July 16 - where was I?

Ok...Westport? Is that where I left off? There I wandered aroudn the twon and came to Matt Molloy's pub. A man on the bus had told me to go there for good music. Well, I went ina nd it was all pretty quiet since it was only afternoon, but it was so cute and so old looking. Like from a story. I had to do it in my story style. That's my watercolor and ink picture that I usually do, but it takes too long. I sat in there for 6 hours and worked on that picture. the bartenders were really nice and it was really fun hearing the locals and tourists that came in. I even made 5 pounds for a sketch of his 2yr old. Then I hung around late into the night listening to traditional music and talking to people while I waited for Matt Moloy. He had just returned from a trip and was actually in town. He had to buy my picture. I had spent so much time on it. I finally gave up and was heading out around 11:00 when a bartender stoped me and led me to Matt Moloy. I showed him my picture, I was so excited to meet him and all that, he was a flutist for the Chieftans. I also suddenly felt like a pushy salesman and I hate that. He didn't buy it and I didn't care. I felt stupid for asking.

I want to do pictures because that's what I love. Anyway, I had no idea where I'd be sleeping when I ran into a guy that had stayed in the the same sorm in the hostel in Sligo. So he had a place and led me there. The hostel was closed by now but he had the code and I had a bed that night. In the morning I realized I had slept in the guys' dorm. Oops. Oh well, I took a shower and paid the 8 pounds for the few hours I had spent there. The clerk at least thanked me for my honesty. From Westport I got a bus to Galway and I was just in time to find out I could catch a ferry to the Aran Islands. I did that and went to Inismor. Very beautiful. I put my bag in my room, it was aroudn 6:00 or so then I started walking. I walked to some cliffs and a celtic ruin. Windy, empty, spectacular. I headed back as it was getting dark. Stopped at a graveyard and looked at headstones of fishermen lost at sea, and a bit of a shrine of someone named Froggie. Then I stopped in at a tiny pub and enjoyed a pint of guiness and local chatter. They were speaking Gaelic. Around 1:00 I headed back. It's a very long walk and then it was dark and windy, but I walkedand in the morning was up before everyone and out to catch the 9:00 ferry back to the mainland. I was way early for that and had the company of a stray dog and some local van drivers. I got back to Galway and jumped on the Dublin train. Dublin to Dragheda and they were all surprised to see me back. I went out that night 'til almost 10:00. The sun sets so late. It was Samba Fest and the music was so irresistable to dance to. It was so much fun. It's Brazillian drum music.

Oh, because of the Fest the hostel was absolutely full abd so they let me sleep under the tin shed outside. That was fun. Freh air, shelter and free board witht he use of a kitchen. I went shopping that night and bought a bunch of food for the weekend. I would have real meals and for only 8 pounds. Awesome. Saving money. All right. that's a bit more. Sat. was also a great night. Lots of pubs and Samba music and dancing. One band was from Scotland and they played bagpipes. it was so great. they didn't stop and we were dancing on stools and booths. it was packed and hot. Music and bass all around. i loved it. All right. Oh, and I also went to New Grange, a site older than the pyramids where, once a year, a ray of light comes down the tunnel and lights the place up. Neat but still a tourist attraction. Samba parade on Sun. Nothing on Mon. Horsebackriding with Irene from Finland on Tues. Train to Rosslaire on Wed. to catch the ferry to Wales. Bones would meet me in Wales on the weekend. Gotta go once again. I'll write once more later tonight.

Love,
Rachael

July 13 - written from Wales

Well, good bye Ireland. I'll miss it. Allright, I am on someone's computer and so I actually got to check my messages. I'm not going to answer any, though. Nothing specific to say but hi and all. So, last time I wrote was Dragheda.

Let's see, that same night I had an awesome time at the pubs. I cannot believe how much fun you can have. I danced and had a couple of pints of guiness. Gotta taste the local beer. Sunday I headed out, but I had made friends and they told me to be back for Samba Festival. Bones sort of took me out and showed me around Sat. night and he's really funa dnall. he's a bit crazy, that's where the nickname comes from. Boney, he jumped off a fort wall when the tide was too low and broke a few limbs and stuff. He got to be in the paper, though, something good comes out of everything. Anyway, he goes home to Wales once in a while and I asked if he'd be able to do that soon and show me a few places. Especially that wall. I want to jump off something scary. This sounds like the spot. I'd wait for high tide, though. So we sort of made plans for that and I went to see as much of Ireland as I could.

I made it to Sligo on Mon. and stayed the night, saw Bosnian refugees; Tues. I hiked up Knock Knorian, a mountain, pretty scenery. My tour guide was the lady I sat with on the bus to Sligo. From Sligo a bus to Westport, but I only went to Knock because it would be too lae by then. In Knock I wanted to save money. I decided to try what Kieth, and English traveling fiddler suggested, sleep in someone's yard. I walked down the road trying to think of how not to sound too dumb and all. One house had a hedge so I was shielded from the street and the gate was open. All other houses had had closed gates. Here there was a tent in the yard as well. The girl who answered had no problem and she even gave me tea and food. I got to call home for the second time as well. The tent was cozy and I had tea and toast for breakfast before catching the bus to Westport. All right, Westport, remember that. this might take me a while to write and I'm going to wait to talk to someone about internet time and all that. All right? So, to be continued.

