Running on empty

25 May 2005
Costa Coffee, Princes Street, Edinburgh

Woke up early this morning. Not surprising, since I got to bed shortly after ten last night. Nobody else was stirring, but the sun was up. Checked my clock: 7.00.

Got up. Showered. Dressed. Made breakfast. Wanted to check my e-mail, but the computer was shut off. The one other person up and about filled in the blank. They don't turn it on until 7.00.

What?

Looked --

Interruption: I have just used up the last of the ink in the pen I bought at the start of this trip. How sad.

-- at the clock on the wall: 6.20. Checked my clock again. Still said 7.00. It was stuck on 'set alarm' mode. [rolls eyes and shakes head]

Took my time getting ready. When I left the hostel I decided to walk back down --

Interruption: I really hate this pen. I'm going to have to get another one like the one I just used up.

-- to Princes Street in search of coffee. Instead spent an hour climbing and descending the streets of very pretty but dull parts of the city. Everybody in Edinburgh must have utterly fantastic calves.

Eventually retraced my steps and found where I'd gone wrong. Now I'm sitting in an over-priced chain coffee shop, drinking a decent enough latte, eating a mighty fine piece of shortbread and listening to 80s tunes.

The city outside is gradually waking up and it's time for me to get moving again.