September 25
Trip Start
Sep 08, 2007
1
20
23
Trip End
Oct 03, 2007
Belfast,
United Kingdom
Monday, October 1, 2007
Staying at the youth hostel in Belfast. It's quite nice. Room is basic - beds, 1 institutional chair, bathroom. The bathroom is actually quite interesting because the floor has a drain in it and the shower is just there. So after you shower the whole bathroom floor is wet. Breakfast not included but it has a self catering kitchen which is nice. The hostel is right near the corner of Sandy Row, one of the hotspot troubles areas, but felt very safe. There are still gates that they close at night to separate the neighborhoods so I was always being careful because I really didn't want to find ourselves behind a closed gate facing either an incredibly long walk around or an expensive cab ride back to the hostel.
Off for a day trip to the Giant's Causeway today. First stop just a comfort stop at a small fishing village. Next stop the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. Due to the high winds it was closed, but we hiked down the path anyway - amazing views out over the north Atlantic. Some of those picture postcard views you see in advertisements about Ireland. Then into the town of Bushmills for lunch. We skipped the restaurant and had a picnic on a bench - it was chilly but not too bad. Topped it off with some delicious ice cream though - pooh bear (honeycomb).
Back on the bus to the causeway. We chose the slightly more challenging cliff top walk and were rewarded with views like I'd never seen before - cliffs, ocean, and huge waves crashing ashore far below. Also experienced winds like I'd never experienced before - it was difficult to keep moving upright in the direction I wanted to at several spots during the hike. Down some stairs and a steep path to the hexagonal shaped causeway stones. The high winds were producing some awesome waves. Standing there was a powerful experience - one that I'll never forget. Nature's power and beauty is so evident here. It was a wonderful experience.
Went by a castle ruins - Dunluce Castle - but the sun was setting behind it so it was just sort of a ghostly outline. It was also getting to be later in the day so was cold. The kitchen and several servants fell into the sea one evening in the 1600's. The people who lived in the castle moved out after that - go figure.
Went out for a vastly overpriced dinner that Laura enjoyed much more than me (I seemed condemned to large quantities of rosemary). The Guinness was very good though.
Exhausted, I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I heard a bang at some point but fell right back asleep. Turns out someone had blown up several cars - not related to the troubles, just some idiot.
