This is called the Armadillo. It kind of reminds me of the Sydney Opera House. Mama Mia was playing there at the time.
The structure below rotates with the wind. I was actually able to step onto the base of it as it swayed slowly with the winds.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lazy Sunday in Glasgow
It is Sunday. I'm feeling lazy. There is no plan. We got up and just started wandering around the city. It seems like everything is shut down. All the attractions are unavailable. Here are some pictures of what we found.
This is called the Armadillo. It kind of reminds me of the Sydney Opera House. Mama Mia was playing there at the time.
The structure below rotates with the wind. I was actually able to step onto the base of it as it swayed slowly with the winds.
This is called the Armadillo. It kind of reminds me of the Sydney Opera House. Mama Mia was playing there at the time.
The structure below rotates with the wind. I was actually able to step onto the base of it as it swayed slowly with the winds.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Glasgow, the Most American City in Scotland
A plane ride from Belfast to Glasgow is less than an hour. We did not plan ahead and got stuck paying full price for a RyanAir fare, never again!
Upon arrival to the Prestwick Airport we took a coach to Glasgow which was actually a descent ride away. It began to sleet during the ride over. The city rose into view slowly as skyscrapers emerged in the distance. The building of Glasgow are the tallest yet on this trip. We are dropped off at the bus station in the center of the city amidst a unfamiliar but typical urban environment.
Immediately we do what comes natural, we find the first affordable place to eat. We ask the owners if they know of a hostel near by. He points us on a heading towards the river. "There is a cheap one right down by the river, 10 pounds a night I believe" he explained.
With the weight of all my belongings and a freshly eaten meal I drag my feet towards the general direction of the hostel. The entire time I think to myself that I've packed too much. Never do I think this while I'm sitting in a cozy internet cafe or a hostel surfing the web, updating my blog, or chatting with friends. But right in that instance with each step I vowed that I will send home some unnecessary items as soon as I reach a large city.
On our journey towards the hostel we hopped over to a pedestrian street. This street is free of automobile traffic and is full of stores and people. Glasgow officially became Scottish in my mind when I saw some kilt wearing street performers.
We arrive at the hostel only to find that it is once again full booked. If we are having this much luck finding a place to stay during the off season I wonder how difficult it will be once the weather warms up. Thankfully the receptionist was able to call around and find a reasonable hotel.
Across and south of the river is the Etap Hotel. At 32pounds for a room, we found a bunk bed and a twin bed. The rooms come furnished with plain white walls, blue steel railings that weld together for form the frames of the beds and a brightly colored yellow door. A single 12 inch LCD TV sits at one corner of the room and a small single glass panel window sits opposite that corner. A piece of wood is secured to wall adjacent to the bed forming a small table and night stand and a single plastic chair placed next to it. Besides that there is no other furniture. The bare minimalism of the room instantly reminded me of a prison cell.
That night we ventured out to the pub and club district of the Glasgow. The hostel receptionist had given me a map of the city, with a large pen drawn rectangle box in the middle. "That's where all the pubs and clubs are, you'll want to go there tonight" she replied while pointing to that general area.
Nathan picked out a pub. Two elderly ushers opened the brass double doors letting us in. Immediately after making our way to the bar I noticed that the average age of the clientel was probably the combined age of me Gene and Nate. I suggested another venue which we all quickly agreed upon.
We arrived at the Revolution Vodka Club which was more our style. On the left was the bar and on the right up 3 steps was the dance floor where the DJ was spinning, as Nate called it, "good techno music". I would consider this venue as more a pub than a club as no one was really dancing.
I noticed a group of girls all wearing pink cowboy hats and started talking to one of them who was standing next to us. It turns out she had just moved to Glasgow from South Africa. Her last name is of Scottish descent and by that merit alone she is able to claim a status equal to our equivalent of a green card; Able to work and stay in Scotland without the limitation on time. I think to myself that its too bad China doesn't share the same policies, as I will undoubtedly have to apply for a visa down the road.
The pub was getting ready to shutdown and the girls told us that they were all going to a club called ABC's. "Its located on Sucky Hole Street" she yelled into my ear over the DJ's "good techno beats". "You can just ask anyone. Everyone knows that street" she continued.
The girls left and we stayed to finish our beers. I knew that Nate might have a hard time getting into the club with "trainers", what they call athletic shoes, but the idea of a street with that name was good enough for us to at least check it out.
After asking several pedestrians where Sucky Hole Street was, we arrived at Sauchie Hall Street. We were vastly disappointed with this discovery, but we continued to explore all that Sauchie Hall Street had to offer.
