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withabackpackandcamera · 4 years

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November 26th, 2019

Day 5: The Big Day on the Trotternish Peninsula

When our alarms rang this morning, it was pitch black outside. It was probably around 5:30AM or 6:00AM that we got up to get ready for the planned sunrise hike at the Old Man of Storr, a big hill that is part of the Trotternish Ridge with a rock pinnacle called the “Old Man” on it and a location with a beautiful, scenic hike located just a 20 minute drive from our AirBnB. We quickly ate some breakfast in the room and then made our way out onto the dark road. By the time we reached the parking lot for the hike, we were the third car there, with one car having just parked right before us. Bundled up and relatively cozy, we started the dark ascent up the very large hill on our way to the Old Man of Storr.

The beginning of the ascent was rather steep, a little more so than I thought but nothing too crazy. After walking up the clear-cut dirt-gravel path for a bit and making our way past a couple of gates, we arrived at the tricky part of the hike, where the path became more ambiguous, rocky, and muddy as well. In the slowly lifting darkness, we navigated our way up the rocky, muddy hillside, trying to figure out which path would lead us to the best viewpoint of the area. Eventually, after meandering through the landscape one foot at a time, following close behind a couple who had overtaken us on the hike up, we finally made it to a high-up, open area near the Old Man of Storr pinnacle. And as we arrived to this open area, the heavy fog rolled in.

Cynthia was not excited by my idea of continuing the hike up to give time for the fog to clear out and to give us some time to find a nice vantage point for some views and photos. But after a little bit of pushing, I finally got her to continue the hike up. And hike up we did. We ended up making our way up to a nice little ridge with great views of the Old Man of Storr and the surrounding area. At this point, the fog was still heavy but slowly lifting and moving away with the wind blowing hard and the sun starting to peek out over the horizon.

I stood around with my camera and tripod and took some shots from several vantage points, trying my best to get the shot I wanted without wasting too much time. Finally, I set up my shot for the big moment. There was a reason why we ended up doing a sunrise hike here at the Old Man of Storr. There was a reason why I kept pushing Cynthia to keep going up the mountain: to get to the best possible views of the area. And the reason: a long-awaited proposal, one that I had spent time planning out and hoping the weather would cooperate with for a couple of months.

As I set the tripod to capture the views of the beautiful landscape slowly revealing itself from behind the lifting fog, I called Cynthia over for some impromptu timed photos of us and we proceeded to take some photos on an automatic interval timer. After a couple of shots, it happened! After a subpar (in my mind) impromptu speech, with me fumbling my words all over the place, the ring was revealed and she said yes! :DDD We’re engaged! And all the while, the landscape behind us lit up with the sun peeking from behind the fog and clouds, painting a beautifully vibrant and dynamic scene, fit for the beautiful occasion.

With the epicness of the actual proposal finally over, I breathed out a sigh of relief as we took time to just enjoy the moment, the landscape, and each other (all the while with my camera set to take some photos and timelapses for me). After spending some extra time for photos and chatting, Cynthia finally got unbearably cold, so we slowly made our descent down to the parking lot, stopping every now and then for some camera shots and for some random scrambles up hillsides for more photos of the beautiful area.

The descent down the mountain was quick and relatively painless and before long, we were down by our car once again with skies clearing and the sun climbing high. The plan for the rest of the day was to do a relatively quick drive through the Trotternish Peninsula with whatever daylight was left to begin our engagementmoon. The next stop before actually exploring the peninsula was grabbing some food and fuel for the car. I dropped Cynthia off in downtown Portree to grab some food as I drove off to refuel the car. Once I was back and we talked things over, we ended up grabbing a flatbread, a chicken pesto panini, and a cup of hot chocolate from MacKenzie’s Bakery and The Granary. And with our car refueled and our bellies in the process, we drove off once more, this time for a quick, clockwise tour of the peninsula (a tip given to me by the clerk at the gas station, saying that the clockwise drive of Trotternish is much better than the counterclockwise drive).

Our first stop on the drive was the little town of Uig. Rather, it was the point in the drive where we had to take a turn off the main road to visit the Fairy Glen, a strange scenic area of many random conical mounds with a landscape that looked like it could house little fairies. There, we got out of the car to take a little hike through the glen and checked out some of the views of the area from the mounds. It was just a quick stop before we moved on to our next stop: The Quiraing, the beautifully surreal area that provided some of the most spectacular landscapes in Scotland.

To get to the Quiraing, we had to drive across the middle of the peninsula (since we skipped driving out to the very edge of the Trotternish) on a one-lane road. Meaning that with traffic going both ways, you’d have to use the Passing Places, areas of the road that were wider than the normal road where you could turn off to allow other cars to drive by in the opposite direction or to allow cars behind you to pass. All in all, the drive was simple enough and we eventually made it through to the Quiraing.

And the landscape was… wow. What a crazy scene! I parked the car and Cynthia and I made our way over to the viewpoint right on the edge of a cliff that looked out into the valley and winding road below. It was a view I hadn’t ever experienced before and it was worth the drive for sure! With the crazy landscape came the crazily fierce winds that were blowing in the area and the wind tunnels that resulted in some spots. Unfortunately, because of how windy it was and because of our time constraints, we didn’t stay at the Quiraing for very long before driving off to see our last destination prior to leaving the peninsula. So sad Cynthia and I didn’t have enough time to hike through The Quiraing! I’m sure it would’ve been a spectacular hike!

