Farmer's Pharmacy - International Rotation: Saturday, October 19

We woke up around 10 am and ate some the gourmet breakfast at Caledonian Backpackers. It consisted of stale toast and buckets of cereal - Nicely enough, they had a variety of jams, store brand nutella, and peanut butter & a toaster! After filling up on bread & jam we showered and got ready for the day! There was a slight chance (10-20%) of rain for the day - so I did not wear my rain coat and just brought my umbrella!:)

We started walking and came across this graveyard near the Edinburgh Castle at St. John's Cathedral.

Well we were on Princes Street Gardens YAYYY right where we wanted to be per our Trip Advisor app. This area was green hilly amazingness-- it was so pretty because it was fall but the grass was still unbelievably green:). My dad would kill for grass like this for even one day. There was supposed to be a huge flower clock- first one in the world... But unfortunately it was out for the season:(. To make up for this missing piece there was a men's Health event going on -- a rat race

After a couple hours of wandering the grounds, we decided we wanted hot dogs hahahaha... So we found this little cafe by the castle grounds that sold hot dogs and fries... Quite the adventurous eaters we are...-_- this is the sterling currency here-- the little gold lads are £1, the middle lad is a £2... And the bottom is a £0.50

Edinburgh Castle time!!! We decided to finally pay to go in this one... £16... Or 28 American dollars. The conversion here is awful... $1.85=£1.00 stinks for us:(. We spent so much here based on this fact alone. Everything has the same numbers on it- like hot dog and fries was 6.50- but in sterling:( My only complaint about Scotland is how stinky our money is here!! Regardless the cost was well worth it as we had an amazing time in and on the castle grounds:). Favorite one (next to blarney!)

Sooooo many cannons around the castle- the history here is seriously incredible!!!

I've never had whiskey before and before I left for Scotland Liam told me I had to try Irish whiskey heated with cloves and lemon with some sugar... It would cure my lingering cold I have from this dang weather... We there was Scottish whiskey here... So I decided to try it and made Cayla too!!

He poured us samples and noticed my excitement so offered to take a picture with me!! Hahaha uummmm yes please- never thought we would be offered. So then I took it like a shot. Apparently to drink whiskey you must do the experience of smelling it... The putting it up to your mouth putting a drop on your tongue and chew it to let it sit for a little- then finally you can swallow! He laughed at how we took it and offered another one since we did it all wrong- this time he gave me a smokey flavor instead of honey flavor. His way for drinking it was definitely quite interesting, and did not taste too terrible!! So I purchased 2 small bottles for jacks Christmas present!

After the castle we wanted to go to this place called Camera Obscura and World of Illusions- appropriate for us since we are mildly obsessed with pictures. This place was filled with mainly kids and children but there were some dates happening here too!

Cayla gets super bad motion sick but she was brave enough to go through the tunnel of spinningness where you feel just like you're spinning.. Sooo cool. I did it 3 times and Cayla followed and braved her nausea.

The people here did not appreciate our rambunctiousness so they cut our heads off and served us for dinner- just kidding, it's an optical illusion:)

I grew so tall and squished poor Cayla in this illusion she looks petrified!!

The fun house mirrors:)

A mirror maze:)

Stars going to infinity....

At the roof of the building is a camera obscura - one of the oldest cameras ever and it has a 360 view of Scotland Edinburgh around us... It was super fun for little kids because they got to pick up the people walking on index cards and squish them if they were evil kids or build them a bridge if they were nice kids.. Cayla squished them while I built them bridges:)

We stopped for a snack and hot chocolate after!

We knew we wanted to do a walking haunted tour and decided on the City of the Dead Walking tour-- the double dead tour! Where we go in the underground vaults and in the grey friar grave yard. We were sooo nervous!

After dinner we walked to the tour... The tour guide asked if we had tickets. I was like yes yes of course:)))) and kept talking to Cayla because I just received a text from Jeremy saying he purchased 60 powerade... Whatttt. Cayla looks nervous and whispers to me "NICOLE... Give the lady the tickets!!!!" I look at the lady and she was just standing there next to me starring... Hahahaha oooopppsss so oblivious!!!! She traded my real ticket for a playing card because she ran out of fancy tickets... Haha!! Cayla and I then died laughing of the awkwardness we had...and these girls walked up to us because we were holding red bulls and asked if we were from the states-- well turns out their from Philly!!! Small world!!!!

... Especially because it was a stinking full moon tonight!!!!!!!!!

That was our tour guide- she was really good and made us jump a few times. The history of the vaults is crazy... They were made with volcanic rock and so water seeps through it. So when they were made they were very good for Scottish profit in Edinburgh. People stored things and everything was good. Over a couple months the water seeped through and storing stuff in these volts became unsanitary and gross because it was mostly feces that came through and people through waste on the streets which leaked through. They became run down and eventually when the potato famine hit and Irish migrated there wasn't enough places to stay so people slept and stayed in these vaults. It was pitch black in these vaults so people were terrible and did awful things- there were brothels, tons of murders to being cadeviours to medical buildings for money, raping, and unsanitary living in these vaults -- this is why they are considered haunted! Some atheist meetings were held down here - called devils worshipers- this was one of the most haunted vaults! Kids were even held down here! Such interesting history that's almost so hard for us to fathom.

The area next to greyfriars graveyard was one of the first concentration camps made. In the 1600s he needed to scare people to be loyal and apparently hangings were fun to watch so no one considered it punishment. Therefore Lord Advocate - George Mackenzie- imprisoned 1,200 Covenanters to prove his point and treated them absolutely terribly. Some were executed while others died of maltreatment. This gave this area it's haunted name and many people report paranormal activity. His nickname is "Bloody Mackenzie". Between 1990 and 2006 there were 350 reported attacks and 170 reports of people collapsing. Visitors reported being cut, bruised, bitten, scratched and most commonly blacking out. Some complained later of bruises, scratches and gouge-marks on their bodies. Most attacks and feelings of unease occurred in MacKenzie's Black Mausoleum and the Covenantors Prison.

This point of the tour was when a man came out and screamed to scare all of us poopless and the tour ended.... It is just unbelievable to hear these events occurring.. It's a whole different world!

After the tour we went to Cabaret Voltaire nightlife place. It is one of Edinburghs subterranean club and rock venues. An intimate cave-space with low ceilings and booths- in the caverns of the Cowgate!!! We had a blast here in all the different rooms!!! Amazing day/night today!