Dingle Dangle

Day 24

The group had to be up early and leave the Randy Leprechaun at 9:30 am. I did manage to squeeze in a few pictures of sheep before it was time to go.

We were headed to the Dingle Peninsula, one of the most beautiful areas of Ireland. Even having been there now I am at a lack for words to describe the whole thing. The water, the cliffs, the beaches, it was just all so stunning. Dave (Aussie we met last night), Deborah, Catherine and I took turns taking pictures of one another as we walked along the path. We took walking pictures, jumping pictures, and just plan portrait like pictures. At one of the stops we took turns rubbing our butts on an ancient fertility stone.

Anther stop was at the 800 year old Kilmalkedor Church. This used to be a big pilgrimage stop. There were ancient stones with unknown writing and Celtic crosses dating back hundreds of years.

About 2 years ago bones began washing up on the nearby beach. No one could figure out where they were coming from. Then it was discovered that the British massacred a group of Spanish navel officers that had survived a shipwreck. The bodies were buried in shallow graves and recent soil erosion had disturbed them.

After the Dingle Peninsula we had some time to spend in Dingle the town. About 25 years ago a dolphin swam into the harbor and he hasn't left. His name is Fungi, after the fungus that grew in the beard of the old man who first befriended him. I didn't get to see Fungi, but the four of us did have some good lunches and great Baily's flavored ice cream. We had some time to walk around and I spotted a bar that is also a hardware store that Rick Steves put on his show. There was a shop with a naked mermaid on the sign called Simple Pleasures, dirty. We also checked out the quaint harbor.

After some more out the window pictures we arrived in Kilarny. The big thing to do here is check out the adjacent national park. We had a few choices with our tour. I could go straight to the hostel, take a horse and carriage ride, or go horseback riding.

My horse was Dingle and he had his own pace. He walked slower and ran slower than all of the other horses. I was constantly falling behind. I felt bad kicking him, but the guide kept telling me to do it harder and harder, eventually I thought that I had it all worked out with him. Then we came to the puddles. He could be walking or running but when he saw a puddle he would stop short. Everyone thought that it was me, but it wasn't, I swear. It was the horse. I kept trying to make him go, I kicked and I asked nicely and I pleaded. He would only tentatively walk through the puddles and then run again. Still, Dingle was a good horse and riding through the part was magical.

After freshening up Deborah and I wandered around the cute little town that was Dingle. We took pictures of cute streets and monuments. We didn't have much time though as we were meant the meet the group, gappies and all, for dinner and Irish music. Dinner was good, and the music was fun, however the bar was very hot. We also had to wake up even earlier than the day before and I didn't want to miss out on the next day so I left early.

When I got into the room another girl, I never got her name, told me that we were in the same room with two people who met on the tour and had been sleeping together in the rooms. How incredibly rude. I stuck in my ear plugs and crossed my fingers that there would be no dirty interruptions during the night.

A Day Full of Blarney

Day 25
The group had to be ready to go at 8 am and I was shocked that some of the people were able to get themselves together. Apparently last night was pretty wild and crazy. I'm glad that I'm not one of the hungover ones.

While enroute to our first stop Connor gave us a little Irish history lesson about how Ireland became free from the British Commonwealth. In 1916 demonstrations were planned country wide, only one in Dublin actually happened. The rebels took over the post office building. After a week of brutal fighting the British won. The Irish fighters were either executed or sent to a prison in Wales.

Even though the protest was unsuccessful, it did bring the idea of an Irish republic to the masses. In 1919 the War of Independence officially began. The Irish started by attacking British run institutions, even killing the Irish people working at them and running them. This violence forced the British to bring troops to Ireland, this is when the battle really began. In 1948 Ireland finally severed all ties with Britain when they left the commonwealth. The fields in Cork, where we were driving through, was where the majority of the fighting had taken place.

It was still early when we pulled into Blarney Castle. The Blarney Stone, located on a ledge at the top of the castle, is said to be a fight from Robert the Bruce of Scotland after Irish troops helped defeat the British at Bannockburn. The stone was said to originally come from the Holy Land. Somehow the MacCarthy family got a hold of it and used in when they built Castle Blarney in 1210. The other claim to fame that the castle has involves Queen Elizabeth I. The Earl of Leicester was commanded by Queen Elizabeth I to take possession of the castle. Whenever he endeavored to negotiate the matter McCarthy always suggested a banquet or some other form of delay, so that when the queen asked for progress reports a long missive was sent, at the end of which the castle remained untaken. The queen was said to be so irritated that she remarked that the earl's reports were all 'Blarney'.

For some reason about 300 years ago people started to kiss the Blarney Stone. To do this you have to lay down, let some old man hold you up, and lean way back. It's a bit daunting, but there are metal bars to prevent people from falling. I bet way back when it wasn't odd for a bunch of people to come up there drunk and try to kiss the stone only to fall to theirs deaths. I leaned back, tried to smile and kissed the stone. I didn't feel anything as some people suggested I would. Has my writing become more eloquent, or perhaps the stone only pertains to speech. Or perhaps I just picked up something from the millions of other people who have kissed the stone. At least I guess I got some action!

