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Pictish Trail, Scotland – September 20th (Day 4)

The singing birds cheered me up in the morning and my tent felt drier, making me more enthusiastic that day. My laundry was still soaked, and I mounted it on the back bags. The air was chilly as we embarked on the 4th day of our journey. We left the park, but Chris’ idea made us return and attempt to place my phone under the hand dryer. We hoped the warm temperature might help it. Because I kept it turned off, it still held 10% of the charge, but wasn’t charging. It didn’t help, and I damped most of the rice. The evening before, I bought a new charging cable, but it didn’t go in when I tried it. We concluded that something was obstructing the port. We stopped by a food truck for breakfast and the lady at the counter gave us a safety pin. Chris cleaned the port, and I tried to charge the phone again. Success! We both uttered shouts of happiness. We procrastinated, and I drank two teas. We took the opportunity to use the bathroom. And then we pedaled into Inverness.

The center of the city had a pebbled surface and was bustling with activity. A man was singing a tune from Lion King. People strolled lazily along, coming in and out of the stores. As we approached to climb a very steep street, a man on wheelchair was rolling up bravely as the pebbled surface slowed him down. We got lost on multiple rotaries and narrowly avoided getting hit by cars. Our hesitation was visible in each step and pedal stroke. We didn’t belong, but this was part of the experience. We breathed deeply and moved confidently on the paths of a park, which led us into a more countryside setting. And soon enough, we found ourselves surrounded by towering trees. “Hello you all,” I whispered. They seemed to escort us to less wooden area and path between the fields. We stopped, and I hugged one tree. Some merciless human creatures carved it.

We carried on through a more populated region again and before long, we spotted markers pointing towards Cawdor Castle. Initially, we couldn’t find our way there and had to ask for directions. We were instructed to leave our bikes by the entrance booth. We paid the admission and received apparatus to listen about each of the rooms inside. The timeline for the castle started in the year 1005. That’s ancient! The castle underwent changes over the centuries. Every occupant wanted to make it fit their own personality, of course. We humans have this sense of importance and leave a trace of our presence wherever we go. It was very interesting, but I couldn’t remember everything from the playback. Plus, I found it very hard to concentrate on the facts. I responded more to the visual display.

The castle seemed cozy and inviting, contrary to my initial expectations of it being gloomy and cold. The bedrooms, with their vast beds, reflected humanity’s long-standing fixation on material possessions. It prompted me to contemplate life’s meaning once more. “Is there only the material reality to concentrate on in this world?” I thought as I recalled the ‘middle way’ concept from Buddhism. Its interpretation depends on the status of a person. Despite not having a permanent home at that time, I felt much happier without material possessions. After my trips, I always go back to the ‘normality’ of my existence. My home presents me with so-called comforts to lead my life, but keeping its shackles strapped around my neck tightly. This internal conflict is tearing me apart constantly. If freedom is the absence of desire, then my desire to escape societal norms lacks reason. We proceeded outside into the gardens and I got pulled away from my thoughts. Honestly, the gardens were quite boring and not as breathtaking as the natural creations of nature I encountered so far. We decided to leave.

The bike path and then single track in the woods were awaiting us with its simplicity to offer till we arrived at a supermarket later that afternoon. The wind was pushing my bike, almost causing it to fall as it rested by the store’s glassy wall. We ate and packed snacks for later. It was hard to start again in the stiff wind. The rotaries were messing with our confidence again till we left the town and followed the lonely gravel roads to our new camping spot. The trees again, like fateful companions, offered us shelter from the strong wind. I hung my still wet laundry on their moving arms and set up my tent. I reflected on the passing day before sleep stole my thoughts completely.