Ireland

What a brilliant and rainy country Ireland is!

It has rained every single day at one point or another and usually for the majority of the day! Although it seems that every time I've really wanted to see something the weather is just good enough to go out. It's awesome how it's been working out.

The past couple of days have been quite a blur!

I went to Cork county and kissed the famous Blarney Stone! Yes, folks... I now have the gift of gab. Oh gawd, you're probably thinking, "She's going to talk MORE?!" My answer to that is YES!

So there I am. Legend has it you have to lean down and arch your back ridiculously while someone holds you (appointed by the government) so you don't fall to your death and the government won't be sued. I think falling face first from the Blarney castle could be quite possibly the worst way to die.... :S

Beautiful, eh? Blarney Castle at it's finest...

Cork was alright. On Friday night at the hostel, an American and I proposed Scrabble. English Scrabble. We were the only English speakers. It was hilarious! Half of the Germans, Austrians and Polish kids had no clue how to play and would try to build words upside down so reading top to bottom it said "ERIF" and we'd be all up in their faces "That's not a word! That's not a word!" and they'd say "Yes! Look! FIRE!"

On Friday night we went out to a traditional Irish bar for a bit and I tried Guinness which I believe may be a thick brew of fermented guinea pig. Just a thought. It was great fun with my hostellers! Yes.. this is our version of "We are Chinese tourists!"

On Saturday, Andreas (A German guy travelling alone) and I went to Kinsale

which was about an hour from Cork city and went on a 20 km hike out to Charles Fort, an old military fort used to defend Kinsale Harbour.

The trek was ridiculous at times, so we named ourselves team Canger (Canada-Germany) to make it through the rough, narrow, smelly, prickly parts with enthusiastic encouragement from me!

"You can do it Andreas! Just a little further... but um.. uhh... don't look up!" "There's no mud up here, I *coughs* swear! It's only a bit farther!"

It turned out to be incredible though when we finally got to the very isolated tip. It felt like no one had ever been there before. We talked about how much we missed our boyfriend/girlfriend and how nice it would have been to have them there! I missss my boyyyfrieeeennnddd....

And now I am back in Dublin... preparing to fly out tomorrow morning to see Jolanda in Amsterdam and am staying in the SKETCHIEST hostel EVER! I'm trying to waste time so I don't have to go back!

Mucho Love!
Krysten

I got to my new hostel today which is near the bus station and I can easily walk there to catch my bus to Cork County tomorrow morning at 8am...

The new hostel has not one english speaking person, I swear.... It took me 5 minutes to get across my point when I stupidly stated "It's hot in here, eh?" to a German girl. She looked at me blankly and the next 5 minutes were spent explaining with frantic hand motions and waving my arms wildly around my head until finally, " Oh... HOTTTT. Jah!" Or something like that.

So I guess tonight I'll actually have some down time and chill or read a book or something. Boring! I know!

Mom and I before I go on the plane!

So I board the plane to Ireland which smells like booze and find my seat. A few minutes later a couple of yellow-teethed, middle aged, drunk Irishmen sit down. I'm seat A and they're C & D. If you know planes that means the seat next to me is vacant... So anyways, the first gentleman sits down (or rather, falls) and the second sits beside me to which is friend says "Mate, your seat is over here" and his friend says "Shuttup, I waont tew sait he-yah"... These guys turn out to be hilarious and we're talking for awhile when I ask them if they're travelling together and Petig says "Yeah, but we're not gay, you know." HAhh... boys are boys everywhere I guess, always confirming their masculinity A couple minutes later Petig tells me he's a butcher and then asks me if I like horses... I answer "Yeah, why?" He says... "Cuz I kill em" and starts laughing...

This morning two guys from my hostel and I walked to the Oscar Wilde Monument which features Oscar Wilde spread out on a rock looking all.. for lack of a better word, sensual O.0 .... So Ben climbs up on the statue and lays across Oscar Wilde's lap just as a bus full of teenage Asian girls is passing through and they're all giggling and covering their mouths, probably saying "Wakachi yang ka fong yo!" or some other interpretation of "Look! Oscar Wilde is spanking some American boy's bum!!!" Bet that tour guide was at a loss of words explaining the statue of Oscar Wilde.

BEFORE he flipped over into the bum UP position!

So Ben saw the tour bus watching him and began blowing kisses and winking at the girls, with them all pointing at him, giggling and blowing kisses back. I guess girls will be girls everywhere... Heh..