Rachael

July 1, 2000 - Dragheda - look it up
Well here it is. Sat. I don't have much time to write but so much has happened. Remember I was planning on leaving? Well, I'm way gone. I got into London around 11:30. Tired and overwhelmed by the city. I wandered around, tried to see worthwhile sights. I had a Underground pass for the day and I used it a lot; I couldn't find a hostel, but ran into a hostel supply shop and bought the book. Then I found out that all the hostels were full. Ok, so my day ended in weird coincidences and I was on a train to Brighton with my U pass. I pretty much followed another backpacker home. He helped me find out that all the hostels in Brighton were also full, so he let me stay at his place. Ok, so that really doesn't sound like a smart thing, but that's when you need to be there to know how it feels when you know you can trust a stranger. He took me out with his buddy who had written a guide book to Brighton and paid for my meal.

Wed. I was out early. He had to get to work and so I was wandering the streets before 7:00. I met a fruit vendor with a cute stand and long dredlocks. He offered me a deal on fruit and I gratefully took it, then headed on towards the beach where I'd be able to get my bearings and find one of the hostels. Johno had borrowed me (loaned me) the guidebook. Now I had a map. One of the hotels, The Travelor's Rest, let me leave my bag while I waited for check-in time. I felt much happier touring. I also found a STA travel and looked into a flight to Ireland. There was one seat left for Ireland on Friday for 51 pounds (mistriss' note - anyone know the html code for the english pound symbol?) - look at that, the dollar sign on the (English) keyboard is replaced by that (the pound symbol)! So, I walked all over Brighton, great time. Then I met Erny, late 40s. He thought I was lost, and when he found out I was a tourist, he showed me around. It took me a while before I found out he was handicapped. He has problems remembering things and then I found out I couldn't just go home. He wanted to show me everything and then he talked about how lonely he is and how he missed his parents since they dies. I was so tired and I wanted to go to bed. It was good to see some of the sights, though, but he just kept stalling. I finally got back to the hostel after 9:00. He wanted to meet me the next day since I wasn't leaving til Friday. He would show me more of Brighton but I wanted to paint. I at least gave him the street I had scoped out for painting and the approximate time I'd be there. He just wants someone to talk to.

Thur. I slept in. It's hard to sleep when everyone is partying. I missed the time I said I'd be on Morth St. and I never saw ernie. I did get to paint this really neat pub though. It turned out to be right next to the fruit vendor. He passed by a couople of timnes delivering fruit and then invited me for lunch. We sat and talked. He treated me to a gyro and beer. He trades his fruit to other vendors. We talked for quite a while. He walked across Asia - took him 7 years or so. I went back to painting and then a shop keeper across the street asked me to do an ink drawing. Money? I had no pen so I ran and bought one. Told her not to worry about buying, I'd draw it first and she could see if she liked it. It turned out well and I charged her 10 pounds, I should have asked for more since she's the one that requested it. Oh well, she was very grateful and liked it a lot. I worked once more on the pub. It's very intricate. I finally called it quits around 7:00 and showed it tp the owner's daughter. They already had a painting of i but I didn't care much. It'll make a nice souvenier.

Yesterday I arrived in Dublin around 3:00. I suddenly realized I had no way of finding a hostel. Big surprise. Nothing was working out. Hostels were full, I couldn't figure out the phone system, the hostel I wanted to get to was 15 km from the train station and the bus that went right by it wouldn't be going again until tomorrow. This of course took runs between stations and lots of change for the expensive phone. I was so frustrated, ready to cry, I was tired, Sabbath would be coming, it was 6:00 or so, trains would be stopping soon. Then I stopped. Since when do I know where I am going or where I will sleep? I was going about this so wrong. I had my 3 month pass, it was valid in Ireland, so back to the train station I went. I looked at the timetable; found the next train to be leaving. It was a bit of a hassle to get on because of coonstruction. In the end two trains came. One on track 6 and one on track 7. Which do I take? My one inept guide of Ireland showed many hostels in the south. South it would be. But which train was heading south? I took a guess, actually I just picked a number, 7 for sabbath, well, that train went north. Oops. I just wanted to get out of the city, there was a map in the train showing where I could catch another train going farther north. I got on the right one with a bit of help and soon was heading to a small town that I couldn't pronounce even though I'd hear it 'draw-ha-da'. Once I got to sit down, one of the passengers was drawing away in sketch-book. I watched for a while. It's so great to see other artists. I asked him what he was working on, blah, blah, blah and it turned out his friend owns a hostel within walking distance of the station. He even carried my pack to the place. He had a good time looking like a tourist in his own town. Thanks to him I got a room in a full hostel. That night was BBQ and I had a meal for nearly nothing. Well, so far I haven't paid for it. I love this little town and I've had a blast with everyone. There's a bunch of Aussies here as well. Tonight it's packed tot he gills with 24 Italian children. Really fun, really loud. All right, I'd better go. Everywhere you have to pay to get on the Net. Here it's 3 pounds. Ouch. Irish pounds go further than UK, though. I'm so glad to get to talk to you. Oh, and now you know where Dragheda is - bridge on the fjord, that's what it means. I plan on doing a big circle of Ireland. Oh, and traveler's tip - Don't try to get into Ireland with a one-way ticket. I almost had to bribe my way in. But I made it to Ireland! I love it. I think tonight I will go to a pub. I got to try and Aussie drink, their snakebite. 1/2 beer, 1/2 ale and black current to take the edge off the taste. it's like a wine-cooler but stronger.

BYE!

Love,
Rachael