From the Couch to the Rim!!

As I stood on the rim of this masterpiece and took a peek, my heart pounding so loudly, I couldn't believe what was happening! I was embarking on the much anticipated adventure of my life! I couldn't wait to experience this walk of a life time! This is what I had been waiting for, I had prepared for months! I was ready! I couldn't sleep the night before in anticipation. I have been to the canyon a few times before, but I have never hiked! Not even a short trail!

Hiking was more of a recent hobby of mine! Or focussed hiking! I have walked up and down trails before occasionally. I have carried my kids and done these walks on many occasions. But I did not own a hydration pack till 3-4 years back or ever bring out my hiking pole till 12 months back! Then COVID happened. With COVID and nothing else to do M and I took to long walks every day, walks around the neighborhood soon turned into 6-7 mile rendevouz every morning! Living in Georgia there is no dearth of trails with natural beauty, so soon we took to exploring the various trails in GA. I love running, so slowly I started to run these trails when I had time to go off on my own! 

My family, aunts, uncles, cousins, sister, BIL are all hikers and runners. All on Strava driving me crazy with their stats. And if nothing I am competitive! So I started dreaming! Time to prove my mettle! I cant be left behind can I? So when a friend asked me if I wanted to hike the canyon I jumped both feet in! I am not sure if my friends were even considering becoming the mules themselves as they continued to remind me all year! But I roped them in! The trip was booked and I started dreaming! 

If you know me you know I am a planner. And I am known to be enthusiastic to a fault! So when someone said Grand Canyon rim to rim I ordered a weighted vest and took to the mountains! I started off at 12 pounds and trudged up and down hills. Soon the 12 became 16 and 20 and the vest became a backpack with sand bags and water! And the backpack grew to 42-45 pounds in weight! On weekends we would be up, at 5 AM driving to the north GA mountains in freezing February to hike with fellow crazies! Having equally crazy friends helped! My love for the mountains and outdoors grew! And so did my craziness! I joined FB groups, bought books and read blogs. I researched hiking the canyon and the Appalachian trail (after all that is in my backyard)!!

I learnt the stair stepper is great tool! Now that was great news, because guess who loves the stair stepper! I took to it like possessed. I climbed 100-150 floors at least 2-3 times a week and loved it! The pace grew, the timing improved and my family thought I had completely lost my mind! Every weekend Cheeky and M would tell me that I was already ready and I was just insane! But I was enjoying the journey. M for his part joined me on many hikes and bike rides, it gave us an opportunity to do something we both loved, bond together and keep our marriage intact 😏 As the weather grew warmer, our hikes started earlier. It helped that I live a mile from the 2nd tallest hill in Urban ATL. Albeit this hill (or mountain as the southerners call it! The Californian in me refuses to call it a mountain), is all paved and houses a neighborhood! Sweat Mountain is the name! I sometimes ran up and down this hill, but at other times made a spectacle trudging up and down with my backpack!

As the weeks and months disappeared and Oct drew closer I prayed for anti-jinx! After all the prep I did not want anything to go wrong! A light twinge in the foot and I found I was starting Plantar Fasciitis, but that too did pass! I went to a conference the week before the hike and while others drank and partied, I hydrated! I was in full anticipation by now. I could barely get through the week. I didn't sleep for at least 2 days before the hike! But nothing prepared me for the beauty that awaited me!

It was important to me to be well prepared. I believe that the preparation allowed me to focus not on my ability to do the hike or any aches and pains! Instead it allowed me to focus on experiencing the Canyon! We took 4 days to do 24 miles. I think this is easily done in 2 days if you train well, but just the privilege of experiencing the canyon for 4 days is amazing! 4 days where we unplugged. 3 nights where we slept under the stars with just the tent in between me and the sky! 4 days where we were one with a land that's million of years old!

I liked to walk ahead of my group whenever possible. Mainly because I wanted to savor the anticipation. I would look forward to every turn we took and the change in scenery that lay ahead at each turn! And it never once disappointed! Every turn was a phenomenon in itself! Many a times I thanked God. I felt so grateful and privileged to be there, to be able to experience this phenomenon in person! For the journey!