The last stop on the Trotternish was Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls Viewpoint. It was a short drive away from the Quiraing. We dropped by briefly to enjoy the views of the sea, the rock formation called Kilt Rock, and the waterfall emptying into the sea before hitting the road back to Portree once more. Of course, on the drive back, we could appreciate the views of Old Man of Storr from the road, which was neat to see given that it was where we had hiked just this morning! You could appreciate just how crazy the area was and how crazy the hike was from the drive by.

Once we were back in Portree, we quickly drove through town for a quick glimpse of Portree and off we went. At this point, night was falling and we needed to drive about 3.5 hours to our accommodations for the night at the Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa, and Island, the first main part of our engagementmoon. So we skipped whatever other things I had planned for the Isle of Skye and booked it toward our hotel. And it was really far, especially given how tired we were from the day’s explorations and the early morning. On the drive, we were lucky to somewhat appreciate Sligachan Old Bridge and Eilean Donan Castle as we drove by them. But before we knew it, it was once again dark and the drive was full of dark, pitch black views with the occasional headlights shining in the distance.

We ended up getting to the Isle of Eriska Hotel in a reasonable amount of time, shaving off about 15 to 20 minutes of the drive with careful, slightly higher-than-speed-limit driving. Once we were out of the car, we checked in to our beautiful castle-like hotel and super spacious, cozy suite that was big enough to fit a couple of families! The castle was beautiful. The interiors were so elegant yet so warm and cozy that it was the perfect place to end our proposal day.

Because I had made reservations for dinner at the hotel restaurant, we quickly moved to get cleaned up and get dressed for our fancy evening dinner. And we made it down to the dining room just in time (after moving dinner back half an hour or so). And it was a beautiful place to have dinner. Other than the two other couples present there, the dining room was relatively empty, which was quite nice, since we felt like we had almost the entire place to ourselves.

For dinner, we had a three-course meal from a set menu with some options, plus pre-meal canapes and a glass of white wine for each of us. The amuse bouche (aka appetizer) we chose were the Roasted Isle of Mull Scallop (with Parsley Speit Grain and Cured Pork Fat) and Loch Fyne Crab and Brown Shrimps (with Kipper Jelly, Preserved Lemon and Sea Herbs). OH SO DELICIOUS! But that was just the first part. The main dishes were Rump Cap of Black Angus Beef and Veal Sweetbread (with Broccoli, Black Garlic and Bone Marrow) and Poached Monkfish Tail (with Seaweed Potatoes, Leeks and Loch Creran Oyster Sauce). Again, SO DELICIOUS! YUM! And for dessert, we got the Blackcurrant and Creme Fraiche Mousse (with Meringue and Tarragon Ice Cream) and Salted Caramel Delice (with William Pears and Hazelnut Ice Cream). WOW! What an amazing, amazing meal! Definitely the fanciest meal I’ve ever eaten but also totally worth it on this occasion! By the time all was said and done, we were exhausted and so full. We finished everything off with some pieces of sweets/chocolates that they gave us as we were leaving. What a fantastic meal to end the special evening.

After that amazing two to three hour dinner adventure, we were dead and ready for bed. What an absolutely jam-packed, amazing day. Filled with love, adventure, great views, good food, and now a really, really comfy bed in a large, cozy room. Couldn’t have planned it out any better. Goodnight from the happy, newly engaged couple: Huy and Cynthia :)

5 Things I Learned Today:

1. Passing Places are areas of the one-laned roads that are made a bit wider to allow cars on one side to move over and allow other cars to pass in one direction or the other. There are signs that say “Passing Place” on the roads. Whenever you or someone has passed, it’s usually proper etiquette to wave a thank you gesture to the people that helped you or that you helped. Sometimes, instead of a hand gesture, you can flash your headlights in the dark or turn on your emergency lights after you’ve passed them to indicate thanks.

2. The Quiraing’s landscape is reminiscent of the central Icelandic highlands that I’ve never had a chance to actually visit but that I’ve only seen in photos. Crazy highlands with greenery and cliffs in a jagged landscape.

3. The northern area of the Isle of Skye, specifically in the Staffin area, is a place with a Jurassic history. In the past, dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the coastal rocks of this area. Also, this region was formed from volcanic activity dating back 61 to 55 million years ago, eventually resulting in the landscapes seen in northern Skye today.

4. 1 pound sterling is equal to 100 pence. I never knew what British money units (besides the pound) actually were until today, hahaha.

5. Castle-like resorts that you pay a lot for are really, really nice. I could get used to this.

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t-baba · 4 years

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an-anaemic-pen · 5 years

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Project Phoenix Chapter 14

The Routine

The Manifestation || The Power Play || The Green-Eyed Fly || The Middle of The Night || The Alternative || The Attic || The House || The God of Mischief || The Kill || The Night || The Collar || The Training || The Week Without A God of Mischief

Summary: Kate’s a normal teenage Midgardian girl; except there’s a Loki in her attic, and now S.H.I.E.L.D.’s after her, and also, she has powers. Apparently, she’s meant to save the world.

