isn’t scary at all!” Eva exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. Sitting up — her legs still resting comfortably on Castiel — she stared at his head which was still focused on the movie playing out in front of him. “Do you want to know something really scary?” She asked him.

Eyes pulling away from the television, he looked at Eva out of the corner of his eye. “Sure. Fire away.” Pausing the movie, he listened as Eva began to spin her little tale.

It started as your typical scary story. You know how it goes; it was a dark and stormy night and while someone was going about their business, they hear something coming from the distance. They stupidly decide to investigate and walk right into their own impending doom.

However, Eva’s version had a few changes to the script. Three years ago the protagonist of the story, her uncle, entered into a dark cave to avoid the harsh downpour that erupted suddenly in the sky during a hiking trip, their friend trailing behind them. Sheer curiosity had the pair walking further into the darkness of the cave, their only light coming from their phones’ torches.

As they headed further into the cave a crack of lighting could be heard as it hit the face of the mountain, a rumbling echoing throughout the dark cave. Rocks fell from the roof above and closed of the exit behind them.

Now trapped in the cave, the pair tried to contact the outside world, but through the storm and the thick mountainous walls surrounding them there was no signal.

Choosing to save their energy and wait it out, they sat somewhat close to the rock wall. They sat for hours in the hope that the storm would let up and someone would find them in the cave.

Within hours both of their phones had died and they were completely without any source of light.

They passed their time talking, learning about one another things that they hadn’t yet shared. But, it wasn’t long before exhaustion overtook them and they fell asleep on the cold, hard ground.

When they awoke they were still trapped — the wall not having moved an inch — and completely unaware of exactly how much time had passed. All they knew was that they were well on their way to death.

It was on the second night that the devastation that had befallen the pair increased ten-fold. Starvation and dehydration had taken her uncle’s friend overnight. His body lay limp on the ground, not moving, not breathing. Her uncle was going to join him soon.

Not ready to face death and whatever came after it, her uncle chose to resort to the one thing he knew could help him stay alive.

Taking his friends body, he closed his eyes tightly and bit into the skin closest to him. The taste was near-vomit inducing, but he forced it down. Coughing once it fell down his throat and rested in his stomach.

He survived on the meat of his dead friends body for three days before he was found by an excavation crew. The mangled and half-eaten body of his friend lying next to him.

There was barely a second of time between Eva finishing her story and Castiel’s abrupt, “Bullshit.”

Leaning back slightly, Eva looked faux-hurt at Castiel’s response to her tale. “Excuse me?” Resting her hand over her chest, she stared at Castiel for a moment. He had shut her down so quickly that she was genuinely taken aback. Most people would have waited a moment before either deciding they believed the story or thought it was all utter lies that she was spouting.

“You heard me. Bull. Shit.” Pausing in between words, he emphasised them as if speaking slowly would make Eva understand him better. “That never happened. You are not related to a cannibal.” The sentence was both bizarre for Eva to hear and for Castiel to say, but was said with such confidence that it seemed as if it were a part of a totally normal conversation that one would have on any other day.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Eva asked. “How would you know?” Of course it wasn’t actually true, but it was insulting that Castiel couldn’t even pretend for a moment that it was a plausible story. What was so bad about her story-telling that he wouldn’t even consider the possibility of it being the truth?

“Because you’re a terrible liar.” His half informed, half joked. The teasing tone of his voice and his gaze that was drifting away from the conversation and back towards the television allowed a small bubble of frustration with Eva to burst.

“Hey,” Pushing Castiel’s shoulder as she regained his attention, “I’m a great liar.” She informed him.

Raising an eyebrow, he let out a quick chuckle. “So you admit that you were lying?” He asked her, his mouth sitting in a small smile as victory played in his eyes.

Gently kicking Castiel’s side she laughed, “That is not what I meant.”

“No need to get violent,” Holding her legs down, his eyes lit up with a new purpose as he asked, “Do you want to hear a real scary story?”

“Fine.” Kicking her legs free from Castiel’s grip, she sat up and crossed her legs underneath her. “It’s not like you can beat mine.”

Castiel began to spin his story for Eva. His was different from Eva’s in many ways, the most obvious being that the story had Castiel as the protagonist and the agitated look in his eyes as he spoke. Whether it was genuine fear in his eyes or just a story-telling ploy, Eva couldn’t tell.

One hot, Summer night, Castiel had lay in bed, sweat coating his body. After spending hours tossing and turning, kicking off his blanket and still not getting comfortable enough to fall asleep he moved into the living room. Now laying in the fan-cooled room on the couch, he tried again.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than his sauna-like bedroom. Just as he was beginning to relax he heard an echoing from outside, a male voice calmly saying, “Hello?” He froze, listening harder. When he didn’t hear anything more he got up and tiptoed out of the door into the Summer night.

Looking around in the blackness, he waited to see a woman. But, he couldn’t see even a remnant of anyone being nearby recently. Calling out, “Hello?” He froze at the sound of his own voice. Sounding exactly like the male who had called out to him only minutes earlier.

His skin went numb as he thought with horror, “If I”m out here, then who’s hearing me from my living room?” Running back inside, terrified that he would come face-to-face with himself, he entered the living room.

In the centre of living room was Demon, growling at the couch where Castiel could have sworn he saw a shadow lying perfectly still. He quickly closed his eyes tightly. When he re-opened them a moment later, the shadow was gone and Demon was laying back down on the floor.