Sometimes the sound of camaraderie with my dear friends was so welcome! We sang bollywood songs loudly, teased each other, enjoyed dipping our feet in the cold creek after a days walk, enjoyed a nice cold lemonade at the basin! Or simply talked and bonded during the walks, or in the camp, or lying in the tent late evenings waiting for sleep to engulf us.

At the end, the hike and the canyon was phenomenal. I can't wait to do it again, maybe a different experience next time. I have some lessons that I will take away and learn from. I certainly have Canyonitis! I can't wait to take M along and the kids if they will come, and can't wait for them to experience this for themselves! I leave you with some pictures from the hike!

Edinburgh For the Potter Head

 What did I tell you about my attention span! Its hard to come up with this last post! I certainly am no Potter head and the longer I wait the lesser I remember about all the Harry Potter stuff we did! Maybe Tootsie should write this Blog.

Edinburgh unlike London does not have shooting locations of the movies. But a lot of inspiration comes from here and JK Rowling lived in Edinburgh while she wrote some of the Harry Potter books. There is even a graveyard (kirkyard) from which she grabbed a variety of names. I don't remember all of it but the ones I do are for Anne Potter and Robert Potter (Harry's parents), McGonagall (Although the stone is for William McGonagall), Moodie, Black and Voldemort (or Thomas Riddell). Although I must tell you that Charles Black's tombstones plaque had been stolen! That's about 200 pounds of stone that someone carried out! It apparently showed up on EBay and the church is trying to purchase/ get it back!

Geyfriar's Kirkyard	The graveyard beyond the flogged wall that has a number of the graves we are looking for
McGonagall, if you look closely he was a Poet and Tragedian! His Poetry I think was the tragedy as the example shows!	There is Voldemort! Thomas Riddle!
The Black Mausoleum - Grave of George Mackenzie. From the time when Presbyterians were targeted for practicing their religion, Mackenzie took it upon himself to "catch" these "offenders" and sent them to Covenant prison (early version of concentration camp) where they were tortured. When he fell sick and later died he wanted to be buried here in the Mausoleum where he could continue to hear the prisoners cries! It is said that he still comes out and even physically attack people!	George Heriot School as seen from the Kirkyard George Heriot School from whisky tasting at Royal Mile.

The George Heriot School was originally an orphanage and an inspiration for Hogwarts. Hogwarts 

A tunnel with the Potter name, but apparently the name Potter was actually inspired by Rowling's childhood friend

Teviott Row House, houses the University Library. Was an inspiration for Hogwarts as well. Apparently some dual was fought outside of a building that looked just like this

 Nicolson's Café was the place where J.K. Rowling wrote a lot of the initial Harry Potter books while she lived in Edinburgh. This is likely the first coffee shop she worked at after moving to Edinburgh as it was then owned by Rowling's brother-in-law.

Elephant House Cafe! Opened in 1995, The Elephant House has established itself as one of the best tea and coffee houses in Edinburgh. Author J.K. Rowling ,had her first book published while she was writing in the back room overlooking Edinburgh Castle, making The Elephant House the “birthplace” of the series of Harry Potter novels.

The Lawn Market Street - Here is apparently where a lot of the hangings happened in the olden days! Looks like it was a social gathering. This street is lined with pubs where the locals would throng to after a hanging. The word "hang over" ring a bell? At the end of this street is one of the best views of the castle!

Obviously a huge Hogwarts inspiration - Enuf said!

Diagon Alley aka Victoria Street

Quaint little street with lots of stores and cafes! A couple of great Potter stores here!

The little Potter head on her birthday!

This I believe has a reference in HP with the eyes and noce on top! Turns out its a lady's consignment store!

This is the Scottish emblem I think! Its a unicorn! Fantasy Land is where we went!

Edinburgh City Chambers

JK Rowlings hand prints at the city chambers. She was awarded for her philanthrophy

At one of the HP Stores

The Baltimore hotel where Rowling wrote the last of her books!

Apparently JK R finished the Deathly Hallows in the Baltimore Hotel, cooped in a room for 4-5 months. WHen she finished she resorted to vandalism! She scribbled on a bust statue in the room - JK R was here! Now the hotel not to be undone, jacked up the room rent to $2000, installed a red door to the room and never looked back!

