All right, so Boston Times is temporarily going to become Irish Times in order for people at home to keep up with my trip to Ireland. I feel confident that I’ll be able to find internet cafes and wifi over there enough to keep this updated!
Here is my current status:
I fly out Monday. HOPEFULLY I’ll make all my flights. Pray and cross your fingers. That’ll land me in Dublin Tuesday morning. First thing I’ll do is find a hostel and most likely take a nap. I’ll spend all day Tuesday and Wednesday in Dublin (haven’t decided yet what I want to see/do there). Either Wednesday night or Thursday morning I’ll take the bus (15-pounds) to Westport up in Mayo. I’ll stay there Thursday and Friday, then Friday night take the train to Cork, leaving around 7:30 and getting in around midnight. I’ll spend Saturday, Sunday, and probably Monday in Cork area –one day in Cork; I’ll bike out to Blarney Castle to see the castle and stone; one day I’ll go down to the coast to Kinsale and the little fishing towns. Tuesday morning I’ll take train or bus (not sure which is better yet for this leg) to Kilkenny, but I’ll only spend the day there. I’ll see the castle and walk around a bit, then get back on the train back to Dublin. Then, if I make my flight, I’ll be flying back on Wednesday. If not, I’ll have another day or so in Dublin.
It’s funny, but compared to my Germany trip, it’s much more relaxed. I hit Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Freiberg, Munich (not much of it), Neuscwanstein, and Berlin in like six days. Here I’m spendign at least two days in each city. I have my packing list almost planned. My trusty guidebook is in hand. I’m even hopefully going to be doing some biking, which will be RAD. My only anxiety at this point is whether the train&bus system will be as efficient as the German one, and if there will be empty rooms in hostels when I show up. If not, I’ve spent the night on trains and in airports before, but it’s definitely not ideal. Bus tickets in Ireland seem to be pretty cheap, but train tickets are NOT, and for certains legs (like Westport to Cork) train is really the only choice, so it looks like I’ll be getting the more expensive pass that’s just under 200 that will give my eight days of travel on buses and trains. Meh. I’ll see what the train station guys have to say when I get there. I think going to an English-speaking country is giving me a false sense of relief.
Well, so that’s my planning at the moment. I’ve got lists of things to see and do in each place. I’ve got my packing list ready. I’ve got everything bought. I’m really digging this whole guidebook thing; I feel more prepared than I have for anything I think I’ve ever done, lol.
Check back tomorrow night for pre-travel nerves to kick in!! 😀
JessaWashBrezBurnski 