At first glance, it reminded me of Mass Street in Lawrence, KS. However I was quickly redirected to that fact that it was not; Cars were driving on the wrong side of the road, the street stretches farther than Mass St, and there were exponentially more people out walking around than Mass.
This street is littered with late night food venues, clubs and pubs. Lines, or as people here call it queues, of people distinctly identify where the clubs were. ABC club was easily found as the queue was so long that it looped back around to where the end of the queue was at the same position as the start of the queue. We decided to walk the length of the street before committing, but eventually we came back and waited.
Five pounds later I walked into the first floor of the club, where I was met with queue for coat check. ABC club was huge. It has two dance floors. The larger one on the top floor is connected to a bar area. Techno spins on the first floor's smaller dance area and what I could only describe as a cheezy mix of rock and oldies, filled the top floor. It was a good night!
Upon arrival to the Prestwick Airport we took a coach to Glasgow which was actually a descent ride away. It began to sleet during the ride over. The city rose into view slowly as skyscrapers emerged in the distance. The building of Glasgow are the tallest yet on this trip. We are dropped off at the bus station in the center of the city amidst a unfamiliar but typical urban environment.
Immediately we do what comes natural, we find the first affordable place to eat. We ask the owners if they know of a hostel near by. He points us on a heading towards the river. "There is a cheap one right down by the river, 10 pounds a night I believe" he explained.
With the weight of all my belongings and a freshly eaten meal I drag my feet towards the general direction of the hostel. The entire time I think to myself that I've packed too much. Never do I think this while I'm sitting in a cozy internet cafe or a hostel surfing the web, updating my blog, or chatting with friends. But right in that instance with each step I vowed that I will send home some unnecessary items as soon as I reach a large city.
On our journey towards the hostel we hopped over to a pedestrian street. This street is free of automobile traffic and is full of stores and people. Glasgow officially became Scottish in my mind when I saw some kilt wearing street performers.
We arrive at the hostel only to find that it is once again full booked. If we are having this much luck finding a place to stay during the off season I wonder how difficult it will be once the weather warms up. Thankfully the receptionist was able to call around and find a reasonable hotel.
Across and south of the river is the Etap Hotel. At 32pounds for a room, we found a bunk bed and a twin bed. The rooms come furnished with plain white walls, blue steel railings that weld together for form the frames of the beds and a brightly colored yellow door. A single 12 inch LCD TV sits at one corner of the room and a small single glass panel window sits opposite that corner. A piece of wood is secured to wall adjacent to the bed forming a small table and night stand and a single plastic chair placed next to it. Besides that there is no other furniture. The bare minimalism of the room instantly reminded me of a prison cell.
That night we ventured out to the pub and club district of the Glasgow. The hostel receptionist had given me a map of the city, with a large pen drawn rectangle box in the middle. "That's where all the pubs and clubs are, you'll want to go there tonight" she replied while pointing to that general area.
Nathan picked out a pub. Two elderly ushers opened the brass double doors letting us in. Immediately after making our way to the bar I noticed that the average age of the clientel was probably the combined age of me Gene and Nate. I suggested another venue which we all quickly agreed upon.
We arrived at the Revolution Vodka Club which was more our style. On the left was the bar and on the right up 3 steps was the dance floor where the DJ was spinning, as Nate called it, "good techno music". I would consider this venue as more a pub than a club as no one was really dancing.
I noticed a group of girls all wearing pink cowboy hats and started talking to one of them who was standing next to us. It turns out she had just moved to Glasgow from South Africa. Her last name is of Scottish descent and by that merit alone she is able to claim a status equal to our equivalent of a green card; Able to work and stay in Scotland without the limitation on time. I think to myself that its too bad China doesn't share the same policies, as I will undoubtedly have to apply for a visa down the road.
The pub was getting ready to shutdown and the girls told us that they were all going to a club called ABC's. "Its located on Sucky Hole Street" she yelled into my ear over the DJ's "good techno beats". "You can just ask anyone. Everyone knows that street" she continued.
The girls left and we stayed to finish our beers. I knew that Nate might have a hard time getting into the club with "trainers", what they call athletic shoes, but the idea of a street with that name was good enough for us to at least check it out.
After asking several pedestrians where Sucky Hole Street was, we arrived at Sauchie Hall Street. We were vastly disappointed with this discovery, but we continued to explore all that Sauchie Hall Street had to offer.
At first glance, it reminded me of Mass Street in Lawrence, KS. However I was quickly redirected to that fact that it was not; Cars were driving on the wrong side of the road, the street stretches farther than Mass St, and there were exponentially more people out walking around than Mass.
