Finally...
Trip Start
May 19, 2008
1
20
Trip End
Jul 21, 2008
London,
United Kingdom
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday:
Ok, so I left JFK airport on Monday morning with no problems other than the usual delays during takeoff. I loved British airways. They served two meals, an afternoon tea, and countless drinks. Also, they had a touchscreen in front of every seat where you could choose from a list of movies, tv shows and music that you could watch or listen to. I was very impressed, and I was in the cheap ticket section. I can't imagine how the first class passengers were living
Entrance to Dublin Castle
. sheesh. The flight was very long, and I happened to be seated by a very annoying lady. I made the mistake of thinking to myself as she walked down the aisle that I'm glad she and her two daughters weren't sitting beside me, since there was only one seat left. Well, it just so happened that the two daughters about my age were sitting behind me, and she was sitting right beside me. Ugh! But this apparently took some time to figure out as they stood in the aisle right beside me talking loudly in a different language to each other while pushing on my seat and crowding over me. I had no idea what could be so disturbing until I realized that these women might have to be separated for the flight. Oh, how very terrible. They were one seat away. This was so terrible that the woman asked me to switch seats with her so that she could be closer to her daughter, and apparently her niece....not sure how she was any closer, but I gave up my seat that I specifically picked on the internet ahead of time so I could have an aisle seat just to save my ear from being yelled into for the entire flight. This strategy did not really work however, because the lady just turned the other way to talk to her companions, meaning that it would now be my left ear instead of my right that I would have to sacrifice. The racket soon died down, and I was relieved....until I realized that the woman was sleeping and slowly sliding down so that she would be laying on my arm. I tried avoiding this at all costs until the woman woke up and asked me if I knew where her pillow was
apparently the guards stood here
. I later found her pillow on her seat when she got up to go to the bathroom - she had been sitting on it the whole time. Glad that the flight was finally over, I had less than an hour and a half to pick up my baggage, go through customs and get to my next flight. This was a little difficult since I was trying to carry three suitcases and a laptop case, and I had to go from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1. Long story short, I ran a lot, my arms were about to fall off, I felt very stupid trying to find my way around Heathrow, and I barely made it to the flight to Dublin. Predictably, even though I made it to Dublin after a short and uneventful flight, my luggage did not. So I had to fill out forms so that they could get me my luggage as soon as possible.
My flight was late and everything was starting to shut down. I jumped into the currency exchange lane so that I could by a bus ticket to the hostel. After about the 3rd person ahead of me the lady puts the closed sign in the window and closes the window. um....just my luck....so not really sure what to do I go outside and try to figure out the bus system and how to get to my hostel. The bus that I was supposed to get on is no longer running, but I assumed it was another bus and tried to get a ticket. However, without euros in cash, I couldn't get a ticket, so I went back inside to search for an ATM. Eventually, I got some money, and a ticket to what I thought would take me to my hostel, and boarded the bus. Luckily, I made friends with a lady from Germany who was living in Dublin while she worked on her PhD. She was super nice, and tried to help me figure out the bus stops.
I have found that as a general rule: There is a lack of signs in Dublin to tell people where things are, what to do, or how to do things
ceiling in the hallway - gorgeous.
. And, when there are signs, they are usually wrong. The lady got off the bus before me and was nice enough to check with the bus driver to make sure that he was stopping where I needed to go. Apparently he was not, but her stop was not far away, so I got off there and she walked me to the stop that I needed to be. Ah! Finally! There in big White letters on the side of the building was Isaac's Hostel! I can finally sleep! (Though, I can't really shower because my stuff was in my lost checked luggage) So I go up to the door, which was locked (good security!) and ring the doorbell. No one answers. I ring again. and again. and again. ok, so it's after midnight by now and I don't really want to be standing on the street waiting for someone to open the door. Maybe they are closed? Maybe they lock the doors after a certain time? Maybe this is the wrong door??? Ok, so I go to the next door down, neither of them have a sign on the door, just the big white letters above them spanning most of the building. Also locked. I ring the door bell. several times. no answer. Ok, now is panicking time. There are a couple of other hostels that are on that block, so I begin contemplating checking those to see if I can get a room for a night since I'm somehow locked out of mine. As I begin walking down the street, I look down an alley - and there! it's a sign!!! Isaac's Hostel! above a doorway!! Could it be? I go down, and alas, a door that opens...I go in and claim my bed for the night. But remember, there is a lack of signs, and when there are signs, they are usually wrong....So I get my key to room 214
the foundation underground
. I need to use the key to get into the stairway, the floor, and the room. So I go to the stairs and go up a flight and reach for the door - wait, this is the first floor? I thought I already went up stairs....so I go up another set. I don't really understand how the second floor is really the 3rd floor, but again. These signs don't make sense. So I go in the door, and there are numbered rooms - pretty basic. Except the room numbers only go up to room 211. By this time, I'm tired, hungry, and I'm not smart enough to figure out these mind games. Back down to the first floor to see if it's there? Or maybe there are two second floors since it appears that there are two first floors? Ok, well, there is one door that seems to have hope....the one with big signs on it that say: Fire Escape - Keep Door Shut. I can't really see through the glass in the door because its dark, and the lights that are on only give enough light to provide a glare. So here comes the decision: Do I check behind that door and risk setting off some kind of alarm? I did, and sure enough: I found the missing rooms. After finding someone else in the bed that I was supposed to be staying, waking up Amber to tell her about my adventures, and once again talking to the front desk to get another room, I finally got some sleep. But wait...not for long....I was up at 8:30 to go sightseeing!!Tuesday:
On Tuesday, we did a lot of walking around the city
inside the Cathedral.