She just wanted to finish school and maybe fall in love—at least she’s accomplishing one of those.

Relationships: Gen, F/M (Loki/Original Female Character)

Rating: M (Graphic Depictions of Violence, Underage if you squint bit—nothing occurs while characters are underage, Sexual Content)

Mood: Timelapse, Illumina Anthology

The heavy feeling of sleep weighed on her. Kate barely noticed the slight nudge she received.

“Kate,” the voice said. It was silky.

Kate groaned. “Saturday,” she grumbled.

“Well, I beg your pardon, I thought you’d want to see me.”

Kate did her best to crack open her eyes. Above her head lay a lean face with cheekbones like no other. She smiled, desperately dragging herself out of sleep. She lazily raised her arms. “Hug me.”

Leanna laughed, half-picking-up her upper body to allow her sister to hug her.

Kate smiled. “How’s college?”

“Difficult.”

“How’s the significant other?”

Leanna dropped her back on the bed and Kate sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she finished the little ritual, Leanna had her hand held out. Kate looked down and saw a ring, pretty and golden with a small diamond in the center. A smile spread across her entire face. She squealed a little. “Congratulations!”

Leanna laughed and smiled. “We were taking a walk around campus one night, and he took me into a gazebo with little lights and proposed, and it was the most romantic thing ever.”

“Have you started planning yet?”

“We’re going to wait until after I graduate to really start the planning so I’ll hopefully have more of a solidified job. James said he wants to marry me, so he put a ring on it in case we ever get in a fight.”

“That’s kinda adorable.”

“I know.”

Kate giggled with her sister, aware of the shadow looming by the closet. She got out of bed, stretched, and expanded her mind. She’d gotten better at it through the week and could not do it while also focusing on something else. Can training wait?

She heard Loki sigh in her mind. Of course.

Thank you.

Leanna and her went downstairs, Jake not bothering to get up because it was so early. Loki had receeded after their little exchange, and Kate didn’t feel him following her, so she relaxed. “Since you’re apparently a master of romance, could you give me some advice?”

Leanna cooed. “Who’s the boy?”

Kate bit her lip nervously. “He’s a bit older, and we met online—”

Leanna cut her off with a wave of her hand. “He’s a predator.”

Kate set to making breakfast. “No, we’ve video chatted, and I’ve even met his mom briefly. He’s who he says he is.”

“Okay, and?”

“I dunno. I’m just emotion-ing, and I’m not used to something other than numb, and then I met him, and it’s not all numb all the time.”

Her eyebrow rose as she grabbed one of the waffles from the box and ate of frozen. “What kind of emotions?”

Kate gave her a look and began to toast her own waffles. “I can’t tell whether its anxiety or butterflies. They feel the same.”

“Both?”

Kate shrugged.

“How old is he?”

“Eighteen…”

Leanna’s eyes went wide. “Kate, oh my gosh!”

“What?”

“That’s two years older than you!”

“And? How old is James?”

“We’re adults.”

Kate gave her sister another look. “Uh-huh.”

A comfortable silence settled over them. “I like your hair.”

Kate smiled, playing with it. “Oh, thanks. I got it done a few days ago at the salon after my shift.” She almost began to believe herself. After a week’s worth of nothing, she could believe it had all been a dream.

Leanna had gone out for lunch with a few friends from home. Kate ventured back up to her room and shut the door behind her. Jake had left at some point, she noticed, as she closed the curtains and looked around. She could not find the God of Mischief. “Loki?”

Something roughly grabbed her by the back of the head, yanking her by the hair so she was looking up at Loki’s angry face. In his hand, he had a foot-long chunk of hair still tied by a rubber band. About eight inches of it were brown, but the rest was a pure silverish-white.

He spoke through gritted teeth. “What did you do?”

He outright reaction was to hide, run and hide, but she smothered it and met his rage. “I got it done at the salon?” She hadn’t meant to phrase it as a question.

His grip was starting to hurt. “Lies,” he hissed. Loki let go of her head, shoving her so hard she almost fell.

“What the hell, man?!” Kate exclaimed, holding her head where he had grabbed her hair so roughly and praying he hadn’t ripped any of it out. As far as she could tell, her hair was alright.

Loki stormed a few feet, and Kate hoped the barrier was still keeping others from overhearing any of their goings-on. If not, she would have to weave quite the lie. “Did I give you permission to use seiðr without me near?”

Kate scoffed. The fear was gone now, replaced by a temper Kate hoped could match his. “I didn’t know it was a privilege, Your Highness.”

He whirled around, his lip twitching. “Yes, girl, it is a privilege to use seiðr. Do you know how few are able to? How few Asgardians are able to, let alone mortals? Do you know what danger you put yourself in?”

Much to her chagrin, Kate shrank away. What had she done? “Apparently not.” He voice dripped venom. “Why don’t you educate me?”

Loki took a deep breath. “Were you near any cameras?”

He’s worried about that? “No, I wasn’t. I made sure to cover them up before I attempted anything.”

“Good.” Kate could practically feel him patting her atop the head. Perhaps he actually was via sending out some sort of ghost hand. “I must keep you safe.”

