Skye, Day 5: Ew

There is a word for days like today. Several, actually. Among them are 'cold,' 'damp,' 'windy.' I broke camp and started walking by 9. It started raining shortly thereafter and was quickly accompanied by gale-force winds. Not really ideal walking weather. Neither have stopped, show no signs of stopping, and I'm a little bummed out. It would be different if I had space to set all my wet things (so all of them) away from my dry things (in an ideal world, myself), but my tent is too small to do that. The rain won't even let up for a couple minutes so I can organize without letting the drizzle in, so everything has become a damp lump. Kinda how I'm feeling right now.

The walk started out by making me feel stoic for braving the driving rain, numbing cold, and buffeting winds, but by hour 3 or 4 it was just plain miserable. It seems my luck with the weather had run out. Not much to say other than that, really.

I had the good fortune to have someone offer me a lift for the last couple of miles, which improved my spirits. I found a bakery (the oldest in Skye!) ad sat down for a cup of hot chocolate and a bacon roll, nice and hot. I ended up staying there for a couple hours and they let me dry my stuff by the radiator. I had another hot chocolate and a snowball, and when I left she not only rung me up for less than I owed but also sent me on my way with a couple muffins. Sweet lady. I'll be going back tomorrow (and Friday, if I stay that long).

I'm tempted to take the bus to Portree tomorrow and explore there on Friday, but I want to have a day where I don't pack up and move. I'll decide tomorrow. But for now, good night. I hope it stops raining.

                                           THINGS I LEARNED

• Singing loudly is a good way to keep yourself going.
• Wind is your enemy.
• Everything sucks when everything's damp.
• If it says 'waterproof,' it probably isn't counting on hours of continual assault.
• The kindness of strangers is a wonderful thing.

The weather today