This street is littered with late night food venues, clubs and pubs. Lines, or as people here call it queues, of people distinctly identify where the clubs were. ABC club was easily found as the queue was so long that it looped back around to where the end of the queue was at the same position as the start of the queue. We decided to walk the length of the street before committing, but eventually we came back and waited.
Five pounds later I walked into the first floor of the club, where I was met with queue for coat check. ABC club was huge. It has two dance floors. The larger one on the top floor is connected to a bar area. Techno spins on the first floor's smaller dance area and what I could only describe as a cheezy mix of rock and oldies, filled the top floor. It was a good night!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Nothern Ireland Tour
Today we awoke early to catch the tour bus at 9am. The bus picked us up at the Linen Hostel and we met at another hostel where the we all moved to another bigger bus. While digging through my wallet to find my ticket voucher, I must have flashed my Kansas Drivers License. The girl in front asked if I was from Kansas and we quickly met two new friends.
Kathleen and John are coworkers both from London. Kathleen is working aboard, originally from California, and John is from London. They are doing a short tour of Ireland starting in Belfast, exactly the opposite of our travels.
It was around 9:30am when the tour started. A combination of the dark drizzling weather, the tour guide's monotone voice, my lack of sleep and my newfound skill to sleeping while sitting quickly knocked me out. I didn't mind catching some zzz's as my main reason for being on that bus wasn't till the afternoon. I picked up a few facts here and there, but it wasn't until after our first stop that I actually woke up.
Our first stop was a Castle by a shore. We were able to get out and stretch our legs. We were only limited to the outskirts of the castle as going in actually costs additional money. Most of tour was on the bus, driving by places and a short narrative about the importance of that location. The scenery was quite good, but the rainy weather was hindering our enjoyment.
As we drove through some wooded areas, the bus driver disclosed that there was a lot of de-froestation going on. However there is a new law that says every single tree cut down two new trees must be planted. As a result the road divides the forest between tall old trees and small new trees.
The sun peaked out from behind the clouds as the bus made another stop. We had arrived a Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. It cost a few pounds just to walk across the bridge, but we thought what the hell? When's the next time we'll be in Northern Ireland right? The view leading up the ridge was spectacular. Cliffs that turn into rolling hills. Again the fields are littered with sheep. I've never been to New Zealand, but I've heard it is the land of the sheep. Right now I am willing to bet Ireland could probably give it a good run for its money.
We reached Bushmill's Whiskey distillery and was again able to take a break. The guide suggested that we try the 12year old malt as it was difficult to find anywhere else. Nathan, Gene and I ended up sharing one just for kicks. It was smooth but I couldn't really tell that much of a difference. I personally have never heard of Bushmills. I've always liked Maker's Mark or Jack Daniels. We bordered the bus just in time to miss the incoming showers.
The bus guide drove through several other points of interest. It seemed that most of the people we kind of tired as I saw several people sleeping, including Gene. I don't blame them the monotone voice of the bus driver reminded me of my highschool biology class and gloomy weather made each site all that less interesting.
We stopped on the side of the road to have a view of another Castle by the sea. This one in fact has been slowly falling into the sea one section at a time. The weather, as it has been for most of Ireland, changed yet again. The clouds opened and sunshine broke through the clouds. It instantly felt warmer.
Our last stop was the main attraction, Giant's Causeway. Giant's Causeway consists of roughly 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns. Legend explains that an Irish giant built the causeway in order to fight another giant in Scotland. There are similar rock formation on the other side of Scotland. Science explains that intense volcanic activity during the Paleogene period caused these distinct formations.
There are two paths to the causeway. The longer one is to walk along the top of the cliff above the causeway and then back down to the formation. The more direct path goes directly down towards the causeway. There are buses that run up and down the shorter path which costs 1 pound for the ride. With two and a half hours to spare we decided to take to the long way.
Below is a picture of a rock formation called the Gaint's foot.
Each of the hexagonal stones are interlocked together in various heights. They form steps going up and down along the coast before dipping down below sea level. The tops of the columns are sometimes concave and other times convex. The lower columns hold circular pools of sea water where various mosses grow. The columns are a golden brown at top and steadily change to a dark brown towards the bottoms. It is a truly unique site to see.
The guide that sold us the tour tickets had recommended that we try salmon and champ. Champ is mashed potatoes mixed with scallions and if you haven't had salmon yet I feel sorry for you. I've never ever heard of champ until now. Apparently the salmon here is suppose to be one of the best in all of Ireland. The guide explained that the city of Belfast releases 40,000 salmon fry each year into Northern Ireland's streams and rivers in hopes that the adult salmon will return to their birth city to once again spawn; all so I can get the freshest and best salmon available. Good job Northern Ireland!
