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Saturday. Two things are nice about today: one, I don’t have to pack my gear up before I head out (since I’m in this hotel for two days), and two, I don’t have to drive anywhere today. Today I’m meeting my bus around 9:40 right in front of the hotel, and from there it will take me to my 10:30 ferry ride out to the biggest of the Aran Islands: Inishmore. And, so far, it’s looking a mite bit better than yesterday in terms of weather. Let’s hope it holds…
I saw a nice double rainbow while waiting in the parking lot of the hotel for my bus ride to the ferry. That’s something worth putting up with the intermittent rain to see. The bus, almost full, picked me up and I grabbed my seat (one of the flip-down seats in the handicapped area). The bus ride was uneventful, as was the ferry ride out to the island, except for the fact that it was HOT and I needed to remove my jackets to keep from passing out, which quickly reminded me how dehydrated I was. We’ll need to do something about that.
Stepping off the ferry I was fully prepared to walk to Dun Aengus, the walled ring fort further up the island, but somehow one of the many van hires talked me into taking a ride with him. I’m glad I did. It was much more relaxing than walking. Dun Aengus was cool. It’s this cliff-side ring fort, and the cliffs are much like the Cliffs of Moher. Granted, they aren’t as tall as the Cliffs of Moher, but the one thing they definitely had going for them: NO RAILINGS. How cool is that? You could get right up to the edge. While I was up there I saw a familiar face: the guy I gave a ride in Kilkenny (from the Dunmore Caves). How weird is that?
I spent some time here, taking a few photos for people, as well as taking a few for myself. Then it was time to make the trek back down to the base where I grabbed some much-needed water and awaited the return of the van. One of the girls (of a pair) that I helped with a photograph thanked me again, so we struck up a conversation. She and her friend were from New York, one a dental hygienist, the other runs a bar. They were very nice and it was good to have someone to talk to as we journeyed in the van to the edge of the island and back again, stopping at a few places.
We grabbed the ferry home and, rather than take the bus just to my hotel, I took it all the way into the city and we decided to party a bit. It was, after all, Saturday night. So I had a pint while they got ready at the hotel. Then, after they joined me, it was time for a bite to eat, followed by another bar, where we stayed for quite some time.
As I was getting worried about catching a cab back to the hotel we left that bar at closing time and found another closer to where the cabs were. Around 2 AM it was time to say our goodbyes and I was lucky to catch a cab all the way back to the hotel, though I made him pay for it by chatting his ear off. Then, tired, it was time for bed, after a few drunk dials of course. Gotta keep in touch, right? Maybe the girls from tonight and I will keep in touch. Could be one more stop on my tour when I get home. You never know. Well, until tomorrow…
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