I arrived in Sligo around 4pm at the main bus station without a clue as to what my next step should be. So I did what any lost, cold, and foreign soul would do and headed to the nearest pub four a fresh pint of stout. I thought that I could possibly strike up a conversation with the right kind of people and maybe score a couch somewhere. It was a cozy little pub with a few very obvious regulars inside who were all watching the selection of the European and American woman’s golf teams. Kind of strange I thought. I got to talking with the bar tender who was taking a collection of lottery tickets from some gentlemen. Apparently the bar has a raffle-like lotto every Sunday.
Although the conversation was good, I did seem to be making any new best friends and I didn’t have the cash to stick around and get pissed with the locals so I moved on to find a hostel. The first one I came across was the Railway Hostel. There was nobody at reception. Only a locked door and a cubby containing a map to the White House Hostel. I had to lug my pack across town which fortunately for me was not all that immense. The hostel was right next to the river and was asking for 17 Euros a night. It was pricier than I had hoped for but it was beginning to rain at this point and I was in no mood for sporting soaked attire.
I met a few people who were staying at the hostel as well from all over Europe. Due to my lack of note taking and poor memory for new names I cannot tell exactly who they were but I can tell you where they were from. There was a woman from Spain who had been biking from Southern to Northern Ireland over a period of two weeks, there was a guy my age from Holland who had been hitching up the west coast, there were two college guys from France ho were biking/ hitching up the west coast, and there was a couple from Spain also. We all sat and had a small chat in the social area while we ate our makeshift dinners consisting of tuna, frozen pizza, bread, and fruit. We all went out once it got dark to watch a trad session that the Spanish woman had seen a sign for earlier.
After witnessing the talent that Raphoe had to offer it is tough to compare other trad sessions but this one was still pretty good. It was three sisters (or cousins, or even maybe friends?) singing and playing instruments together. One was on the keyboard, one on the flute, and one on the accordion. Our crew sat and watched and enjoyed several pints together. I got to talking with the French guys about their trip and education in France. They were also engines. They were just on holiday and thought that Ireland would be the perfect place to get away for a while. I couldn’t have agreed more.
It was raining on our way back but it was of no bother. We all went to bed around Midnight. We had to be up and out by 9am. I woke at about 8:30am and was still able to be packed and showered by the time the managers were on my case to get out. I chatted with the Dutch guy for a little bit about his plans and informed me about Benbulben Mountain just north of Sligo. He was going to trek it and keep going north afterwards. I decided that he had a good idea and wanted to ascend the great Benbulben as well. This also was a good opportunity for me to test my hitching thumb. I asked the hostel receptionist how to get to the main road and then wandered down the road hoping to have ascended and descended Benbulben before meeting up with Lindsey and Ramsey at 7pm.
My first lift was from a man in a Lexus heading to the golf course to meet up with his brother. It only took about 5 minutes of sticking my thumb out before he stopped. I couldn’t believe it. He had some great stories to share about golfing and when he used to thumb rides when he was a kid. He said you don’t see so many people doing it now-a-days. I liked this man quite a bit. He dropped me off at the small dirt road that led to the trail that led to the base of the mountain and then was off to the links.
I lingered long enough to eat my orange and apple and then stood up to leave just as some other trekkers were approaching. They snapped a couple pictures for me. There were four of them. Three guys and a girl. Two of them were from the U.K. and two from Ireland just enjoying a road trip during their holiday. I didn’t chat long. I still had to hitch a ride back into Sligo before 7pm.
I made my way back to the road picking some wild blackberries and raspberries long the way. I stood for nearly twenty minutes at the same spot where the golfer dropped me off but had no luck with a ride. There was a ton of traffic too! I walked about a mile down the road and finally was able to catch a ride with an elderly man who wasn’t much for conversation. He was a little nervous I think about picking up a hitch hiker. He dropped me off at a red light and didn’t even say goodbye. The red light was only two blocks from the hostel so it wasn’t so bad.
I ended up getting back a lot earlier than I thought I would. It was only 3:30pm. I talked with the guy at the reception for a while. He was just working during the summer before he had to go back to his real job. He was nice enough to let me use the internet wile I waited for 7pm to approach. Unfortunately his boss showed up and kicked me out since I wasn’t staying a second night. What a prick! They still let me keep my bag there though. I wondered off to find a grocery store to kill time and to get some food for the guys so we had something to eat that night.
Sligo - Strandhill
• I watched Ramsey and Lindsey walk up to the closed McD’s and they spot me coming down the road. Said they ha two awesome rides from Dunfanaghy to Sligo including a tour from an older couple on a holiday. We didn’t linger too long though. We decided Strandhill was the place we needed to be.
