Today is travel day! Heading out right now towards JFK, then a 5 hour - lay-over there, then finally taking off towards the Emerald Isle! I'm both - excited and anxious, but surprisingly calm. I think it's to the point where - I'm ready to get things moving.
This flight will be rather uneventful: - short 55 minute hop to JFK. I'm looking forward to the longer flight. The - time will give me opportunity to read, relax and think... something I - haven't done enough of in the past week.
- -Today we finally arrived in Ireland, first in Dublin and then Shannon. The - trip over was a bit of a challenge: a lack of sleep combined with an - atmosphere trying to promote one, all wrapped in the situation of no - comfortable way to actually get sleep helped to contribute to me not - sleeping more than 30 minutes tops. On the plus side, I did get to watch - Dorian Grey and Percy Jackson on the way over. Also, they served a very - delicious beef stew for dinner; I was pleasantly surprised.
Upon - arrival, we immediately set out to retrieve our luggage, which arrived - mostly unmolested. Then, as we proceeded out of the terminal, we finally - found our 4th member, Suf, waiting eagerly for our arrival; he had arrived a - day earlier, and had many a story to share about his adventures in Limerick - (our eventual destination for the day). We got our car, forgot our GPS, - recovered our GPS, and began driving toward Limerick from Shannon Airport. - We quickly discovered that, given our American driving-habits, we thought - every car driving on the "wrong side of the road" was going to kill us. I - think twice we all panicked for fear of our lives. But, once we adjusted (or - at least, once Suf did... Cary is still a bit iffy) the drive was relatively - quick and painless. We arrived not more than 30 minutes later in Limerick, - and made for the City Center to explore on foot the many shops and eateries - that the city had to offer, as well as pay a visit to "The Bitter End" Pub, - where Suf had visited on the previous night. We explored for a bit, had - lunch at The Bitter End, visited a shop so Cary could purchase a couple - shilelagh (spelling), wander to a tourist booth for information and, with - said acquired directions, made for our first B&B of the trip: Coonagh Lodge. - We relaxed and napped a bit at the Lodge, enough to recouperate for a voyage - back to Limerick, and made for some dinner and adventure. We explored - around, eventually stopping in at a place called "Wokking" for some - authentic Irish Chinese food, which turned out to be very tasty and filling. - We then explored for a pub, stopping at "Charlie St. George's" pub for a - quick pint and some people-watching. Then, we explored a bit more, and wound - up back at The Bitter End to enjoy an evening cup of tea and some relaxing - time. After this, we made back to the B&B, where I discovered that my power - brick likes to make a weird noise as it charges my laptop. I account it to - the different voltage, and pray that it doesn't explode and kill us - all.
Of most important note, Suf decided to enlighten us with some of - his arab cab driving slang, most notable of which is "Why for you fuck my - road?" An important question, to be sure, and one to be answered in the days - to come. A very steady lean into this adventure, which I prefer to the - alternative "kick-in-the-door" style. Hopefully I can figure out some way to - get my computer to connect to WPA2 connections so I can have internet more - readily. At least for tonight, I probably won't get back on (unfortunate - news for my KoL desires. Too many adventures will be wasted after I waste - the NS... Oh well...)
- -Today was our first big travel day. We left Limerick around 11:00 am and made - for Galway. Along the way we stopped in at the Cliffs of Moher, and then - continued on to our destination in Kinvara.
The Cliffs of Moher are - quite the site to see. Set along the Atlantic Ocean is a couple-mile stretch - of sheer cliffs, topped with walkways and occasional watch towers, or at - least ruins of them. We walked the Cliffs for about an hour, just exploring - the different angles and particulars of the cliffs themselves: the numerous - outcroppings, the way the waves would collide with the rock, the caves and - small inlets that the water had born away. All these details helped to - complete one heck of a view! I also enjoyed the visitor center, which was - built into the hillsides near the cliffs.
After the cliffs, we make - our way to Kinvara. We stop briefly at the Burren, a barren area of rocks - and not much else. Once we arrive, we check into our B&B and decide to hold - off on Galway until tomorrow night. This leaves us with plenty of time to - explore Kinvara proper. We relax for a bit and make to town for some dinner - and adventures. We decided to stop in at an Italian place called 'The Full - Tide Inn', and while waiting for our food, had quite the heated - philosophical discussion. It really put into perspective for me just how - unprepared I am to defend my own view/the Stoic view of topics. After - dinner, we walked out to Dunguaire Castle, which was unfortunately closed, - but we still were able to explore the surrounding grounds. We learned a bit - of background from a fellow tourist, and then made our way back into town to - buy a few snacks before heading back to our B&B. That night, despite our - best laid plans, we weren't able to get to Scion. However, luckily for me, - the internet access at the B&B was unprotected and therefore I could hop - onto KoL and finish up my ascension! I bought the trophie available to me - (the one regarding food recipies) and clammered through the astral gash to - return once more to my life of adventuring. I ascended as a Sauceror, - holding onto Pastamancy so I can really start to rack up the bonus - adventures from my cooking. A few adventures gone, I manage to get to level - 2 the first day, and am very excited to really get this sauce boiling.