Kate raised her eyebrows. “You’re the one who made me have powers.” She didn’t need anyone to ‘keep her safe.’

“You already had them, I merely awoke them.” And just like that, his fury had disappeared. He vexed Kate, just turning emotion on and off like that. “Now, take up a fighting stance.”

“Why?”

“I am going to teach you hand-to-hand combat.”

Kate didn’t know any actual hand-to-hand combat other than what she’d seen while watching The Karate Kid. She took a stance, and Loki frowned.

“Pivot your left foot slightly—no, the other way—now, move your right forward slightly; place your left foot back where I told you. Raise your hands a bit and space them out more. A little more—less than that. Stop! That’s perfect.”

“It feels more uncomfortable than perfect.”

“I suppose you’ll just have to deal with a little discomfort, now, won’t you, little Kitten?”

“We’re starting that again?”

He smiled a sly smile. “Oh, would you like me to call you something else? How about smár Ketlingr?”

Kate gave him a look. “Is that just your version of ‘little kitten?’”

She could have sworn she saw him smile genuinely. “You’re getting better at figuring out my native tongue.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “You didn’t insult me, you said a word, then said it in another language. That’s easy.”

He scoffed. “Very well. I won’t compliment you.”

Her lip rose. “Am I gonna do anything or just stay like this?”

Loki looked down at her. “Well, while we were talking, you lowered your hands. I could very easily punch you in the nose at the moment.”

“You could do that anyway.”

“I suppose you are correct.”

Kate’s mood had soured due to his outburst. She’d been excited to feel that cold rush ripple through her body, but now all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and not exist for a little while. She’d forgotten just how terrifying he was.

It took most of the afternoon for Kate to figure out how to channel her emotion. Loki had to lend some of his own anger—she didn’t even want to know how he did that—and she was able to shoot a few icicles into the target.

He had been right; it wasn’t long before he stopped siphoning his power, and Kate was exhausted. She flopped down on her bed and sighed. Sweat moistened her back, and she almost wanted to take her shirt off—just let the cool air conditioning be on her skin. He, in comparison, looked completely unhindered.

“Hey, Loki?”

“Yes, mortal?”

She blinked and stared absent-mindedly at the ceiling. “You tried to take over the world, right?”

“Yes, mortal.”

“So, why aren’t you in prison?”

Kate heard him sigh. “Must I remind you I am called silvertongue?”

“Apparently.”

A content silence fell over them. Kate’s eyelids felt heavy. “Are we going train tomorrow, too?”

“I don’t see as to why not.”

She hummed and rolled to her side. “Why are you so angry?”

“Rest. I will be here when you awaken.”

“Can’t you answer my questions?”

He shushed her and patted her head. Sleep was inescapable, and before Kate could even speak another word, she succumbed to the spell Loki had cast.

Sunday was the same, except for that Loki was in his Marvel form. Kate woke up, she ate breakfast and spent the morning with her Dad and siblings because it was Father’s Day, then the afternoon was spent up in her room with the God of Mischief.

“Why aren’t you imprisoned?” He still hadn’t answered her question, no matter how much she badgered him.

“Concentrate your anger.”

“Why aren’t you imprisoned?”

“Don’t let your stance slacken.”

“Why aren’t you imprisoned?”

He looked slightly ticked-off. “Must you be so incessant?”

“Yes.”

He groaned. “If I answer you, will you stop asking questions?”

“Maybe.”

He gave her a look but sighed in resignation. “I have been given a… reprieve, of sorts. The Allfather and his courts are trying to figure out what to do with me. If I wasn’t who I was, perhaps I might already have a sentence, but I simply bide my time at the moment.”

“So, they just, like, let you walk around on the planet you tried to take over?”

He laughed. “Oh, no, darling. I sneak away. That is why I can only stay for a few days at a time.”

“Why haven’t they decided yet? Wasn’t that like twenty-twelve or something?”

He shrugged. “Five years is not long to the gods. I’m kept on a tight leash for now, but I am certain I can persuade Mother to shorten my sentence.”

Kate nodded her head in thought. “Can you stay until tomorrow? I don’t have any school since it’s summer and I’m not working until Tuesday, so we could hypothetically smoosh in some training time.”

Apparently, her speech was funny. “Perhaps. Now, concentrate.”

She did as she was told, focusing the energy jittering through her. She’d carbo-loaded about a half-hour ago so now she was really feeling the cold as it bounced through her like microscopic waves of sound.

Kate woke up in a cold sweat. Jake was at her feet, and Mars wasn’t in the room. She carefully got up, pacing the room back and forth and focusing on her breath. Her legs trembled, so she sat down and began to rock.

Loki’s shadow appeared from somewhere, and he came nearer to her. “Are you experiencing anxiety?”

She wanted to spit out some sharp retort (it was quite obvious what was going on), but she could only manage a weak “yes.”

Loki sat down beside Kate, staying as far away from Jake as possible and awkwardly wrapping his arm around her. She accepted the comfort and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Kate knew she’d regret it in the morning, but at the moment, she let herself be weak and closed her eyes. She breathed in his scent and let herself be, even if just for a little while.