• We got our first ride from a mother and daughter in black van right as we were going to split up to try and find separate rides. Three people with backpacks is a lot of space, luckily we were off to a good start.
• The Mother and daughter told us that they charge for camping but we could probably walk past the campgrounds and just pitch a tent wherever we pleased. We walk past the campgrounds and pitched the tent between a couple of hills so we could stay out of sight.
• We went for a stroll down the beach and then ate a dinner of sandwiches and cookies which I bought from the grocery store earlier. There was a country western style band playing in town so we went to the pub to watch and get some fresh Guinness. We met a couple German bike tour guides who had some time off. They give bike rides all along the west coast during the summer. They were our age and had been doing the tours for a couple summers.
Strandhill - Killala - Ballina - Lacken
• Woke up to a sunny sky and wrote on the beach for a while Linds washed up. Got the tent taken down and then went to Bell Vista for soup and sandwiches and used internet. We went to the Spar station to get some snacks or the road and began thumbing for the day.
• First ride was from a Surfer guy in black station wagon. Gave us some tips for applying for working holiday visas in Australia. He had done it the year before and was going to be moving there with his Aussie girlfriend. Dropped us off at a busy intersection in some small town.
• Second ride was from David the flower van driver with a stutter. I thought we were going to ride in the back but we all crammed into the front. I sat on Ramsey’s lap. He dropped us off on the side of the road where he had to turn off to make his delivery.
• Third ride was from a 21 year old guy in a Volvo. He told us that we needed to go to Lacken beach. He said it was very beautiful there and very remote. He picked up flowers for his girlfriend on our way. It was their anniversary but he said they are not married. He then took us through his hometown of Killala where we picked up lunch meat from Spar station. We then passed Betsy’s bar, the only pub/restaurant within several km from Lacken (rated with ½ star).
• We pitched a tent on a piece of land near the water and got yelled at by the land owner. I don’t know how he saw us but he said he didn’t allow camping in fear that people would leave their garbage behind. We sat on the beach for an hour till sunset and then got the group motivated to pitch the tent on the cliff face where our last ride had dropped us off. It was a much better view from there. I pooped in the man’s field and then went to bed.
Lacken - Castlebar - West Port
• We were informed by a couple of early beach goers that we would have better luck finding rides if we walked down the beach and across the bay before the tide came in. We quickly got a move on but ended up having to ford a river of sea water to get to the road on the other side of the bay. We saw no cars at all but as we were drying off our feet a car stopped where we were sitting.
• Got a ride from two lady friends on holiday to the main road in their tiny red car with fishing poles poking my legs. I am shocked we even fit inside.
• Were picked up by a mother and daughter right away. They told us we looked pitiful and confused so they decided to help us out. They went out of their way and dropped us off at a McD’s in Castlebar. We ate euro saver burgers and ice cream. Linds and Ramsey picked up groceries at Tesco while I watched the bags.
• We got our next lift from a stinky man in a station wagon to West Port. I’m sure we didn’t smell all that great either.
• Used the internet cafe for a couple hours and then walked to the Quay where they were tearing down fair rides. We pitched our tent next to some campervans and then ate our sammies and jelly doughnuts from Tesco.
Crough Patrick back to Westport
• We ate the rest of our doughnuts for breakfast. Lindsey and Ramsey washed their hair and then we packed up to start our hike to the Reek. We ate at a small pub after walking for a while. Lindsey and I had steak sandwiches while Ramsey enjoyed a soup. We walked a few kilometers further past the pub and got picked up by a husband and wife who took us to the base of the mountain.
• They had lockers at the lodge at the base of the mountain but we didn’t want to pay and the lockers were not big enough for our stuff. We threw our bags in a bush behind the lodge and began our ascent to the top. Ramsey and I were at a much faster pace than Linds and made it to the top within a couple hours. Linds followed us up a while after and got emotional we had gone ahead. I felt really bad. She forgave us. We saw St. Patrick’s grave and fed a couple mountain goats that were very interested in us and our oranges. The view was amazing until a giant cloud came and rained down on us. Took cover in a stinky bathroom for a short while. Walked down the mountain and accidentally hit a little girl with a loose rock. I felt bad. She cried a lot but there were no wounds.
• Got our bags back at the base and caught a ride back to west port in a van of a construction worker. I road in back which had an overpowering smell of petrol while Linds and Ramsey road up front. He dropped us off at the road to Clifden. He said there was a music festival going on so there should be a lot of traffic.