- -Holy crap, today seemed like an entire month's worth of exploration and - adventure. After a delicious traditional Irish breakfast, we made for - Galway.
In Galway we parked and set out for our busiest and most fun - day yet. I can tell you now that my feet are none to happy about the amount - of walking we achieved, but if nothing else this is a good reminder to - properly prepare next time: make sure my shoes are comfortable enough to - walk around in almost constantly. So, we park and make towards the city - center. Galway is situated along the coast of Galway Bay (go figure...) and - has a river running through the center of town. We head down the busy - pedestrian walkway and hit up a few shops. Chris, Suf and Cary all check out - a couple tattoo parlours, and me being less interested make for some good - people watching and relax a bit. We continue our walk through the busy - crowds, and eventually make our way to the river. Exploring it for a bit, - Cary and I decide to stop off at a river-side restaurant called 'Mustard', - where I get one of the most delicious pulled-pork sandwiches I've ever - enjoyed. Afterwards, we met back up with Chris and Suf, and walked out - towards the bay a bit. As we voyaged further away from the city, we met with - a couple of fellow travelers, and discovered a great bar to stop at in town, - known as 'E Brun' or 'The Bridge.' At the bar we met Bill, a local of - Galway, who told us of many great sites and happenings around town. An - important detail of our stay in Galway is that the Galway Races were going - on. Evidently, they're a big deal.
So, after our stop in the pub and a - delicious Guiness, we make to explore and find 'The Crane,' where Shela's - son will be playing live music later in the evening. We find it, and gather - from another local (and rather attractive) girl the location of a couple of - good niteclube. After finding the Crane we decide to hunt our a place to - eat, and eventually wander back to 'Kelly's', which helps to bring back - nostalgic memories of Geneseo and our own Kelly's. We enjoy a deliciously - filling meal there, compliments of Chris, and find out that later in the - evening we can enjoy Crane for some authentic (and rather good) Irish jazz - (which sounds not much different from any other type of jazz...). Thus far, - although I've been able to explain our day in only a few short paragraphs, - we've experienced to us what has felt like a lifetime worth of exploration. - But, the fun is only just about to start.
10:20pm, and we just left - The Crane Bar to head back to the B&B for some kick-ass Scion action. Along - the way, we overhear a few clubs, but nothing really catches our ear until - we get to Kelly's. We can hear the beats from outside, we can feel our feet - aching but wanting to join in, so we head upstairs and find (!!!)... a bunch - of people standing around as a DJ mixes. What a let down! Well, Suf wouldn't - have any of this, and neither would the rest of us, so after settling into - our comfortable corner, Suf finally finds a song that he'll groove to. And - groove he does. Following quickly in suite, we join him on the floor and - find ourselves almost alone dancing. The 4 American tourists are the only - ones dancing in the Irish Niteclub. Almost poetic, mostly pathetic. Well, - this quickly changes, as more people flock to the dance floor after seeing - our amazing example. And by no means am I exaggerating! We literally started - the dance party at a niteclub. We groove it and move it for a good couple of - hours before we take off for new adventures. After a bit of exploring, and a - lot of drunk people, we decide to split up: Chris and Suf head back to - Kelly's for some more dancing, Cary wanders the street talking to people, - and I, the lamest of the group, head back to the car to call it a night. - Before long, we all reconvene, load up the GPS and make our way back to the - B&B. This night has been legendary, and no degree of detailed description - can truly capture just how epic the night was.
Simply put: Galway was - unforgetable.
- -After the unbelievable adventure of Galway, we head out for our next stop in - Northwest Ireland: Ballina.
We set off after saying goodbye to our - thus-far favorite B&B and host Shiela, and head north. As we're driving, we - spot a few turn offs and decide to stop at one of them to explore a bit of - the countryside. We find our way onto a mountain, scale the smaller hills - leading up to it, and eventually make our way back to the car to continue - walking. As we're driving, we happen across one of the more epic scenes of - our voyage: the carved out "seat" of a mountain, which we refer to - afterwards as 'The God Seat.' Surely, the scene of epic Scion games to - come.
