Galway

I'm finally here, safe and sound, in Galway City, Co. Galway, Ireland. It was a heckuva long trip, though- after waving goodbye to Mom at the security gate at 3:40, I was at the airport until 8:30, and we didn't take off until 9-something. I don't know exactly when, they made me turn off my cell phone. I really should get a watch.

In any case, it was a long and boring flight, but I had two strokes of luck. 1) I got a window seat! 2) There was no one sitting next to me! Way to go, Janet! So I had plenty of room to stretch out and relax, though I wasn't able to sleep. I got my first glimpse of the Emerald Isle at 6:30, when we dropped through the clouds and I could see all of Dingle spread out like a green patchwork quilt. That photo on the left is of a castle that I saw while passing over a bay. I arrived at Shannon airport at around 7:30 in the morning- at least I think it was 7:30, but my cell phone relies on service to tell the time. A serious construction flaw, if you ask me- I should get a watch. I collected my baggage and tried to go through customs, but there was no one at the counter. I looked around for a bell to ring so they could tell me I was cleared to go through, but apparently the Irish aren't too worried about illegal substances on flights coming in from Newark.

I hopped on a Bus Eirreann at 9 to Galway, but because I was one of the last on the bus I had to stand. Did I mention my ankle is mysteriously and groundlessly injured? All that sleeping I did while home must have hurt it. Or maybe it was all the sitting around and eating. At Ennis, some people got off and I got a seat next to a very nice man who shared his crossword with me.

One thing about Ireland- cows. OMG cows. If I had been able to poke my head out the window I would have SLAUGHTERED at "Hey Cow!" As it was, I was forced to play "My Cow" under my breath so no one would think I was weird, muttering "my giant rock" and "my horse".

Upon arrival I hauled my gigantic bag onto my back and trekked across Eyre Square to the hostel. I barely looked up the whole time; the only thing I could think about was just GETTING there and putting my stuff down. I walked in and was greeted by a guy named Trevor (or Travis- he has a really thick accent), who lugged my bags up to my room for me. Have I mentioned I love Trevis? I'm in a 10 bed dorm, which is very cramped and doesn't leave much room for my stuff, but I'll manage. I went back downstairs and was given a map and a whole bunch of brochures, and told that I am off work until Wednesday, to allow me to settle in. Also, trips all over the place are free for staff, so I can go to the Burren or the Cliffs of Moher or the Aran Islands (I think I'll do that one!) for free. Score! Only problem is that walking has been a bit of an issue- my ankle is really a piece of work for cutting out on me just when I needed it. And I don't really want to make the trip alone- I feel like it would be less enjoyable.

I took a LONG nap and a shower, both highly neccessary, and finally emerged, puffy-eyed but marginally more awake and much happier than before. I had no idea what time it was, just fyi... I should probably get a watch. The shower was impossible, though- it's a system where you have to push the button every 15 seconds or you lose water. WTF?

There's a huge party in Galway today, down by the docks, because the joint Chinese-Irish boat, the Green Dragon, is competing in the Volvo race around the world. So after my nap, I went out into Eyre Square, where I saw... A DRAGON. A HUGE dragon! I may have looked kind of stupid when I hopped up and down and yelled, "MY DRAGON! MY DRAGON!" Yeah, Smalls, MY dragon. And it's WAYYYY bigger than your little Chinese one.

Eyre Square was great, though- Galway is a city that's more like a very cramped and colorful town. It's almost impossible to get lost, because there are so few roads that if you walk in the general direction of where you think you were supposed to be going, you'll get there. everything is so close together, too! I went down to the docks, where the main party is, and it was like a street fair in New York, but everyone spoke with Irish accents and there was a gigantic inflatable pie hanging over my head. The race festival has brought in a ton of people from all over Ireland and Europe. I bumped into a guy wearing a Batman costume, and tried to get a picture of him, but he only spoke German and he ran away. The real Batman never runs away.

I returned to the hostel and then decided that I was rawther hungry, so I went out to get groceries. At the grocery store, guess what song I heard on the radio? Ricky guessed it- "That's Not My Name!" I was speechless. By the time she got to the chorus I was laughing so hard that I couldn't understand the cashier- not that I could anyway. I got enough groceries to last me at least 3 days, and all for 12 euros. Then I came straight back to the hostel and made myself a sandwich. Yum.

The only bad thing so far is that it's been very very lonely. Exploring the city is lots of fun, but this is why people travel in pairs; when I saw something really cool there was no one to agree that it was cool. When I wanted to poke my head into a weird and funky store, there was no one to say, "Let's do it." When I wanted to draw on the face of the kid sleeping on the bus, there was no one to egg me on. (Sigh.) I miss all of you and I wish at least one of you was here with me. The other staff here at the hostel have been nice but they're working, and I haven't met anyone who I would, for example, go out for drinks with. It's such a beautiful sunny day and there's no one to toss a disc with.

Speaking of which, I should probably e-mail the Ultimate team! I forgot all about that (somehow!) That will be a great way to make friends!

Right now, I'm going to explore the hostel and see who I meet.

Love,

Drunk Fun Captain Annie "Irish Mcgee" Mc