Home Again in Hot Sunny Phoenix

I started this post the day after I returned to Phoenix.  Unfortunately, I got distracted by a few things that I needed to take care of and then I just got plain lazy.  After being on the road for 5 weeks and sleeping on different beds, it's nice to finally sleep on your own queen-size bed.  Not only that, now I have a lot of space around me, a big-screen HD TV, and a comfortable sofa to take naps on.  You appreciate your home more when you travel;  more so when you sleep in a room with strangers.
So, here is my final post for this trip:

I finally arrived home after an 18-hour journey from the hostel in Dublin to my house.  Going through London Heathrow airport is an adventure.  There is no system or organization within the airport.  For example, I had to take 2 shuttle buses to go from the plane to just the Terminal 1 building.  Then I had to take another shuttle bus to go from Terminal 1 to 5, where I had to get my boarding pass and go through security.  From there, I had to go through a maze of corridors and then take an airport train to my gate.  I could hear the gate agent announcing the last call for the flight as I was running up the escalator to the gate.  I was almost the last person to board the flight.  British Airways was almost sure that I would not make the flight because they would not give me my London to Phoenix boarding pass in Dublin.  The ticketing agent in Dublin told me that the flight was overbooked and I have to get my boarding pass in London.
I actually felt hot when I stepped outside the Phoenix Airport.  It was almost 100F or 37C and sunny.  After 5 weeks in weather that never got above 65F or 18C, it is quite a shock.  In spite of the cold and rain in Ireland and Scotland, it was a wonderful trip.

In the US, where there are probably more Irish than Scots, you hear a lot about how beautiful Ireland is.  It is a beautiful country, with a lot of green, rolling hills, farms, sheep, castles, ocean, etc.  I always hear that the Irish are very friendly.  Indeed they are.
However, when we first saw Edinburgh, we were blown away by how beautiful the city is.  Walking along the Royal Mile, it's like being in a fairy tale city.  You have Edinburgh Castle on top of the highest point in the city on one end and the Holyrood Palace on the other end.  Then you see spires of churches, hotels and even schools around the castle.  Even the cemeteries are interesting.  Just below the castle is the beautiful Princess Street Gardens dotted with museums, churches, restaurants, hotels, shops, pubs, etc.  That is just the Lowlands.
When I traveled up to the Highlands, the scenery was even more amazing:  spectacular mountains, waterfalls, Lochs (or lakes), castles, forests, lots of historical sites, etc.  This is what Ireland does not have:  the Highlands.  And I did not even travel to the far north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands.
If you decide to go to Scotland, I recommend you read Neil Oliver's book on "The History of Scotland."  It gives you an appreciation of its violent history and its relationship with England.  In 2014, the Scots will have a referendum on their independence.  Regardless of its political future, the Scots are one of the friendliest people in the world and the country is definitely one of the most beautiful.  Hope you get a chance visit the country.

Irish Pride

So here it is - my last full day of this 5-week trip.  Tomorrow morning I fly from Dublin to London, then direct to Phoenix.  I can't believe it's been five weeks already.  I've spent the last 3 days in Dublin walking around the city; most of the places I've been to before but also further outside the city centre.  There is not much else for me to see in Dublin.  I've posted pictures of most of the interesting places when we first arrived.
Just to get a better understanding of the city, I took a 2-hour walking tour.  Our guide is a student at Trinity College and this is his part-time job.  I get a sense that the Irish are very proud of their country, culture and history.  For the last few hundred years, they have been under British rule.  In 1919 they became an independent Republic of Ireland.  However, 6 counties in the north, comprising Northern Ireland, are still British.  I still don't understand a lot of the history and struggles of the Irish people.  I plan to find and read a good history book on Ireland.  But I get a sense that the struggles of the Irish against the English are very similar to the struggles of the Scots against the English.  It's their desire to be independent and control their own destiny.  I saw the following plague displayed just inside the window of the General Post Office on O'Connell Street as I was walking around the city.  If you want to enlarge it, just left-click on the picture with your mouse.

I started this post at the hostel in Dublin.  But the wifi did not work most of the three days that I was there.  I complained many times to the staff but they just didn't care.  It's out of their control.  I'm going to make sure it's going to get their attention by writing a review in Trip Advisor.  Nowadays, that's my weapon against bad service.  It's also my way to give credit where it's due.  I've written a few good reviews on restaurants and hotels as well.
So I am finishing up this post at the Dublin Airport instead.  They have free wifi, albeit very slow.   I will write my final post when I get back to Phoenix.

