In the land of kilts and bagpipes!

Well the continent hopping continues... I am writing this from the breakfast room (aka bar) of a lovely hostel in Edinburgh's old town, enjoying majestic views of the castle and churches. Quite a world away from the skyscrapers and markets of Hong Kong.

My flight was good, or as good as an overnight, jam-packed, 13 hour flight can be. The nicest part was having someone waiting for me on the other end with a "Ms. Nishi Kumar" sign and friendly smile. I've gotten so used to the nomadic lifestyle, i forget sometimes how nice it is to have someone anticipating your arrival. I stayed for a day and night in Rachana Mainji's and Uday Mama's beautiful house in Surrey where I caught up on sleep, family gossip, and made up for a few months without a good cup of chai. Lucky for me, Triple Mama and Mainji were also in town so I got to enjoy their company, as well as that of Uday Mama's two sons who are quite well-behaved and polite! (Unlike my own badmash cousins!) They also took me around Hampton Court and to a lovely pub on the Thames for some British fare.

I met Jamie on Saturday in London and we wasted time in the rainy, cold city until our overnight bus to Edinburgh. Yesterday was a sunny day here and we enjoyed an outdoor jazz festival, a long self-guided walking tour of the "royal mile," and countless ice creams and coffees. Its good being with my friend again! I will do a complete update (with pictures) when i get to London on Wednesday!