As we continue along our voyage, we stop off at Kylemore Abbey, - the most stunning scene I've seen in my life thus far. Imagine a white and - grey castle, then make it less war-oriented and more beautiful, then set it - on a gorgeous lake, at the base of a very impressive mountain. That's - Kylemore Abbey. We park and explore a bit, and I get several good pictures. - Further, I manage to spot a statue of something half way up the mountain, - made of white stone. Whoever made this statue certainly had a lot of - determination!
We leave the Abbey and finish our journey to our B&B - for the evening. We relax, settle in, and finally get to playing some Scion. - Cary volunteered to run first, so we play through the first half of his one - shot: saving a 'shie' from an Irish scion and his giant lackies. My - character, a defensive tank named Derrick Nasher, does quite well. We finish - up the session, spend our exp (making us even more boss), and crash for a - relatively early night.
This B&B also has an encrypted internet, so at - first I'm out of luck. However, on a whim I try out the Chromium build I - brought along (thanks Hexxeh!!), and manage to easily set up a connection - through that! I can't upload any files or pictures very well, but I can - still play some KoL and post a few updates to my social sites. Also, Google - Voice has proven to be a godsend! Being able to text from a website has been - my primary means of keeping in contact with the family back at home.
- -Day 2 of our stay in Ballina. We eat an early breakfast and make for Killary - Adventure for some archery!
We arrive in Killary around noon, and - enjoy an hour of arching with our instructor Kim and another instructor - named Dugal. I managed to shoot 2 bullseyes! It's amazing that if you - actually hold the weapon properly and keep proper form, you can actually aim - with it. Never would have thought otherwise... (/sarcasm). We joked, tried - out some trick shooting, played a HORSE-style game, and all-in-all came out - of the adventure feeling really great. Plus, we all got some wicked "battle - wounds" from the bow on our forearms.
After the archery, we decide to - head to Westport, on advice from Kim, for some shopping and to get lunch. We - immediately (perhaps fatefully) stumble upon a place called 'The Asgard' and - decide that there's no better place to eat in town than here. I enjoy some - Bangers and Mash - Asgard Style - and feel the wonderful feeling of fulness - once more. This trip has been a wonderful venture in delicious foods. The - traditional Irish breakfast (Egg, real bacon, sausages, black and white - pudding, half a tomatoe, toast, tea and juice) is so filling that most of - the time we feel no need to eat before dinner. Today, though, was a glaring - exception; that, and we had a different breakfast of pancakes and poached - eggs. After the Bangers and Mash, we split up: I head off to explore the - riverway and the port, while the others go shopping. I manage to snap quite - a few nice pictures, and figure out some more features on the camera, before - we meet back up and head back to Ballina, and then onwards to Enniscrone, - the birthplace of Cary's ancestors, the Grimes.
We arrive in - Enniscrone around 4:00 in the afternoon, to a beautiful sunny day and warm - weather. Enniscrone in a beach town, so we split up once again, with me - heading out towards the beach and the others once more hitting up the shops. - I walk along the Atlantic Ocean, soaking in the waves and the rays, and - eventually make my way back to the car to relax for a bit. We head back to - the B&B, rest for a bit, and decide that heading back to Enniscrone for some - delicious, authentic Irish-Chinese food would be best. And best it was: we - discovered the awesomness and addictivness that is puffed-rice prawn crisps. - Dinner was good, too.
We head back to the B&B and finish up Cary's - session of Scion. Chris set his crab-tank relic for self-destruct and took - care of all the giants for us, while I managed to manipulate our crazy Irish - scion friend Brian that he forgot how to fight, which led to his untimely - demise (or at least him falling unconscious...). We saved the 'shie', - secured the relic protected inside it, and got Brian's birthrights for - ourselves. A success, and a good start to our Scion adventures yet to come. - Cary hands the GM torch over to Chris, and we begin his session tonight: we - get tasked by Brigid (one of the Tuatha) to help out one of her daughters. - We manage to find her just in time for the night to expire, and so we call - it there. In KoL, I've managed to get to level 4, half-way towards 5, before - I call it a night. I haven't yet played all my available turns, but I'm - making decent progress. With a bit more practice I can probably get getting - to level 6 a 2-day process, which will help to speed through the slower part - of the game.
