So, we arrived in Dublin bus station, Busaras, in the late
afternoon with our 2 backpacks and a surfboard bag each. We knew the distance to the hostel as 2.4km,
so we set out packed up like stupid backpackers with too much stuff. We stopped for rest breaks several
times...sweating like crazy in the afternoon sun. After what felt like a long journey we found
ourselves at the Generator hostel which would be our home for a few days. We were very happy to find that the hostel
was so nice and new, including things like motion detector lights, fluorescent
bulbs, and other eco-friendly reminders.
We enjoyed an evening stroll over the river Liffey up through the
medieval area, past Christ church cathedral, past Dublin castle along to Temple
Bar. We found ourselves at the Temple bar where we enjoyed a pint
and some tasty pub grub. It was a good
way to start our Dublin stay. That night
we had a rude awakening with our friendly roommate arriving back to the room
late and proceeding to snore like a chainsaw for the rest of the night. Sigh.
What a disappointment.
Fortunately, pleading our case the next day to hostel staff proved
beneficial. We changed rooms. With our new Chilean roommates we thought,
problem solved. We headed out for the
day to explore the many historical sites within walking distance and found the
National Library, the National Museum, St. Stephens’ Green, Trinity College,
and St. Patrick’s cathedral. Ireland has
such a complicated history from the Gaelic to the Vikings to the English, there
is no shortage of violence, famine, and plague. The Irish have not only
survived, but are a proud and wonderful people.
We had a quiet evening and found ourselves in bed at a reasonable time
that night. Funny thing was that when
our roommates returned much later than us that night and inevitably the snoring
started again! I guess it was lucky it
was not the volume of what it had been the night before...don’t you just hate
it when that happens? Ah, the joys of hostel life.
The next day we celebrated my 30th birthday. Despite fear of entering the next decade, I
survived and we spent the beautiful sunny day at the old Jameson distillery
learning about the origins of whiskey before a nice wander through the Dublin
streets. We had pints of Guinness at the
Brazen Head, which describes itself as the oldest pub in Ireland having had
taverns on the location since the 12th century. It seemed appropriate and we were both
surprised at how good Guinness can taste in the right context. We had dinner at a microbrewery in Temple Bar
called the Porterhouse. The beers and
food were excellent. We ended the night
at a bar listening to old school hand clapping folk music. It turned out to be a great day and great way
to spend a birthday far away from family and friends.
The next day we set
out with all of our gear for England, destination Manchester.