Kathleen and John are coworkers both from London. Kathleen is working aboard, originally from California, and John is from London. They are doing a short tour of Ireland starting in Belfast, exactly the opposite of our travels.
It was around 9:30am when the tour started. A combination of the dark drizzling weather, the tour guide's monotone voice, my lack of sleep and my newfound skill to sleeping while sitting quickly knocked me out. I didn't mind catching some zzz's as my main reason for being on that bus wasn't till the afternoon. I picked up a few facts here and there, but it wasn't until after our first stop that I actually woke up.
Our first stop was a Castle by a shore. We were able to get out and stretch our legs. We were only limited to the outskirts of the castle as going in actually costs additional money. Most of tour was on the bus, driving by places and a short narrative about the importance of that location. The scenery was quite good, but the rainy weather was hindering our enjoyment.
As we drove through some wooded areas, the bus driver disclosed that there was a lot of de-froestation going on. However there is a new law that says every single tree cut down two new trees must be planted. As a result the road divides the forest between tall old trees and small new trees.
The sun peaked out from behind the clouds as the bus made another stop. We had arrived a Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. It cost a few pounds just to walk across the bridge, but we thought what the hell? When's the next time we'll be in Northern Ireland right? The view leading up the ridge was spectacular. Cliffs that turn into rolling hills. Again the fields are littered with sheep. I've never been to New Zealand, but I've heard it is the land of the sheep. Right now I am willing to bet Ireland could probably give it a good run for its money.
We reached Bushmill's Whiskey distillery and was again able to take a break. The guide suggested that we try the 12year old malt as it was difficult to find anywhere else. Nathan, Gene and I ended up sharing one just for kicks. It was smooth but I couldn't really tell that much of a difference. I personally have never heard of Bushmills. I've always liked Maker's Mark or Jack Daniels. We bordered the bus just in time to miss the incoming showers.
The bus guide drove through several other points of interest. It seemed that most of the people we kind of tired as I saw several people sleeping, including Gene. I don't blame them the monotone voice of the bus driver reminded me of my highschool biology class and gloomy weather made each site all that less interesting.
We stopped on the side of the road to have a view of another Castle by the sea. This one in fact has been slowly falling into the sea one section at a time. The weather, as it has been for most of Ireland, changed yet again. The clouds opened and sunshine broke through the clouds. It instantly felt warmer.
Our last stop was the main attraction, Giant's Causeway. Giant's Causeway consists of roughly 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns. Legend explains that an Irish giant built the causeway in order to fight another giant in Scotland. There are similar rock formation on the other side of Scotland. Science explains that intense volcanic activity during the Paleogene period caused these distinct formations.
There are two paths to the causeway. The longer one is to walk along the top of the cliff above the causeway and then back down to the formation. The more direct path goes directly down towards the causeway. There are buses that run up and down the shorter path which costs 1 pound for the ride. With two and a half hours to spare we decided to take to the long way.
Below is a picture of a rock formation called the Gaint's foot.
Each of the hexagonal stones are interlocked together in various heights. They form steps going up and down along the coast before dipping down below sea level. The tops of the columns are sometimes concave and other times convex. The lower columns hold circular pools of sea water where various mosses grow. The columns are a golden brown at top and steadily change to a dark brown towards the bottoms. It is a truly unique site to see.
The guide that sold us the tour tickets had recommended that we try salmon and champ. Champ is mashed potatoes mixed with scallions and if you haven't had salmon yet I feel sorry for you. I've never ever heard of champ until now. Apparently the salmon here is suppose to be one of the best in all of Ireland. The guide explained that the city of Belfast releases 40,000 salmon fry each year into Northern Ireland's streams and rivers in hopes that the adult salmon will return to their birth city to once again spawn; all so I can get the freshest and best salmon available. Good job Northern Ireland!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Welcome to Belfast
I woke up to Belfast as the bus entered the city center. The ride from Dublin to Belfast was 3 hours, but it seemed like minutes to me. I think I have started to get use to this sleeping while sitting thing.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland which is its own country, which means I am on country number two of my trip. Located on the north eastern edge of the island, Belfast serves as a hub for us to fly over to Glasgow, Scotland. Crossing into this new country did not require any border checkpoints or customs.
Besides being a hub for our travels, Belfast is also full of history. Home to one of the bloodiest feuds ever, Belfast has many historical places such as the second most bombed hotel in the world. Besides grabbing a claim from violence, Belfast is also home to the world's second and third largest crane (#1 is Dubai), the shipyard that built that world's largest ship (the Titanic), and the oldest News Paper.
