In which Ireland buys me a beer simply because they love a sport no one else has heard of...

We haven't been in touch for a while, because we would have had to pay for internet while we were on the Aran Islands, and who does that! We left the Old Monastery Hostel (sadly, because it meant leaving the puppy and the fresh baked bread at breakfast), and headed to the sea port to the Aran Islands. We were very early, and it was very rainy, so we sat in a pub and drank tea for like 2 hours. Finally, we headed out on a ferry ride of about an hour, during which I realized the true meaning of a sub-climate- though it was raining in Ireland, it was nice a sunny on the Island!

When we reached the island (the largest of the 3 Aran Islands) we stopped for lunch because we were sooooo hungry, then we headed up a steep hill with all of our luggage to our hostel. The hostel was great, and the view from our room over the sea was AMAZING, but it was quite a hike from the pier. Once we'd checked in, we headed back down to the pier to rent bicycles. We rented bicycles and headed out to see a super old stone fort on the edge of a massive cliff. Though it involved many encounters with livestock and quite a cardiovascular workout (and avoiding hitting the dog who was following us), we made it to the fort- which was very cool, and yes, indeed, super old. We then tried (repeatedly) to find the "worm hole", but we didn't really know what a worm hole was, so instead we found very cool rocky beaches with waves that would hit the cliffs and splash up in your face. The only problem was at this point my legs were so tired from biking that I was having a hard time climbing the rocks! After the cool rock beaches (which may or may not have been the "worm hole") we tried to head back by a different road and ended up hiking our bikes up the steepest hill EVER! I can't remember the last time I was that tired or thirsty! But...the countryside was amazing, and nothing like I've ever seen before- lots and lots and lots and lots of stone walls forming square farm plots, many of which are unused, all surrounded by rocky beaches and the beautiful turquoise sea.

Luckily, the hill ended about 200 feet from our hostel (yay!), and we went in for a dinner described by our guide book as "the best deal on the island", which was quite good, and had lots of veggies, which I think at this point we needed. We relaxed for a bit after dinner, and then we headed out to a local pub where a local band was playing. They were GREAT, and we ended up staying WAY later than intended because they were so good. Have I mentioned that I really like Bulmers Irish cider? Well, I do. We got back and fell intro bed exhausted (which was for the better, because the island has a water shortage, so you can't shower between 8pm and 8am anyway).

Today we've taken it pretty easy. Though my mind has finally acclimated to being here, my body is sort of giving out on me. My allergies are getting worse (but I bought Zyrtec today, which here is by a different brand and spelled Zirtec), and I am a bit sunburned and sore. You ask yourself, "who gets sunburned in Ireland?" Well, I do, and I am, but today I finally gave in and bought sunscreen!

We had a nice breakfast this morning at the hostel and met some other travelers. Then, we hiked back to the pier with our bikes and our bags (this was quite an impressive feat!). We did some window shopping of the lovely Aran wool, and then caught our ferry back to the mainland. At that point, we drove about an hour to Galway, where we are now staying at a lovely (and very brightly painted!) hostel. We checked in and got lunch, then we took a bit of a break. Around 5:30, we walked around the area; this is a great city, with lots of street performers! We then managed to end up at an event supporting the senior championships of Irish Hurling (a strange sport somewhere between lacrosse, field hockey, and handball) that will be occurring on Sunday (in which Galway is playing). This event at a pub near our hostel was where they were broadcasting from for a Q&A with famous hurling greats! It was cool and funny and we each got a free Guinness and lots of greasy bar snacks! It was lots of fun!

We are now chilling for a bit, and then we are going to head out to find a light dinner and some "trad" (traditional Irish pub music) around 9.

Alright, I'm sure I've missed something, but until next time...

Cheers!
-Emily