- -After a restful evening, and another delicious breakfast of pancakes and - poached eggs, we enjoy a quick chat with John, our host, before heading off - on our "driving day from hell." Our course will take us through the middle - of Ireland, stopping off at Athlone to see the oldest bar in Ireland (and - perhaps the world) and eventually into Tipperary for the evening
Our - first stop of the day is in Athlone, a city smack-dab in the middle of - Ireland. The drive to Athlone was a bit long, but still strikingly - beautiful. It seems like Ireland, despite it's rather small size, is still - host to some of the most grandiouse and beautiful scenes I've ever seen. We - arrive in Athlone around noon, and wander around a bit. Suf, Cary and I all - stop in at 'The Snug' for a quick pint, before we take off across the bridge - in the middle of town to hit up some shopping. We stop off in Athlone Castle - along the way for some great pictures, and run into Chris, who had wandered - off to find some shops, after we cross the bridge. Chris and I decide to - backtrack to the Castle, then wander around before we head back to Sean's. - Sean's is the oldest bar in Ireland, dating back towards 900AD, and quite - possible the oldest bar in the world. Obviously, I enjoy a pint of Guiness - before we head back to the car and continue along our day's - journey.
We decide to stop off at Clanmocnoise Abbey, a ruined abbey - just south of Athlone, before heading out to Tipperary. The sites there are - truely amazing, and the ruined Abbey is quite cool as well. The conservation - attempts have, thus far, done a good job of maintaining what was - salvageable, but the Abbey itself is beyond repair. After some cool - pictures, we continue on our way to Tipperary.
We finally arrive at - our destination for the evening. Tipperary is a small town, with a good - amount of shops and a very comfortable atmosphere. Unfortunately, and - unknown to us, due to the Bank Holiday most of the food shops are closed. We - settle for a fast-food place called "American Stars" and apologize to our - digestive tracks before heading back to our B&B for some Scion - action.
Scion has us defending Nikki from a couple of Fenrir, which we - succeed in doing, and then finding out our target was, in fact, a - doppleganger. We discover this a bit too late, though, and end our session - assaulting 'The God Seat' and a Norse Scion, who claims that "the ginger - bitch has got to go." Well, Derrick'll be damned if he let's a potential - future employer die that easily. The stage is set as both Derrick and the - Norse Scion enter their Collosus Armor, Cary's Scion enters his Warpspasm, - and Suf's Scion prepares to make pincushins out of the Frost Giants. After - Scion comes KoL, which sees my progression to level 5 and acquisition of - Advanced Sausecrafting. I adventure for a bit more, before fatigue wins and - I succumb to sleep.
- -Today we headed back to the Rock of Cashel to get a great tour around the - castle grounds. I took lots of pictures, bought a few things for myself and - a great sweater for my mom, fall down a few steps while wandering the castle - grounds (resulting in a beautiful leg-bruise to match my archery-provided - battle wound on my forearm), and we wrap up Tipperary and head to - Cork.
We arrive in Cork and are immediately thrust into the - realization that Cork is quite the large, industrial city. After a bit of - confusion finding our way to our B&B for the night, we decide to take some - naps to recover some energy and mana, and head out to find dinner and some - nighttime entertainment. On the generocity of our very funny and cheery - innkeep, we head to a place called Zak's, and are pleasantly surprised in - the meal; I had a delicious Irish-beef burger, some awesome garlic bread, - and a Murphy's to wash it all down (Murphy's is brewed in Cork; Guiness is - not very welcomed here). We finish dinner, and head out to find some clubs - for the night.
We start our evening off wandering the neighborhood - around Zak's. We find a place, rather populated and playing somewhat good - music, but quickly discover it's overpopulated with Binfo for the night. We - pass this pub, and ask the bouncer for any suggestions, and get pointed - towards a place called "Sober Lane." Ignoring the odd name, we head off in - the appropriate direction and run into a metal pub along the way, so I - insist we stop in and enjoy a drink. We get a pint, enjoy the music, and - move on. 'Sober Lane' turns out to be a much younger-oriented pub, which - doesn't dissappoint us, but it really pulls through when Chris discovers the - dart board in the back corner. We quickly take it over, playing darts until - the pub closes (oddly early, for our expectations), and Chris and I head out - to relax outside. Cary and Suf, being the charmers that they are, end up - chatting it with two girls local to the area, who invite all of us back to a - place called 'Cruscien Lar' (which we all continually misunderstand as - crusifixion). We follow them through the streets of Cork, and eventually - wind up at the closed pub. They hit the secret side enterence, and convince - the owner and co. to let us in.
Cruscien Lar (which I'm sure I'm - spelling wrong), ended up being the undeniable high point of Cork. Once we - got a bit more comfortable and began chatting with everyone, we really ended - up enjoying ourselves! And then, we met Alan. Alan is a veritable world - travelling musician. He has been pretty much everywhere, including state - side, with his band 'The Jordans' and he had many tales to share with us. He - mentioned that the prices for alcohol (and women (...and drugs)) were best - in Slovakia, that you'll never see anything more beautiful than the - Southeastern Asian countries, and that Russia really isn't that bad a place. - Really a lot of what we talked about fell into those topics, and it was a - conversation which I enjoyed thoroughly. Alan taught me that being a world - traveller doesn't take gobs of money and resources. All it takes is a desire - to explore, and a willingness to step outside your comfortable little - box.
