The Troubles and last night's protest

*PS, I am sorry about some of the photos being so large! Sometimes they do not upload well on the iPad... 

Belfast is an intense city. I can already tell from listening to the locals mention The Troubles conflict between British protestants and Irish catholics. After 38 years of fighting and more than 50,000 casualties (3,000+ deaths), the two groups are still fighting. Check this link out on BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23622949

This all took place within a mile of where I am staying at... crazy stuff! I secretly wanted to check it out but the locals tell me that the whole city center was shut down and blocked from anyone entering or leaving. Read the article for more information. It is pretty interesting and you can learn more about the conflict as well as seeing some footage. Scary.

Anyway, about the hostel. I like that the theme and interior is very hipster/bohemian. The facilities are really nice except for the tiny kitchen which is going to be crowded during breakfast! The laundry services were a bit expensive but worth the 3 pound charge.... so much better than washing clothes in the sink! Come one, people, skip the 4 pound Starbucks and use a machine! The people at the hostel? So far, they are not quite as down-to-earth, fun, and real like at the other places I stayed at. Here, they seem a bit standoffish. Maybe it is because I am slightly grumpy and a really tired... Regardless, I will give this place a chance! Below are some photos of my room (12-bed coed dorm) and one of the lounge areas:

My bed is the top right bunk in the corner! Apparently the bottom bunks are the most coveted but I rather enjoy the top bunk...

Dining area to the left

Semi-outdoor lounge

Yesterday, my dear Australian friend, Jess, mentioned that the town of Derry (Londonderry) has a really moving museum about The Troubles. I really want to go there but the town is small (90,000 people) and it would take me 2.5 hors by train. I have decided against it and will venture around Belfast! I hear that there are some grand (and free!) museums and some great French places to eat at. Plus, I am hoping to find two other people to go on a black taxi tour with (a really personal city tour inside an old black taxi). I am also considering going to the Titanic museum... I am not a huge fan but we shall see! I met two girls from down under (more Australians!) and they are thinking about going so maybe I will tag along. 

Hilarious side story... The two girls pictured above were at my hostel in Cork, last week. I saw them as I was leaving Galway at the train station! Lauren and Channing, I believe... I also saw the same guy traveling around the Island in Dublin, Cork, AND Galway...! If I see him in Belfast, I will call the warden or throw him to the protestors! 

One more thing, on the train ride from Galway to Dublin (I then hoped on a train from Dublin to Belfast), I met and talked with this weathered old Irish man. He was on his way to his friend's "wake" or, funeral. We had a really pleasant chat about many things such as The Troubles, Irish culture, wakes, and his fishing experiences. Funny thing, I forgot that I brought several CDs of my music compositions along with me. Well, I ended up giving him one! He really appreciated the gesture and said that he would write me his reactions and thoughts. He also mentioned that he was really happy to see a traveler without any Irish heritage making their way around Ireland. He said that visitors like myself are true Ireland tourists without the prideful typical American entitlement of having "some" Irish in them... ;) Win. 

Galway (Part 2)

To me, Galway is sort of like the Newport Beach, CA of the US. The people are beautiful, there are plenty of really nice visitors, the city rests along the west coast, and people are often seen staying active by jogging, roller blading, or biking. I also noticed many expensive boutiques and several luxurious hotels and restaurants. But no Irish city is without its history or pubs to explore. 

Originally, I was planning on heading to the Cliffs of Moher, a popular tourist spot that can be seen in films such as Leap Year with Amy Adams, The Princess Bride, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The problem was that the Cliffs were over an hour away by bus and I really did not feel up to spending the time or money. Instead, I opted to do a free walking tour in the morning around Galway with my new Australian friend, Jess! Lara, our tour guide, was fantastic. I am so happy that I went with the tour option because after, I appreciated Ireland, Irish history, Galway, and Irish people a thousand times more. Lara really did a wonderful job. She incorporated a brief history of the Island and laced the tour with her own stories and angles. I learned that the term, "lynching" originated during the 17th century. Mayor Lynch of Galway had a son who knew about a financial scandal involving Spaniards. The son murdered a Spaniard to prevent further embezzlement and his father sentenced him to death. However, the town begged the mayor not to kill his popular and well-known son and even tried physically standing in his way. Not about to let justice go unpunished, the mayor brought his son to the second story of a building and hung him from the window in front of the town. The mayor also wanted to keep ties between the Spaniards because of the heavy reliance on trade. A tragic story that was immediately followed by Lara sharing a tale about a monkey saving a baby out of a burning building! Great stuff. 

