I’ve been reading The Scots, a genetic journey by Alistair Moffat. He speaks of the findings of maternal mitochondrial DNA and the Y Chromosone. Different markers can show where a people came from. It turns out that tectonic shifts and volcanos affected animal movements with early humans following them as they migrated north and south. The diversity of the DNA shows that we all came from Africa where the DNA are most complex. However the addition of Neanderthal DNA occurred when we moved into Europe. There was a continent called Doggersland that covered the straits into the North Sea and they continue to find evidence of human land habitations far from existing lands.
Whatever minor disruptions in my life are definitely not cataclysmic. The Russia Ukraine war rages but there was no sign at any airport while that was all the news was about. UK is keeping the air ways neutral over Poland and reducing the Russian air superiority in the Ukraine. A lot of heroes.
It was exciting to see Scotland out the window of the KLM City Hopper. Beautiful country. Then we were departing. The Passport process for entering the UK is quite simple and automated but neither Laura or I were accepted by the machines. The very pleasant human customs officer waved us through with just a few questions. We had both been so concerned that we had our Canadian Immunization Passport, our UK locator papers and our passports. It seems almost an anticlimax. We walked through and there was the exit.
It was holy taking off my mask and lifting my face to the sun. Sunshine and blue sky. We told the taxi driver we left snow and he told us they’d too had snow last week.
It was about $50 from the Airport by Taxi to the Hilton. I was tired. It’s hard to believe I spent night after night on call sometimes for a week, delivering babies ,manning emergencies and dealing with countless challenges.
“There’s an $80 charge I just need you to use your credit card for. “. She said. I loved the accent. The way she pronounced my name ‘Hay’ with an uplift and lilt sounded the way it should be pronounced .I’ve been mispronouncing my own name more than 6 decades.
I froze my Visa with failed pass word tries only to discover that I was using the alternative visa rather than my main visa. “Here,” she said,”I can input it here “. I looked behind me and a half dozen couples had appeared. We were alone moments before. I was ‘that doddering’ old man. I had credit cards and passports and papers all a mess on the counter and was so concerned I hadn’t dropped anything.
Everywhere we’ve gone Laura and I have been blessed with arriving early before the waves following. The next challenge was standing in the elevator with the door key swiping walls and floor and ceiling trying to find what we needed to swipe to get it to allow us to go up to the third floor. We never found out. Housekeeping had called the elevator and we got out.
‘What’s the place I’m supposed to touch.” She pointed.
Laura and I both thought that was air conditioning vent even though looking back we hadn’t noticed any air coming out of it.
We did get in the room. But again we couldn’t turn on lights and I couldn’t find where I put the card to make the lighting work. It turned out there was no such slot , only that the first light switch turned on all the light switches
“We can see the oceans!” Laura exclaimed. It was a lovely view of old architecture and sea a short distance away.
“Is the room okay?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s just perfect , “.
I blew the electrical. Later when I’d had a couple of hours of sleep and I went down stairs, “Did you check the tv?” No I said. “They’re connected”.
He was very nice. Returned with me to the room with a test or and sure enough I’d blown the electrical. It was the Canadian combination outlet and USB. He fixed it and didn’t ask me about the smell or the scorched wall and subtle evidence that a major fire had been averted.
“Our phones have USB chargers by the bed, just like at home. He said it was a low charge here and safe for electronics.”
“Yes”. I said
I hoped my eyebrows would grow back. Laura was very pleased with her self and her charged phone.
I went out and simply couldn’t deal with the dark possibly because lighting was the Jack the Ripper kind. Very 19th century, bricks and cobblestone and all very well, but I coudn’t think past the bananas and oranges at the market and the pizza place next to the Hilton.
I ordered pizza and salads and drinks and the bill was ‘26 lbs stifling. About what we’d pay in Vancouver. Except they weren’t accustomed to cash and I’d forgotten my credit card. The girl was tearing the bill at the corner and holding it to the light to see what it was. Before she began to bite it like a western coin or pieces of eight she called the manager and accepted the crisp new 50 lb sterling note. Looking about the room and on the street I noticed there was only lip service to a lot of masks as if people weren’t putting their nose in.
Laura and I loved the pizza and salad. Delicious and decadent. We watched Britbox in the room. Summer murders. I have britbox at home, a subscription. “But we’re watching it here. There’s supposed to be a new Vera series and a new Fleabag series,” she said .. It was odd that we were here. After the nap my mind was functioning but I was still fuzz.
I really enjoyed that I was able to use wifi for the clinic and help a couple of patients who were in crisis with Beurocratic problems and disabilities and it was purely due to their disabilities that they were unable to contact me before or be able to do the hoops and hurdles needed now. I was humbled by our struggle for 24 hours and glad to use the internet to arrange their medications and coverage
Now I’ve blogged even. Nothing spectacular. Except we’re here. i was so glad when Laura couldn’t understand a fellow outside the airport because of his accent. I didn’t either. I’m growing deaf and have hearing aids mostly because of the masks I can’t lip read. Laura’s becoming increasingly short sighted. We need each other
“She’s my ears ‘ I say
“He’s my eyes,”. She says.
We made it here Months of planning and we’re over the major hurdles. Tomorrow we get to enjoy walking about Edinburgh. Thank you Jesus!!
The Edinburgh HIlton North Bridge
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