Saturday, June 21, 2003

Our most adventurous plan is being planned for tonight and tomorrow. We are going to rent bikes and bike about 30 miles, stay outside over night and bike through the Gap of Dunloe. It is pretty high-risk of something going wrong, but then, what is not over here.

We just got on the bus to Dingle. I am looking forward to seeing the ocean for real this time. I really did not see it when in Boston and I saw it when we flew over it, but I should not count that. It sprinkled while we were getting on, but now the sun is shining. The driver forgot to put the brake on before we started and put a dent in the bus behind us. Not very reassuring when you figure we are going to be driving along cliffs and whatnot.

Oh my. the view is incredible. We stopped at Inch Beach. Saw the ocean for the first time. And still looking at it. Picked up three shells. Blue broken, black long, and a white round one. There is a dolphin in Dingle. Do not know what the chances of us seeing a dolphin on our trip were or the chances of the dolphin leaping out of the water when we were driving by, but he did and we saw him.

Ryan's Daughter was filmed here so I should watch it. In the words of Eric Klinner "WOW". Jenn said she has never seen water so blue. I would not know, so I will take her word for it. Most people that know me would not believe how close I am getting to the sides of cliffs.

We just ran into a funeral wake. Gets me a chance to write. Everything is so green. It almost hurts your eyes. It is as green as a wheat field is golden. I guess the whole town showed up for this person. What a mess. Every road is one-way in actuality, but meant for two and it is not like there is a shoulder. The shoulder on the right is a mountain and the shoulder on the left is a cliff into the ocean.

Much like when seeing Garden of the Gods, only this is more. It makes you feel insignificant to be in such a beautiful place. Makes you wonder why it is so beautiful, why where we live in not and what both places must have looked like before they were found. The mountains, the ocean, the small towns, it does not feel like we are tourist, more like visitors to a new world. I wonder how long it would take, if I moved here, to forget about its beauty and start complaining about the lack of material things. I would like to say that I would not do anything like that, but being a realist, I know I would, and I hate to say, it probable would not be too long and that makes me quite sad.

We were at Dine for one hour with nothing really to see, but nothing could tarnish the day, and it is only getting started. We have seen so much today that I am not sure I appreciate it all. Jenn said yesterday that she did not take pictures of the Alps because they were too beautiful to contain in a picture. Ireland is not too beautiful; there is just so much beauty. I think I could have used all the film I have and not done near the justice it deserves. We may think they are backwards or primitive, but they have every right to brag about their beautiful green country.

There is a huge concert going on in Killarney tonight, so I imagine it is going to be a madhouse. Well we got our bikes, started riding and here we are. In the middle of the Gap of Dunloe. No tent, no sleeping bags, nothing but nature. It will be a miserable night, but I do not know if you can count the number of people who have done this on two hands, and it is gorgeous and will be a beautiful morning when it comes.

June 21, 2007

I don't think Beautiful is the way I would describe the next morning. You'll see. The roads were similar to Hana Road in Hawaii.