Ireland Trip : 20th September

Early this morning I went to Dublin City Center again like the day before for my second trip. Today I went to Giant’s Causeway! I made new friends again! Another Katie!! and Clera from Scotland. I’ll get back to them later.

Let me tell you about Giant Causeway. While I was strolling and enjoying the scenery, this thought came suddenly, ‘I wish I could spend my whole life here.’ A statement that even shocked me. Nature works in a mysterious way, doesn’t it?

‘Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colors? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black.’ (35:27)

After the Giant Causeway we went to Ballintoy, where there’s a bridge call Carrick-a-Rede. I was not really sure how high it was but I heard that some people simply turned back and refused to cross the bridge. 

Even Katie was very nervous while crossing the bridge. She hated height. But the view while you’re on the bridge is magnificent. What I love most about Belfast is that you can have both, mountains and sea at the same place. It’s like a dream comes true.

Our last stop was The Dark Hedges. It was where the Game of Thrones was filmed. It’s a simple normal road with unique trees called beech trees that was planted by the Stuart family in the 18^th century. Well that explains the signboard saying something like... Beware of the falling branches!   

So about Katie and Clera. They are two lovely ladies in their late 50s. Well… Katie is very lovely but Clera has a strong character but yet very friendly. They are nurses and on holiday. They have been friends since high school. Cool isn’t it!

Every time I conversed with them I felt like I was featuring in a British Film. With their accent and their sentences. There was one question from Katie that reminded me  of the sentences in English novels, ‘… So what do you hope to be?’ I understand the question. But honestly, I was strucked by the sentence she used just to ask my future plans in life.

Both of them knew how I’d fallen in love with Belfast. They said I might as well stay in Scotland the rest of my life too. I guess that’s my next destination, Scotland!

Before we parted Clera told me about their plans for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I would be on my way to Galway. So we said our goodbyes. In my heart, I hope we will cross each other’s way again.

Ireland Trip : 19th September

Today I took the ‘Wicklow-Mountains-Nationalpark Tour’. We went to Powerscourt. There’s a big beautiful garden there. It was said to be the most beautiful garden in Ireland. To be honest I had been to too many Gardens before that made me not particularly amazed with it.

But… I found scones at the café there and it was SUPER delicious! It was my second after Warwick. 

Then we went for lunch. Oh yeah, ‘we’ as in me and the tour group. Did I say I met a sweet couple Bob and Katie? They are from Pennsylvania. They have a daughter who’s of my age. I guess that’s why they were so warm and friendly towards me.

Bob kept on asking me if he could take my picture. That was so kind of him. Though I didn’t really have the urge to take pictures of myself during the whole journey.

All along, the scenery at Wicklow was mesmerizing. We went to Guiness Lake and the P/s: I Love You bridge too! 

At Guiness Lake again Bob said he was going to take picture of me. In return, I took a picture of them. They look beautiful in the picture. While I was taking a video of the place, a woman, also from our tour group, came and asked, ‘Would you like me to take pictures of you?’. Out of politeness and feeling overwhelmed, I said yes. The people in my group were so ,nice to me. I’m not sure why. Maybe that’s just how they are.

                Guiness Lake 

Ireland Trip : 18th September

Today I didn't really do much. My tiredness from cleaning my house was still there. So I spent quite a while talking to the new friends that didn't feel new at all because of the way they treated me. 

I didn't feel awkward or different. They really know how to make their guest feel at home. They are very matured in terms of thinking eventhough most of them are younger than me. 

It's interesting to have a chat with medic students because obviously they have different style of thinking compared to engineering students.

I went out at 2p.m with a few of them. Well it was Sunday, they didn’t have class today. We just hang around in Dublin city, looking at the buildings and drinking hot chocolate from Buttlers. 

I visited Trinity College. There is an old library there that's famous for its 'Book of Kells'. For someone who likes books, I'm amazed with the old library. They say the library looks like the one in Harry Potter.

At the counter we met a gentleman, a Cashier in his early 40s. We asked for 3 Tickets. Student‘s price was 9 Euro per person. He looked at our cards. Apparently he was amazed by the courses that we took. Then he smiled and let us entered the library FOR FREE!! Alhamdulillah...

40 minutes later we went to the Trinity College‘s souvenir shop. Someone approached us and he turned out to be the cashier again. He gave us 2 10% discount coupons for the shop. Before he left he said,
“My name is Ken. I wish all you the best and success in your studies. Whenever you are here, you can ask for Ken“

That’s when I realised that this trip was the beginning of a whole new experience. I’m really looking forward to my real solo trip tomorrow!