Moving Eastward

The end has come at last. After a ridiculousIy long travel day to rival any others that I've had to do so far, I am finally in China. I have to admit, I'm more than a little scared, but I think my excitement by far outweighs the fear. It's crazy how quickly Ireland flew by though! I cant stop thinking about how lucky I was to have met so many wonderfully kind and funny people, all with my best friend beside me. I still cant believe the trip came to pass when it seemed like there were so many things that would stop it: money, timing, logistics, you name it. Yet we made it, and if there is anyone out there who is possibly thinking about wwoofing in the future, absolutely do it! You put a little bit of work in but get so much more out of it than just food and lodging. 

Elaine let us stay in her beautiful Victorian era house in Bray, a seaside town on the outskirts of Dublin. We only made it to the city for one day, but managed to cram a good bit of touristy stuff in. I naturally had to go to the Guinness factory for the tour and chance to pour the "perfect pint". It was well worth it, I'd say. The Gravity Bar on the top floor has a 360 panorama view of Dublin, and it was so much fun to just sit up there looking at the city while drinking a pint. After that we meandered over to the Book of Kells in the library at Trinity College. That was an incredible experience of a different sort - to see the beautiful intricate art of one of the world's oldest books. It's incredible that a book from 800 AD could still be read and enjoyed today. We also managed to get over to St. Patrick's cathedral and have a look around the famous church. Now Dublin isn't for the cheap of heart, for the city definitely knows how to make the most of its tourist attractions. But it's hard to blame them - the country's trying to boost the economy any way they can and they have a lot of history to show off and be proud of. Temple Bar does have lots of good places to hang out, and it is still possible to get a pint of Guinness for under 5 - just avoid the bigger places. 

Overall, I will miss the beauty of Ireland's land, the warmth of the people, and the fun hearted spirit of the friends Ive made. Truly, I couldn't have asked for a better summer. It was great Craic!