Cheers and Jeers....then Ireland

Ok, it's time to complain. I can't take it anymore. Nothing earth-shattering. Some things about this trip are pretty freakin great, and some things blow. So here's a short list I have to get off my chest: (and yes, I'm starting with Jeers)

Jeers

-It's FREAKIN cold. I'm tired of it. Done with the cold. Seriously. A scarf only goes so far.

-No street signs. Anywhere. Sometimes there is a plaque on the side of a building with the street name, sometimes not. And they're never in the same place.

-The streets may/may not be in a straight line, making it harder to keep a sense of direction.

-The whole 'driving on the left' thing. I've almost been hit several times in a crosswalk.

-Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Already seen a girl get hit by a bicyclist. A bicyclist.

Cheers

-Everyone's pretty helpful. Real helpful in fact. Strangers will come up and ask if I need help finding something.

-My hosts are really cool and feed me and show me around town.

-Different food and drink taste real good.

-Buses and trains are real handy and dependable.

-Girls are interested in Americans.

Ok, not the end of the world, but seriously, where are the street signs?

Ok - Ireland!

Don't come to Ireland in the Spring. Just don't. You think Chicago is windy? Try Dublin. It's not neccessary the coldest place I've been, but it chills you to the bone. You just can't get warm, really. So that's why people go into the pub. There's something in there that warms you up...what could it be?

So when it's miserable outside, you stay inside and mess around with settings on your camera.

My host has done the Free Hugs thing. Check it out!

I feel this way sometimes.

A very touristy bar in a very touristy part of Dublin. We went here later and it was all drunk travelers singing along to American music, shouting, and smoking. Boo. Why is it that some people come all the way to the other side of the world, just to go do something they can do at home? Being in there didn't feel like Ireland at all.

This is a famous statue here....hard to tell why....they call her "The Tart with the Cart".

The Guinness Brewery was pretty freakin great. It was shaped like a huge pint glass. I wished Sean McCleish was with me.,

Try not to cry. I know, it's beautiful.

This was right before the wrestling match. That small girl won.

Tonight we're gonna go out to a pub for some "craick". That's what Irelanders use to refer to "great conversation and atmosphere".

There's something in the water....

From the last post:

Here's a picture that didn't upload for some reason: Me and my two new friends doing a classic jumping photo in front of Doune Castle - the castle from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail!"



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Ay Laddies, it's time to set out to Loch Ness! I boarded a huge bus to Loch Ness, the Highlands, and Glencoe. Our driver, with a wonderfully thick Scottish accent, gave us all "A Scottish Breakfast" (his words): a small bottle of whisky. I guess he wanted to start us all off in style. Much of what he said was interesting at the time - great facts about the region and all- and I wrote some of them down - but I really can't remember them right now. So here's some pictures.

CHECK IT OUT: Click on the pictures to see the large versions! The ones of the lochs are so beautiful.

A Scottish Loch (there are over 10,000). This one is not Loch Ness.




This one is. That's a castle right there - the third oldest in Scotland.




Allow me to tell you a bit about this castle...




What does the Loch Ness monster look like?




The water on the Loch is so still. It's some of the darkest water in the world. It's basically black - due to "peet"- a mineral that gives it such a dark color. My guide told me they used to charge over $100 to tourists to take a small submarine ride into the Loch. "You'd have a better chance of seeing Nessie if you went into a darkened room and pulled the curtains" he said. "And it would save you 70 quid (their word for 'bucks').



The Loch Ness Monster - caught on tape!




This is a typical road sign in Scotland. It's so genial, I think. "Twenty's Plenty!" Sounds like an organization of grandmothers got together and rewrote all of the country's motor signage.





Unfortunately, I'm not going to Belfast. Poor planning on my part, basically. I assumed that I could just catch a cheap ferry boat to Ireland from Scotland. Not so. It's sort of easy, but it ain't cheap, and it's over 50 miles from Glasgow. To catch a plane and then a taxi to Belfast would be pointless - I'd only have a day or so.So I'm staying another day or so in Glasgow and then flying straight to Dublin on Thursday night.

Here's my Glasgow host, Denny. Denny has cooked three meals so far for the both of us. Pretty good cook, actually. Normally you'd expect a guy living in student housing to be all over frozen and fast food. And I'm totally fine with that. But I've had more hot meals in this dorm than in any other city so far.

We were kinda bored here. Nothing better when that happens than to take a picture wearing something pink. Ladies, the queue starts over there.





We visited this small bookshop on the way to a coffeeshop. Now this is making the most of your real estate.




This coffeeshop was sort of a vegan hippee place. The long-haired owner greeted us on the way in as he sat Indian style on the porch smoking hookah. Denny said "You're place here is great". The guy responded "It's alright". Ha.

Here's a cove in the back that had all these bongo and rainstick type of musical instruments sitting around. We drank "Dragon Eye" tea and at hummus and cucumber sandwiches. At the beginning of the day I was kind of bummed that I was missing Belfast. And I still am sort of. But this is another way to experience a city - just going to a local hippy coffee shop and reading in the corner. Glasgow aint so bad today.



Later on we're going to go meet up with some people for a pint a some live music. I fully expect Denny to talk to an average of 6.2 girls per hour. And that's a low estimate.

Ay, it's my Birthday, laddie

It's my birthday! My friends here made me a cake and we all hung out and are watching Dodgeball. Yes, yes, a girl I met less than 48 hours ago made me a cake. Its' called "Scottish people are awesome". It's freakin raining right now, so we're not gonna go out - it rains a lot in Scotland apparently. A good birthday none the less. What are birthdays really? You're a king for a day. And people sing you that lame ass song. I think I'm gonan have birthdays more often.

Check out my cake: We didn't have a "2" and a "9", but we had these: "27 + 2" hahaha


Here we are chillin in the living room watching Dodgeball.