After changing our Euros to Pounds, we found the Linen Hostel. Dropping off our bags we headed to the town center to explore the city. The main capital building seems like a central location of the town. There are various historical buildings surrounding it. There was also a Ferris Wheel right next to the capital building which seemed very out of place. That day we explored Belfast and found some tickets for a Northern Ireland tour the following day; the tour included Giant's Causeway which was one of my top destinations on this trip and also to my surprise the tour was ranked #2 in Europe.
We met some French fine arts students at the hostel that night. They could speak limited English and it was extremely difficult at times to establish a clear channel of communication. At some point Nathan was speaking French, I was speaking Spanish (not because I was confused, but one of the girls knew some Spanish), and they were speaking English. This is one situation that I have yet to run into. Thus far, we have been blessed with the fact that everyone was on the same language channel. I guess this serves as a reminder to the difficult times ahead when we venture into a country with a foreign language.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland which is its own country, which means I am on country number two of my trip. Located on the north eastern edge of the island, Belfast serves as a hub for us to fly over to Glasgow, Scotland. Crossing into this new country did not require any border checkpoints or customs.
Besides being a hub for our travels, Belfast is also full of history. Home to one of the bloodiest feuds ever, Belfast has many historical places such as the second most bombed hotel in the world. Besides grabbing a claim from violence, Belfast is also home to the world's second and third largest crane (#1 is Dubai), the shipyard that built that world's largest ship (the Titanic), and the oldest News Paper.
After changing our Euros to Pounds, we found the Linen Hostel. Dropping off our bags we headed to the town center to explore the city. The main capital building seems like a central location of the town. There are various historical buildings surrounding it. There was also a Ferris Wheel right next to the capital building which seemed very out of place. That day we explored Belfast and found some tickets for a Northern Ireland tour the following day; the tour included Giant's Causeway which was one of my top destinations on this trip and also to my surprise the tour was ranked #2 in Europe.
We met some French fine arts students at the hostel that night. They could speak limited English and it was extremely difficult at times to establish a clear channel of communication. At some point Nathan was speaking French, I was speaking Spanish (not because I was confused, but one of the girls knew some Spanish), and they were speaking English. This is one situation that I have yet to run into. Thus far, we have been blessed with the fact that everyone was on the same language channel. I guess this serves as a reminder to the difficult times ahead when we venture into a country with a foreign language.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Gul-way not Gal-way!
We arrived by bus in the afternoon. The temperature has dropped significantly and as we waited in line to grab our main pack the clouds broke and it began to hail. With our rain covers on, we began to explore the town center. Luckily there was a hostel right next to the bus station called Galway City Hostel. With free internet, breakfast, kitchen area and clean rooms we quickly signed up.
Galway is on theSouth Western coast of Ireland. Our original plan for coming here was to visit the Aran Islands. We arrived in the late afternoon and took power naps. Nate went and bought pizza so we could take advantage of having a kitchen. After eating, we headed out to the pub district of Galway.
The nightlife area of Galway reminds me of Temple Bar in Dublin. Small shops and pubs line the sides of narrow cobblestone streets. It was Monday evening so I wasn't expecting too much; I just wanted to grab a drink. We arrived at a pub called King's Head. It was a good crowded for a weekday, especially Monday.
Since Dublin, we had been drinking Guinness and red bull/vodka here and there. So we decided to order something different. I got a beer called Smithwicks (pronouced Smith-icks, the w is slient), a traditional Irish ale. It tasted like a lighter Fat Tire.
Inside a two guitar cover band was playing, they played traditional Irish songs, but mostly covered the typical cover band songs. I requested The Eagles hoping they would play Hotel California, I like to hear the various renditions of that classic track. The guy said he didn't know any Eagles. "Are you kidding me!" I thought. So I asked "Clapton?" he responded with a confused look. "Zeppelin?" <same experession> "Foo Fighters" he responded with "Foo?". I threw in "Stevie Ray Vaughan" just for kicks and he said he would see what he could do. I thought to myself "there's no way this guy can play any Stevie Ray." He introduced the next song as a classic by Johnny Cash and proceeded to play "Hurt". Hopefully this paints a clear picture.
Although obviously lacking as an actual cover band they did play some Irish songs that got the entire crowd singing. We met a group of Scots at the bar. He asked where we were from and misheard Kansas as Canada. "Oh Canada! Lets get a shot" As the bartender was pouring he asked which part of Canada, and when he realized it was Kansas he joked "Oh, the US no shots for you". We ended up dancing and singing Irish songs till the pub closed with that group Scots.