Loki stayed until Monday evening. When Kate went running in the morning, he followed her as a bird, flittering from branch to branch in the trees as he followed her and Jake. She traversed all three cul-de-sacs, much to Jake’s dismay, and collapsed on the couch when he got home. You’re getting stronger, Loki commented as he turned into something akin to a ghost.

Kate knew she was the only one who could see him. Thanks. I try. She chugged some water while Jake lapped at the water bowl. She could feel herself weakening from the training and desperately needed a break.

She wished she hadn’t asked him to stay.

After her run and a bit of mental training, he recognized her fatigue. He nodded to her, whisking himself off to what she assumed was Asgard.

The week went on and Kate started a little project with Jake. Now that he was getting into a shape that wasn’t tubular, Kate wanted to play with him more often. He wanted to play more often, as well, she noticed.

She worked on the little wooden jumps and hoops in the evening, her dad helping her cut the wood and sand it down until it was smooth. Amidst Loki’s comings-and-goings, they worked on the project and had it finished in just a week and a half.

Kate brought out the little set and placed it in the yard. In her hand was a baggie of kibble and at her side was her dog. It took a few million times for him to get it, but by the next Saturday, she had something to show to Loki.

Saturday morning she woke bright and early. Well, bright was an overstatement. Loki nudged her awake before the sun had even fully risen.

“What?” she grumbled.

He chuckled softly in her ear. She knew he was trying to make chills run down her spine, and it was working.

“On Asgard, you liked to watch the sun rise. I thought I might grant you that pleasure.”

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked up at him. “You woke me up for the sunrise?”

He stood to his full height, walking over to the curtains and opening them. “Who knows when you may get to see one again?”

“Tomorrow? You know, when the sun rises again?”

“Would you like to wake you then, as well?”

“No thanks,” begrudgingly, she pulled herself out of bed. She didn’t want to get up, but Loki had gone through the trouble of waking her up, so she was going to get up for him and watch the sun rise.

It was beginning to get hotter every day, and Kate had worn an old t-shirt to bed. It covered what needed to be covered, but just barely, and she wasn’t wearing pants underneath. Loki looked away until she had a pair of shorts on.

He cast an illusion over himself and followed her out of her room, walking down the stairs and outside. Kate sat down on the driveway and looked eastward. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, and her view was blocked by trees, so all she could see what the purplish sky bleeding into the darkness.

“Can other people see you?”

“No, being the only one will just have to suffice.”

She laughed. Loki was already worming his way into her routine, and, after a mere two weeks and a day, he felt normal. Well, maybe not normal, but normal enough.

Kate smiled to herself. Friend, she thought. I was a rather incomplete notion, but it was enough for her.

She stood out in the yard, whistling at Jake until he jumped over the jump. It wasn’t at all high—it couldn’t be since he was a corgi—but he acted as though it was a struggle. Kate whistled again, and he hopped over the second jump. He easily went through the double set of hoops, then followed the little trail of kibble through the tunnel she’d bought at a yard sale.

Loki looked genuinely impressed she’d trained the beast to do something upon command.

He left Sunday evening, and Kate spent the week lounging around, mainly. She’d wake up, eat breakfast, go for a run, rest, maybe try some magic that wouldn’t drastically affect anything so Loki wouldn’t notice, then relax.

Leanna flew back to Virginia. The fall semester hadn’t started yet, but she had to go back for work and to be with James. Kate had already set to teasing her sister about their puppy love.

Max’s nightmares ceased, so Kate was sleeping a little better. Her dreams were now filled with the adventures Loki told her about.

He told her about Asgard’s golden palace and the rainbow bridge and the sweeping forests. Of course, she knew what they looked like from movies, but only to an extent. He told her of the halls and secrets and of the paintings she could only imagine.

He told her of the Nine Realms and the politics of each of them—the Jötnar were the most interesting since they were one of the only realms other than Midgard to have factions of people.

But, this dream was… different. She didn’t know what the act looked like, only knew how it worked mechanically, but she felt her mind very, very heavily implying what was going on.

When Kate was finally able to pull herself out of the dream, she was blushing profusely. It took her a moment to realize her own hand was stuffed between her thighs.

She peeled her palm away from her underwear—of course, she hadn’t worn at least shorts to bed that night—and stood up. It was far from being light out and the house was silent. She went into the bathroom, running the water and washing her hands overly-thoroughly before rinsing off her heated face. When she stood, she almost expected Loki to be standing behind her and startled when the mental image she’d created didn’t match reality.

“What the actual heck,” she muttered to herself and went to bed.

It took her all week to forget the dream and having Loki return on Saturday certainly didn’t help.

Even when he wasn’t there, she could call upon her cold now. A few icicles still drained her of any and all energy, but she could summon it if need be.

Loki seemed to pick up on her change in behavior, no matter how well Kate thought she was hiding it. “Are you alright, Ketlingr?” He hadn’t stopped calling her that since the first time.

“Yeah, just jumpy.” She hoped it would be enough.

“And why is that?”

“Movie.”

“Really?” He sounded far too intrigued. “What kind of movie?”

“A scary movie.”

He tisked. “Darling, you know you can’t watch those; you have panic attacks for weeks afterward.”