Throughout the night we talked with Alan, and his friends Marie - and Ger (the girls which Cary and Suf connected with), about not only their - travels, but also their taste in music (which was gloriously - metal-oriented), their careers, their adventures and their aspirations. As - the night wound down, we all said our farewells, and left through the side - door. Our night was almost at an end! As we wandered back to the B&B, we - stumbled across a rather rowdy bunch, and Suf, being the social butterfly - that he is, decided to hop on board. We eventually were introduced to - Nollagh and her friends, who were travelling in our direction to a supposed - party. Considering we're still young, as was the night, we tagged along and - were eager to arrive at another Irish party. Sadly, the party was a bit of a - bust, and seeing as we were so close to home, we decided to just call it a - night. An awesome night, almost so much to as to rival our crazy adventures - in Galway.
- -After a rather enjoyable rest, we departed from Cork on our way to our final - "big city" stop: Killarney. Killarney has a very homey feel about it. There - are plenty of tourist shops, plenty of sites and sounds to experience, and - the night life is absolutely amazing, but more on that in a bit.
We - arrived at our B&B to find that the owner had stepped out for a bit, so we - decided to just park and wander into town. We quickly found some great - shops, restaurants, pubs, and other such attractions. Chris and I wandered - around a few places, and I ended up finding a few good gifts for the family: - a corkscrew and wine stopper for dad, both made of pewter; and a hat for - Eric, which I think will suit him quite nicely. After a bit more wandering, - we headed back to the B&B to relax and recover before we hit the - town.
I think the most memorable part of Killarney for me was all the - festivities going on at night in the city. Almost every pub had live music, - there were people out walking and having a great time. There were lights, - and food, and music, and drinks... it just felt like a fun place to be! We - started our night wandering around a bit, and found ourselves at an outside - banquet of sorts, with life music. Suf and I, exemplifying our boistrious - nature, led the singing of the chorus (see the quote), and made our mark - early in the Killarney perspective. After our job was done there, we found - our way to a pub called 'Scruffy's', near an amazing hotel. The band playing - there had some great traditional music as well, which we joined in on. Had a - pint, made some friends, moved on down the road to our final destination for - the evening: McSorley's. McSorley's is appropriately named because my feet - at the end of the night were very McSore. To say the least, McSorely's is - about 50% enough to keep me in Ireland. The drinks were great, the - atmosphere was amazing, and, the best part of all, the music was fantastic. - This particular evening we were treated to a performance by a ground called - "Zoot Allures", a cover band. They played an AMAZING set, with so many great - songs, and such great energy, that it made me really wish American clubs - would pull their heads out of their asses and actually play good music. - Anyways, amazing music was played, several videos were filmed, - more-than-several beverages were consumed, and at the end of the night, the - lead singer from the group gave me a great, big bear hug. Naturally, I - returned the favor.
Well, Zoot Allures wasn't the end of the night for - us, as McSorely's has a secret back room dance club, so we obviously had to - make use of that. We danced for a good while, then Chris, Cary and I decided - to take off and get back to the B&B to sleep. We left a window open for Suf. - Once again, to say the least, Killarney is absolutely amazing!
- -I thought the first night was amazing. Holy crap this town just keeps getting - better and better!
So, day 2. After some great, great sleep (which, of - the 4 of us, I'm the only one to wake up in time for breakfast), I clean - myself up and head to town. Yesterday I had seen an "internet cafe," and - figured it would be similar to what we call internet cafes in America (I was - wrong), so I made my way there to get my KoL fix, and check up on the tubes. - Well, the internet cafe was a pay-per-use computer room, so I threw my cash - at the front desk and got a couple hours of hardcore internet access. KoL - Update: beat the boss bat, the Goblin King, and the first part of my Nemesis - quest. Not bad, I guess, but I think it's safe to say that juggling an - acension with travelling abroad is a bit difficult, unless you know what - you're doing. I don't, for the most part.
After lunch at a (surprise!) - Chinese food place, we decided to take the afternoon off and head back to - the B&B to play some more Scion, before McSorley's opened up again. We did - some great stuff, saved the freckled Scion, then I made the decision to let - her die (which ended up coinciding with some major character development, so - that's nice), and then Cary's character died defending her. So, all in all, - we failed our mission, but succeeded at Scion. Huh.