Galway

When you are in the business world, you try to condense things so that you can remember them easily.  Popular themes like "30-second elevator pitch," "one-minute manager,""what is the bottom line?" are some that come to mind.  I've been in Galway for 2 days, trying to see and remember as much as I can about this beautiful city on the west coast of Ireland.  So here are the highlights:

• Eyre Square:  this is a park in the middle of town.  It's a grassy area with restaurants, pubs, stores, etc, around it.  I stayed at the Sleepzone Hostel, about 5 minutes from the Square.  The bus from Derry, after a 6-hour ride, dropped me off here.  The new bus station where I am taking the bus to Dublin is nearby, about a block away.  I met others on a walking-tour of the city at the Skeffey restaurant facing the square.  I ran into a Canadian couple I met on my Scottish Highlands tour here.  I walked by here on my way to Kirwan's Lane.
• Kirwan's Lane:  this is a pedestrian mall lined with all kinds of shops, pubs, restaurants, etc.  This is the main drag where all tourists and a lot of locals come to.  This is a much nicer area than the over-hyped Temple Bar in Dublin.  Yes, it is touristy and crowded but you don't feel that the business-owners are trying to grab your money.  You get a sampling of talented local musicians performing all kinds of music.  I heard a couple of guys singing "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.  I know it's not Irish folk music.
• Irish Music:  Galway is known as the Cultural Heart of Ireland.  You can hear live music as you walk by most pubs around Galway.    I asked around and a few people told me about a pub called Crane Bar.  They have a special concert on this Friday night with several well-known local musicians performing.  I paid 10 euros for a cover charge.  The place was packed.  I barely had enough room to stand.  Most of the music is Irish folk music, kind of like our American blues music but with different instruments, like fiddle and mandolin.  I was surprised to see a Chinese fiddler called Mike Chang (no, not the tennis player).  He seems to be quite popular among the local musicians because he accompanied several of them.  When his act was over, he happened to stand near where I was standing.  I asked him where he's from.  Seattle.  He came to Galway to study Irish music and has been here for 15 years.  He has an Irish wife and a daughter.  Music is how he makes his living - performing, composing, etc.  He is probably doing what he loves.
• Fish & Chips:  When Candy and I stopped in Galway about a month ago after visiting the Cliffs of Moher, it was raining and we stayed only for a couple of hours.  However, we stumbled on a fish and chips restaurant called McDonaugh's.  It's one of the reasons why I travel - eating local food.  Once we started eating, we realized that this is probably one of the best fish and chips we ever had.  The fish was fresh, the portions were big and the prices very reasonable.  No wonder the place was crowded.  On this trip back, all the locals I met raved about this restaurant.  They were voted the best Fish & Chips restaurant in Ireland in 2007.  The owners found a restaurant in Hong Kong even had an item on their menu called "McDonaugh's Fish & Chips."  I like the place so much that I ate here 3 times in 2 days.  This is the only restaurant I ate at in Galway.

This morning I took a CityLink bus from Galway to Dublin.  It's a two and a half-hour trip and costs 11 euros, about $25.  I did most of my writing of this post on the bus;  it has free wifi.  I love it.  Instead of just staring at the scenery, I was able to listen to music on my pink iPod and do things on my computer - like updating this blog, keeping up with the news or check my email and also stare at the scenery.

Dublin is my last stop on this 5-week trip.  I'll be here for 3 nights, staying at the Avalon House near Grafton Street.  I've seen most of Dublin when Candy and I were here about a month ago.  This time I plan to join a walking tour, go to the museums, and explore the outskirts of the city centre.  The weather  was nice when I arrived this afternoon.  It is supposed to be nice on Sunday but rain on Monday.  Spring, and the nice weather, is finally here; now that I am leaving.

Eyre Square - in the middle of town

Green, instead of red (in UK) mailbox

Galway Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Walking tour guide, Kiva, talking to the group

River Corrib, where Galway got its name

Spanish Arch, where Spaniards used to come to trade

Kirwan's Lane, a pedestrian mall of shops, restaurants and pubs

One of many musicians playing on Kirwan's Lane

Best Fish and Chip Restaurant in Ireland

Prices are very reasonable

Looking over to Spanish Arch area

Young couple just got married

Galway Cathedral at night

Fish and coleslaw, instead of chips, at McDonagh's

Irish Music at popular Crane Bar.  Mike Chang is on the right.

