Ireland Part VI: The Diaries

Excerpts from The Ireland Diaries
Sept 3-Oct 2, 2012

Sept 5!

It's midnight and Claire and I are writing in the hallway because we didn't want to wake up the Italian who's sharing our hostel room, he's nice and has hipster glasses.

We bought bikes!  Mine is bright purple--also, the helmet is purple.  This was unintentional.

Other fun things: Irish people are really, really nice.  We snuck onto tours at Trinity College and we walked a LOT.  Surprisingly, my fat deposit is a-okay with this.

Off to Greystones tomorrow!  18 miles and my bike seat is a piece of plastic.

Yay!

P.S.  leprechaun museum.

Tina

P.P.S  Why did I put a P.S before my signature?


Sept. 6

OK so

A#1.  Everything in me wants to die
B#2.  I love Almonds

So the day started well--tea scones some fear in the guy at the hostels eyes over hearing of our intended plan as he fixed the bike bags to Tina's bike.  Little did he know that at that point we still had nowhere to stay. Well then we went to get Tina a new seat and me a new basket and that took some time, so we had coffee and took advantage of the cafe's free wifi and found our couchsurf.  Then after getting a little lost, we finally made it to the coast. And went on forever!!!!! LOTS of HILLS like really high ones and it was not fun I felt like death.  Eventually we made it here alive but that was after we asked some lady for directions to make sure we were going the right way and she offered to drive in front of us because she didn't want us to get hurt and we had come a long way and she wouldn't want to tell us to do something that she wouldn't tell her daughters to do.  But the thing was that she kinda took us the long way and I nearly died.  So I got lost for a little while but then I was found some time later.  Then we went too far down 1 road, that was an issue, so we had to go back a little and resmell the food in the pub.  A cruel joke.  Then we found our way here---Finally, this house is huge and gorgeous.  And she gave us a sandwich best thing I ever ate-  Now I'm done.

Claire


Sept 8

So, Monarch of the glen!
just a few thoughts

SO last night we stayed with Clement and Brian, 2 very nice lads, in fact, I would say they were grand.  Well to be factual we stayed w/ Clement. Brian is his neighbor on this massive estate that used to belong to Clement's father.  Well they took us out for a night on the town.  Well by town it had 4 shops and a gas station.  The Mormons we stayed with the other night were nice but the kicked us out so that was kinda lame.  Well for some reason they thought we were only staying 1 night.  Well had that not happened we would have never met our new besties.  Today's ride was long through the valley, mostly there were quite a few good hills that were totally made worth it when you see the views coming down the hills. Gorgeous, or Grand as one might say.  They also may ask "from where do you hail?" or use the word tink and not in reference to tinkerbell because, as we learned on Tuesday at the leprechaun museum, Tinkerbell is not an Irish kind of fairy.  But then again they threw crying babies down wells to make them stop so you know they come back as a "good" baby by the time they get back from the wells.

Claire


Sept 15

Oh haaay,

So the last couple days have been pretty fun.  In Dungarvan we got chased out of the BnB by an angry Irish lady who turned our hot water off because she had to go to a funeral for some guy that did ecstasy.  Also, there was a giant hill on the way out that made we want to cut off my arms and feed them to a cow.

Okay, Cork!  Our couchsurfing hosts were really weird but the Poles staying with them were amazing and hilarious and we just hung out with them.  Cork itself was pretty lame, not a whole lot to do, but Cashel was AMAZING!  Our tour guide was ginger and starred at us because we were wearing hot red and pink and clearly had not started with the tour.  But we learned lots of fun things and then went and played on the abbey ruins across the street, which was even more fun than Cashel. 

Then in Cork we tried to go on a free boat ride, but no one knew what we were talking about and there were no signs.  So we gave up.  Also, no live music on a Saturday night!  Weird.

On the way to Macroom, I wanted to punch this town in the face because the first sign said it was 6 1/2 km away, the second 7 km, and the third 8.  Very disappointing. Macroom itself is cute, there appears to be a shopping center built into a castle.  Oh! And on the way we went to Blarney, which was cool.

Off to Killarney today!  Taking a bus, because the road goes up a mountain.

Tina


Sept 20

Betch don't read this shit.

So we are in tralee which in Irish is spelled tra li which is kinda cool.  And that's probs the coolest thing about this place.  Killarney was cool.  The park was really pretty and the ring was fun.  We got to climb things.  The this guy from Marlton befriended us...he was running from something, he's too old to be traveling that aimlessly.  The ride here was easy I wish every day was like that.  And there were LOTS of Germans in Killarney, like we were practically in Germany.  And the accents here are weird they are not so much fun.  And it's pronounced row like cow.

