Happy Days of the Craic

Hi all!

Wow what a crazy crazy week. Ireland is amazing, been having a great time here. Drank for 7 nights in a row and every day went another great adventure.

It all started saturday last week when I took the ferry here from Wales. Met up with Janelle and Naomi here in dublin and we went out for my 21st. Had a great time actually, it was quite a themed night. We started off at a 50's style burger bar with ice cream floats and burgers and progressed on (eventually via another pub) to a funky little club playing lots of old rock and soul music. Had a great time and especially thanks to lovely naomi and janelle who made it an amazing night!

Sunday was a bit of a recovery day, although Naomi and I went out that night and had a few drinks while watching an Irish band play traditional songs amongst others, and then a performance of Irish dancing. Good fun!

I started my tour on monday (my birthday) and met up with lots of new friends. We checked out the preserved head of Oliver Plunkett, Slane castle and some amazing celtic crosses dating back to 900 AD. We drove to Belfast (Northen Ireland) and did a black cab tour of the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. These neighbourhoods HAVE to be seperated and segregated by around 29 or so huge 20m high walls still. I didn't realise that the conflict between these people was still going on. But as we toured the protestant area a British Armed Forces helicopter hummed overhead to remind us of their presence and that there is still a lot going on there as we speak. Interesting and depressing, and quite scary.

Tuesday we crossed a rope bridge in 50 mile and hour winds to walk out to a lovely little island off the coast. After that we check out the Giants Causeway which is this amazing magical/volcanic occurence that is a rock formation that juts out into the sea towards scotland. We checked out Derry that evening where the Catholic and Protestants are seperated by the river that runs through town. This was the town where 'Bloody Sunday happened'. Went out that night for some great irish music also.

Wednesday saw Keats' grave and had a celtic seaweed bath which was absoulutely heavenly! Checked out the funky little town of Galway which was filled to the brim with people due to the races. Lots of fun. Thursday saw the amazing cliffs of moher and went down to the dingle peninsula. We walked on Lynch Beach where supposedly Coldplay filmed their clip for 'Yellow'.

Friday we checked out dingle (lovely seaside town) and then moved onto Killarney and took a horse and carraige ride through the national park there. Gorgeous! Went out that night and saw a local cover band play and they were great! Good times. Yesterday kissed the Blarney stone and made our way back to dublin.

I'm just detoxing and chilling out today before flying to Athens tonight for the next adventure in the greek islands. Phew!