“I get those anyway.” Kate sat down on her bed and threw her head between her legs, collecting her hair into a generalized bundle and tying it up. Her roots should have started growing back in by now, so she planned on asking Loki if he could show her how to cast some sort of illusion.

Once her head was back upright, he reached down and fixed a few of the fly-aways. He even retrieved a bobby-pin from her dresser and pinned them down, all without her even asking him to.

Alright then, she thought. “Is there some sort of spell we could cast that would make it look like I have brown roots?”

Loki cocked his head. “There is, but you wouldn’t have the strength, and I’m not wasting my seiðr on such a trifle.”

“If it’s such a trifle, it shouldn’t cost you too much, right?”

“Casting enchantments across realms is surprisingly tiresome, girl.”

She raised her lip at him. Thankfully, he hadn’t felt the need to collar her as of recent.

Sunday came and went as always, as well as the rest of the week. On Saturday morning, Kate awoke to find Loki nowhere. She casually looked around the house, but he was nowhere to be found. She raised her eyebrow and decided to treat the day as she normally would. Perhaps he is simply late?

After her run, she showered, and the God of Mischief still had not shown up. Kate settled down to sketch out of boredom when he suddenly opened the door to her bedroom and strolled in as if it were normal.

“I was wondering where you were—on another adventure?” Loki’s gaze was somber and Kate’s relatively-happy mood deflated instantly. “What’s wrong?”

“I must tell you something.”

#fanfic #fanfiction #loki #loki fanfic #loki fic #Loki Laufeyson #loki (marvel)#marvel #marvel agents of shield #marvel fanfiction #S.H.I.E.L.D.#Project Phoenix #Project Phoenix Chapter 14 #The Routine

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mediconico · 6 years

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Atitlán

Lake Atitlán is a lake in the Guatemalan altiplanos about 2 hours east of Xela by bus well known for its iconic geography and diverse Mayan history and languages. It’s a popular tourist destination, as the stunning vistas and classic Guatemalan lakeside towns make for a relaxing getaway from some of the more polluted larger cities in Guatemala. There is an interesting mix of cultures around the lake, from traditional Mayan peoples wearing huipil and corte to a hippie culture that has flourished in recent years to the more tourist-centered guide companies and overpriced restaurants. It’s a site that can’t be missed if one is traveling to Guatemala.

This past weekend, I make the trek to Lake Atitlán from Xela by bus through winding mountain roads as we drop a few thousand feet of elevation to the volcano-ringed caldera that forms the lake. It’s a large group of 13 of us in the bus, having coordinated our trip with friends from multiple different programs in Xela. Five other girls on our program from UVA will also meet us at the lake, as they are working on a clean water initiative in a small town there. We’re on our way to San Pedro, a popular town on the west side of the lake that boasts a good blend of both tourist and more local cultures. I’ve decided to stay with 3 of my friends from Xela in a cheap hostel “Mr. Mullets”, which is popular among tourists but appears to have a good reputation for its social atmosphere.

The first day at the lake, Saturday, I spend largely relaxing with the folks from Xela. In the late morning, we make our way to another hostel, Zoola, which has a bar overlooking the lake and an open-air swimming pool. Why the pool? Sadly, Lake Atitlán has suffered from significant pollution over the last 20 years, and it’s not particularly safe to swim in with all of the waste and algae bloom that covers parts of the lake. It’s a beautiful location, but the pollution is a pragmatic reminder of the lack of infrastructure in Guatemala. And it’s a reminder that in America, we have the luxury to propose initiatives to save the environment; in Guatemala, the government has to pick and choose where it will spend its money. The environment may not be the highest priority.

The view from the pool at Zoola. Note the algae growth in the background on the lake.

After a couple of drinks around the pool, the group decides to jump spots and hop on a lancha (these are small motorboats that run between the towns on the lake for somewhere between Q15-Q25) across the lake to a small town called Jaibalito. The group tells me that over there, there’s a small hotel with an infinity pool, jacuzzi, poolside bar, and good view of the lake. While I’m not so fond of only drinking and lounging when traveling, I’m keen on relaxing and take the adventure in stride. Traveling is all about being flexible, and I’m optimistic something fun will happen across the lake.

And fun it is! The hotel in Jaibalito is a gem. The pool has a great view of the lake, and they make a killer basil mojito of which I have a couple. There’s also a small TV that one can see from the jacuzzi playing the Russia-Croatia World Cup game, so that’s where I elect to sit. In the jacuzzi, I meet a group of local girls traveling together, and before long we get to talking. Two are from Guatemala City, and one has come to the lake all the way from Costa Rica! I end up spending a while talking to one of the girls, Pamela, because I learn that she has recently earned her degree as a nutritionist, and I am curious to know more about her work here in Guatemala. I’m glad to have made some local friends, and before we have to leave a few hours later I make sure to exchange numbers.

