London Calling: Tree Dehs in Dublin

Hey! So I left off at the airport. Well after I was done with that post, I saw a Facebook message that said my group had left for the Hostel and they couldn't find me. So I looked up the address and hopped on the bus. I sat next to a Canadian girl with blue hair and a nose ring and she was really nice! It ended up that we were staying at the same hostel. When it was time to get off the bus, I see my group coming down the stairs (it was a double decker), so we had been riding the same bus and didn't even know it! They were at a different terminal so it came and got me on the way out.

We stayed at Isaac's hostel. It was pretty decent, complete with complementary corn flakes and toast in the morning! For lunch we got pizza at a little shop with a sign that read "Probably the Best Pizza in Dublin" which we got a kick out of! I would say it probably wasn't the best pizza in Dublin...but who knows, maybe unfortunately it was! We were all so tired the first day we didn't do much. We were falling asleep on our Hop-on-hop off bus tour! We did find Trinity College, went to a very strange science exhibit on CCTV, tried some local hot chocolate, and I found my pot of gold and Leperchaun! He was actually really creepy-after we took the picture he squeezed us all together really tight and laughed!

For dinner, there was free pasta you could boil in the Hostel's kitchen. Well there were Germans everywhere magically cooking up crazy sauces and cucumbers and we couldn't even get our water to boil. So we moved to a different boiler and it still wouldn't work. Then we tried boiling the water in a little coffee maker like machine and it still wouldn't boil!! So I was just tired and frustrated so I went to bed with out dinner. The next day, Friday 13th, we headed out for Howth which is a peninsula just a little ways from Dublin. It was freezing cold, windy, and rainy! We walked along the coast on a pier and then got lunch at a cafe. We ordered Irish soda bread to be cultural but of course they were all out, so we never actually had any traditional food on this trip! We then went to a castle down the road, got there, and found out it had been turned into a cooking school, so you couldn't go in. We went back into Dublin and caught evensong at St. Patrick's cathedral which was a very cool experience Then we went to the Riverdance show. When we got there, the ticket lady said our seats had been upgraded and we got 2nd row seats!! Not sure why- I guess strange things happen in Ireland on Friday 13th! The show was spectacular! I had never seen Riverdance and man can they move their feet fast! They also had an amazing violinist. After the show we creeped over to the alley way where the performers leave and got their autographs on our tickets. On our last day, we went to the Natural History Museum, the Archeology Museum, and the Library which had a special exhibit on the poet Yeats (weird dude!). My flight left later than most of the main group so I rode the bus with Paul through the city and got off at the Phoenix Park to have some alone time and write in my journal. Oh and while we were riding through the city, we passed the Guinness brewery and a lady was having her wedding outside! They have wild reindeer that roam the park, but I didn't see any. I had a good flight home and sat next to a very sweet Irish couple who gave me lots of chocolate! They sure know how to win friends and influence people! Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Dublin and it's a great little city. I noticed (this is just a broad stereotype) that the people were much more outgoing and willing to help us. They also can't say their 'th's which was really cute on the bus tour! I was glad to get back to London though, because there is a lot more to do and see here. Yesterday we went to the National Portrait gallery and I found the Broadwick pump! It infected over 500 people with cholera back in the day! Today has been a really relaxing day- we went to the 'Inside Out' animals exhibit (equivalent to Body Worlds for animals) at the National History Museum and then I ventured out on my own and did a London Walk through Little Venice. Who knew you can get a boat ride on a canal in the middle of London!? Papers and due dates are starting to loom on the horizon, as today marks the 25th day of this 50 day program. I'm excited for tomorrow- we are seeing Warwick Castle, going to Stratford to see where Shakespeare was born, and we are seeing 12th Night! Busy day so I better go! Here's some random pictures of the Ireland trip for ya laddies!