As we were booted out of King's Head, two German girls from our hostel recognized us. We started to chat and they ended up convincing us to go to club Cuba which was caddy corner from our Hostel across from the main square in Galway. None of us were really dressed for clubbing, but oh well.
Along the bar district of Galway, pairs of club promoters stand at each intersection each promoting a different club, again I emphasize that this is on a Monday. You can tell they are club promoters because they are they only ones wearing stocking hats, full winter jacket and gloves. It was about 6°C that night, 42°F, yet most of the girls I saw running round were in skirts, dresses and not a single jacket. The promoters stand on corners with stamps that get you free entry into their club. After getting stamps we started to funnel into the club. The bouncer stopped Nate and said "No track pants", yet I got in with a plain colored tshirt and cargo pants, hmmmm. I didn't stay long as Nate and Gene both went back to the Hostel, but the club was pretty good. They played a variety of techno and hiphop. Since arrival to Europe I have heard the Apple Bottom Jeans song and guess what song was playing as I walked in.
The entire point of coming to Galway was to see the Aran Islands. We got up this morning and realized that the only bus that goes to the Aran Islands had already left 30 minutes ago. As luck would have it, we were not the only people that had missed the early departure time. We had planned to couchsurf the next evening so we were in the dinning area, when a French girl noticed that we were on our couchsurfering account. We ended up meeting two people that day from the couchsurfing connection, Jimmy from Australia and Ariane French Canadian that lived in Bath, Britain. Instead of hitting up the Islands we spent the day exploring Galway with our new friends.
Later that night we met Julia who is a German girl that has been working in Ireland for a while. She recommended that we go see some traditional Irish Dancing a local pub. By the time we left, our group had increased by two other French guys, Clement and Blaise. They were on a roadtrip to northern Ireland, Gaint's Causeway. Clement and Blaise told us that we were welcome to Lyon their hometown in France and that Lyon had the best French food. I guess we will find out soon enough.
And now we continue on the road. We will bus back to Dublin spend a day there to rest and the next morning journey to Northern Ireland and explore Belfast.
Galway is on the
The nightlife area of Galway reminds me of Temple Bar in Dublin. Small shops and pubs line the sides of narrow cobblestone streets. It was Monday evening so I wasn't expecting too much; I just wanted to grab a drink. We arrived at a pub called King's Head. It was a good crowded for a weekday, especially Monday.
Since Dublin, we had been drinking Guinness and red bull/vodka here and there. So we decided to order something different. I got a beer called Smithwicks (pronouced Smith-icks, the w is slient), a traditional Irish ale. It tasted like a lighter Fat Tire.
Inside a two guitar cover band was playing, they played traditional Irish songs, but mostly covered the typical cover band songs. I requested The Eagles hoping they would play Hotel California, I like to hear the various renditions of that classic track. The guy said he didn't know any Eagles. "Are you kidding me!" I thought. So I asked "Clapton?" he responded with a confused look. "Zeppelin?" <same experession> "Foo Fighters" he responded with "Foo?". I threw in "Stevie Ray Vaughan" just for kicks and he said he would see what he could do. I thought to myself "there's no way this guy can play any Stevie Ray." He introduced the next song as a classic by Johnny Cash and proceeded to play "Hurt". Hopefully this paints a clear picture.
Although obviously lacking as an actual cover band they did play some Irish songs that got the entire crowd singing. We met a group of Scots at the bar. He asked where we were from and misheard Kansas as Canada. "Oh Canada! Lets get a shot" As the bartender was pouring he asked which part of Canada, and when he realized it was Kansas he joked "Oh, the US no shots for you". We ended up dancing and singing Irish songs till the pub closed with that group Scots.
As we were booted out of King's Head, two German girls from our hostel recognized us. We started to chat and they ended up convincing us to go to club Cuba which was caddy corner from our Hostel across from the main square in Galway. None of us were really dressed for clubbing, but oh well.
Along the bar district of Galway, pairs of club promoters stand at each intersection each promoting a different club, again I emphasize that this is on a Monday. You can tell they are club promoters because they are they only ones wearing stocking hats, full winter jacket and gloves. It was about 6°C that night, 42°F, yet most of the girls I saw running round were in skirts, dresses and not a single jacket. The promoters stand on corners with stamps that get you free entry into their club. After getting stamps we started to funnel into the club. The bouncer stopped Nate and said "No track pants", yet I got in with a plain colored tshirt and cargo pants, hmmmm. I didn't stay long as Nate and Gene both went back to the Hostel, but the club was pretty good. They played a variety of techno and hiphop. Since arrival to Europe I have heard the Apple Bottom Jeans song and guess what song was playing as I walked in.