• Tried until dark to get a lift out of West Port but had no luck at all. Ended up walking back to the Quay and pitched the tent once again. We missed the music festival as well. Lindsey and Ramsey had fish and chips while I was too bitter to eat. Went back to the tent and slept.
West Port - Leenanne - Clifden
• Went to the Centra for breakfast and groceries. Got a pound cake and some fruit. We made it to the edge of West Port and sat at a gas station for a while. Lindsey bought spaghetti in a can and crackers which looked really gross. Passed up a guy with his sons because we couldn’t fit.
• A women in a black VW who had seen us the day before decided she would give us a ride. She felt bad that we were still standing there. She was from Germany. She drove us to a small town called Leenanne, a very small and beautiful town in a valley. We ate at a restaurant there that jipped us on our food. Paid almost 3 bucks for 6 onion rings.
• It was raining when we left the restaurant but luckily a French couple stopped right away and picked us up. They were on holiday from Bordeaux, France and were going to Clifden which is exactly where we wanted to go. The woman had been the states before and spoke very good English. Her husband didn’t speak English very well. It was his first time driving on the left side of the road.
• After getting to Clifden we went to the grocery store to get some food. I bought sammies, cheesecake, and Jameson and Lindsey got beer. Lindsey got directions to a location we wanted to be heading in but we decided to not walk anymore due to the rain. We knocked on the door of a woman with a nice looking backyard. She was Asian and didn’t speak English very well but after we showed her our tent she knew what we wanted to do and said it was alright.
Clifden - Galway t- Ballyvaughn - Cliffs of Moher
• It was raining when we woke up. We cleaned up and rolled up the tent. We Walked to the Lidl for some tasty treats. Lindsey discovered some new nutella like chocolate spread that was really good. We were right next to the highway so we didn’t have to walk far for a lift. We got picked up right away by a middle aged woman in a ford. She thought we were crazy for hitching. She dropped us off at a small roadside gas station.
• Next, we got picked up by a woman with her daughter in her hatchback. We managed to get all of our stuff in. She was a helicopter pilot before but was burnt by a bad business partner in the past. She wanted to do police chases. She dropped us off at a roundabout outside of Galway.
• Had lunch of PB and J and then perused the map to figure out where we were. As we looked a woman pulled over and began to clear out her boot. She was a crazy looking woman but we got in anyway. She was a little creepy joking about who was gonna kill who first. She dropped us off at the N67 and N18 intersection
• Our next lift was from a Polish guy on his way to a gig. He was drinking wine on the way and had ACDC cranked up. He had his equipment in the back and was heading to play a gig in some small town. Got dropped off near Ballyvaughn.
• Linds hit up the gas station and then a guy walking his little white terrier of some sorts told us he would pick us up after he got in his car but we had to still thumb. His dogs name was Jake and loved sitting on my lap. He played us crazy techno music but wasn’t too keen on it. Took us the long way to Ballyvaughn.
• We got stuck in Ballyvaughn for a while. We walked towards the harbor and tried hitching there for a bit but nobody wanted anything to do with us. We walked back the other direction and sat across from the gas station. Ramsey got us cardboard to write Cliffs of Moher on and another to write Lisdoonvarna.
• Got a lift from a guy with some naked chick emblems on his rear windows. He was going to a pub near Lisdoonvarna and said he would bring us all the way to the cliffs if he didn’t meet anyone interesting and we were still thumbing. There was some singles festival going on in the days to come in this town.
• We walked to a T junction. The midges were thick so I sprayed us all down with bug spray. It took forever for someone to pick us up. A mother with her son who had driven by earlier came back and picked us up. Her kids convinced her to. She was a nice woman driving a Honda CR-V and brought us all the way to the cliffs.
• We enjoyed the scenery on the way to the top of the cliffs and pitched a tent not too far from the guard tower. Climbed the stone wall and stood on the edge of the cliff for a while. Saw some kids coming back from a drunken walk and said hello and then pitched the tent after they were gone. Had our dinner and went to sleep.
Cliffs of Moher - Lahench - Limerick - Killarney
• We woke overhearing people asking “is someone really camping there”. We rolled up our tent and went to the café for breakfast. They also had wireless internet there
• We caught a ride by two women, a woman who worked at the cliffs and her visiting friend. They took us to see a well that is said to contain an eel that will bring you luck if you see it. They dropped us off in Lahinch at their house.
• Caught a ride from a man who was coming from his brother’s bachelor’s party. He was on his way to Dublin and said he could drop us off in Limerick. Went to a giant Tesco to get food for the road. Tuna, Peanut butter, cookies, water, apples and sandwich materials. At sandwiches by the entrance.
