Again at 8am of another rainy and dull Dublin day I was meeting my passengers and (again) my good ol' driver Rob for an adventure trip to Lahinch and Galway. That had been my first trip when I started working for the company some weeks ago and I was looking forward to go back again as the towns themselves are very friendly and we don't really have to leave the Republic and face currency conversion, mobile roaming charges, etc.
So the first ones I met were an Irish woman and her daughter, they were traveling together looking for a weekend of fun and bonding. And nobody else had showed up at College Green, so we decided to go to Busaras where, for the first time, everyone was ready and waiting for the pick-up.
Backpacks in and little introductions: a couple consisting on an Irish girl and an Australian boy who had met down under in sunny and hot Darwin, six girls from Leixlip, Co. Kildare who were traveling together and had been friends since before the Euros were known in this island and two guys from Dublin looking for some outdoor activities and to see the Cliffs of Moher for the first time.
Naas Road behind and we took the motorway for our first stop: Moneygall, Co. Offaly, a town in the middle of nowhere that practically hit the jackpot when Obama took the power of Consumismland. Time for some snaps "a la Obama" with cardboard cuts of him and everything and then hitting the road again straight to Lahinch for some rock climbing.
When we did the rock climbing on The Burren last time, it was pouring rain which made the climb extremely hard and cold so the sunny and dry weather this time really made a difference as the climb was brilliant.
We tried three different climbs with a twist of difficulty on each wall and must say I loved it.
The fresh air, the way you have to use your brain to think where is the safest spot to grab onto or to step onto and nature in general.
I think we all enjoyed and even some of the girls who had assured to me that they were afraid of heights terribly, were seeing climbing the rocks without hassle and enjoying the view of the Atlantic Ocean below us at that time of the afternoon.
Outdoor activities always make you hungry and tired so we headed back to Lahinch and we had some time off for walking around the beach, which was packed with tourists and wander around.
The boys went for a walk to the Spanish Point which proved to be extremely far and I went for a walk on the beach with an add-on of SURFING! (Thanks to the staff of Ben's Surf Clinic) who kindly borrowed me a wetsuit and a board and I rode waves until my body was craving for a decent meal and a bed.
Of course not everything happened as when I got back to the hostel, I got engaged into a conversation with a guy from Nenagh and a Spanish girl who was working in Lahinch for the summer (bit of a free spirit) and guess what...they cook me dinner!
Well, off for some pints at the local pub later where we enjoyed a nice session of Folk music and some Irish cider and then off to bed for day two...
... Early morning surf session! Waves were small but consistent so it was perfect for my group to have the lesson and then off to the water (which felt incredibly warm by the way) to catch some good waves for a few hours.
I even got some advices on how to improve my "surfing" so it was truly enjoyable. Then again, I think everyone really enjoys it because after having it, all I can here is "I'm gonna buy my own surfboard", kind of like when you are a kid and see someone singing, hence you want to be a singer too.
Sunburnt face, lunch and the bus broke down when we were trying to go for the hike around the Cliffs of Moher, so we decided to have some time off to rest the arms and legs after being battered by waves for hours and have the barbeque in the afternoon.
I just went for a walk on the beack with my new Spanish friend with the funny accent and comments and the Aussie guy for some beers and dipping into the cold water which was not feeling as warm as in the morning now (maybe because we were not wearing the bloody wetsuits) and then just chillin' out with beers until the barbeque was set.
Oh the amount of food we had, but the weather was brilliant and the atmosphere very relaxed as the hostel was filling out with people staying for the weekend. So we just were around the tables eating and chatting until late night and then went for some pints at "the local bar" again and off to bed as everything was closing quite early.
Next morning was time to say good-bye to Lahinch and head to the Cliffs of Moher for the walkaround. Must say I had never seen the area so quiet in all of my times there. No wind whatsoever! No waves, nothing!, perfect for walking with my group and getting stunning pictures of the area while they were seeing the other side of the beautiful 400 metre fall.
Crowned the Queen of Surf for the trip there, sat at the edge and just admired the landscape as we walked towards the Visitor Centre for some hot chocolate and had to wait for the bus to work again to pick us up.
Then a drive to Galway while North Clare was left behind and town was booming with people due to the Races being hold over the weekend.
People wearing suits and fancy dresses all around town while drinking pints of beer or cider on the street, people cheering horses and making bets. It was a nice enviroment and after leaving our luggage at the accomodation, we plunged straight into it for some lunch (read pizza) and cider to wind up a bit as the trip was practically over.
I can't say I went out that night, I was dead tired so I walked back to the accommodation and had a nice of chillin' out and Skype. I know for a fact that my passengers went out and enjoyed themselves as it was reflected on their faces the next morning when the bus was packed and ready for the trip back to Dublin.
Not a word. Quiet journey back as most of people were just reading or sleeping. Quick stop in Kinnegad to leave the Aussie & Irish combo and we were back in the good old Fair City.
I had my days-off and did nothing, so today I had to do my laundry, clean the apartment, get things sorted out, meet some friends who arrived from London last night and write posts as tomorrow, Strandhill awaits me!
Until the next post lads!
2 comments:
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