The entire point of coming to Galway was to see the Aran Islands. We got up this morning and realized that the only bus that goes to the Aran Islands had already left 30 minutes ago. As luck would have it, we were not the only people that had missed the early departure time. We had planned to couchsurf the next evening so we were in the dinning area, when a French girl noticed that we were on our couchsurfering account. We ended up meeting two people that day from the couchsurfing connection, Jimmy from Australia and Ariane French Canadian that lived in Bath, Britain. Instead of hitting up the Islands we spent the day exploring Galway with our new friends.
Later that night we met Julia who is a German girl that has been working in Ireland for a while. She recommended that we go see some traditional Irish Dancing a local pub. By the time we left, our group had increased by two other French guys, Clement and Blaise. They were on a roadtrip to northern Ireland, Gaint's Causeway. Clement and Blaise told us that we were welcome to Lyon their hometown in France and that Lyon had the best French food. I guess we will find out soon enough.
And now we continue on the road. We will bus back to Dublin spend a day there to rest and the next morning journey to Northern Ireland and explore Belfast.
Monday, April 7, 2008
A Town Called Dingle
After kissing the Blarney Stone, we once again headed for the bus stop. Ireland's public busing system is called Bus Éireann. Its mascot is a dog. I believe it is a golden retriever and each bus has one running across the length of the bus in gold with green speed lines behind it. I've been recently corrected and apparently the dog on the side is Red Setter[link]. So in essence its the Irish equivalent of our greyhound. The bus traveled back to Cork, from Cork to Tarlee, and Tarlee to Dingle. Each time we barely made the bus departure times. All the buses were about to depart when we waved them down.
A funny thing happened at the Tralee bus station. An older bloke, thats the British equivalent for dude, dropped a bottle of vodka in the lobby area of the station. I had observed him earlier hitting on the information desk person after inquiring about the bus arrival time for Dingle. Immediately after the bottle broke, spilling vodka all over the lobby and as the other people sitting in the area started to move their belongings away from the flood, he, instead of telling someone, wandered out of the building. It was apparent after then that he was intoxicated. About 5minutes later the unmarked Dingle bus appeared and since it was unmarked we were still sitting there waiting. The lobby attendant approached the bus and when the old bloke tried to board he was denied. As the bus started to pull always it occurred to me that he was also on his way to Dingle. So I ran out there to wave the bus driver to stop. Luckily we barely made yet another bus transfer.
Dingle is a small coastal town. I would almost venture to call it a village. You can probably walk the whole town within 30-45minutes. The town is surrounded by farmland. All local children use the bus system to get to and from school in the larger town of Tralee; There were several students on our bus to Dingle. When you first enter into the outskirts of Dingle you see bright green fields, livestock (mostly sheep), and the general stereotypical scenery when you think of Ireland. The coastline is beautiful. With a powerful wind, clouds glide swiftly and the sky is ever changing. After arriving in Dingle all the hostels were again booked and we ended up staying a Bed and Breakfast. It was a bit bigger hit on the wallet but much more comfortable. We didn't have much energy to do too much in Dingle as it was already late when we arrived.
The next morning we walked around town waiting for stores to open. Since it was a Sunday more stores were closed till after 12. We shopped around and I bought a beanie hat since it is quite chill and windy at times here on the coast. Around noon, we found the Grape Vine Hostel which had vacancies for the night. We quickly booked our room, bought lunch, and rented bicycles to explore the Dingle Peninsula.
Head west from Dingle and you will reach Dingle Bay, makes sense right? Rocky cliffs that transform into rolling hills that climb up to become steep mountains is the landscape here. The land is divided into rectangular fields by hip high cobble stone walls and brush. Little white dots appear in each bright green rectangle and become sheep as we ride closer. The larger dots become several lambs feeding on their mother's milk. As we ride along the narrow road that sweeps along the coast line the cobble stone wall to our left dances along the edge of the cliff. I guess the farmers here want every bit of land possible. The road we take gradually elevates and drops and as we climb up one hill, we are rewarded with a brisk ride down before tackling another climb.
We returned our bikes later that evening. I stayed in that night to get some rest. Tomorrow we will journey back to Tralee and try to make it to Galway, which looks like Gal-way, but is actually pronounced Gul-way.