For Tootsie this was her highlight, we did this walking tour on her bday! 

Hiking in Edinburgh

 If you know me you know that I love to walk and hike! The mountains are always beckoning silently and I can't rest till I experience the expanses and the heights! Not to mention when I get to a new location the itch to explore! Even as we checked in on the freezing cold night, and took to bed exhausted from our long day (given it was a long day of sitting and doing almost nothing). I took a peek outside my window at the first hill that caught my eye (Calton Hill) and couldn't want to go explore in the morning!

View from the room! Canongate Kirkyard with the Roman structures and Calton Hill lining up the background	I walked down to Holyrood and took Calton Rd up! There is a close at Canongate that cuts across! But I needed to take the scenic route!
This staircase is right across the street from Old Tollbooth Wynd. Leads up to Regent Street! Me? When I see a staircase I just climb!	Trudging uphill!
Burns Monument on Regent	Old Royal High School! The Romanesque building

I head up Regent st and encounter  Jacob's Ladder with great views of the Waverley! Apparently a biblical reference to Jacob's rope ladder that leads straight to heaven! Another steep stairwell if you want to climb up from the Waverley bridge. You can take the circuitous less steep road if you want to avoid the hike up!

Jacob's ladder!

The view of Waverley Station!

Edinburgh City views

Calton Hill on the other side!

We are getting close now! Time to trudge up Calton Hill and see that up close!

National Monument of Scotland! A memorial to Soldiers inspired by the Pantheon! They ran out of money and apparently it was never completed!

Calton Hill Observatory

Isn't it always?

Dugald Stewart Monument (He was a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh)

The breathtaking views from Calton Hill - Thats the Balmoral Hotel

Obelisk Martyrs Memorial ad the Calton Burial Ground, Scott Monument and Royal Mile at the distance

I spy another mountain to climb. Thats the Salisbury crags and Arthurs Seat as viewed from Calton Hill

A view towards Leith, the Firth of Forth, Inchkeith and the coast of Fife from Calton Hill

Now that the first hike was done and dusted! I turned my attention to the next one! Arthur's Seat. Formed 350 million years ago, thee same volcanic system that caused the hill the Castle is built on and the Calton Hill, Arthurs' seat is a symbol of Edinburgh. It is located in the Holyrood Park right next to the Holyrood Palace. So really a stone's throw from the Royal Mile. It is said that James Hutton developed the basis of Modern geology by looking at the layers of igneous rock here! And that this was the location for King Arthur's Camelot!

The hike up Arthurs' seat

So beautiful but let that not trick you! A steep climb!

The views were absolutely breathtaking!

Climbing up the rocks at the top!

The wind on the top is no joke! the Seagulls were literally floating away in the wind!

The Summit!

The views from the top made teh climb well worth it!

Holding the phone steady to take these pictures was quite a task!

Here is a picture of me at the top of Arthurs' seat! The wind was pushing me! The gusts were quite fierce at the top! But I was just thrilled to be there (as you can tell!)

After just a few minutes at the top I started my decent. I went a few different directions to take in the views, climbed back on top and went down again this time in yet another direction! This was a road not taken! Steep downwards climb through thistle bushes! I had to stop to contemplate my brash decisions a few times as the wind pushed me down, the cliff lined up one side and I went down hill!

But the Crags beckoned! So here I go again for a little bit more adventure! The Crags are a much smoother climb and descent! So if you want to avoid the strenuous Arthur's seat the Salisbury Crags are a great alternative! Keep an eye out near the cliffs at the top though! With no railing at the top a bit scary! And on a windy day like the one I had not the best! The wind was much lesser than on Arthur's seat though!

Nothing like a day of activity! I just loved the climb and the fresh air on my face! For most of my way there were barely any people! So it was just fabulous taking in the sights at my own pace! Arthur's seat was a bit crowded though (considering the climb, still lots of room for serenity)!

I later learnt that I should have also made my way to Deans' village for another hike in Edinburgh! But I didn't! Until next time I guess!

I will be back with more sights in Edinburgh, considering that I explored the city so much there is more to tell! But this by far was the best adventure of my trip there!