Okay. I've been staying in a hotel with a very generous Hannah, but we go to the hostel to steal their internet. There wasn't any yesterday, however- it wasbroken. Last night I met a girl in the hostel while I was washing dishes, having just stolen more bread from the free food section. She'd been around for a while, and I said hi, and asked how things were going, and she said she had to get out of Galway. So I asked, as a joke, if she wanted to hitchhike with me to Newgrange and Dublin. She said, "Okay!" Just like that, I wasn't alone anymore!
We walked as far as we could and were eventually picked up on the N6 by an archer from London en route to Athenry. He dropped us off near Athenry, where we were almost immediately picked up by an American from Maine who had spent the last few years in North Africa and Palestine, and now traveled around Ireland refurbishing stained glass windows. He dropped us off near Ballinasloe, where we were picked up by a 22 year-old trucker from Poland who gave us his number and offered to share 'some really goot grass' with us. He left us at Tullamore, where we caught a ride from a friendly passing car parts deliveryman to Navan. From there we hitched with a nice couple who took us all the way to Newgrange!!!
Newgrange. Wow. The exhibit is awesome. So detailed, with intricate reconstructions of what the site looked like through the ages. The tour guides are jerks. This one was so obnoxiously boring and slow... oy. But the site itself... it was so cool! The roof was built with no cement, no mortar, just rocks but it's completely watertight. Some of those rocks weighed upwards of ten tons and they hauled them from 20km away... same with the quartz that the outer facade is made from. The site was just covered in a certain familiar symbol- my tattoo! The carved entrance stone had the symbol on it, as did an antechamber within the site itself. No one understands what the art at Newgrange means, but the complexity of the design of the chamber itself indicates that it's not just decorative; there has to have been a purpose. The site was so interesting because the inside hadn't been touched for 4,000 years before they opened it in the 1600s. It's older than the pyramids, and demonstrates an understanding of astronomy, because for the five shortest days of every year the chamber fills with light. Unfortunately flash photography within the site was prohibited, but I got some great videos of the outside. I'd post them now but this internet connection is horrifically slow.
Then we made our way to this hostel, which is so pretty and comfortable... two living rooms, a beautiful courtyard, two porches for lounging, free breakfast- I could stay here forever! And we met some wonderful people and had a cheap meal at a pub 2km away.
Tomorrow we leave in the morning for Drogheda, and then Dublin! I'm meeting Todd at Trinity and tomorrow (I think?) we're going hiking in Wicklow Mountains National Park, with Ultimate on Saturday and Sunday! Then Monday I head back to Galway- on a bus this time- and crash at the Sleepzone one more night before leaving on Tuesday!
I miss all of you but I'm sorry that this trip has to end. Today was the most exciting day so far, and I hitchhiked across the entire country- not saying much but still- and I can't wait to see more!
Love,
Annie "loves me the Ireland... might just get an accent" Mc
Side note: I am SO excited. No, this has nothing to do with Ireland. I might actually get the chance to play Ultimate with my brother for the first time ever, at Ow My Knee before he leaves for California! We both play and have for the past few years, but our schedules never worked and we were never at the same tournaments. It will/would be so great to get to play on the same team! (Note to self: try not to play like an idiot due to excitement.)
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