-The lighthouse welcoming us to Dublin Harbor -
After spending the night in Waterloo Station, I needed to make my way to Dublin. A few weeks earlier, I had invited my Mom to meet me in Dublin and spend a week in Ireland and London before heading back to the States. Her flight arrived early the next morning and she was renting a car. She was really nervous that I wouldn't get to the airport in time and she would have to navigate the roads to the hotel by herself while driving on the left side of the road and using a manual transmission for the first time in 30 years. Doesn't sound that difficult:)
I left my suitcase at the Eurostar luggage check and was there at 5:45am waiting for 6am when they opened. There was a train going to Holyhead, Wales early in the morning from Euston station. Unfortunately, the luggage person was late and I didn't get out of there until 6:30am. It may have been later but a couple trying to catch a Eurostar train to Paris made a big deal about it and we found out that only one person in the world had the key to the luggage check. That doesn't seem very smart.
When I arrive at Euston, the train I wanted to catch was leaving (Thank you Eurostar). I had to burn another 2 hours before I could board the next train. Realizing that I couldn't catch my train I let some of the Brits that were in a hurry move in front of me in line. They were very gracious. Just trying to give a good representation of Americans.
I did finally catch my train. The scenery in Wales was similar to when I reached Ireland. Many farms and sheep.
I reached Holyhead and borded another ferry for my trip across the Irish Sea to Dublin. The weather was not very good and the sea was rough. In my entire trip it rained 2 times that I could remember. When I reached the British Isles, it rained every day until I left. It took about an extra hour to cross due to the weather.
Another bus ride from hell-
When I left the ferry terminal, there was only one city bus waiting to provide a ride to the city center. The ferry terminal in Dublin is at the docks and a long way from downtown. It was really ridiculous that there was only one bus. I've never in my life seen so many people and so much luggage fit onto a bus. People were everywhere and luggage was stacked in the aisles and the area by the back door of the bus was filled with suitcases and bags. It was crazy. We either broke a number of limit laws or Dublin is just pure legal chaos. When we reached downtown, I basically fell off the bus with my luggage. It probably took another half hour to unload the rest of the people.
I left my suitcase at the Eurostar luggage check and was there at 5:45am waiting for 6am when they opened. There was a train going to Holyhead, Wales early in the morning from Euston station. Unfortunately, the luggage person was late and I didn't get out of there until 6:30am. It may have been later but a couple trying to catch a Eurostar train to Paris made a big deal about it and we found out that only one person in the world had the key to the luggage check. That doesn't seem very smart.
When I arrive at Euston, the train I wanted to catch was leaving (Thank you Eurostar). I had to burn another 2 hours before I could board the next train. Realizing that I couldn't catch my train I let some of the Brits that were in a hurry move in front of me in line. They were very gracious. Just trying to give a good representation of Americans.
I did finally catch my train. The scenery in Wales was similar to when I reached Ireland. Many farms and sheep.
I reached Holyhead and borded another ferry for my trip across the Irish Sea to Dublin. The weather was not very good and the sea was rough. In my entire trip it rained 2 times that I could remember. When I reached the British Isles, it rained every day until I left. It took about an extra hour to cross due to the weather.
Another bus ride from hell-
When I left the ferry terminal, there was only one city bus waiting to provide a ride to the city center. The ferry terminal in Dublin is at the docks and a long way from downtown. It was really ridiculous that there was only one bus. I've never in my life seen so many people and so much luggage fit onto a bus. People were everywhere and luggage was stacked in the aisles and the area by the back door of the bus was filled with suitcases and bags. It was crazy. We either broke a number of limit laws or Dublin is just pure legal chaos. When we reached downtown, I basically fell off the bus with my luggage. It probably took another half hour to unload the rest of the people.
-The Customs House on the River Liffey in downtown Dublin-
It was later than I had hoped when I arrived downtown and I still needed to find a hostel for the night. I didn't want to spend another night in a train station. I walked about 10 miles around Dublin with all of my stuff and tried 3 hostels unsuccessfully before coming upon the perfect place in Temple Bar. The hostel was safe, clean, cheap and right in the middle of everything. There was even an Indian restaurant that was open late next door. We'll get to the open late thing later. Let's just say the Brits and Irish are on a little different daily schedule than we are. I couldn't have planned it any better, so I'm glad I didn't plan anything. Temple Bar is the main entertainment and pub area of Dublin, it's not an actual bar. However, there is also a Temple Bar in Temple Bar. Is that clear?
I finished my night with a great Indian dinner while watching some Bollywood movies at the restaurant. Extactly what I expected in Ireland!
-As you can see below, my Mom did make it to Dublin and survived the first car ride-
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1 comment:
The sea was angry that day my friends. Like an old man trying to send soup back at a deli.
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