I said that I would elaborate further on the splendor of our favorite non-UK country, Ireland. How to start, how to start?
And now, for the tailes of Ireland:
The people of Dublin, while some of the nicest I have ever met, are also the most entertaining. They made the city come alive with culture and pschotic affairs.
My hostel, serving as a cheaper, and often last resort option for backpackers and foreign workers alike, actually kept me in the city longer than I originally planned on staying. Each day (or night) convinced me to stay another day longer, until my intended one-night visit turned into five.
Surprisingly it was not the broken water heater (fixed 3-4 times per day), the seamingly unchanged douvet and pillow covers, nor the toilets in full view of the cornering bedroom and courtyard that kept me re-checking in every day at 11am. It wasnt even the reception guy who began talking to me in a baby voice while tickling my stomach once taking a liking to me.
The people I hung around with from the hostel were the entertainment I seaked and watched for 5 days. I think I was the odd man out as the lone backpacker, as the rest were all there on work visas, in search of a job and a less sketchy place to rest their heads.
We didnt even bother with formalities and the inevitable fate of forgotten first names and inquiries of origin, and thus mixed the two together to form extremely ideal hostel nicknames: Melbi, Aussie, Swedie, Rhodie, and Seattle we became. These four were not the main sources of entertainment, but rather the people I could interact sanely with and enjoy the insanity of other hostel dwellers and locals alike. They were, of course, lots of fun, but by no means like the others we encountered, who I could just put in a box and watch for hours on end.
Characters like the Swedish horse jockey who woke up with a beer in-hand at 9am and ready for his breakfast pint at 10. I was introduced to him by Rhodie (from Rhode Island) and Swedie (the other Swedish guy from Malmö) while watching Spongebob in galic on the TV in the hostel common room. They invited me to tag along in search of a place that served both coffee and beer for breakfast. I had 2 euros left, so I figured I would get a coffee if cheap enough. Three hours later, we were propperly fed thanks to the Jockeys generosity and never-ending cash wad. We listened to his rediculous stories, one after the other and got our kicks. For example: "I once fell asleep in Sweden and woke up in Madrid". How thats possible, I have no idea, but in no way surprising for this guy. I responded with "Thats like a 3 day train ride, and you dont remember how you got there?" He nodded, shrugged, smiled, and then seemed somewhat entertained by the story himself, as if he had never really though about why that would be out of the ordinary. I think my brother would have loved this guy.
Following a couple nights wandering in the Temple Bar area, watching a street performing band rock and crazy 15-16 year old girls drinking and dancing to them at midnight on a school night (and wondering where their parents were), I finally hopped the train to Galway to see the familiar face of my friend Vanessa, aka "Boots".
It was in Galway that the meaning of "walking" and "rain" and "walking in the rain for 30 minutes everywhere" became known. Vanessa wasnt lying when she said "word to the wise: bring an umbrella". Being a proud Seattlite, I ignored her wise words and wound up with wet shoes, wet clothes, and wet coats to go along with those fun walks in the rain.
Vanessa brought me the her apartment in Corrib Village, student housing for first year and study abroad students. Surrounding her appartment (complete with one girl from Italy, one from the Netherlands, one from Germany, a complete dish set (minus the collander), and a couch-filled TV lounge) were mostly other foreign student, including one from Bellevue! Like this trip has revealed to me before: Small, small world.
Once again I scored in the "awesome host/hostess" department, because not once was Vanessa anything but that. And being the social butterfly that she is, even had a birthday party lined up for us for the night! We walked there (30 min), sang happy birthday, played cards, and gave the birthday boy our fabulous gag gift of storebrand, generic label (Tesco), cheap as cheap can get, Whisky with matching Cola. I didnt go near it.
The next day we took a bus tour to Callamara, and while it was long, it was filled with gorgeous lakes, fields, castles, and a sleezy old bus driver that had crushes on us. hehehe... he even gave Vanessa his number incase she ever "needed a ride anywhere". Afterall, he did win the only prize for "best tourbus driver in 2003, 2004, AND 2005"! Or so we heard 3 times in a row like everything else on the trip... including his singalongs to his favorite Irish songs over the intercom. No doubt we were entertained on that trip!
Oh, and I got my first day of class out of the was at Vanessas "Service Management" class. I was so excited because I missed school so much, that I took noted and everything! I know... Im a nerd. Now I just wait for my school to start on the 2nd of October, and then Ill be set!
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