240° South- Unst to Lerwick

Ruins as they were - Haroldswick

Inspired by the video 60° North, my fellow traveller (whom I will call S.) and I decided to travel to Shetland for our post-exam trip. However, unlike those people featured in the video, both of us were not in the shape to do anything at that level. Our 'bookworm-ish' lifestyle (at least for me) before the exams certainly did not bid well for the preparation of a forecasted 200 miles of cycling over the span of a few days. While we were initially joined by Y. and Z. for the trip, things happened along the way and only S. and myself could make it for the trip. Furthermore, instead of cycling a return journey from Sumburgh to Unst, we decided to only cycle from Unst to Lerwick, a much shorter journey from the initial plan. Given our exam schedule and the limitations of flights and ferry, we only had 2 days to cycle our planned journey - by basing my calculation on S. and my timing on the Bristol-Bath Railway cycling path, I'd thought that we had an abundance of time to complete the journey.

My previous account of my experience at Hermaness National Park set the mood for the remainder of my journey from Unst to Lerwick, and also the boat trip to Bressay/Noss. In short, hardly anything went according to what we had planned or expected.  There was nothing of the summer weather which I expected as it was just rain, windy and cold for almost everyday. According to the weather forecast, the highest wind-speed we encountered was 37 miles per hour and I still remember the wind blowing me and my bicycle off the side of the road while I attempted cycling in a straight line; together with the various long stretches of uphill ride, they made this cycling experience the toughest I ever experienced in my life. Even going downhill required much effort due to the headwind. Apart from "charactering building experience",  S. constantly quoted from 《三国演义》 where 孔明 said “谋事在人，成事在天。不可强也!" Ironically, the only days of sunshine throughout our trip was on the last day of cycling, and on the day we got back to Aberdeen. Indeed, the plans devised by man are prone to be thwarted by various circumstances - one can view as how it is a consistent and constant theme that only the counsel of the Lord endures.

Sunset at Lerwick on the only day of sunshine in Shetland

Despite how our plans were constantly altered throughout the trip, God's provision and seamless arrangement of events made things fall into place beautifully. Once, instead of sticking to our original plan to cycle to a particular location in an attempt to catch sight of otters, S. and I decided to abandon the plan and catch an earlier ferry crossing. Till now, I am not sure why we did so because we were rather keen on sighting the otters. However, the earlier ferry crossing enabled us to catch our bus to Lerwick (which was supposed to come later as per the schedule) so that we were able to get to our next destination on time. Apart from how our unplanned stuff fall into place, it was also a humbling experience to feel the power (and terror) of nature - apart from the wind and rain, the waves from the North Sea at Noss rocked me in the boat in an unprecedented fashion (I have experienced storms at sea before). Furthermore, seeing the handicraft of God vis the various wonders of nature unfolding before my eyes - be it the sight of countless gannets in the sky and along the cliffs, the seals littered along the shores or the dolphins playing in the sea - left me very much in awe. As I had just completed my examinations then and felt a strong sense of uncertainty towards my performance, and by implication, my results, I felt very much comforted by the experiences as I saw God's hand and provisions working profoundly even in the realm of nature.

Unshaken

Although I didn't get to stay for a longer time in Shetland, I was left with a deep impression of the place because of its character. Like Iceland, it gave me sense of 'wild-ness' that resonated with the adventurous side of me. Also, the trout-filled lochs call for a return next summer for some fly-fishing action. Because S. and I did not manage to complete the cycling journey as we had envisaged, we agreed to return to Shetland in 10 years time to complete it. Till then.

"And I'll fly with you through the night so you know I'm not letting go"