Ireland

(1) After arriving in port, I boarded a bus that drove a number of us into Cork. Traveling, now, with another American I met on the boat named Colin, we checked into Sheila's Budget Accomodations - which was fine, but nothing special. Still tired and cold, we decided just to wander around the city and find some breakfast. With a little more energy, we explored more of this fantastic town, and finally piled into a bar at night for a Guinness. I had waited until reaching Ireland to drink one, and it was, without question, spectacular. Eventually, Colin traveled to Dublin, and I hopped on a bus for Galway. (photo: www.muc.edu)

(2) If I had to spend the rest of my days in one city in Ireland, Galway would be the place. With narrow, cobbled streets and quaint shops and cafes, there was nothing I didn't like about this university town on the western coast. I stayed at Barnacle's Hostel, which was a fine place in the heart of everything.

(3) The highlight of my stay was a visit to the Crane Bar, a tiny pub at the end of town that my friend Dave Mallen had told me to check out, promising some great, traditional Irish music. He was right. I think it's safe to say that one could take a short vacation to Galway, spend every night at the Crane Bar, and come home completely refreshed, and satisfied that the world is good. (photo: http://boldeire.free.fr)

(4) Tired of buses, I hitched three rides on my way from Galway to Dublin. Each driver offered an interesting story and some good history on the country and surrounding areas. Really, where it's safe, hitching is the best way to get around. In Dublin, I stayed at another Barnacle's hostel, close to the trendy and expensive Temple Bar District. I ended up, that first night, at the Quays Bar, watching soccer and throwing back pints of Kilkenny. There, I ended up meeting a few local guys who were already three sheets to the wind. We talked for a while and I ended the night by helping to walk one of them to the bus stop - he was beyond drunk. The next day, he explained in an email, "Chap, I fell asleep on the bloody bus." (photo: www.toddadams.net)

(5) The next day, I decided to switch hostels, going from Barnacle's to Backpackers Ireland - the former being a little too pricy and stuffy for my liking. Backpackers wasn't as nice, but it was definately more laid back. Once that was taken care of, I felt a little more free to explore Ireland's capital. Other highlights from Dublin included visits to St. Patrick's Cathedral and a museum that had recently put up a creepy portrait of U2's Bono. His eyes follow you around the room, and he seems to age depending on your viewing angle. (photo: www.math.ucsb.edu)

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