Day 58 (5/18)
I left early from Galway on a bus to Dublin, where I then transferred to a bus headed for Belfast. Some ridiculous amount of time later I found my way to my new home for the week, Lagan Backpackers Hostel.
I checked in and was immediately accepted as one of their own. When my mom asked how that happened I told her, "sometimes you just know." I put my stuff in my room and headed downstairs for communal dinner, and beer pong.
I made a new American friend, Tori, who knew me all of three minutes when she invited me out on the Giant's Causeway tour the next morning. She was my first beer pong teammate, and we kicked some ass.
I don't have many pictures from this day since I spent most of it sitting on a bus. But, here, take these:
Day 59 (5/19)
I woke up early for a hot meal before heading out on my tour. I'd just like to point out, this is the only hostel I've stayed in that has hot food for breakfast, and it's free.
Tori and I hopped on the bus, and we were off. First stop was a castle, nothing special really. Our driver didn't even really say anything about the significance of it.
We stopped at a couple of Game of Thrones sites. The first one was Castle Black, for anyone who watches the show. My picture isn't great because it was raining and I had to take a picture out of the bus window, but still, I was there.
Then it was on to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, where we got some blue skies! The water was a lovely shade of blue. The bridge is 20 metres long, and 30 metres high above the water. It was used for fishermen to cross without having to go all the way around these two pieces of land jutting out into the water. Imagine carrying a load full of fish across that. The original bridge was built 400 years ago, but has since been redone to make it safe for the hundreds of people who now cross it every day.
We took our lunch break at the café near the bridge, but the tables were full, so we sat with some strangers from our tour bus. It turns out they're both American, Sarah and Alex, and Alex was spending a semester abroad in St. Andrews. We got all caught up on each other's travel plans we figured out Alex would be in Copenhagen the same time as Tori, and Iceland the same time as me! Small world!
After that it was on to the Giant's Causeway. The Causeway is made up of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns from a volcanic eruption. The Gaelic myth, however, goes something like this:
There once was an Irish giant named Fionn. Fionn was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant named Benandonner, so he built the causeway so the two could battle it out. When Fionn realizes Benandonner is much bigger than himself, his wife disguises him as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. Benandonner, seeing the size of the "baby," decides his foe is too big for him to fight, and he runs back to Scotland, destroying the causeway so Fionn couldn't follow him.
When we finished up at the Giant's Causeway we all gathered onto the bus and headed for Bushmills. We didn't get a tour, that costs extra, but we did get a free shot of whiskey. I have to say, I do like Jameson better.
From there we drove by the Dark Hedges, otherwise known as the King's Road for all of you GoT fans.
That night we played some beer pong, and a few of us went dancing, but I didn't get any pictures.
Carrickfergus Castle
Castle Black is hiding in the rain somewhere.
This is Tori!
Crossing the rope bridge. It was quite bouncy.
The Devil's Causeway!
So big. Much waves. Wow.
I love this country.
Bushmills Distillery
The Dark Hedges
Tom is such a pretty, pretty princess.
Day 60 (5/20)
It was a beautiful day, so I took a walk with Tori and Fraser, the big Scottish man with the big Scottish beard, and we had Kurrito. Kurrito is basically indian food, but Chipotle style. It's delicious.
Then we grabbed some things for our costumes that night. It was Tom's birthday, and he had decided to throw and "ABC" party, otherwise known as "Anything But Clothes."
Tori and I wore Irish flags that we made into dresses, and the boys, well, just look...
I also did a Black Taxi Tour. The tour guide had lived in Belfast during the bombings, and he took us around the Catholic and Protestant sides of the city. He also showed us the walls and gates that divide the two, and talked about The Troubles. We signed the Peace Wall, which is the nice name the government gave the wall that divides the two sides.
Tori makes an excellent leprechaun.
The fences dividing the city.
Some republican murals.
These gates are in, I think, four spots around the city keeping the two sides separate, and they close right around 6pm.
The Peace Wall
A UVF mural on the protestant side.
I got the hat!
Shenanigans ensued.
That's AshlyAnn. She's fantastic, and I can't wait to see her in Edinburgh!
Scottish shenanigans. Irn Bru is gross.
Beer pong shenanigans.
Nerf gun shenanigans. I love the sequence of these photos.
Dancing shenanigans.
I GOT THE HAT AGAIN!
Late night shenanigans.
Day 61 (5/21)
The next morning the girls and I decided it was time to get out of the hostel and actually see some of the city.
We walked by the Europa Hotel, the most bombed hotel in the world (26 times). Bill Clinton stayed there when he was president. That's all I know.
Across the street is the Crown Bar, the second oldest bar in the city. The bar was being built the same time as one of the churches, and the workers used to come drink there, so the owner got all of the left over tile and stained glass and incorporated it into the bar. Supposedly the owner's girlfriend at the time was in support of England, and he was not, so he placed a crown right in the entry way and now everyone who walks through those doors steps on the crown.
