19.5.
FROM DUBLIN TO BELFAST
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| On the way to the bus station. |
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| The bus station. |
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| On the bus. |
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| A statue in front of the Belfast main bus station. |
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| Some views on the way to the hostel. |
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| Some views on the way to the hostel |
What a day!
I left UCD two hours before my planned
schedule, at around ten in the morning, having been up from eight. I
got my Letter of Confirmation from the International Office –
almost forgot that – and signed out from the apartment. At the city
centre I mailed two small bags of clothes and kitchen stuff to my
mum; GPO is gorgeous!
Then it was off to the bus station to
get a coach to Belfast. There was one every hour so it was good.
Slept most of the way, but what I saw of the scenery was beautiful. I
walked to my hostel (15 min), as I had no pounds on me for the bus. I
couldn't pay the hostel with my card...
And that was the beginning of the real
adventure: the ATMs wouldn't give me any money. I tried three
different banks and nothing. Needless to say I was panicking a bit.
Even after phoning my bank (in Finland) it wouldn't work.
I got back to the hostel receptionist, and he was a doll and went around the bend to get my payment down. Also booked me for the Giant's Causeway tour for tomorrow.
This still left the problem of getting back South... But when I was fretting about to my dorm mates, one of them offered me her return ticket back to Dublin and some cash. I transferred the amount to her account with my online bank. LUCKY~!
With all of that sorted I spent the rest of the day at the hostel, watching videos. Stayed up way too late. Tomorrow's going to be a nightmare. :P
20.5.
Written in a bus at six PM, on the way back to Dublin to spend the night.
Giant's Causeway tour today. Woke up at seven to pack, had the hostel breakfast with two Canadian girls who were also going to come to the tour. I checked out of the hostel at around nine - left my backpack there, though - and made my way to the Europa Hotel in front of which the Paddywagon coach picked us up - fifteen minutes late, I might add.
The drive to our first stop, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, took about an hour, during which the driver/guide gave us a summary of the history of Northern Ireland; I had to explain some of what he said to the Belgian guy beside me - he had shared the dorm with us last night. It was fun.
The Carrick-a-Rede bridge was gorgeous and also a bit scary. For someone who's afraid of heights, crossing a wobbly rope bridge thirty metres above the sea is terrifying, but as I'd paid for it I had to do it. It was a gorgeous place with the constant roar of the waves hitting the cliffs. The kilometre hike to the bridge itself (and back to the bus, obviously) was a bit difficult - with some uneven stone steps - so my ankle started giving me trouble on the way back. But I don't care! I'm here to enjoy myself, not whine about a misbehaving body.
After an hour here, we continued our trip to the Causeway itself. The arrival was very efficiently arranged with one of the rangers jumping in the bus from the main door and giving us our tickets and maps. We also got these players that had the tour on them. I didn't take the tour, though, because there was a reasonably priced bus from the heritage centre to the stones themselves, on account of my bloody (fig.) ankle.
The Giant's Causeway...
It's really hard to believe something like that could be natural; the flat stones looked like flagstones, and the pillars were like stacked bricks. It was fascinating and breathtaking there. I definitely want to revisit that place; maybe on a clearer day, so I can try to see all the way to Scotland.
I had lunch at the heritage centre and then it was already time to get back to the bus and head back to Belfast.
Needless to say I fell asleep on the bus, only waking up once the driver/guide - I think his name was Martin - started talking about landmarks in Belfast when we were driving into town.
After getting out of the Paddywagon, I walked back to the hostel, got my stuff and took a bus back to the main bus station to make my way to Dublin. Arrived at the station about half an hour before the next bus to Dublin - talk about good timing! I just had time to buy some snacks and coffee to go.
Still have no idea whether I'll be spending the night at the busáras in Dublin, or try to get a bed from a hostel... Oh well, I'll decided that when I get to Dublin.
21.00
Paddy's Palace lobby in Dublin.
I decided on a hostel... Mainly because I was sweaty, smelly and tired... The WiFi sucks, though.
Written in a bus at six PM, on the way back to Dublin to spend the night.
Giant's Causeway tour today. Woke up at seven to pack, had the hostel breakfast with two Canadian girls who were also going to come to the tour. I checked out of the hostel at around nine - left my backpack there, though - and made my way to the Europa Hotel in front of which the Paddywagon coach picked us up - fifteen minutes late, I might add.
The drive to our first stop, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, took about an hour, during which the driver/guide gave us a summary of the history of Northern Ireland; I had to explain some of what he said to the Belgian guy beside me - he had shared the dorm with us last night. It was fun.
The Carrick-a-Rede bridge was gorgeous and also a bit scary. For someone who's afraid of heights, crossing a wobbly rope bridge thirty metres above the sea is terrifying, but as I'd paid for it I had to do it. It was a gorgeous place with the constant roar of the waves hitting the cliffs. The kilometre hike to the bridge itself (and back to the bus, obviously) was a bit difficult - with some uneven stone steps - so my ankle started giving me trouble on the way back. But I don't care! I'm here to enjoy myself, not whine about a misbehaving body.
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| There was a warning not exceed eight people on the bridge. One way traffic. |
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| Pretty as a picture. <3 |
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| Some of the fourth season of the Game of Thrones was filmed here. |
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| Look at those waves! |
After an hour here, we continued our trip to the Causeway itself. The arrival was very efficiently arranged with one of the rangers jumping in the bus from the main door and giving us our tickets and maps. We also got these players that had the tour on them. I didn't take the tour, though, because there was a reasonably priced bus from the heritage centre to the stones themselves, on account of my bloody (fig.) ankle.
The Giant's Causeway...
It's really hard to believe something like that could be natural; the flat stones looked like flagstones, and the pillars were like stacked bricks. It was fascinating and breathtaking there. I definitely want to revisit that place; maybe on a clearer day, so I can try to see all the way to Scotland.
I had lunch at the heritage centre and then it was already time to get back to the bus and head back to Belfast.
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| As it was a wet day, those stones were really slippy. Still climbed on them. |
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| These black ones are even slippier; it was forbidden to climb on them. |
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| My favourite shot of the stones. |
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| A shot of the pillars. |
Needless to say I fell asleep on the bus, only waking up once the driver/guide - I think his name was Martin - started talking about landmarks in Belfast when we were driving into town.
After getting out of the Paddywagon, I walked back to the hostel, got my stuff and took a bus back to the main bus station to make my way to Dublin. Arrived at the station about half an hour before the next bus to Dublin - talk about good timing! I just had time to buy some snacks and coffee to go.
Still have no idea whether I'll be spending the night at the busáras in Dublin, or try to get a bed from a hostel... Oh well, I'll decided that when I get to Dublin.
21.00
Paddy's Palace lobby in Dublin.
I decided on a hostel... Mainly because I was sweaty, smelly and tired... The WiFi sucks, though.
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