Ireland: Day I (Dublin)

Friday, July 8th:

The River Liffey and the Ha'Penny Bridge:

            This morning I woke up around 9am or so because I had to catch a flight to Dublin. I also wanted to lighten my bags a little, so I went to a local post office and sent a few things home in the mail. Soon I was on my way to the airport and I got through avoiding baggage fees for once! Ryan Air has some interesting requirements for both checked baggage and hand bags, and you also have to print your boarding pass from the internet before you come to the airport or you incur a forty pound fee to reprint it! No wonder the flights are so cheap, because they make all of their money in fees.

The Spire of Dublin:

            Anyways, the flight to Dublin was quick and I got to the city in no time, to the Times Hostel on College Street. I was exhausted from the late night last night, though, so I kind of took it easy for a while. The hostel seemed very nice, though, and for once I had internet in my room, so I took advantage of it and did some work on my computer looking for hotels and things. After a while I got pretty hungry, so I decided to venture out to find some food and explore the city a little. Dublin was very bustling for the weekend bar hopping, and the Temple Bar area where most of the nightlife is was absolutely packed with people. I learned later that a lot of British people come to Dublin for bachelor and bachelorette party weekends, and it shows. Some of these parties can be seen walking the streets in strange costumes, such as superheroes or angels and devils. I walked across the Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey and over to a place called The Church for dinner. I had heard of it in a free pub guide that I picked up, and the idea sounded very cool: a bar and restaurant (and nightclub) that was built inside a refurbished church. Here I ate some Irish seafood chowder with a side salad and some fries (chips) while chatting with a nice couple from Buffalo. After dinner I just went home to get some more rest and to book a few hostels for the rest of my trip. Feels a little lame staying in on a Friday night, but I am exhausted!