From there we headed over to Victoria Square, where there's a huge dome you can climb to get a pretty spectacular view of downtown. It was a spiral staircase up to the top. I know, I was surprised too!
Then we walked down to the river to kiss the Big Fish Statue for good luck, and past the leaning Albert Memorial Clock. The story goes that the "ladies of the night" would wait by the clock for the dock workers. While waiting, they would lean against the tower, causing the lean we see today.
After that we headed back to the hostel for a nice communal dinner, which was always fantastic, and went dancing for AshleyAnn's birthday!
It was a beautiful blue sky kind of day, which I hear is rare in Ireland.
The Crown Bar
The River Lagan
If I can kiss the Blarney Stone, I can definitely handle kissing this fish.
The leaning clock tower.
I need this.
Fraser still has the hat on. Matthew, in the bottom left, wasn't going to come out dancing because he had to be up early for a flight the next day, but I'm very convincing. Glad you came out if you're reading this!
Day 62 (5/22)
We were all feeling a little rough the next day, too many birthday celebrations, so we mostly hung out at the hostel. We watched movies, and napped, and just generally relaxed. Although, the girls and I did make it out to the St George Market, which was really fun! It was a bunch of crafty stuff, and cool old posters, and some really good painters. They also had live music. It put Portland's weekend markets to shame.
When I couldn't stand being in the hostel anymore I ventured out and over to the Ulster Museum and Botanical Gardens. The Ulster is free to enter, and they had an exhibition all about The Troubles. This country has such an interesting history, I wanted to learn everything I could. I also looked up some books to check out when I get home.
Back at the hostel we played some games, and Conor busted out his acoustic guitar skills. We also discovered the dart board. I won.
You can check these out if you'd like.
The Botanical Gardens
DARTS!
Day 63 (5/23)
This was my last full day in Belfast, so I set out in the morning to see whatever I had missed. I'd managed to see a lot in the past five days, so it was actually pretty easy. Plus, Belfast isn't a very large place.
I started out at Belfast Castle. It turns out it isn't much of a castle. It's now a venue for weddings and special events. It had some cool architecture though, and the view of the bay was amazing.
After that, I wandered around the CastleCourt area and found some really cool street art. It turns out the street art scene here is pretty big, and growing.
I followed my feet down to City Hall for a free tour. The building is beautiful, and so rich in history. The men who did the wood carving in City Hall would eventually go on to work on the Titanic. And I found out the Unionists and Republicans still sit completely divided. After the tour they had a self guided exhibit of the 1916 Easter Rising, and the part Ireland played in The Great War.
From there, I headed across the river to the Titanic Museum. This was really cool, and totally worth the money. It starts you off by explaining Belfast's main industries at the time, and how they all kind of came together in ship building. From there they take you through the history of Harland and Wolff, and the White Star Line, then through the building of Titanic and her sister ship, Olympic.
There's a whole setup of what the state rooms would have looked like, and a video tour of the different levels of the ship. They talk about some of the passengers on board, and the crew, and ports she stopped in before heading out on her fateful journey to America. Then you move on to the sinking. They have some of the actual CQD messages Titanic sent out as she was sinking, and recordings of survivors retelling what happened.
At the end of it all, they have a video of the ocean floor where Titanic lies to this day, and you can see what the ship looks like now.
Afterwards, I wandered the city streets and said my thank yous and goodbyes to this beautiful town. Belfast was quite an unforgettable experience, and I will be forever grateful for the friends I made there. My trip would not have been the same without them.
I spent the evening out at a couple different pubs for one last taste of the nightlife here before I headed back to the hostel.
Belfast Castle
I love this!
The view of Belfast and the bay.
This was such a cool part of the city. I ended up back here at night, but I wish I had made it a few days sooner.
City Hall was absolutely beautiful.
The Great War Memorial at City Hall.
The Titanic Museum
These slips are where the Titanic (left) and Olympic (right) were built.
Some of the last messages ever received from Titanic.
Harland and Wolff cranes in the background.
Such beautiful weather for my last day.
My first, and only, leprechaun sighting. Look, they do exist!
Day 64 (5/24)
I didn't take a single picture this day. I was so devastated about leaving my new little tribe, I didn't even get a group picture. I'm still sad about it.
I left Belfast for Dublin, still my favorite city, and it seemed to take forever.
When I arrived, I made a new Canadian friend, and I showed him around the city. I was kind of amazed at how much information I'd retained from my first visit here a month ago (has it really been a month?!).
After catching some live music in Temple Bar I decided to call it an (relatively) early night, and headed back to the hostel.
Day 65 (5/25)
Today I think I'll just relax and wander the city streets. I love this place so much, I can't believe tomorrow I have to say goodbye again. I fell in love the minute my feet touched the ground here, and now I can't imagine being anywhere else.
How do you walk away from the place your heart and soul belong?
Anyway, tomorrow I leave to visit my friends from Wales, and as hard as it will be to leave the Emerald Isle, I'm really looking forward to seeing them again.
