Western Rocker: Part 4

19th March 2006

western rocker

Dublin - Killarney

Monday morning had us up at some ungodly hour to be packed and ready to meet the bus at 8am...

cold showers all round had us all alert and semi orientated...
everyone was up for their breakie of the one muffin, and a cuppa!
lol and this time they only put out 33 muffins, so no one could take two! hahahaha

then while waiting in the reception area for Karen, we noticed it was snowing outside... so of course we all headed out and basked in the white fuffy goodness like the crazy aussies we were!! until we frooze

boarded the bus and headed out of dublin for the last section of our trip...

After being grilled by karen as to what we all got up to on the weekend... and wondering ow we managed to lose not one but two tourmates completely (honestly we weren't that scary!)
before Dave mad a run for the doors... wasn't feeling the best after the night befores efforts!
thankfully he made it, due to the quick thinking of luke, who happened to have a plastic bag in front of him! hence there after known as chucky

our first stop was at a eurospar (now over in ireland... spars are like mini supermarkets that sell everything from tissues-alcohol!, and the bigger version is called an eurospar... which is like a normal sized supermarket that'll sell everything)

many people used it as a breakie stop, along with a lunch stop, as we were told our lunch was going to be on the bus! as today was going to be mostly driving...

from there we carried on till we reached Cashel a small town located in County Tipperary,(yay i can say i've been to tipperary!) the main feature here is the huge Rock Of Cashel that dominates the town. The Rock Stands high up on a hill overlooking the whole town, and it takes your breath away. It's totally unexpected and it just appears before reaching the village.

it was extremly windy and slightly spitting when we left the warmth of the coach and headed up the hill towards the ruins...The ruin once again offering absolutely no protection from the rain that began to fall either... everyone had a quick look around before gathering inside to warm up and await another video presentation... it was looking back out the door that we realised just how cold it was as it began to snow.. of course we all ran back out to stand in it... (typical!)

but it was awesome... standing on top of a hill, in ireland, with snow falling all around us!
shame it didn't stick but it was still amazing...

actually managed to stay awake though out this presentation... but cant tell you a thing about it!
headed back down the hill before being locked out of the coach!...

hahaha very funny guys!

it was pissing down with rain!!! :O(

meanies!

from there we carried on for two hrs towards Blarney Castle.. where our first priority was to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. we joined the line to the top of the castle, and made our way slowly up the stairs, which seemed to get steeper, and narrower as you got closer to the top. after about 30mins we made it to the top.... and what a view, over the extensive gardens, it was so pretty... then it began to snow... lightly... but snowing all the same...

now how's that for the setting kissing the blarney stone in the snow!

Now the Blarney stone... definitely wasn't what i was expecting... i knew from preivious people that had done it, you had to lean backwards and kiss it.. but definitely got a surprise when i saw it...

bizzare... but tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - "the gift of the gab", as the locals call it. so watch out people... nothing will shut me up now!

after heading back down winding stairs we walked around in the gardens for a bit before heading to check out Blarney itself.. gave up on the hoards of tourists in the souviner shops (i'd hate to see it in summer...) and headed to the closest pub.. and it was fantastic...

perfect little country pub, with it's open fire, which we happened to score prime position for and enjoyed a few drinks... definietly could have sat there all afternoon

back on the coach for another 2 hrs and then we reached the cliffs of Moher... OMG they were amazing... pictures really don't capture it at all... stunning cliff faces with dramatic drops to the ocean beneath.

got there about 1700 so the sun was just setting out over the water...

walked around admiring the cliffs from both sides, before heading back to the coach...
and off for our night of fun in Killarney!

Hostel was set right in the heart of the town... with 5-6 bedded rooms... however only 3 keys... mmmmmmm

headed out to cronins pub in town for a group dinner... ended up with a delicious looking sheapards pie... mmm yum!(but way too much potato... lol what is it with the irish and their potatos!!!)

shared a bottle of Australian wine with claire.. which was horrible and totally over priced! but we drank it all, found it got better the faster you drank it!

after dinner we all headed down th road to O'connors pub, where we got to experience a typical irish pub complete with actual locals! which were a laugh!, before being lead upstairs.. where we saw an irish storyteller (a seanchai).. who performed for just over an hour and was absolutly fantastic.

i've never laughed so hard in my life... totally love the Irish Humour.. love it... so crude!!!

learnt all about the leg openers... ie brandy & baileys... and baby guinnesss (which were yummy... baileys & tia maria... in a shot glass... hence it looks like a mini guinness!)

headed from there down the road again to the Grand... aka the diso!