Anyways, - McSorley's opened up shortly after the game, so we hit up dinner (more - Chinese), and I spent some time wandering around getting pictures of the - pubs we had visited. It's funny: my dad complimented me on all the pictures - of the beautiful scenary and what not, but he asked a very important - questions: where are all the pubs?? So I tried to rectify that our last - night in Killarney, snapping a picture of a few placed before winding my way - back to McSorley's for the evening. Round 2... FIGHT!
The cover band - at McSorley's tonight was not as good as the other band, which is the - equivalent as saying that the 200000 Candle-Power flashlight isn't as bright - as the 300000 Candle-power one: they're both way brighter (or, awesomer in - this case) than the required flashlight (or, typical American cover band, in - this case). Tonight's show was by Revenge, who paid tribute to some of the - older songs, including quite a bit of ACDC. We rocked out hard core, really - supporting the band out front by dancing and singing along. Then the moment - happened, the moment that Chris has claimed is the most epic moment of the - trip. The quote says it all, but in short: the band was playing - Thunderstruck by ACDC, and the lead singer lowered the mic to me to scream - "THUNDERSTRUCK!!" into, and it was amazing timing. I do have to say, - sometimes my timing is spectacular. Anyways, that memory will stick with me - forever, and I think with Chris, Suf and Cary as well, so I consider this - night an unbelievable success.
Once more, we invaded the back room, - only this time we stayed until close. We danced our way into another dance - party, because evidently we're all Lords of the Dance, and met some new - friends: May, a French girl there with friends. We danced with them, we - danced with total strangers, and we danced until we couldn't dance any more! - I literally understood what it meant to be out of mana that night. I had - barely the energy to return home, before I just passed out on my - bed.
Killarney is the city I would most enjoy in Ireland. Of all the - places we've gone, it's the city which feels the most alive. It has the - loudest pulse, the brightest flash, the sweetest music; it's the type of - environment I want to live in. While I don't think Ireland is quite the - island for me, if I did decide to live here, Killarney would be my final - destination.
- -Today we all are taking a bit of a down day. After the past 2 nights, I'm - exhausted, and ready to just sit around a do nothing for a bit. Well, - conveniently Cary is getting his tattoo today, so I got my wish. We check - out of our B&B, pack up the car, park in town and go exploring a bit more. - After I stop at the Tourist Information, I learn of a free Wi-Fi pub nearby, - and relax there for a couple of hours, enjoying some tea and playing some - KoL. I don't really achieve anything of any worth in game, and Suf, Cary and - Chris show up just in time for us to work on our Scion characters a bit and - head to dinner. We go to the Chinese food place we hit up last night for - lunch, and then Cary must depart for his tattoo. Chris, Suf and I all decide - to wander back into the pub for a bit, where I finish up my KoL for the day, - enjoy some more Scion, check the email, and generally just chillax.
We - leave Killarney around 5:30 and arrive at our second-to-last destination, - Ballyseede Castle Hotel. Since we have nothing to do until later, we settle - in, relax for a bit and get to playing some more Scion. That's right: WE - ROLEPLAYED IN A CASTLE.
After the session, we split up: Cary, Suf and - Chris all head back to Killarney (a whopping 15 minute drive) to hit up - McSorley's again, and I lame out and take the night off. Whilst waiting for - sleep to drift in, I enjoy some good ol' American past-time and watch a bit - o' telly: 'Analyze That' was on. I watched 'Analyze That' in a castle. Today - is just full of achievements!
- -After a wonderful night's rest in the castle, we pack up our things, enjoy a - delicious breakfast, explore the castle grounds a bit more, and head off to - our final B&B, just outside of Shannon.
As we approached our - destination, we decided to stop by Limerick for lunch/dinner and just - explore our initial landing grounds one last time. We wander to 'The Bitter - End', take some pictures, and find our way to a Chinese food place (big - surprise) and an outdoor pub. Since we couldn't decide on which one to go - to, I suggested we go to both. This decision was met with much happiness. - After we finished our Chinese food (quite delicious), we headed next door, - and was met with delicious desserts and beautiful women. Our waitress let - slip it was her birthday, so in true, boistrious American style, we sang her - 'Happy Birthday!' (Hope it was a good one, Sam!). Apparently she got in - trouble for that... Oops...
Anyways, we hit up our B&B to drop stuff - off, and repack our bags for tomorrow's trip, and finish up our Scion - campaign. We hopped out to 'Durty Nelly's' for a quick dinner (and sadly, - our waitress Una already had her birthday a month ago) of traditional Fish - and Chips, then back to the B&B to finish up our night rolling the dice. - With the campaign finished, we hit the hay in preparation for tomorrow's - voyage. Hopefully none of my loot get's wrecked!