Crane Bar during the day

Farmers' Market next to Kirwan Lane

3 Hours in Londonderry

I was hoping to get to Londonderry (Derry, to locals) early so that I have as much time as I can seeing the city before catching a 3:30 pm bus to Galway.  I have two options:  take a bus or train.  I was advised to take the bus, which I was told would be faster.  But the bus center is almost 15 minutes away.  Five minutes from my hostel is a train station that I found I could take a train to Derry.  I opted to take the train at 8:14 am, hoping to get to Derry by around 10:30 am.  Unfortunately, the ticket agent at the station did not tell me that the 8:14 am train goes only to Port Rush, a few stops before Derry.  In the end, I have to wait for the 9:14 am train, which means I got into Derry at about 11:30 am.  The train ride itself was great.  We traveled along the Antrim coast, on the northernmost part of Northern Island.  It has wifi on board so I was on my computer almost the entire trip.
I've debated on whether I should go to Derry because I wasn't sure where I could leave my big backpack while I am walking around the city.  My big backpack currently weighs about 12 kg or about 25 pounds.  Carrying it while walking around the city would be no fun at all.  Luckily, someone at the hostel called around and found that I could leave my belongings at the Tourist Information Center.  What a godsend.  So, as soon as I got to Derry, I dropped my heavy stuff off at the Tourist Information Center.  The staff there is so friendly and willingly oblige.  They didn't have lockers but they put my stuff in a room where they store their brochures.  They didn't ask me for any identification or name or sign anything!  Best of all, it's free.  Can you imagine that happening in the US?  They will want two picture ids', a release form to sign, deposit, etc.  They even told me where to go and what are the best things to see.  Not wonder everyone said the Irish are so friendly.
By the time I set out to walk the city, it was noon; which means I have about 3 hours until I catch the bus.  I was told that it takes only an hour to walk around the city because it's not big.
Derry is a wall-city, much like Dubrovnik in Croatia.  You can read about my Dubrovnik, Croatia blog by going to my September 2011 archive on the right of this page.  It is unfortunate that it is better known for the violence between Catholics and Protestants than the beauty of the city itself.  It officially became a city in the 1600s' so it has a long history of settlements, churches, wars, etc.  This is reflected in many of the buildings and memorials in the city.  I walked mostly on top of the wall surrounding the old city.  Here you come across and can learn most of the history of the city.  It's a fairly small city, population slight less than 100,000.  You can learn more of the city by clicking on Derry.

Peace Bridge over the River Foyle

Guildhall

One of the few gates into and out of the city

First Derry Presbyterian Church

Saint Augustine Church, built in 546 AD

Bogside Area, scene of violence in 1969 and 1972

Beautiful St. Columb's Cathedral

The Cathedral was built in 1633

One of the streets inside the walled city

Cannons ready for defense of the city

Memorial to Sean Keenan, jailed for 15 yrs for speaking against oppression

Free Derry Corner

Memorial to Annette McGivan, killed by British Army in 1971

Two citizens dressed in Victorian-day clothes

Peace Flame

Information about the city can be found along the wall

Walkway along the wall

School just outside the wall

More protests against British rule

Inside of St. Augustine's Church

This church may have inspired John Newton to write Amazing Grace

Belfast

I am writing this post on the train from Belfast to Londonderry, or Derry, as most people around here called it.  I want to see Derry but I don't want to spend the night there.  I was told by a Northern Irish girl I met while traveling in New Zealand, that it is not the safest place.  So I am taking this early morning train to Derry, spend a few hours there, then take a 3:30 pm bus from Derry to Galway.

I've been staying at the Global Village Hostel in Belfast the last 3 nights.  Why did I pick this place?  When I looked in Hostelworld.com, it gets a very high rating from travelers.  I also read the reviews because most people who stay at hostels are in their 20s'.  Some of them just want to party all night or go out "clubbing" and come back to the hostel and make a lot of noise. I stay away from those.  Global Village is a small hostel in a converted residence with 3 floors.  It has a good-size kitchen and TV lounge.  In other words, it has all the amenities that you need when you travel, including wifi.  It is not far from the city centre and near Queens University.  I paid 15 pounds a night for a bed in a 4-bed room.  You can see pictures and read more about what they offer at the Global Village website.

It takes about 15 minutes for me to walk from the hostel to the city centre.  The beautiful City Hall building is the focal point of the city centre. Around it are shops, restaurants, pubs, churches, etc.  Right in front of City Hall is Donegal Place where all the nice shops are,  There are also many small streets radiating from Donegal Place, with shops and restaurants.  

President Bill Clinton is very popular in Northern Ireland.  He played an important role in brokering peace between the Catholics and Protestants.  There is a plaque in City Hall that commemorates his visit in 1995.  You can read more about President Clinton's role, as seen by BBC News:  Clinton: His Role in Northern Ireland

The hostel, being near Queens University, is almost part of a "college town."  There are many shops and restaurants on Botanic Avenue.  The first evening I was in Belfast, I found a small Chinese restaurant.  Looking inside, I saw that the customers are all Chinese and there is roast duck and Chinese BBQ pork hanging in front of the kitchen.  This tells me that this is a typical Hong Kong-style restaurant selling rice, noodles, won-ton, etc.  The name of the restaurant?  "Same Happy."  My kind of restaurant.  

Belfast is also famous for being the place where the Titanic was designed and built.  You see many Titanic-related structure and activities here.  They created a "Titanic Quarter," where there is a museum near the shipyard where the Titanic was built.  On a T-shirt I saw at Carroll's, a big gift-shop chain in Ireland, it says:  "Titanic - Built by Irishmen, Sunk by an Englishman."  

City Hall

President Clinton played a key role in bringing peace to NI

Queen Victoria statue - she is adored here

Mural for George Best - best-known soccer player from NI

Baptist Church across the street from bus station

The old and famous Crown Restaurant

Europa Hotel - bombed 28 times.  Most in Europe

Monument to King George

Big Fish next to River Lagan

Titanic Boat Tours

A very old Presbyterian Church

Here since 1695

Titanic Memorial at City Hall

Parliament Building

Queens University, near the hostel

This say it all - who is to be blamed