OMG it was the funniest thing i have ever been to.... there were people there from 18-90.. they had two areas, one where they had a live band going which were actually pretty good.... need to find their name.. and the other where the disco was... which played totally random songs... one min it was 90's then the next it was country.. lol hilarious!

the funniest being the old chap who must have been 60+ sitting in the corner with a lass of 20 sitting on his lap kissing... not so funny... but then you take a closer look and he's holding his falsies in his hand behind his back! ick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there was one camera there, and i think many people want to burn the evidence of that night... hahahahaha

somehow we managed to get back to the hostel! after a few stops... lol lost a few on the way that had the munchies and decided that fish and chips was in order at 3am!

had the best shower ever... lol after no hot water for 3 nights... definietly made the most of the hot water here... mmmmmmmm warmth

the only thing it had going against it was the fact that you had to keep pressing the button every 5 sec...

annoying when you've been drinking i tell you and it takes a few goes!!

headed off to bed... after waking chuckie of course who'd bailed early... lol got to make sure he was alright of course!

must have been dead to the world though, as i work at 530 wondering where the other were... (they'd gone to get food on the way back) but realised they were all back and sleeping...

lol found out in the morning that ang had been banging on the door for 10mins trying to get in... and poor chucky had to get up again... as i slept though it! hahahahaaha
funny a normally i'm the lightest sleeper ever...

must have just passed out! :O)

20th March 2007

killarney-Doolin

somehow we all managed to get up, although at a much slower rate to usual! and ready to go by 8am again...

though after quick stop to check out the view over kilarney and the lakes, and get a group picture... only after a group effort of YMCA at high pitch!

we were left to doze away merrily on the bus for the next 2 hours... and dooze we all did! hahahaha

stopped in the little town of dingle for a toilet stop, followed by a nice 2 hour bus ride, around The Dingle Peninsula, or more commonly known as the ring of dingle...

It is the western most point in Europe and is one of the most beautiful and sceanic drives i've done... i love the coast, and we spent the entire day along side it...

there was some breath taking scenery along the way, and it was pretty much get on the bus, drive, get off the bus take some pictures, the whole way around. stopped at coumeenole beach and headed down the cliff to play.. it was a beautiful beach surrounded by these extremly high cliffs... did our token swim/wade in the water, and almost lost feeling i my feet!...

so now i can say i left apart of my sole in ireland!

the drive took us back into dingle where we had fish and chips for lunch, before wandering around town...

before making the drive to catch the ferry and leave county kerry behind...

not quite fast enough, missed the ferry by 2 mins, however luck was with us and we headed down the road to the pub to wait for the ferry to come back... had an amazing hot chocolate with baileys... mmmm yum!

we all had to run to catch the next ferry! but we made it... of course they played the titanic theme as we're boarding the ferry!

trying to freak out chris, who had a massive fear of boats... lol and doing so successfully!

made it across in one piece, and we were in Doolin.

now doolin has to be the biggest town around! lol

it has 2 hostels, and 3 pubs and not alot else! but hey that's nothing to keep us down

headed down to the local pub (well the first one we came too!) and had this cajan chicken which was fantastic... some were brave enough to try traditional irish stew!

and sat about drinking and chatting for the rest of the night...

lol lots of people flaked early and headed back to the hostel for an early night.. of course we were the last to leave at closing time, and had the pleasure of walking back in complete darkness...

lol did help for the cow that completely scared the shit out of us when it mooed! lol i've never jumped so high!

had a bit of trouble remembering the code to let us back in the hostel... but after a few not so subtle bangs on the window of our room, someone finally came and opend the door for us... (less than impressed i'd say!)

had a top bunk and almost beheaded myself...