- -And just as quickly as it began, our whirlwind tour comes to an end. We left - the B&B early this morning to get to the airport, returned the car without a - fuss, checked in our baggage, shuffled through customs and passport checks, - and eventually found our way to the gate. The airport in Shannon has free - Wi-Fi, which is epic, so I whiddle away at my turn-count in KoL, achieving - little but still enjoying the game. Shoot off a text to mom letting her know - things are on time, and eventually board my first of three flights for the - day.
The flight is rather uneventful. We're seated next to a kid - flying back from a wedding, so it was fun to chat with him for a bit. Then, - onto the free movies: Iron Man 2 (pretty boss), Hot Tub Time Machine - (really, quite the unknown comedy. Hilarious!) and Repo Men (meh, not really - my bowl of soup...) round out the trip. We land soundly in JFK, disembark, - and find our next flight delayed, so Chris, Suf and I, after bidding - farewell to Cary at the Terminal, head to 'NYC Sports Grill', right outside - our arrival gate from the beginning of the voyage, and enjoy some good ol' - fashion American burgers before our flight to Boston.
The flight to - Boston is painless, despite the Logan Airport's best attempt at being the - worst air port ever (I just really don't like it). We land safe and sound - back home, and I eagerly make my way to baggage claim to make sure - everything is safe there. I get my bags (w00t), find everything in one piece - and accounted for (w00t x2), and bid Chris and Lindsay farewell as my - parents drive up in the van.
Thus, our voyage ends. A successful first - trip overseas, and a more-or-less successful first attempt at travel - blogging too. Methinks I'll have to try this again sometime. Farewell, and - as they say on the Emerald Isle: CHEERS!
diff --git a/_posts/2015-01-01-Ireland-Log.md b/_posts/2015-01-01-Ireland-Log.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8b9a34 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2015-01-01-Ireland-Log.md @@ -0,0 +1,608 @@ +--- + tabtitle: Ireland Log + title: A Log of My Travels in Ireland + topics: other + pub: "2015-01-01" + short_desc: "Once upon a time, I traveled to Ireland. It was quite the + experience. Me, my 3 friends Suf, Chris and Cary, Scion, shenanigans, + Guiness, whiskey, and Thunderstruck." +--- +# Day 1: 07/27/10 + +``` +Melon... *scatter* +``` + +Today is travel day! Heading out right now towards JFK, then a 5 hour lay-over +there, then finally taking off towards the Emerald Isle! I'm both excited and +anxious, but surprisingly calm. I think it's to the point where I'm ready to get +things moving. + +This flight will be rather uneventful: short 55 minute hop to JFK. I'm looking +forward to the longer flight. The time will give me opportunity to read, relax +and think... something I haven't done enough of in the past week. + +# Day 2: 07/28/10 + +``` +Left is safe! +``` + +Today we finally arrived in Ireland, first in Dublin and then Shannon. The trip +over was a bit of a challenge: a lack of sleep combined with an atmosphere +trying to promote one, all wrapped in the situation of no comfortable way to +actually get sleep helped to contribute to me not sleeping more than 30 minutes +tops. On the plus side, I did get to watch Dorian Grey and Percy Jackson on the +way over. Also, they served a very delicious beef stew for dinner; I was +pleasantly surprised. + +Upon arrival, we immediately set out to retrieve our luggage, which arrived +mostly unmolested. Then, as we proceeded out of the terminal, we finally found +our 4th member, Suf, waiting eagerly for our arrival; he had arrived a day +earlier, and had many a story to share about his adventures in Limerick (our +eventual destination for the day). We got our car, forgot our GPS, recovered our +GPS, and began driving toward Limerick from Shannon Airport. We quickly +discovered that, given our American driving-habits, we thought every car driving +on the "wrong side of the road" was going to kill us. I think twice we all +panicked for fear of our lives. But, once we adjusted (or at least, once Suf +did... Cary is still a bit iffy) the drive was relatively quick and painless. We +arrived not more than 30 minutes later in Limerick, and made for the City Center +to explore on foot the many shops and eateries that the city had to offer, as +well as pay a visit to "The Bitter End" Pub, where Suf had visited on the +previous night. We explored for a bit, had lunch at The Bitter End, visited a +shop so Cary could purchase a couple shilelagh (spelling), wander to a tourist +booth for information and, with said acquired directions, made for our first B&B +of the trip: Coonagh Lodge. We relaxed and napped a bit at the Lodge, enough to +recouperate for a voyage back to Limerick, and made for some dinner and +adventure. We explored around, eventually stopping in at a place called +"Wokking" for some authentic Irish Chinese food, which turned out to be very +tasty and filling. We then explored for a pub, stopping