Procrastination, part II

I'm really trying to avoid posting things weeks after I've done them, so this time, I'm getting starting right away. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is the Ballyhoura Forest, about 45 minutes away from Limerick. It's a hilly area with some great trails through the woods and you'll be rewarded with an amazing view once you reach the top, or even just halfway up. I didn't have my camera with me; it was my first mountain biking experience and I was afraid to bring anything fragile and expensive, but that's another spot I would recommend visiting if you get the chance. I saw my first rugby game in Thomond Stadium this week, which is a great substitute for football. I also hailed my first taxi, after the bus that was supposed to bring us back to the university failed to show up.... Back to this weekend, yesterday I went on a day tour organized by the UL. We stopped first at Bunratty Castle, but that was mainly a quick picture opportunity. Then we drove to the Cliffs of Moher (Mow-hair), which are also the Cliffs of Insanity for fans of the Princess Bride. It was amazing!!! We were only able to see a little bit of everything there, and I definitely want to go see the rest. They drop 214 meters into the ocean, so it's a very awe-inspiring sight. There's also a Visitor Center built into the hill with a exhibit about the environment along the cliffs, and O'Brian's Tower, built in 1835 by a landlord to entertain his guests. You can pay 2 euro to climb to the top; I just walked on the trail. There's also a sign halfway along warning visitors to not go past it, naturally it's ignored by everyone. Then we visited the Burren, also along the coast. Where we were, it was mostly rock, with a few grasses and other plants growing where they could. Picturesque, but it seems like hiking country to me--you aren't too tempted to spend a lot of time in the same spot. After the Burren, we went to the Ailwee Caves, discovered in 1940 by a farmer who was following his dog that had chased a rabbit down into the caves. They think it was used by bears to hibernate back in the day; they've found a few bear bones and a pawprint. It's really pretty, too; it's limestone and there are a few underground streams and a waterfall, which I always enjoy seeing. The last stop we made was a quick one to see the Poulnabrone Portal Tomb, which was a must-see for me. It was supposedly built before Stonehenge in England; 22-28 people were found buried underneath it. I had originally thought we wouldn't have enough time at each place, but I think I saw enough to know what places were worth more than one visit (Cliffs of Moher!).

Procrastination, part I

Quick update: I wish I had more time to tell about the Cork weekend trip, but I will say two things: if you ever visit Ireland, Cork is definitely a place you should visit! Especially the English Market; it's pretty much a huge indoor farmers market. You can find the usual meat and vegetables, but you can also buy squid, rabbit, oh, and chocolate! I made sure to sample some of that (Valentine's weekend, what can I say?) and I highly recommend it! Second: you should also visit Blarney Castle. Yes, getting to kiss the famed Blarney Stone is cool, but in my opinion, the highlight of the visit was the castle itself and the walking around the castle grounds. There were a lot of posted signs inside the castle, so you get to learn about what daily life was like back in its heyday; I found out that I would not live in one--I thought it was really chilly and damp inside. The view from the top was beautiful; you could see for miles. But, back to outside of the castle, there is the Blarney House, which was built in the late 19th century. I wasn't able to visit it this time, but I want to go back and make up for that. There's also a cool dungeon built under the castle that you can crawl around in. The best part, though, is the Rock Close, a garden area that honestly feels like you are in Middle Earth. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died right as we were walking in, but I would go to this website to see awesome pics: http://www.blarneycastle.ie/attractions/view/13. They've got the obligatory cool names for sites, like the "wishing steps" and the "witch's kitchen", too. I imagine it's even prettier in spring when flowers start blooming. There's a waterfall leading into a river and paths you could wander for hours. There are also walking routes around the entire estate, but there wasn't enough time to try either of them.

Hiking in the Gaeltacht

Last weekend I went hiking in the Dingle Peninsula with the Outdoor Pursuits Club. It was great craic, but it was also really intense. I was expecting some light hiking for half of the day and I was very wrong. We started climbing up a good sized hill on farmland and I don't think we went downhill for a few hours. The ground actually became wetter, too, the farther up went! We jumped over or climbed under a few barbwire fences, as well, and spotted sheep everywhere. When we finally reached the top of a tall hill, I thought we'd made it, but then after a quick lunch break, we walked along the top of the ridge and proceeding to scale an even steeper, taller mountain. After a group picture, we carefully went down the other side of the mountain towards a boggy area. Now, we were finishing up the hike at a pub and as far as we could see at the top, there was no pub in sight. So, once we got to bottom, we set off through the bog towards a path between two large hills. There were a few smaller, beautiful waterfalls that flowed into a river and then into a lake. You could see old stone walls dividing the land (and sheep herds); I wonder how long they've been up there. I can't even imagine how long it took to carry the stones up there to build them! We did finally make it to the South Pole Inn, built by Tom Crean, who is a local hero for exploring the Antarctic. This was my first trip into the Irish countryside and it was amazing!!! I can't believe how pretty it is over here. On the drive there, we went along the coast and I wished I could just backpack through there for a weekend. The Dingle Peninsula is a Gaeltacht-an area where Irish is a primary language. One of our guides explained to us that you need to prove you're fluent in Irish to build a house there; it's part of a government effort to revive Irish culture. Also, people who live in that area get extra government funding to go to college....unfortunately, it doesn't apply to study abroad students who know Irish. Oh well, it's not like I know any Irish yet anyway!