Sunshine + Ice Cream = Happy Xin!

So after Dublin I headed to the west of Irelands to Galway and the Aran Islands.

I've surmised from these experiences that I need a car - very, very badly.

First reason is that buses in Ireland are really, really bad. And when I say really bad, I mean really bad. I mean much worse than buses in Australia. The bus from Dublin to Galway is supposed to take 3 hours and 40 minutes. It actually took as 5 hours. Partially because the Easter weekend traffic was really bad but more because I had a shitty bus driver who actually got lost and had to ask one of the passengers for directions!!! And even when we were running late he actually stopped by the side of the road and took his time eating a sandwich. Majorly traumatic experience.

The second reason is that I won't have to take all these stupid day tours whenever I want to make a day trip out of a major city. Although these short day tours are not as bad as the ones in China (they don't take you to random stupid factories that charge ridiculous prices for everything and just dump you there for hours) it's still way too much time wasted waiting on other people and doing things that I don't want to do but not getting enough time doinng the things I really want to do.

For example when we got to the AMAZING Cliffs of Moher we only got an hour! An hour! Which is just criminal really because we managed to get to them when there was no mist (a rare event indeed for these cliffs) so we got a crystal clear view and I had no time to do a proper clifftop walk or enjoy the sunshine. Not happy Jan.

Thirdly I just miss driving... zoom, zoom...

But I shouldn't complain because I have been getting the most spectacular weather in Ireland - it's been completely amazing sunshine and not a drop of rain (which is unbelievably good fortune considering what a bad rep Ireland's weather has got).

Plus I visiting the Aran Islands just off the coast near Galway has been such a highlight. Taking the ferry across an opaque blue sapphire sea that reflected the sunlight to create such a jewel, getting lost when riding my bike around to end up as the most desolate cliffs and ruined fort I have seen thus far, it looked like time (and more importantly the tourists) just forgot this place and sitting there almost completely along it is easy to see how time and modernisation could have just complete passed these islands by.

I just want to add that I'm proud that I can still ride a bike after all these years - although everyone who has heard my handlebars round the wrong way story will laugh when I say that I actually did it again! *Blush*

But Galway in general was just awesome. Although I was in the worst hostel ever (the hot water stopped one night and their whole attitude was 'Well it doesn't really affect us so we don't care' and didn't even try to make it up to the residents), for the record it was called Barnacles, the people there were just a great bunch. For our last night there we headed out to the crazy pubs there and made a very big night of it. You may be pleased to discover that I found a beer I liked! Hoegarrden! (I'm sure that's not spelt right) But it actually tastes kind of bubblegummy ... mmm... sweet tooth... :p

And then I flew to Cardiff, Wales. Which was fine, not terribly interesting apart from the crazy decorated buildings there. I think the Welsh must really just go crazy because that Cardiff Castle is something else! Every room has a 'theme' but is just so crammed full of decoration that you can't help but think that the interior designer must have been blind. It may be something to do with the fact that the Castle was never owned by royalty so they did not feel the need to be bound by things such as good taste. Luckily they are architecturally and aesthetically redeemed by their Sennedd (or parliament house) which is one of the few parliament houses I have been to that is actually elegantly simple and functional. Oh and if you ever go to Cardiff, remember that you need exact change for the buses. This is the single more annoying thing in the world especially on Easter Sunday when nothing is open for you to get change!!!