It's been a while since my last post and there is a lot to report. I won't blame you if you drop off a quarter of the way through. I'm only going to quiz my parents on the content of the final paragraphs.
Well, for starters, I went to Mitchelstown Caves and the Rock of Cashel a few weeks ago. The cave was amazing. It's hard to describe a cave in words that will make it sound interesting, but take my word for it. The most interesting parts of the cave were the ones we couldn't see. The guide told us about a cavern above our heads that housed a lake with a crystallized surface, that looked like it belonged in a fairy land. Then there was another cavern below us that could be accessed by a little hole. If you were to fall down that hole you would fall 500 feet or some other long distance,I can't remember the exact figure, you wouldn't hurt yourself too badly because you would land in a bed of soft clay. The age of everything is also, I don't know, mind boggling. the littlest formation would have taken thousands of years to form. Anyway, my first visit to a cave was lovely.
Next was the Rock of Cashel. It is indeed a giant rock. On top of the rock is something that looks like a castle. However, at the very start of the tour I was informed that it was not a castle, although the kings of Munster did live there. It puzzles me still. It was originally housed the official church choir. Being in the choir in the middle ages came with a lot of perks. The ruins are beautiful as is the view from them. A cemetery surrounds them and only two people who are still living are allowed to be buried there. There is also a cross that if you hug it and your arms touch on the other side it means you will never have to go to the dentist or that you are exceptionally tall. Alas, my arms are too short and my wisdom teeth continue to bother me.
The following weekend, my pal Mary Kate and I made an impromptu trip to Scotland. We bought the tickets Tuesday and left Wednesday night. The trip was a bit complicated but we made it eventually. We took a four hour bus ride to Dublin then the plane to Glasgow and the train into the city center and finally a walk to the hostel. The city looked dodgy on the walk to the hostel and I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. We elected to stay in that night and hang out in the hostel pub. Funnily enough the first person we met was from Ireland. The second from Australia. The first night set the tone for the rest of the trip. We never talked to a Scottish person outside of shops and restaurants. Glasgow was not so scary in the daylight. We took a walk and saw some interesting monuments and squares. We visited the most incredible cemetery I have ever seen. It is called the Necropolis. The cemetery is located on an impossibly green hill and its just incredible. Some of the oldest gravestones have fallen over and taken down some other ones with it and they just get left there are plants grow up over them.
That evening we took a train to Edinburgh. The walk to our hostel was long but view confirmed that this trip was an excellent idea. The heart of the city center is located on the edge of an inactive volcano and Edinburgh castle was lit up nicely. The hostel was not so nice. I thought it would be great because it was cheap and it used to be a church, which is cool. Those two things turned out the only good qualities of Belford Hostel. The negative qualities severely outweighed the positive. For starters there were no locks on the room doors and the walls didn't go up to the ceiling so you could hear everything going on in the other rooms. The mattresses, if they can even be called that, creaked very loudly every time you moved. It was very cold in the drafty church and the toilets were on the top floor and the sinks and showers were in the basement. Lastly, it was a forty minute walk from anything. I could go on, but I'll spare you. The hostel was the only bad thing about Edinburgh. Edinburgh is an incredible city. There is so much to see and Scottish history is so rich. I took a walking tour and went on another pub crawl. I met Americans, English and French travelers. Not to mention an absurd amount of Irish including some people from Cork. I was skeptical when we met the people from Cork. It seemed too happy of a coincidence. But one on the guys had a point, there is no mistaking the Cork accent. And after the named every establishment in Cork I decided to take their word for it. We saw so much and the best I can do is list it and tell you how great, amazing and beautiful it was, but to me those kind of things can get boring and never seem genuine. You know. Even if someone is standing next to you and says that's amazing. It doesn't seem right. You have to experience it yourself. I rant. I will tell you about Haggis though. It tastes like sausage. Nothing seems quite as odd after black pudding which I can stomach alright.
On the last day we took a day tour to the highlands and Loch Ness. No I didn't see the monster. We saw snow covered mountains and forests and the castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail! Exciting. Again it was gorgeous and we learned about Scottish history. A true tale of the underdog much like Irish history. I also got to feed a highland cow named Hamish. So adorable. To sum it up Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. Believe it or not. Then we made the long journey home. Bus. Plane. Bus.
Last weekend the entire Arcadia group went to Belfast in Northern Ireland. On the way there we watched a movie that took place during "the troubles." As you probably know "the troubles" as they call them, were times when there was continuing violence between residents of Northern Ireland who wanted Northern Ireland to be part of England and those who wanted it to be part of the Republic of Ireland. Usually, there were some religious issues that went with it, but there was more to it than Protestant versus Catholics, or so I've been told. Anyway we watched a film about the violence so all of us were feeling a little uneasy when we got off the bus. There has not been many incidents since the peace treaty so there was really no reason to be nervous. It was interesting talking to the Irish people we met there, they all mentioned the troubles, but just matter-of-factly as a marker of time than anything else. The Protestants and Catholics still live in different neighborhoods and they don't really mix until college and not everyone goes to college. The two rival groups painted murals during the troubles and we saw them and heard a lecture on them and I don't know. I've never been in a place that felt like that. In spite of its history its a nice place to visit. It's different but there is still great architecture and wonderful people to be met.
Giant's Causeway is a short drive away from the city. It is a unique rock formation on the coast. My description doesn't do it justice. Trust me its breathtaking. I will tell you the story of the how the giant's causeway was formed. If you don't like folktales just skip it, but I love this story.
Once upon a time there was a giant who lived in Ireland a giant who lived in Scotland. All day long they would shot obscenities at each other. One day the Scottish giant was particularly offended and he decided to come over and give the Irish giant what was coming to him. Back then the two islands were connected by a stone bridge. As the Scottish giant crossed the bridge the Irish giant got a good look at him and saw that the Scotsman was much to large and would surely best him in a fight. So our Irishman jumped into his baby's cradle. When the Scottish giant arrived, our Irish giant's wife said her husband was not at home and to come in and have a cup of tea and see the baby while he waited. The Scottish giant came in and saw the baby and thought "if that is how large the baby is the father must be too big for me to fight. I'll be killed." So the Scotsman ran back across the bridge and broke it into bits so the Irish giant could not come looking for him. Thus the causeway was born. The End.
This past weekend my buddy Samantha came for a visit and I showed her Cork. I loved it. I want to show Cork to everyone. I'm always glad to come back to Cork after I go somewhere else. I can only imagine how glad I'll be to get back to California.
Oh and happy early St. Patrick's Day. I don't really know what to expect, but it'll be grand. No school that day anyway. St. Paddy's day is a true holiday here.
Thanks for listening to me ramble on. Talk to you soon.