Claire


Sept 22

Oh snaps bitches we biked like crazy people on cocaine and somehow managed to beast it to Tarbert before 12.30, and we hadn't planned on making it there until tomorrow.  Took a ferry to Killimer so we could skip Limerick, and just decided to see how far we could get.  That turned out to be Kilkee, putting us a day ahead of schedule.

Claire's bike broke, so some nice guys helped us and a hysterical lady freaked out every time we got too close to the road.  Victoria Beckham has spina bifida.

Tina

Sooo here it goes.

Victoria Beckham really has skeletal issues, I mean, do you see how she stands?  Now I'm not a dr. but ya know it could be spina bifida or I don't know skuliosis or astiolparosis (Claire, it's osteoporosis) but she really needs to get it checked out.  Because she has 4 kids to worry about.

Also we watched Dakota Fanning in the world's saddest movie.  Like seriously, there is nothing in the whole world sadder than watching some girl die so although it was quite good I would not recommend it.

And then!!!
We went to Dingle and looked for dolphins but didn't see any.

And then!!!
Because we are amazing we biked 67 km today making 1. it the longest bike ride so far and 2. a whole day ahead of where we intended to be!! Peace Bitch!

Claire


Sept 24

Dearest Vampire Diaries

Being as that is the temp name.

So STILL no dragons also there have not been any druids.  This has come to be a huge disappointment :( .  I mean, really who do thy think they are kidding, hiding them away, is it because they use magic?  Well that being said, yesterday we did the cliffs, they were gorge but no puffins so that's a bit of a disappointment.  Also we got eaten alive by bugs.  Then we went to the B&B and spilled musli ALL over the floor.  oops.  And there were a lot of hills. But loved the cliffs, then we were going to the aran islands.  And the guy took us on the cliff boat ride out of pity.  He said it was the best way to see the cliffs.  He was right coolest most beautiful sight ever but still NO PUFFINS.  Then we were really wet so we ate soup and wore sweaters that had been left at the bar.    

Then we cycled all over the island, saw people speaking irish, ignored a no trespassing sign and did not die.  On the way back it rained AGAIN then the boat guy who was Polish (love dem poles) took us to the grocery store.  Then we went to watch the flute guy at the bar and met Daniel (smoothest 18 yr old we know) and now we are stalking him.

Claire

We are stalking him because we want to know if his dad's office to make us breakfast stands.

Other things we did: made friends with a Swiss guy (who claims there are no druids or dragons).  Had the same conversation about our trip 8 times today.  Got kissed on the cheek and welcomes to Ireland.  Decided Poland is awesome.  Dried our clothes in front of a fire.  Burnt the cookies.  Danced in the kitchen.  Didn't see druids.  Attracted other New Jerseyans with my Rutgers jacket.  Biked in the rain. Saw nobody on Inisheer for like an hour and a half.  That's all I can think of right this second.
We are also recognized quite often as "the girls with the bikes"
"Who were freezing when they got off the boat."

Tina


October 1

So we're sitting in Dublin airport eating cheetohs.  Here are some things we've done since Doolin.

--cheated and took a bus to Galway.  Made the driver let us out 11 km away so we could bike.
--ran around Galway and did a free walking tour.
--made friends with Simon, the Awesome German and Fierce Canadian Lesbian
--Arthur Guiness day, and hated it
--made it back to Dublin
--YAY!

Tina

But we did go to the big island and Connemara.  And that was so pretty and so nice.  We were there for Arthur Guinness night that was really cool and unexpected.  It's a great holiday dating all the way back to 2009 and the 500th anniversary of the gross sledge they pull off boats.  I tried it because everyone said OMG it's so good here it's like nothing you have ever tried.  Well what is true is the are wrong!!  


a little while later...

We are in the airport at 3 AM and we want to die this is so sad.  And the cheetos don't even taste right!

3.48.  Have tea.  No cheetos, they are gone.  Not as miserable but let's be honest it's almost 4 and we're awake.

4.  Tinas checking her mail.  Tea is almost gone.  I will be really sad in a moment until then we continue the list.

4.20.  The time not the date.  Tina is brushing her teeth.  I just forgot how to spell teeth, I mean it might as well be the date when I can't remember that.  tea is gone.  It was good.  Trips almost done, so sad.  Will miss the scones, not the Guinness.


And those are the highlights of our Ireland diaries!