try navigating in a darkend room to a bed, you have some recolection was in the middle somewhere then trying to navigate the ladder in complete darkness, add to that... you're trying to do it quietly!!!

yeah big mistake!....

lol as soon as you even try to be quiet it's all over... i tripped over someones shoe, then over a pak, and head first into the bottom bunk!!!! lol

least then someone turned on the light and i managed to navigate myself up the ladder without further incident! hahahaha

21st March 2007

Doolin-Dublin

another long driving day that started way to early, with us all up and on the coach at 8am...

it's funny how easily i can fall asleep on a bus, give me 5 mins and i'm falling asleep... so slept we all did again until we reached the Pol na Brone Dolmen, another ancient burial tomb..

karen was up the front talking about it and saying we were almost there, and then we see these stones on top of one another in the middle of nothing, and we were like wouldn't it be funny if that was it.. and it the next minute we were stopping..

though the ground was cool... all limestoney and stange...

headed onwards towards an ancient monastic city right on the shores of the Shannon river, where we cleansed our souls at Clonmacnoise! there graves dated back the the 8th century... got to see many high crosses...and a mini documentary..

before our last stop at Lockes Distillery that boasts to be the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. here we were given samples of the "water of life" which tasted horrible (sorry to all you whisky drinkers out there... it was horrible...) though somewhow i ended up instead of just a taste i had a glass full, and was dared to skull...

OMG.. we did it on a 1,2 3 and the three of that did it, almost died... it was the after taste and fumes that had me gasping for air... ick, how anyone can drink that stuff is beyond me! but yeah maybe it's not meant to be taken in such large quantities...

funny thing is luke got it on video! that's dude! i know where you live! (and if you put it on you tube.. )

and it is actually hilarious to see our facial expression! hahahaha

Fun times!

anyways we headed back into Dublin, arriving around 1600, where we said goodbye to everyone... the majority of people were heading off to the airport straight away, so i headed back to KT's place, which i managed to fine no problems at all..

KT, A and i all headed out for dinner to their local Thai restraunt... food was good, i had chicken and cashews... mmmm nuts, and banoffee pie for dessert... too much cream but yummy all the same...

headed back via the spar, where we picked up a bottle of vodka i think, and some mixers and headed back to their appartment...

we pretty much got through that first bottle rather quickly i seem to remember... and A and i headed out to get more supplies! lol ended up being a bottle of bicardi and a bottle of vodka... and some nibblies...

and headed back... seam to remember getting to bed rather late!

22nd March 2007

Dublin

well back in the city, got up surprisingly early and headed out to explore. went and saw christ church cathedral, which was really pretty... walked around the outside of the dublin castle wasn't allowed in as they were having some sort of meeting in there... but then it looked really modern and not very castle like!

ended up running into a few from the tour and we all headed up to the guinness brewery...

which was really good, tasteing all the samples as we made our way through the maze that was the museum. the tour ended at the top were you got a complimentary pint of guinness, and we sat up there admiring the view... palmed off my guinness... not quite feeling like drinking at 11am!

caught up with KT, and A for lunch, and then headed back the apartment with A....

mmmmmmmm lol drinks were drunk.... ;o)

headed shopping with KT, (where'd we go again...)

before heading back to her apartment...

23rd March 2007

well i originally thought i was booked to fly out today, though after actually checking my ticket i realised i had a whole extra day in Dublin! lol miss organisation herself!

headed into town and did a little shopping, wandered around, met up for lunch with the last 2 remaining tour mates, and sat around talking for a bit... before saying our goodbyes...

headed back to the apartment..

where i got to say goodbye to KT... as she was heading off to London for the weekend...

didn't really get up to all that much.. sat around watching tv...

24th March 2007

Up nice and early, packed all my stuff, before setting off to the airport at 9am... managed to find my way to the coach stop, and actually catch the the right bus back...

sad to think that my time here in ireland was at an end....

i had such an awesome time and met so many wonderful people... and had the time of my life in doing so!

arrived at the Airport checked in, still under the baggage limit, headed though security and customs... and went wandering the shops...

somehow i misudged the time and got the lovely overhead announcement to please come to the boarding gate.. and managed to be lat on the plane.... ooops!

arrived home safe and sound....