The Dublin Diddley Doo Da

We landed in Dublin around ten in the morning, maybe eleven, dreary eyed and almost entirely out of it. We filed off the plane like a bunch o brain-dead zombies and hit the line for customs. We had to wait here for about a half hour to get our passports stamped. We grabbed up our bags from the turnstile and found a cosy corner to hunker down in while we used the internet and got some food. I scratched Ian and Helen’s number down on a piece of paper and then spent several minutes trying to figure out Lindsey’s calling card so I could ring our hosts to let them know we had arrived in Ireland. After several feeble attempts a very grumpy operator managed to connect me through to the right number. It rang a couple of times and then the connection was made with a greeting of “What do you want?!” Confused I asked “Is this Ian?” Embarrassed, Ian responded with an apology and an explanation saying he thought I was one of his friends. I told him we were in Dublin and that we wanted to stay the night there to soak up the city a little bit. He had no problem with that plan. I confirmed the bus number we were supposed to take towards Donegal and which stop we were supposed to get off at and told him I would call tomorrow.

After this I was back in a haze and feeling almost ill due to the lack of sleep I had endured over the last 48 hours. There was a juice stand selling fresh juices for 1 euro a pop so Ramsey and I both picked one up. The carrot juice was delicious. It made me feel a little better considering the only thing in my stomach was a mixture of stale energy drinks, coffee, and emptiness. We got organized and ventured out into the world so we could catch a bus into the city to find a hostel to stay in.

The hostel was called the four courts. It was supposed to one of the best in Dublin. According to the reviews it was in the top 10. It was 14 euro a night which was a pretty good deal. It felt good to finally set the packs down and get a shower to clean ourselves up after such a long couple of days. After eating we went on a small tour of Dublin on our own. We didn’t walk all that far but we did find a store that sold hiking and camping gear. They were closing up but we told them we would be back tomorrow. We were entertaining the idea of getting a tent and Lindsey was in desperate need of a new sleeping bag. Brandon also needed a new sleeping bag so we decided to hold out on any purchases until Brandon was with us so he could get a good look as well. 

We went back to the hostel afterwards to get some sleep but much to our surprise we had a new roommate upon our return. She was an Australian student doing some travelling during her break from Uni. She had been in Ireland for a little while already so she had some stories to share with us and some suggestions for things to do before we left Ireland, one of them being “Kiss the Blarney Stone.” The legend has it that if you kiss this stone you will be granted with the gift of gab. I was intrigued. After talking for a little while sharing with her our stories I began to get a second wind and wasn’t feeling as tired anymore. I remember singing Lindsey some Josh Grobin “You Raise Me Up” and then I headed to the dining room area to use the internet for a while.

I poured myself my first snakebite using a spoon and mug I had found in the kitchen and sat down to use my laptop. It was here where I met Gabriel, a man who had returned to Dublin from Poland to find some work and was staying in the four courts until he found a job. He also saw what I had poured and asked how I managed to get the two liquids to separate. I explained to him how to make it which ignited a long conversation. There also a few exchange students staying there who were attending classes at the university in Dublin. Gabriel invited me to come out with them to the Temple bar district for a few drinks. He introduced me to Catha from Poland, Stephen from Italy, and Oscar from Spain.

The place we stopped at was a bar called the Mezz. Apparently it was Catha’s favourite in Dublin and I could see why. They had a reggae/ska style band playing that night and they were very good. I ordered my first Irish style pint of Guinness and I must say that it was a taste of heaven. We were sharing stories of our homelands, dancing to some great music and sharing pints of sweet Guinness. What had been an awful morning had turned into such a terrific night.

The time between the bar and my bed was a blur. I awoke the next morning feeling a little hung-over but rested for the most part. I said farewell to my new friends and exchanged contact information with them so I could try and keep in touch.  I called and talked with Helen this time. She assured me that there was no rush to get to Donegal and that we should stay in Dublin as long as we wanted. We were too anxious to get to the next workaway, though. It had been over a month since we had a chance to settle down in one spot for more than three days. I told her which bus we would be on and she assured me that Ian would be waiting for us. We then checked ourselves out of the Four Courts and walked towards the main bus station. We purchased four tickets to Strabane and then were on our way, coach style.