• Got picked up by a young guy who took us a short distance into the actual city of Limerick and then waited for a long time before our next ride. We even laid in the grass for a while. Got a couple of middle fingers thrown at us during the wait.
• Finally got picked up by a guy in a minivan who had passed us once before. He was the nicest guy we had ridden with thus far. He went 100km out of his way to bring us to Killarney. I couldn’t believe it. He was a stone mason and had a couple kids, a wife, and an ex-wife. He told us all about child support, his weed usage, gypsies, and the economy in Ireland.
• Met a girl from California in a B.K. lounge that spent nearly 45 minutes in the bathroom and pretended to be on the phone when she left. Found a football pitch and set up camp.
Killarney - Cork - Waterford
• Happy Birthday Ramsey! Walked back into town after tearing down camp. Ate breakfast t a café that had free Wi-Fi. We walked through town, found the road towards cork and started thumbing for the day.
• A Mercedes stopped and we thought it was just turning around but it actually stopped for us! The driver was a young Indian Doctor heading to Cork to work the night shift. He was just visiting his girlfriend. Dropped us off in the middle of the highway outside of Cork.
• Started walking to get out of the middle of 70mph traffic but a green Jaguar stopped to give us a lift. The driver’s name was Jeff, a professional golfer on his way to Dublin. He could tell we were hungry and gave us some sodas and candy bars. He told us about Cobh as we drove by, the Titanic’s last port of call before heading to America. He offered to take us all the way to Dublin but we figured it would be better to stay in Waterford an leave in the morning. Jeff brought us to McDonalds and told me I had a 10 euro spending limit on any meal I wanted. It was like Christmas. I got a double quarter pounder w/cheese meal, supersized of course. It was one of the nicest gestures anyone had done for us. He even circled around Waterford a few times to make sure we found a good camping spot.
• We went through the woods up on a hill to get to an abandoned hotel with a big grassy area in front of it. From the hill we had a great view of the entire city. We threw our bags in the brush under a tree so nobody would see and then were going to explore the abandoned hotel but an alarm went off as soon as we got within 20 yards of the entrance which informed us that the police have been contacted and were on their way. It was only a scare. No cops ever came. We went into town to a small pub for Ramsey’s birthday celebration. We also went to some discotech place and then a bar across the street that had a live band that was amazing. They had an amazing Purple Rain/ Wonderwall conversion in one song. Couldn’t believe it. After a few pints, went back to the hill and pitched our tent in the dark and went to sleep.
Waterford - Tramore - Waterford - Dublin
• No clouds today and a lot of heat. Decided to go to the nearest beach which was in Tramore. It was 5 euro for a bus there. Tramore was like a huge amusement park next to the ocean. We hung out for a bit. Lindsey and Ramsey made sign on cardboard to try and sell our tent but had no bites. We missed the bus we wanted to take back to Waterford so we got back later than we hoped.
• Walk a ways out of Waterford and get a lift from Polish guy who speaks very little English. Says he’ll drop us off in Kilkenny. We declined right away because we hoping for a direct ride to Dublin but he came back and offered again so we obliged. He ended up dropping us off in a place that had very little traffic. Thanks chief.
• Got a lift from a kid who had just finished his finals and got dropped off in an even smaller town. He said we could catch a bus there but we had no money and there was no ATM. Decided to keep going even though it was almost dark.
• Got a lift from a man driving his son home from football practice in his taxi van. He dropped us off at a bus station in the next town. We decided to keep going. We knew the bus was leaving at 12am so we figured we could catch it later down the road if we had to.
• Got a lift from a guy who was on his way home. He dropped us off in the next town by a gas station and told us we would have no problem getting a lift even though it was dark. We waited for about 15 minutes and then the first egg came flying in hitting Ramsey in the leg. There were kids who were driving around celebrating their end of testing and though it would be fun to egg the hitchhikers. We ended up walking down the road to the bus stop where we got to witness a bar brawl, a man locking himself in the boot of his car and getting hit point blank with egg by the sneaky kids. Girls across the street saw the whole thing and came to help us clean up as it began to rain and informed us the bus wouldn’t be showing up until 3am. They invited us in for tea until we had to go. The bus showed at 3:15am with only 5 seats open and we had to pay 17 euro to go the last 70km. We were pissed.
• Got to the airport and ate a little snack while Lindsey slept. Cleaned up a little more but still had egg everywhere. We got through security for our Ryanair flight to London Luton at 7am and were onboard by 8am. I usually can’t sleep on flights but considering I had not slept in 24 hours, was stinky from egg, and had nobody willing to sit next to me, I had no problems falling asleep.
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