Another interesting thing I learned was the name of the park in the city center. J.F. Kennedy was the first Irish Catholic to be elected as a US president. JFK visited Galway shortly before he was assassinated so the town renamed their 300-year-old park in memory of him. Below are some pictures from the tour:

A mosaic of JFK in one of the Cathedrals

Galway Cathedral built in 1964 out of stone from the 60-person jail that existed in the same spot

Viking tour guide, Lara!

Random Irish gent sleeping next to me in the pub after the tour!

After the tour, Lara told us about a pub crawl for 10 euro that included a guide to four pubs, a half pint of Guinness, and three shots. Each pub had live music (sadly it was alternative, not traditional) and beer games (beer pong, etc.). Everyone assumed that since I was American that I would be grand at the games! Ha. My college experience was very untraditional so I failed miserably! But I had a blast. The two guides were SO energetic and responsible for all 35-40 of us! Below are some pictures:

Dom and Keeva, our guides

Jasmine from Germany

Australian Jess! She is on a 6-month solo backpacking trip all around Europe! Such inspiration

My German besties! Laura (or Lara?) and her common law husband! ;) These two were fantastic to talk and hang out with... We also had some really interesting discussions about American politics and 9/11... Fascinating stuff

Galway, the land of Irish luck (Part 1)

Out of the three cities I have visited in Ireland, so far, Galway is my favorite. Check out the pictures below and I will discuss after you view:

FYI, the swan to the far right is not headless... I managed to catch a pigeon, too!

Salthill (touristy area) off in the distance

In Galway, the sea gulls are selfish and actually respect other creatures! Here, swans and ducks can get fed in peace without the white trash (seagulls)!

Galway is situated along the Atlantic Ocean and boasts around 70,000 residents. Galway has a rich history. The term, "lynching" comes from here! More about that and the history, later. When I first arrived, I headed straight for my hostel. Although the Sleepzone has a few flaws, it is the best hostel I have ever stayed at. The kitchen area is crazy. There are three long tables with the food prep area next to it. I love it here because all of the hostel guests have access to pots and pans, dishes, silverware, refrigerator space, cupboards to use, I mean, this really is a nice facility. The two things I do not like are the wi-fi and the laundry facilities. Most hostels have wi-fi throughout the building. This place only provides it on the ground floor. I can understand this because if forces people to interact in their rooms and congregates everyone in the lounge areas; however, because this world is becoming more and more connected online, EVERYONE needs to be on their device so the lounge area gets congested and because there are so many people using the wi-fi in such a small area, the service is really weak and spotty, which makes it hard for booking tours, trains, and other hostels, and Skyping back home, etc. Oh well! Below are some pictures of the Sleepzone Hostel!

Dining area

Kitchen area

Kitchen area

One of the many lounge areas

Well, I am off to go on a pub crawl! I have a ton more things to say about Galway so keep on the lookout for Part 2! I took a two-hour walking tour with some amazing people and cannot wait to share photos and stories!

Blimey! I mean, Blarney!

Don't you hate it when you type a long email, paper, or BLOG POST and you lose all of your work? It happened to this guy.

I was on my way to Galway, but now I have arrived! People say that Galway is beautiful and full of traditional Irish culture. More about that in the next post. Honestly, I'm actually pleased with how great this trip is going, so far. Dublin was a wild ride and a great time to get acquainted with Ireland. I honestly think that getting my own hotel room was a necessary way to organize my belongings, manage my itinerary, and relax. Cork was a bit smaller than Dublin and exciting in its own way. Here are a couple more pictures from the city:

During my stay in Cork, I had several ideas on what I could do for fun. My original idea was to take a bus to Blarney Castle and magically be granted the gift of eloquence after kissing the Blarney Stone; however, at my hostel, I read about a shop that rents bicycles for the day for around 20 euros. I always thought that biking would be a fantastic way to see the seaside and further explore the country. Then I remembered that people drive on the left side of the road... I chewed on the bicycle idea for a while. Honestly, the idea of attempting to follow the road rules here still thrill me... next time, for sure. Finally, I dismissed the idea and opted for the bus ride to Blarney. Perhaps I'll be braver in Galway.

Let's talk about Blarney! The Castle, built in the mid-15th century as a medieval stronghold, really was not much to see; however, the grounds made up for the low wow factor. Apparently the word, "blarney" was made up by Queen Elizabeth I when she visited the castle. When she entered the grounds, she exclaimed, "This is all blarney!" After paying 12.50 euros to enter, I made a beeline for the start of the line or "queue." The line started just outside of the castle. It seemed like that the majority of the visitors were American because all I could here were loud and obnoxious know-it-all remarks about Ireland, traveling, and of course, the Blarney Stone. Maybe it would be the same if I were traveling with other Americans ;) God, do I want to move to Europe, already. Not Ireland, though. I've been hearing that Prague, London, and Berlin are the places to be. Anyway, The line started outside the castle and went through all the way up. There was not much to see inside but I did get catch some great views of the grounds. 

