Trip Overview Day 1

All--

So we never got around to writing yesterday afternoon...

But now we're back in the same jobless atmosphere from which we left, and the writing can commence no problem.

On Saturday, Drew texted us (everyone texts here... its weird. but cheap.) that he had the next couple of days off, and we should do something. So after short deliberation we decided to head south. Buses didn't seem to be a feasible option, nor is there rail service on the entire western half of this island (??) so we rented a car. Many problems: 1) Justin is the only one who's 23. 2) he doesn't drive stick 3) To rent an automatic it more than doubles the price.

So John drove. (trust me, it was a much bigger ordeal at the time. Thanks to Drew's passivity "I don't care, but I'm not paying €€110 a day. I'll drive, whatever...)

We got down to the Dingle Peninsula about 13:00 on Sunday, on made our trip round it. Some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. I have a hard time describing how vast the land is, streching out into the atlantic ocean.

After some extraordinarily frightening drives through two-way roads barely large enough for our VW Polo, we came to the end of the peninsula, Slea head, and the Great Blasket island. After more prodding from Drew ("whatever, lets jump the fence") we went on a short hike to where some of the photos below were taken. Again, thanks Drew. That night, we headed back up the peninsula towards Killarney.

First lesson learned on this trip: Tourist offices are no help at all. Bring maps. your questions will not be answered.

That's it for now... day 2 tomorrow.

Keep those emails coming folks.

--Justin

btw, Just finished Assassinationn Vacation, and have moved on to J.M. Coetzee's Elizabeth Costello. If nothing else I'm going to be a helluva lot better read at the end of this trip.