After a bumpy lancha ride (the lake gets quite windy in the afternoon), I get back to Mr. Mullets around dinner time. Getting back to my room I find my roommate, Melu, lying down in bed not looking so well. It seems like she’s caught the stomach bug (pretty much a requisite of coming to Guatemala) of the “front-end” type, and she’s not feeling so well. I’ve got a little bit of medical knowledge, some Tylenol, and a big bottle of water so I take a minute to empathize with her and let her know it’ll likely be okay as long as she takes care of her fluid intake. It’s a brief moment, perhaps 5 minutes, where I’m reminded of some of the reasons why I went into medicine. It’s nothing big – just a snapshot of compassion where I’m able to reassure a fellow human being that they’ll most likely be okay, and that yes, it’s never fun to feel sick. In that common ground, we earn each other’s trust. I give her a hug, and she climbs back up to her bunk feeling a little better.

Just as I’m about to walk off to the shower with my towel in hand, another girl opens the door to our room. “Welcome to our room!” I exclaim, hoping to make another friend in the hostel. Megan is a tall, blonde girl with soft blue eyes and a happy face who looks to be traveling alone. We get to talking, and before long I’ve forgotten about that shower I was going to take. She’s American, from what I would consider to be the Pacific Northwest (Montana), and it turns out we’ve got lots in common. She’s at Lake Atitlán for a month to study Spanish and live with a host family, but this is her first day on her own and she’s at the hostel hoping to meet some new people. We end up talking for at least a couple of hours – she’s reading “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood; we chat about my work at the hospital here; a little bit of her home life.

Before leaving for dinner with some of my program-mates I convince Megan to join me and my friend Erinn for a sunrise hike the next day at Indian Nose, a popular viewpoint of the lake where one can see seven of Guatemala’s 37 volcanoes lined up, including the infamous Volcán de Fuego which recently erupted sadly killing over 100 local Guatemalans. Melu looks to be a little too sick still to get up for the 0330 wake-up call, so I’m glad I’ll have another friend from the hostel joining me.

The next morning, as promised, Megan and I wake up at 0330 to make sure we’re at the tour company next door for our departure time at 0400. Indian Nose is a popular hike around San Pedro, so we pack in tightly with the rest of our group to one of the ubiquitous minibuses that form much of the local transportation in Guatemala. With our three guides sitting in front, we begin our short drive to the trailhead up through the potholed dirt roads of the pueblos in the hills above San Pedro.

At one of the city centers, a couple of armed policemen flag us down and hop aboard. ¿Quieren que les acompañemos? they question, asking if we’d like an escort. The guides acquiesce; unfortunately on many hikes in Guatemala, it’s safer for tourists to go with police escorts because robbers hide out on trails, knowing they can take advantage of relatively wealthy hikers walking with expensive cameras, cellphones, and other outdoor gear.

We arrive at the trailhead and begin a brief walk through the cornfields in the backyards of the small pueblo at the base of Indian Nose before arriving at a more established trail that winds through the mountainside. One of our guides, Jorge, teaches me about some of the fauna and flora surrounding us, including café bushes that extend down the hillside with their still-unripe green coffee beans as well as trees with mottled bark that he tells me are used to make the traditional Guatemalan marimbas. He pauses for a second on the trailhead, pointing out a couple of small herbs. Esta es la que te fortalece, he says, picking the leaves of one. Es como la marijuana, he continues with a hint of a smile. He wanders over to a different plant. Y esta, para el sueño. It’s good for sleep. The volcanic earth around Lake Atitlán is bountiful.

We wander on, catching our altitude-shortened breath every few steps, finding a series of small wooden ladders that lead us up the hillside. I won’t comment on their safety, but I do choose to use the knotted ropes that lie to the side of the latter to steady myself. After about 30 minutes, we crest the final hill to the mirador where we’ll watch the sun rise around 0530. There’s a small set of benches, and in the back is a shelter where our guides are heating up coffee in a large cast iron pot over a fire.

We grab a seat with some hot coffee and freshly-baked bread over one of the most spectacular vistas Guatemala has to offer, and I’m once again struck by the natural beauty of the country. The sunrise has only just begun, with the clouds flecked in a rose red that conjures to mind the lighting of a fire. In the foreground lies the volcano-ringed lake – including the massive Volcán San Pedro just off to our right.

Volcán San Pedro, right, and the town of San Pedro, front.

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Sunrise progression including timelapse. Not visible in the photos, but in person one could see Volcán de Fuego erupting in the background.

Photos of Megan and Erinn and me atop the mirador

After about a half an hour, it’s time to begin the trek back to town for a much-needed nap. But I’m glad we got up early; it’s always a good feeling when it’s 7am and you feel as if you’ve already accomplished so much with the day.

After a brief nap and delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, and avocado toast (millenials, amirite?) I get together with Megan, another of our new roommates, Karen, and her friend Lise to go out and explore the lake for the day. I propose that we walk over to the hostel Zoola again to grab some drinks, as it turns out that my new local friend Pamela and her friends are coming to San Pedro for the day and want to meet us there. We end up hanging out by the pool for a little while, and while it’s only around 10:30 in the morning we figure it’s about time for a piña colada:

From Zoola, we manage to convince Pamela to join us for a quick trip on a lancha over to Santiago, and adjacent town on the lake, for lunch and to explore the Sunday market. Santiago is famous for this market, as it’s the largest one on the lake.