To this day a cold chill runs down his spine when he thinks about the sound of his own voice luring himself outside at night and the figure that had briefly replaced him on his living room couch.

When Castiel finished his story, silence sat in the air for a moment before Eva erupted with, “That was terrible!”

“It was better than yours!”

“No wa—” A loud crash from the kitchen interrupted Eva right as she was about to explain exactly why there was no way his story was even remotely true. Both of their heads snapped to the direction of the kitchen. “What was that?” She cautiously whispered as she watched Demon stand up and join the pair in staring at the source of the sound.

Resting a hand on Demon’s back, Castiel slightly tripped over his words as he began to speak. “I-It was probably just the movie.” He tried to suggest, either to comfort his own mind or Eva’s. Whichever one he was aiming for, he failed.

Another loud crash made the two of them jump slightly in their seats. It was as if there was someone in the kitchen just smashing pots, pans, and anything else they could get their hands on onto the ground. “That was not the movie.” Eva insisted.

Getting down next to Demon on the floor, Castiel pet him in an attempted to calm down the large dog. “Yeah, okay. There’s something in here.” The next crash was followed by the sound of a plate smashing, presumably on the floor of the kitchen.

Looking down at Castiel, “Should we check it out?” Eva asked.

Pulling out his phone so he was ready to call someone if needed, Castiel responded, “You can go into that death trap if you want, but I’m not going anywhere near that.” Looking down at a growling Demon, Castiel tossed up whether or not it would be best to just send Demon in to deal with whoever was in there. Surely his size alone would scare them away.

“It’s your house, you should be the one to go in.” Eva explained, gesturing towards the kitchen as she spoke.

Standing up, he looked down at Eva. “Why do I have to? You’re the one who’s eager to go in there.”

Joining Castiel in literally standing up for themselves, she stared him straight in the eye. “I’m not going in there alone.” And there was nothing Castiel could say to make her decide otherwise.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel tried to look calm despite that the hairs on his arms were standing on end. “You are such a baby.”

“Says the guy who doesn’t want to go into his own kitchen.”

“Fine.” A short and sharp exhale, and Castiel continued, “Come on.” Looking down at Demon, he commanded, “Demon, stay.”

As Demon sat in his spot, seemingly obeying Castiel’s command, Eva asked, “Why aren’t you bringing him?” Surely bringing a large dog like Demon into a most likely dangerous situation was a good idea.

But, after considering what could be waiting for them in the kitchen, Castiel had decided against allowing his dog to join them. “Because I don’t want a murderer to stab him.” If someone hurt his living companion, he wasn’t sure what he would do. If Demon got injured it would cost a small fortune to help him get healthy again, and Castiel didn’t even want to think about the possibility of losing him permanently.

“But you’re okay with a murderer stabbing me?” It was partly a joke, but mostly genuine fear at the thought that the person in the kitchen could have a knife. Of course, with a second thought it made sense for them to have one; they were in a kitchen after all, knives tend to be plentiful in those rooms.

“Oh my god, shut up.” Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he frustratedly stated, “No one’s going to stab you.” His angry confidence was almost comforting.

But it wasn’t comforting enough to convince Eva that he was right. “How do you know?” She needed an actual explanation as to how she was going to be safe if she walked into a room with a murderer wielding a knife.

“Because I’m not going to let them.” He matter-of-factly said while moving away from Demon to pick a baseball bat up from behind the couch.

Staring at the long metal bat, Eva briefly wondered whether Castiel had played baseball when he was younger or if the bat was used exclusively for break-ins. “Why is that there?” She asked him.

Swinging it once, trying it out as if the bat would have somehow stopped working in it’s time behind the leather furniture, he explained, “In case someone breaks into my kitchen and starts smashing plates.” That didn’t answer whether or not Castiel had ever had an interest in baseball, but at this moment, it didn’t particularly matter.

The pair slowly tip-toed their way into the kitchen, holding their breath so as not to alert the intruder of their existence within the house.

Jumping into the kitchen, ready to hit a man with a bat, Castiel almost dejectedly dropped it to his side at the sight of the kitchen.

It was a bird. It had most likely flown through an open window and wasn’t able to figure out how to get back out. Instead, he flew madly around the kitchen hitting the walls, closed windows and knocking over the not yet cleaned dishes from Eva and Castiel’s take-out meal they had earlier in the night.

Over the course of the next twenty minutes, the two did their best to guide the bird back out of the window it had come through. Successfully making fools of themselves and creating an even larger mess in the kitchen in the process.

When the bird was finally out in the big bad world once more, Eva began to laugh. “You were so scared.” She said, picking up the bat off the floor and sitting it against a wall while Castiel began to pick up broken pieces of plates.

“I was not.” He insisted.

Grabbing the dustpan that Castiel had pointed out to her, she began to clean up a glass that had fallen over in their not-so-successful bird rescue mission. “Yes you were.” Images of Castiel running around the kitchen like a mad-man trying to guide the bird out of the window played in her mind, fuelling her laughter.

Throwing the broken plate in the bin, Castiel defended himself against Eva’s laughs. “So what? You were too.”

Shaking her head, she held in her laughter as she spoke. “Not as much as you.” This night was so much better now that they weren’t watching that stupid little movie.