A funny thing happened at the Tralee bus station. An older bloke, thats the British equivalent for dude, dropped a bottle of vodka in the lobby area of the station. I had observed him earlier hitting on the information desk person after inquiring about the bus arrival time for Dingle. Immediately after the bottle broke, spilling vodka all over the lobby and as the other people sitting in the area started to move their belongings away from the flood, he, instead of telling someone, wandered out of the building. It was apparent after then that he was intoxicated. About 5minutes later the unmarked Dingle bus appeared and since it was unmarked we were still sitting there waiting. The lobby attendant approached the bus and when the old bloke tried to board he was denied. As the bus started to pull always it occurred to me that he was also on his way to Dingle. So I ran out there to wave the bus driver to stop. Luckily we barely made yet another bus transfer.
Dingle is a small coastal town. I would almost venture to call it a village. You can probably walk the whole town within 30-45minutes. The town is surrounded by farmland. All local children use the bus system to get to and from school in the larger town of Tralee; There were several students on our bus to Dingle. When you first enter into the outskirts of Dingle you see bright green fields, livestock (mostly sheep), and the general stereotypical scenery when you think of Ireland. The coastline is beautiful. With a powerful wind, clouds glide swiftly and the sky is ever changing. After arriving in Dingle all the hostels were again booked and we ended up staying a Bed and Breakfast. It was a bit bigger hit on the wallet but much more comfortable. We didn't have much energy to do too much in Dingle as it was already late when we arrived.
The next morning we walked around town waiting for stores to open. Since it was a Sunday more stores were closed till after 12. We shopped around and I bought a beanie hat since it is quite chill and windy at times here on the coast. Around noon, we found the Grape Vine Hostel which had vacancies for the night. We quickly booked our room, bought lunch, and rented bicycles to explore the Dingle Peninsula.
Head west from Dingle and you will reach Dingle Bay, makes sense right? Rocky cliffs that transform into rolling hills that climb up to become steep mountains is the landscape here. The land is divided into rectangular fields by hip high cobble stone walls and brush. Little white dots appear in each bright green rectangle and become sheep as we ride closer. The larger dots become several lambs feeding on their mother's milk. As we ride along the narrow road that sweeps along the coast line the cobble stone wall to our left dances along the edge of the cliff. I guess the farmers here want every bit of land possible. The road we take gradually elevates and drops and as we climb up one hill, we are rewarded with a brisk ride down before tackling another climb.
We returned our bikes later that evening. I stayed in that night to get some rest. Tomorrow we will journey back to Tralee and try to make it to Galway, which looks like Gal-way, but is actually pronounced Gul-way.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Bumstyle in Blarney
The next day we got up early and took a train down to Cork. From Cork we went to Blarney. Blarney is a small town, its main attraction is the Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. I talked to an elderly couple that owned a souvenir store in downtown Blarney. While asking him about hostels/accommodation's he told me a sad story. He said that there use to be live music every night at the two pubs in downtown and it was pretty lively. But then Sept 11th happened and afterwards the American visitors stopped coming. Tourists numbers went down dramatically. Now there is live music only on the weekends at one of the pubs. He ended his story with "That Osama Bin Ladin, he changed the world".
I had a leg of lamb for dinner, it was pretty good. Gene and Nate had fish and chips, but I figured I'd get enough of that in Britain. We couldn't find any hostels that were reasonable, 55Euros/person at best, so we hiked to the edge of town to camp out. The first location we found was pretty good, but Gene touched the plants that were growing all around that area and his hand started to burn. After wiping the tears from Gene's eyes, we moved to another area that wasn't infested with these skin burning plants. The weather was pretty good for camping, but birds woke us up pretty early.
In morning we visited Blarney Castle. The castle's doorways were all extremely narrow. I hit my head several times moving through the castle. The spiraling stairways were claustrophobic and each step was about the width of your shoe. A cold breeze always rushed through the narrow passageways. After we made it to the top of the Castle we each kissed the Blarney Stone for good luck. We checked out the cave system as well which was pretty neat.
I had a leg of lamb for dinner, it was pretty good. Gene and Nate had fish and chips, but I figured I'd get enough of that in Britain. We couldn't find any hostels that were reasonable, 55Euros/person at best, so we hiked to the edge of town to camp out. The first location we found was pretty good, but Gene touched the plants that were growing all around that area and his hand started to burn. After wiping the tears from Gene's eyes, we moved to another area that wasn't infested with these skin burning plants. The weather was pretty good for camping, but birds woke us up pretty early.
In morning we visited Blarney Castle. The castle's doorways were all extremely narrow. I hit my head several times moving through the castle. The spiraling stairways were claustrophobic and each step was about the width of your shoe. A cold breeze always rushed through the narrow passageways. After we made it to the top of the Castle we each kissed the Blarney Stone for good luck. We checked out the cave system as well which was pretty neat.
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