After a relatively nausea-inducing ride on the lancha towards Santiago (the lake gets quite windy and choppy during the afternoon), we are dropped right into the middle of a tranquil market that extends from the dock all the way up into the town of Santiago. Markets in Guatemala are diverse; vendors hawk wares anywhere from traditional handmade Guatemalan clothing to electronics to second-hand clothes. We walk up the hill towards town, ogling at the bountiful variety of colors, sounds, and smells.

Dried fish typical to a Guatemalan market.

After a couple of hours, we decide it’s time to head back to San Pedro to relax. We say goodbye to Pamela, who hops on a different lancha towards Panajachel to rejoin her friends across the lake. This time, the lancha ride is mercifully a little bit quicker and less choppy as the lake has cooled down a little bit.

From left to right, photo of me, Lise, and Karen on the lancha back from Santiago.

Typical street scene in San Pedro.

Back in San Pedro, we walk just a few short blocks to a small hotel named Mikaso, recommended to us by Pamela for its deck with jacuzzis overlooking the lake. When we arrive to the hotel, a sign clearly states that the jacuzzis are only for use by hotel guests, but you know the drill from when you were in high school or college. We waltz up the stairs to the roof deck with jacuzzis. In any case, we are hotel guests, perhaps just not at that particular hotel...

There on the deck at Mikaso, we spend at least a couple of hours relaxing in the sun, drinking cuba libres, and enjoying the warmth of the tubs. It’s rare that you find friends that you travel with this well, and even rarer to stumble upon so many experiences in a single day. Little did we know, there would be even more to come.

View from hotel Mikaso in San Pedro, Lago de Atitlán

Megan and Karen having some fun in the jacuzzi.

We cruise back to the hostel for a couple of happy hour drinks before heading out with a bigger group of friends to a restaurant named Clover recommended to me by one of the Spanish teachers at our school, Claudia. A departure from traditional Guatemalan fare, Clover offers Asian fusion food with dishes such as Thai green curry and spring rolls. It’s a solid meal for a good price, and we hang out in the garden with drinks for a couple of hours enjoying the ambience and the scenery of the lake.

After dinner, we decide to walk just a few blocks over to a carnival that we’ve learned is happening that night in San Pedro. We’re not exactly sure what the party entails, but we know from earlier in the day that a Ferris wheel is involved somehow, as we saw it being set up earlier in the day coming back from Santiago.

The carnival Ferris wheel.

A children’s ride at the carnival.

It’s dark out, but the carnival is full of lights and sounds. We walk past kids jumping on giant trampolines, arcades with old video game consoles (I would have paid good money to play some Metal Slug, but alas it wasn’t one of them) other, more improvised arcades set up with personal televisions and game consoles, foosball tables, more classic carnival gambling games such as airsoft target shooting, food vendors with fried foods...there is something for everyone.

A few minutes later, wandering down a narrow street packed on either side with games and vendors, we stumble upon what appears to be the Guatemalan version of a roulette table. The roulette wheel is adorned with Guatemalan playing cards in a circle, with different colored pins stuck at various intervals. Viene la rosa, la rosa, cien quetzales, la rosa viene, hollers the “dealer”, an energetic man in his 30s who appears to have much experience hosting the game as evidenced by his polished vernacular. Folks crowd around the table to place small bets of 1-2 quetzales on either colors or cards. Some cards, like the rosa, hold a value of 100 quetzales; winning on a color only returns a 5:1 value (there are 4 colors).

Playing the Guatemalan roulette game.

We play a couple of rounds, a highly enjoyable experience as the dealer amps up the drama by calling out cards and colors to lure people in to placing additional bets as the wheel spins. I end up losing a couple of quetzales, but Megan places a bet on the pajaro card and wins Q20! We decide to quit while we’re ahead, and wander off to the rest of the carnival.

Only a few paces later, we stumble upon the same rickety Ferris wheel that we saw earlier in the day. A handwritten sign scrawled in Sharpie states the price: Q5/2 people, about 75 cents. Megan graciously offers to pay for us with her winnings, and we hop on.

This isn’t like your typical Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel is unlike any I’ve ever seen. A teenage boy sits in a small seat connected to a large gas-powered generator at the base hooked up to a car battery and accelerator pedal, which is then attached to a network of metal cables strung around the wheel. I’m pretty sure the kid is stoned by looking at him. Safety standards are not particularly apparent on this ride.

After waiting about 15 minutes to fill all the seats on the ride, our operator hits the gas and flings us around faster than I’m sure the law allows in the States. Along with the speed, the yellow chairs are attached via a free-spinning metal bar, so we swing forwards and backwards. Megan grabs my arm and squeals in a mix of fear and excitement. Another 15 minutes later (this is the longest Ferris ride wheel of my life) we slow to a stop and un-board the ride. Exhilarated, we walk back towards the center of the carnival. Having so much fun I had lost track of time; it’s already close to midnight! I announce that I’d like to wander back to the hostel, and the others agree. We’re exhausted.

Lake Atitlán was beautiful, and the adventures I had were unforgettable. I’m unsure if I’ll ever get to see the girls again, although I know we’d be delighted if it were to happen. But in those few days at the lake together, it was as if we became best friends. Because friendship isn’t necessarily dependent on the amount of time people spend together, but rather on the type and the quality of the time spent together.

#lagoatitlan

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