I have random moments where I suddenly get the urge to go somewhere I’ve never been before. These days, especially, because I’m saving up money for my “big” holidays later in the year, I feel like all I’ve been doing is work, work and more work. I feel like I never even get out of Central London.
So I spontaneously decided that I want to spend Easter in Scotland. There are two things wrong with that sentence: spontaneous and Easter. I looked up plane and train fares and they cost more than what I want to spend considering that I’d still be within the United Kingdom. I think return flights would have cost me around 160£. Come on. I can fly to Spain with that kind of money.
So I had this bright idea that we can take the coach to head over to Edinburgh and then take a flight to come back to London. Megabus fares going to Edinburgh were only around 40£, which is pretty sweet for a last minute trip on Easter weekend. That’s the upshot. However, it takes TEN HOURS to get from London Victoria to Edinburgh.
Ten hours on a bus.
It sounds like a nightmare. Ordinarily, I would balk at spending more than 5 hours on a bus. I’ve done it before and I promised myself I never would again.
But I underestimated just how much I wanted to get out of London. So I booked it (and convinced two other people to book it with me). We chose to go on a sleeper one, leaving at 10:30 from London Thursday Evening and arriving in Edinburgh at 7am the next day. I rushed from work (the list overran, of course) to the station to catch my coach ride, got into my seat and settled in for the long haul.
It was a very loooonnnng bus ride.
Some of the thoughts that were running through my head:
10:30
Please God don’t make me want to do number two at any point during this bus ride.
10:31
Hey wait, is there even a toilet on this bus? Oh my God, I don’t think there is one.
10:40
Okay, how do I recline these seats? My colleague promised me these seats were better than National Express because they recline.
10:45
Oh hey, I did it! This seat reclines!
11:00
Damn you, woman whose seat is at the back of mine. I have every right to recline my seat if I want to! Its why that feature is there, so that people can get comfy. Have you never been on a plane? Its the same concept. Unless they’re serving us meals, I can bloody well do whatever I want with my seat!
11:05
Should I recline this seat just to spite her? I’m kind of in the mood for an argument.
11:10
Ugh, its not worth it. Its roomy enough and comfy enough that you’re able to sleep anyway.
11:20
Wow, my Spotify playlist really is very good.
12:00
I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier. Woohooo, Killers.
12:15
I am so bored. I wish I’d taken on more bank shifts or planned this trip earlier so that we could have gotten better fares for the plane or the train.
12:30
What time is it in Australia?
12:35
No, you will not randomly message someone because you’re bored. That is never a good idea.
12:40
Okay let’s start counting some sheep so you can zzzzzzz.
13:00 (I think)
15:00
Oh hey, stopover. Should I quickly run to the loo?
15:01
Nah, I’ll make it. I don’t need to go to the loo.
15:03
But what if I do need to go to the loo and we’re still hours away from Edinburgh. Better to go now than suffer later.
15:04
Alright, I’ll go to the loo.
15:10
Let’s get this bus back on the road. Hmm, maybe I should start writing a new post for the blog.
15:15
Bloody hell, there’s no charging station on this bus. THERE’S NO CHARGING STATION ON THIS BUS and I’m only on 40% with 4 more hours to go on this trip.
15:30
Okay, zzzzzzzz.
18:00
Oh man, the Scottish countryside is so beautiful. I can’t remember the last time I saw this much greenery.
18:15
Zzzzzzzz
19:00
Oh we’re here? YES! I survived a TEN HOUR COACH RIDE.
Blabbaholics and Bookworms 