Muddy England

Despite the weather, Manchester was worth the look. Perhaps the English music would not be as brilliant without all the depressing rain. I managed to see a good part of the city centre, including the lovely (free) Manchester Art Gallery. There was a section celebrating Manchester's contribution to music and football, which seemed appropriate given their obsession with both. I skipped the Man United Football Club tour because I could not justify the cost. It's quite fortunate that U.K. is the most expensive part of the trip - I'd be home next week at this rate! The hostels, supermarket food and buses have saved me loads of money. Nonetheless, my wallet is empty every few days.

My luck in the Lake District was fantastic. The sun made a rare appearance on the day I chose to do a lengthy hike. The Fairfield Horseshoe originates from a small town called Ambleside, five miles from my hostel. 11 miles in length, it has a gain of 3,000 feet (not including the undulations). From the moment I arrived in Ambleside, I was reminded of the kindness of strangers all throughout the UK. They have paid for all of my drinks, offered to drive me to hostels, etc. After offering to have me 'round for a kip' with his family and driving me to the hostel, one man in Manchester said 'We're English. That's just what we do.' Anyway, the man in Ambleside walked with me nearly a mile to show me the trailhead for the hike since the map was quite confusing. I started off on my own and quickly ran into the nicest couple, Liz and Phil. They helped me scale a large rock and offered to let me join them for the journey. Shortly after we met, Phil came upon what seemed to be yet another mud puddle. He put one foot in as a quick test. Everything seemed fine until he fell into a mud hole three feet deep. As Phil submerged in the mud, he remained helpful, telling us 'Don't go that way.' He was covered in mud and looked quite ridiculous. I suppose it was one of those had-to-be-there situations, but it was one of most hysterical things I have ever seen in person. Moreover, it was even funnier because it was the sort of thing I would do! Phil said he did that to make us feel better - how gallant! Every few minutes of the hike, I had to stifle a laugh. Something like a sports highlight show kept reeling through my head all day. I could hear announcers describing the fall in great detail from every angle in slow motion. Luckily, Phil was good- natured about the whole thing, taking sarcastic remarks from Liz and me with grace. It cracked us up more as the day went on, watching the other hikers give Phil sideways glances. They were probably polite English people who didn't want to pry, but were clearly amused by Phil's fashion statement. At some point, I'm going to post a photo of Phil right after the fall. He's a police sargeant and it should be a good laugh for the precinct.

Aside from that, the hike offered stunning views and challenging hills. We happily sat down at an outdoor pub six hours later for a quick drink. To carry on the tradition of infinite English kindness, they drove me to my hostel. I was so fortunate to meet this wonderful couple while traveling. Life is beautiful in England.