. We toured Dublin Castle, which was really a big government building/palace that they built on the foundations of what used to be a castle. The building itself was still about 800 years old, and they still use it for meetings and such. After that, we ate at a restaurant that claimed to have American food - just to see if they really did. And it was close - good at least. After lunch, we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was huge and elegant, and had lots of monuments to celebrate dead people. Even the gardener who used to keep the grounds outside the Cathedral had a stone under a tree. After our tour of the cathedral and little park beside it, we went back to the hostel. They clean the rooms in the afternoon, so we weren't able to get back into our rooms right away, so we went to the basement (the one under the first first floor). There were nice leather couches down there and not soon after we sat down, I feel asleep while amber was on her computer. We woke up from our nap, caught up on some emailing/calling/facebooking, and then went out to visit some parks. Dublin has some very beautiful parks, with streams, and beautiful trees, and almost always a water fountain or waterfall. The must put a lot of time into the gardening because the flowers and layout was beautiful. Lots of people were in the parks just relaxing and enjoying the view, and understandably. For dinner, we ate at the Fire Restaurant. We didn't realize until we were being seated that we were a little underdressed in our jeans and sweatshirts. It was a very elegant restaurant, and the food was delicious, but very expensive. I got some kind of flatbread (pizza) with meatballs and cheese - cheapest thing on the menu. We tried to go to bed early on Tuesday, because we were leaving for a tour at 7 in the morning. On our way back to the hostel, we wanted to stop for ice cream or a hot chocolate or something
Is your name on that seat? Actually, yes...
. No luck - everything except the bars closes by 8pm. everything.Wednesday:
Up early at 6 to meet at the pickup spot for the tour of Blarney Castle. We rode the bus about 3 hours to Limerick, where we got a short break and changed buses to go to Blarney. Apparently, Limerick is known as "stab city" and is also known for its gypsies. We also got to see the house of one of the governors of Limerick, who was assasinated. Needless to say, his home had hundreds of bullet holes in the brick walls... On to Blarney Castle. On our way, we passed the battlefield where Braveheart was filmed. It was another hour and 15 minutes to the castle from Limerick - I'm pretty sure I fell asleep. It started raining on the way though. Luckily, I brought an umbrella in case of such an event, and allowed Amber to use it so that her camera wouldn't get wet. (since mine wasn't working) We climbed hundreds of narrow stone steps around the spiral staircase to the top of the castle. The pictures say it all. It was a beautiful castle, and the rain couldn't spoil it. We both kissed the stone - which was a little weird. I'm not really sure why I did it other than apparently you are supposed to when you go. So I did. And now I'm supposed to talk right or sum'pin. don' kno. Anyway, we also walked backwards up and down the wishing steps, because you are supposed to get your wish if you think only about your wish when you are walking backwards with your eyes closed. This is a trick because if you can think of anything other than falling on your face and sliding down the wet stairs, you're already an amazing person anyway, and don't need a wish. The gardens around the castle were beautiful too. I took lots of pictures and will eventually try to post them. We ate at some kind of pub restaurant, and I got a shepard's pie. It was very good, and whatever Amber had was good too. After a 4 hour or so drive back, we finally returned to the hostel and got to catch up on some things and work on some plans for Italy. And that was my last night in Dublin. Oh, and McDonald's fries are not as good over here.
Comments
Thanks for the updates
Good stuff, Bean. I'll print this off for Mammaw & Dot etc. Who all did you send the link to? Just the people on the email you sent me or did you send out more? It is still cold & rainy hear. We are supposed to get a nice holiday weekend. Did you use your free phone call from Skype? Call Mammaw if you didn't. You are supposed to get 10 minutes free.