Happy April Fools

Happy April Fools Day everyone! We didn't do anything here this year, not even my dad, who is the king of pranks. Now if we were in Jordan, I would've been at the pool playing lots of practical jokes on any unfortunate friend that happened to pass my way. But here in Scotland, with only family that I've just met, I didn't celebrate April Fools like we usually do. 

Oh well, maybe when we get back I'll create my own April Fools Day, just to have some fun. You better watch out Jordan!

Anyways, it just doesn't seem like we can go one day without doing something. Something exciting. Like going through an aerial course, or going to a huge cathedral filled with graves, or exploring mines underneath a castle, or going to more castles, and palaces, and other exciting places.

Let me explain.

After we left the last B & B we drove through a little town and ended up at the Ice Factor. The biggest indoor ice climbing center in the world. But it has rock climbing and an aerial course too. An aerial course. That was enough for me to beg my parents to go. We had some spare time on our hands, and they said yes.

The aerial  course was around three stories high and consisted of many ropes, bridges, walls, and other things that tested your balance and strength. I loved every second of it. They clipped you up to a rope that was connected to a sliding pole above your head, so if you fell, you would just dangle in the air. I did everything without falling. Which was quite a feat since it was cold and raining. But that couldn't stop us, I even managed to jump and grab on to the zip line, without slipping. And your reward for doing all this? Being connected to a wooden log-like thing and being pulled up as high as possible (about three stories) and swinging back and forth. It was a lot scarier than it looked.

March 31,

Yesterday we drove into St. Andrews and visited the St. Andrews castle and cathedral. The castle was in ruins but there was one exciting feature to this one that the rest didn't have.

There were mines dug underneath it.

Townspeople in the 17th century (I think...) dug mines under the castle walls because they wanted to blow it up with gun powder. Then people in the castle dug a couter-mine and spoiled the plans.

The coolest part, you were allowed to explore them. I admit it, I was pretty scared, they were dark and narrow, slippery and wet, and there were little signs everywhere that said: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. But my dad and I explored it, and got some pretty cool pictures. (Which I will post when we're back at Amman)

Then we walked around the St. Andrews Cathedral, which was in  ruins too. There were graves all around it though, and we had a little competition to see who could find the oldest grave. Some of them were so old that you couldn't even read the writing on them, but nevertheless, my mom found one dated back to 1782. 

Lastly we went to the Old Course golf course, the place where golf was invented.

April 1,

Today we went to Stirling Castle, it was huge and very pretty, but half of the castle was blocked off for construction and the other half was unopen to the public so there wasn't much to explore.

Tiny Doune Castle is still my favorite.