Kissing the Blarney Stone was pretty awesome, despite the thought that millions of people have already kissed it. And to my knowledge, they do not wash it when the doors are closed... 

The castle grounds were so beautiful and surprisingly litter-free despite the many visitors. Below are a few pictures from the grounds:

Blarney House built in the 1800s

The loch!

I have a ton more pictures on my other camera but have non way to upload them :(

Back to Cork. I really enjoyed myself while staying there. Even though there is not much to do, I did see a huge list of events during the summer, most of which did not occur during my stay. Just like any other social and outgoing extrovert, I did meet some great people!

Pictured above is me with two guys I roomed with at the hostel in Cork. Jan (on my left and pronounced "Yon") and Mario are from Germany and decided to take a 12-day trip to explore Ireland. Mario works in a lab at a hospital and Jan is an automobile engineer. Funny story. After I got back from Blarney, I found my four-person hostel room cleared out (there were three loud, drunk, and messy Swiss guys in there when I arrived. Would have been crazy with them but I was so tired from Dublin!). On two of the beds sat hiking backpacks. I was so tired that I ignored the packs and took a nap. 45 minutes later, in walk Jan and Mario. Ever nap so deep that you wake up not having a clue of where you are? I was so there. I woke up demented with no idea where I was and who these two guys were. They started laughing hysterically at my reaction! I actually do not remember the first five minutes of our conversation because I was so out of it. Later, the guys shared that I had an exhausted, startled, and horrified look on my face. Regardless of this incident, we got along and spend the rest of the day and evening at the hostel's bar and listened to an older band who played some rock and the blues. As the night went and the beers consumed, they asked if I wanted to join them on their little adventure to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry. Sadly, I did not accept due to it costing around 200 euros to change everything. 

I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but I booked everything including train rides, lodging, and the ferry ride from Belfast to Liverpool before I came to Ireland. I read on another blog that hostels are very good about canceling 24 hours before with a 90% refund; however, transportation costs go up every day, much like it does in the States. I also booked everything prior and printed out an itinerary if customs decided to ask in detail where I am staying at. This also gave me a huge peace of mind but a tiny bit of regret. I find that most solo travelers such as my new friends, Mario and Jan and recently acquainted, Jess (from Australia), plan everything on the fly. Next time and with several more euros in my wallet, I will be doing the same. 

Until next time! Tomorrow, I will be posting some FANTASTIC shots of Galway. 

Cork with a side of photos

Cork is a large city nestled in a valley. I didn't realize that it was so the moment I stepped off the train, I vowed to climb up one of the high hills and wait for the sun to set. This is what I saw:

Tomorrow I'd like to sit at the bench and view the city at night. 

Here are some other pictures I took in Dublin:

The Mezz

Castle Hotel 

Dublin, and Guinness, and trains, oh my!

No, I didn't almost miss my train! I'm just pretending. I nearly did...

I'm headed to Cork! Cork is situated on a river several kilometers from the Irish Sea. From what I've read, the town seems like an artsy town with many food markets (perfect for my budget). 

So much to tell! My stay in Dublin was full of exploring, hundreds of pictures, loud and drunk people, and a little bit of history. After I checked into my hotel, I crashed for three hours. My hotel room looked over a small alley. Out of the many back doors to the alley, one of them led to a small Chinese family residence. Several times, the distant laughter of kids echoed the alley walls while they played tag. Some may smile to this sight and sound but when you are trying to catch up on jet lag, the laughter sounds like banshees complaining about the knife wedged in their thigh. At last, I fell asleep.

I remember having my first Guinness in Chicago with my cousin about five years ago. Since then, I've loved the drink because of the flavor but rarely drank it because of the small "bite" ya get. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, last night, I wondered into a really nice pub. There was live music in a small corner and fortunately there was a screen broadcasting the performance because the corner was already crowded with people. At this pub, I had the real Guinness experience. The pint went down so smoothly and left a buzzed feeling where two of those in America wouldn't even come close to the essence because over here, the beer is so fresh.

The girl in the picture is Rose. Rose is from a small town 30 minutes from Barcelona, Spain. I met Rose just outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral. We both decided against dropping $9 to tour the building. So we sat and enjoyed the outside edifice while chatting about our travels. Rose had just finished up an 8-week volunteering adventure with the organization called, "WWOOF" (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). It's a chance to learn about organic farming. Volunteers work on organic farms (pretty much) anywhere around the world. In exchange for the work they do, volunteers receive food and accommodations and knowledge about organic farming. I'm so happy that I met Rose. This would be a fantastic thing to do in the future and an excellent way to experience other cultures.