We took our bus to Limerick, but first we stopped in a little town called Adare. It wasn't much of a stop, only for about 20 minutes at a sort of "rest stop" I guess you could say. But Caiti fell asleep on the bus and got locked on the bus and wasn't able to get out! Luckily, the people here are so willing to help, and so nice, a fellow bus driver came to her rescue. He showed us how to get off the bus in case of an emergency and Caiti was able to get out of a side door. I guess it might have been one of those things where you had to be there to think it was funny.
The once again the wheels on the bus went round and round again, and a few hours later dropped us off at the Cliffs of Moher. I can't begin to explain how beautiful it was. The cliffs were filled with rolling green grass. The cliffs were perfectly etched in symmetrical lines, which met beautiful with the crystal clear water crashing against the rocks at the bottom. The sea was so blue, and that was all you could see for miles was blue seas, and blue skies blending together.
I wish I had pictures to show you but sadly I still haven't figured out what is wrong with my camera, and or computer. So, I will say go sneak around on another photography/photojournalism student's blog and check out the beautiful scenery we were able to see today.
Our group split up, and I walked all over the cliffs taking hundreds of pictures, and tons of panoramas. Andy, Aaron, David and I got a little daring and layed down with our heads looking over the cliffs. I made the boys a little nervous because I kept leaning over the edge. But I must say, I love the thrill, and enjoyed laughing at them get nervous. But as you can all tell, I'm okay, and I didn't fall off!
But two hours there I guess was plenty enough for me. It's not that I didn't enjoy the scenery, it's the scenery didn't love me. Yes, I got sunburned. My face is in a lot of pain, I have a burn line on my chest, and a lovely mark from my necklace. I'm also sporting the farmers tan. How appropriate for going back home!
But after that, all of us piled on the bus, and headed for our hotel. It was a short bus ride, and we drove through Limerick a bit to see the sights. Having Tige, and Joe as our guides has been quite amazing. They have such a deep understanding for their culture, and know just about every place in Ireland! I recommend them if you have a large group coming to Ireland! :-)
Our hotel is the Clarion, and it's really nice. I have to say I have been quite impressed with all the places we have stayed at. They have all been so wonderfully nice!
We dropped our stuff off, got a moments rest, and then headed to Bunratty Castle for a medieval dinner! The place was great!
We immediately were greeted with a glass of Mead, and mingled around for a few songs, and then were ushered down to dinner. We had soup which we had to eat with no spoons, spare ribs, chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and for dessert a custard. Everything was so great, and the performance of them singing was so amazing. Their voices were so beautiful.
Once we were on our way out, Jan grabbed me and showed me a bagpipe player outside that was a perfect shot for my project. I was so happy. I got a few pictures of him, and now I feel that I can hand it quite an impressive photo essay. I just pray it all comes together the way I want it to. While the bagpipe player was playing, Joe showed me how to Irish step dance, and his method was anything but conventional. I would share here, but I won't. If you are interested ask me when I get back!
Nicole, Andy, Aaron, Bethany, David, and I went around to shoot some pictures for a few minutes, and now here I am writing this blog. This experience here has been absolutely amazing every single step of the way. All the media visits, and tours have enriched my idea of Ireland so well. I feel like I finally know where I come from, and am glad I have stories, and experiences to bring back to my grandfather who is from here.
We had a quick meeting where we all shared our favorite experiences, and it was awesome to see that everyone had something to share. From experiencing Dublin, to the Cliffs of Moher, from Day 1 until this afternoon was covered in our meeting. All of us have been so thankful to be on this trip, and I'm glad I was able to come. It was a lot of work, a lot of early mornings and late nights, a lot of carrying heavy luggage, and spending tons of money in souvenirs, but I can honestly say, I wouldn't have wanted to experience Ireland any other way.
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