Mr. Rhino, what do ya know?

He's only got ONE big horn on the tip of his nose.  What kind of rhino is he?  Well.....he's an Indian One-Horned Rhino, of course.

So, guess where my adventures took me to today?  To the Edinburgh Zoo.  I have often thought of going to this zoo, especially when  I read that it held the largest Penguin colony in all of Europe.  But, the zoo location doesn't fall on a train line, so traveling there was a wee bit more complicated.  And, I had presumed that it was a bit more in the country, and more difficult to get to.

But I was wrong.  It is actually off the main road from Edinburgh City Center to the Airport, located, believe it or not, in a residential neighborhood.

And the Airlink bus actually stops right out front. And it's kind of hard to miss with this sign standing along the side of the highway.

So, I purchased a round trip ticket to the Haymarket Train Station where I was able to board the Airlink bus for much less money than I had anticipated.  But the entrance to the zoo took care of any unexpected surplus.  Let's just say that admission is a bit pricey.

When I purchased my ticket, the young lady asked if I would be interested in viewing the Giant Pandas because there was an open viewing in 10 minutes.  I hadn't planned on seeing them, because the zoo webpage stated that viewing needed to be arranged prior to the visit, and one needed a printed ticket to see them.  Well, as it turns out, there were plenty of openings today (probably because the weather turned for the worse), and since there was no extra charge, why not go see them?

I was surprised that we could get so close to them.  And this guy wasn't the least bit disturbed by anyone in the room. He was just busy munching away on bamboo, while across the way......

Tian Tian (which translates "Sweetie"), was taking a little nap. 

Yang Guang (Sunshine) just kept on eating, obviously not the least bit interested in sleeping.  I had to chuckle when I heard an older woman complaining about the sleeping panda.  She  stated that she would have really been upset if they had both been sleeping after she reserved her tickets to see them!  Her husband went on to say that there should have been a disclaimer printed on the ticket.

But, the Panda viewing was FREE.  And it's not like the proprietors can keep the animals awake for viewing!  In fact, it was obviously siesta time while I was there because many of the animals were either sleeping.....or hiding from the cold, which I found to be rather amusing since it is cold and rainy most of the time in Edinburgh.

The rhinos were snoozing away....

until one of the zoo employees decided it was time for them to wake up, which is when I snapped the photo at the top.

The pygmy hippos were off in dreamland.

And all 3 of the Koalas were sound asleep on tree limbs.  Luckily, this little thing was snuggled up near the front, so I could capture a photo.

 I even went back to see if the Koalas had awoken before I left, and they were all in the exact same position as when I had left!

But, although many of the animals were MIA, or too far off in the distance to see, some were out and about, and even willing to pose for me.

Here you see a Chinese Goral who appears to be as interested in me as I was in it.

The meer cats were scurrying about:

And this Rockhopper Penguin puffed himself out for me when he saw my camera.

The entertaining thing about Rockhopper penguins is that they do just that. Hop on rocks.

I had a grand time watching them hop from one rock to another.  And that one penguin that looks like he's teetering on the edge, ended up sliding down the rock, quite by accident.  But he caught himself before tumbling off the edge and hopped to safety.

There was another penguin hangout, with a different species,  near the Panda house.

But, as it turned out, visitors were not permitted in the display area because the zoo personnel are doing renovations. So, I had to zoom in to take this photo.

And, if you're wondering just what happened to this "largest" Penguin colony in Europe, as I did..... it turns out that many of the Penguins have been on "Holiday", as I was told.  Some went to Belfast and some to Denmark, and they are due to return in a week, and there will be a grand display on March 17. Hmmm.....I wonder if the Belfast vacationers picked up any Irish jigs to perform, since that is St. Patrick's Day?  In any event, I was told to stay clear of the place that day, as it will be a real "Zoo"! Imagine that!

The animals weren't the only entertainment in the place.  I found this "tongue" bench to be amusing.

And, then there was the Monkey bench.

Gotta love that Scottish sense of humor!

Ahhh....before I finish my zoo story, let me show you the "Spectacular" Hilltop view from the zoo.

It's supposedly one of the best views in the city surrounds......on a clear day, of course.  But that wasn't happening today.

And, with the cold weather and my calf muscle still complaining, I decided that it was time to make it a day and begin the return trip to the B&B.  

Before leaving, I questioned an attendant regarding catching the Airlink bus back to Haymarket Train Station.  He told me that the Airlink doesn't always stop, and that I just might need to flag the driver down.  Really?  Did I need that kind of stress? Did I want to jump into the street and wave my arms to get his attention?  Reluctantly, I mentally prepared myself for the challenge.

As I headed down the ramp towards the bus stop, an Airlink bus approached, and when the driver spotted me, he stopped and let me in.  

Whew!  What a relief!  And, despite some confusion at the train station, I managed to get back to the B&B without too much difficulty.  How lucky was that?