Close to Ideal
It was a steep climb up the stairs to my room at YHA Keswick.
Given that it has just opened for business after 3 months of renovations, many people were still unaware that it has just reopened.
Martin the cheeky fellow who found my accent "distinctly Oriental" was surprised to see a tiny girl who dumped her luggage at the reception counter and asked for her rooms. Perhaps guilt struck him - I was given a room which faces the mountains - possibly Skiddaw - the 2nd highest mountain in the UK.
Watching the gurgling stream running past my window, and with the magnificent chain of mountains running as the background, I felt deliriously happy! Drunk with delight! What a view! What a stupendous find!
Armed with a vauge map, I decided to go for a tour of Derwentwater to find Ashness Bridge and possibly climb up Walla Crag to have a view of the lake. Martin assured me that even "infirm old people could do it in a couple of hours"!
Having seen only MacRitchie Reservoir, I was surprised to find Derwentwater, which was ringed by mountains, to have a shoreline. Interestingly, the waters were somewhat akin to a very gentle sea, and it is possible to find the waters lapping at your feet as you stroll along the shoreline. I thought lakes were supposed to be still, but Derwentwater proved to be a pleasant surprise.
Came to Ashness Bridge after a long hike and wondered how to tckle Walla Crag. My map proved to be useless at this point (or maybe I just weren't good at deciphering maps). Having climbed up another hill, only to be told that it was the wrong hill by two cute men and their toddler daughters at the summit, I decided to make a quick descent. Finally managed to get to Walla Crag, but halfway up, the clouds started to come in quickly.
Beat a hasty retreat down and began my long trek home.
***
Her name is Diane, and she was a cancer sufferer.
Cheerful and remarkably strong for someone who suffered a major health setback, Diane did not look anything like 60 years old. She has a partner and 2 grown up boys. She is now doing a solo trip to various parts of UK, Prague where she'd booked a ticket to the opera (sigh!), and a few other countries before heading back to Sydney.
While she was recovering from her illness, she was unhappy and depressed. One day, she decided to head to the supermarket for a carton of milk. When she came back, she had an SLR camera in her hands instead. Finally free to pursue her dreams after working as a teacher for years, she finds that life is too short for regrets, and decided to be a full-time photographer and sketcher. Cumbria is the perfect destination for her to capture shots and sketch the mountains.
It was really good to hear such inspiring stories. Somehow, you ended up feeling more encouraged and that there are people who truly knew that life is to be cherished, after a close brush with the Grim Reaper. She is very proud of her children and grateful for the fact that she is now in remission and well enough to undertake a solo journey.
Fragile though life is, she says, one must never waste a single moment of it.
Given that it has just opened for business after 3 months of renovations, many people were still unaware that it has just reopened.
Martin the cheeky fellow who found my accent "distinctly Oriental" was surprised to see a tiny girl who dumped her luggage at the reception counter and asked for her rooms. Perhaps guilt struck him - I was given a room which faces the mountains - possibly Skiddaw - the 2nd highest mountain in the UK.
Watching the gurgling stream running past my window, and with the magnificent chain of mountains running as the background, I felt deliriously happy! Drunk with delight! What a view! What a stupendous find!
Armed with a vauge map, I decided to go for a tour of Derwentwater to find Ashness Bridge and possibly climb up Walla Crag to have a view of the lake. Martin assured me that even "infirm old people could do it in a couple of hours"!
Having seen only MacRitchie Reservoir, I was surprised to find Derwentwater, which was ringed by mountains, to have a shoreline. Interestingly, the waters were somewhat akin to a very gentle sea, and it is possible to find the waters lapping at your feet as you stroll along the shoreline. I thought lakes were supposed to be still, but Derwentwater proved to be a pleasant surprise.
Came to Ashness Bridge after a long hike and wondered how to tckle Walla Crag. My map proved to be useless at this point (or maybe I just weren't good at deciphering maps). Having climbed up another hill, only to be told that it was the wrong hill by two cute men and their toddler daughters at the summit, I decided to make a quick descent. Finally managed to get to Walla Crag, but halfway up, the clouds started to come in quickly.
Beat a hasty retreat down and began my long trek home.
***
Her name is Diane, and she was a cancer sufferer.
Cheerful and remarkably strong for someone who suffered a major health setback, Diane did not look anything like 60 years old. She has a partner and 2 grown up boys. She is now doing a solo trip to various parts of UK, Prague where she'd booked a ticket to the opera (sigh!), and a few other countries before heading back to Sydney.
While she was recovering from her illness, she was unhappy and depressed. One day, she decided to head to the supermarket for a carton of milk. When she came back, she had an SLR camera in her hands instead. Finally free to pursue her dreams after working as a teacher for years, she finds that life is too short for regrets, and decided to be a full-time photographer and sketcher. Cumbria is the perfect destination for her to capture shots and sketch the mountains.
It was really good to hear such inspiring stories. Somehow, you ended up feeling more encouraged and that there are people who truly knew that life is to be cherished, after a close brush with the Grim Reaper. She is very proud of her children and grateful for the fact that she is now in remission and well enough to undertake a solo journey.
Fragile though life is, she says, one must never waste a single moment of it.
posted by Leng at 10:30 PM
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