The four of us wandered the grounds taking in the stunning views. Each time we turned a corner there seemed to be a better picture to be taken. We tried to check out the caves a bit as well. It would have been really nice to have several more hours there to check out the gardens and all of the outbuildings on the grounds. As it was, Catherine and I were hungry and we ended up getting to the bus a minute or two late.

We did a driving tour through Cork, but there wasn't a chance to explore on our own. Apparently Cork thinks that it is the real capital. An advert for Budwieser even played on that.

Our next stop was a quick one at Cashel for lunch. Once again, there was a huge castle here, called the Rock of Cashel. There wasn't any time to check it out. We couldn't make up our minds and ended up bringing takeout on the bus. After that it was a straight shot to Dublin and, for me, a real bed.

I found it odd that once everyone had gathered up their things from beneath the bus they just stood around. Most of these people have been stuck together for 6 days in a cramped bus. I couldn't understand how they didn't want to just get away. I made sure to exchange information with David, Catherine and Deborah and was then on my way.

Three days is about the most I think I could handle a tour for, unless it was like a safari or something. I did get to see things that would be hard or just very expensive for me to do on my own. I was not going to be renting a car and driving over here. I just felt like everything was rushed, I would have liked to spend more time in each town, but I guess they would have each been a day trip and I would have needed more than the two weeks I have in Ireland. Next time I come here, I'm bringing a friend who can drive on the wrong side of the road and doing it that way. Still, I had fun, got to ride a horse and made some really great friends.

I was ecstatic to see Michele and Rory again and to spend time with people who I don't have to introduce myself to! After a pizza dinner we headed a short way to their local pub for a few pints. After so much time in tourist land it was nice to be in a place that tourists would never find.

Randy Limericks

Day 23
I was up unbelievably early so that I could head to the city center and a 3 day Ring of Kerry tour. It turned out that Paddywagon tours was a guide short. Our group was combined with a day tour to the Cliffs of Moher and would then pick up the tail end of a 6 day all Ireland tour. The Cliffs were not on the original itinerary, but still something that I wanted to see.

On the bus there was a Canadian with purple hair. She was beyond loud and trying to talk to everyone. I could hear her loud and clear even with my ipod on high. I took her for Canadian. I was right, she would tell anyone who would listen. I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would not be on my tour and was just a day tripper. It's not just the tour company that makes the tour, but also the people on it.

Our first stop was Limerick. This is apparently a pretty rough town on the Shannon River. The area has been a gypsy base for a long time. Ireland has considered bringing in the National Guard to help and keep the violence under control. Homes, or base places have been built for the gypsies. They have a bathroom and a kitchen and electricity. These tend to get robbed and are not very safe. Therefore, most people will set up shanty towns at the city limit.

Limerick is also known for King John's Castle, built in the 13^th century. We didn't have time to go inside. The other major site is the Treaty Stone. In 1691 a treaty was signed here . The Brits reneged on the treaty not much later.

The whole thing was really just a bathroom stop. It would have been nice to explore a bit more, in the daylight of course. This is really the problem with group trips, people tell you where to go and when to go there.

Soon we were at the Cliffs of Moher. You used to be able to walk right up next to the cliffs. The area became a popular place for suicides. The odd tourist would also get blown off on occasion, or just lean over a bit too much for that perfect picture. About two years ago a mother and her 7 year old daughter went over the cliff. That was when a barrier was built. Most of the time it was chest high, but it was over my head at some points. There was one point where people were jumping over the barrier to get a better view. I declined to do so. What I did see of the cliffs was stunning.

At the cliffs I met Deborah, a student from Wyoming doing a semester abroad in Rotterdam and Catherine a doctor from South Africa doing an exchange year in Ireland. They were both really nice, and luckily on the same three day tour I was on. It turns out that purple Canada was not on the 3 day tour. When we joined the new bus we waited until everyone else was on so that we wouldn't steal anyone's seats. There were 50 people on the tour, most of them were Kiwi's and Aussies on a gap year and only about 18 years old. Damn gappies.

We were running a bit late and our guide, Connor, drove like mad through winding country roads in order to make it to the ferry across the Shannon. We made it and I bought some pringles to calm down my upset stomach at the on board store. The ferry ride lasted only about 20 minutes and soon we were driving through the Kingdom of Kerry.

I passed the next hour or so taking pictures of the stunning countryside. I've never seen anything like it. I was happy to finally get to Annascaul, the 600 person town that our hostel, the Randy Leprechaun was in.

Deborah, Catherine and I wandered down the main street. Eventually a local dog joined us. He seemed to want us to follow him. We did for a while, but seemed to be getting no where. I guess that is what you get when you follow random dogs around.

We made it back to the pub in time for dinner and karaoke. Just what a group of backpackers wants. I did sing a few songs, but none by myself. Deborah and I did Lady Marmalade, it was bad, the 5 Americans did Friends in Low places, and then another group of us did I want to Dance with Somebody. The Kiwi's did Land Down Under and Barbie Girl. I really don't know why they did the later.

I was exhausted and very happy that the pub closed at midnight, I had been up way too late at this point. Some people moved the party to the common room but I just went to sleep. It was my first day on a group tour in a long time. It wasn't that bad, maybe I need to give these things a second chance.