5-1/2 hour bus ride todayWednesday, March 31st
Today was a huge travel day for me. I got up early in Galway, Ireland and headed to the bus stop to catch the 8:45 to Derry, Ireland. I arrived in Derry at 2:10pm. Long trip - probably the longest busride I've ever taken. Pretty uneventful - so it was fine. I bounced back and forth between consciousness as we made stops along the way. Once I got to Derry, I then took the 2:55pm train to Belfast, Northern Ireland - arriving at 5:00pm.
Basically - not much to report today other than travelling. I will say that I completely underestimated the size of Belfast. I expected a smaller city, similar to Cork. What I got, was something more similar to New York City. It was 5:00pm, major traffic, I had no place to stay, and was wondering around the city with my 50+ pound pack looking for a place to hole up for the night. It was sleeting, temperatures right at freezing. I hadn't made a reservation and needed to find a spot. I thought I could walk around and make this happen; it wasn't working so well. All the walk-in places were more than I was willing to pay. I finally ducked into a little internet cafe and reserved a place. I then printed out the directions and was on my way.
I've been looking on the internet and it says that Belfast is significantly smaller in population than Dublin. Man - I just don't get how that can be true. Belfast felt double the size of Dublin. I'm not sure if they are talking main city or surrounding suburbs. There's more big buildings in 1 block in Belfast than in the whole city of Dublin.
I now have 2 kinds of money in my pockets - euro and pound. The pound conversion is 1.5 times (10 pounds equals $15). The euro is 1.3 times (10 euro equals $13). Things may be more expensive in these parts for the next couple days.
Tomorrow I'm taking another tour to Giants Causeway - a famous site in Northern Ireland. I'm really impressed with these day tours and the cost of them being only $25. I feel that is a great deal considering you're with a tour group, they provide transportation, and provide insite throughout the day. I know the other day was challenging - but it was mostly about the weather. I'm excited to see the sites again after a lengthy, tiring travel day.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteGlad you're travels went well today and you found a place for the night. This part of Ireland should be really interesting. Take care. It was 85 degrees in St. Louis today!
KB4,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are tucked in for the night. Sounds like you are getting pretty used to this "flying by the seat of your pants thing". Speaking of tour groups, I just returned from dinner with my friend Debbie who lives in Israel. Her sister is a travel agent there as well. She wants you to stay with her when you hit that part of the world. She says her sister can hook you up with all the "right tours to take", and she will guarantee a cultural experience. Sounds like a sweet deal!
Be safe. KB1