at "Charlie St. +George's" pub for a quick pint and some people-watching. Then, we explored a bit +more, and wound up back at The Bitter End to enjoy an evening cup of tea and +some relaxing time. After this, we made back to the B&B, where I discovered that +my power brick likes to make a weird noise as it charges my laptop. I account it +to the different voltage, and pray that it doesn't explode and kill us all. + +Of most important note, Suf decided to enlighten us with some of his arab cab +driving slang, most notable of which is "Why for you fuck my road?" An important +question, to be sure, and one to be answered in the days to come. A very steady +lean into this adventure, which I prefer to the alternative "kick-in-the-door" +style. Hopefully I can figure out some way to get my computer to connect to WPA2 +connections so I can have internet more readily. At least for tonight, I +probably won't get back on (unfortunate news for my KoL desires. Too many +adventures will be wasted after I waste the NS... Oh well...) + +# Day 3: 07/29/10 + +``` +"Ya know, you keep that shirt on much longer, you gonna get jungle rot" - Biff McBodyspray +``` + +Today was our first big travel day. We left Limerick around 11:00 am and made +for Galway. Along the way we stopped in at the Cliffs of Moher, and then +continued on to our destination in Kinvara. + +The Cliffs of Moher are quite the site to see. Set along the Atlantic Ocean is a +couple-mile stretch of sheer cliffs, topped with walkways and occasional watch +towers, or at least ruins of them. We walked the Cliffs for about an hour, just +exploring the different angles and particulars of the cliffs themselves: the +numerous outcroppings, the way the waves would collide with the rock, the caves +and small inlets that the water had born away. All these details helped to +complete one heck of a view! I also enjoyed the visitor center, which was built +into the hillsides near the cliffs. + +After the cliffs, we make our way to Kinvara. We stop briefly at the Burren, a +barren area of rocks and not much else. Once we arrive, we check into our B&B +and decide to hold off on Galway until tomorrow night. This leaves us with +plenty of time to explore Kinvara proper. We relax for a bit and make to town +for some dinner and adventures. We decided to stop in at an Italian place called +'The Full Tide Inn', and while waiting for our food, had quite the heated +philosophical discussion. It really put into perspective for me just how +unprepared I am to defend my own view/the Stoic view of topics. After dinner, we +walked out to Dunguaire Castle, which was unfortunately closed, but we still +were able to explore the surrounding grounds. We learned a bit of background +from a fellow tourist, and then made our way back into town to buy a few snacks +before heading back to our B&B. That night, despite our best laid plans, we +weren't able to get to Scion. However, luckily for me, the internet access at +the B&B was unprotected and therefore I could hop onto KoL and finish up my +ascension! I bought the trophie available to me (the one regarding food +recipies) and clammered through the astral gash to return once more to my life +of adventuring. I ascended as a Sauceror, holding onto Pastamancy so I can +really start to rack up the bonus adventures from my cooking. A few adventures +gone, I manage to get to level 2 the first day, and am very excited to really +get this sauce boiling. + +# Day 4: 07/30/10 + +``` +Be-buh-buh-day, be-buh-buh-day, E-DAY-OH, E-DAY-OH, THAT'S OK! +``` + +Holy crap, today seemed like an entire month's worth of exploration and +adventure. After a delicious traditional Irish breakfast, we made for Galway. + +In Galway we parked and set out for our busiest and most fun day yet. I can tell +you now that my feet are none to happy about the amount of walking we achieved, +but if nothing else this is a good reminder to properly prepare next time: make +sure my shoes are comfortable enough to walk around in almost constantly. So, we +park and make towards the city center. Galway is situated along the coast of +Galway Bay (go figure...) and has a river running through the center of town. We +head down the busy pedestrian walkway and hit up a few shops. Chris, Suf and +Cary all check out a couple tattoo parlours, and me being less interested make +for some good people watching and relax a bit. We continue our walk through the +busy crowds, and eventually make our way to the river. Exploring it for a bit, +Cary and I decide to stop off at a river-side restaurant called 'Mustard', where +I get one of the most delicious pulled-pork sandwiches I've ever enjoyed. +Afterwards, we met back up with Chris and Suf, and walked out towards the bay a +bit. As we voyaged further away from the city, we met with a couple of fellow +travelers, and discovered a great bar to stop at in town, known as 'E Brun' or +'The Bridge.' At the bar we met Bill, a local of Galway, who told us of many +great sites and happenings around town. An important detail of our stay in +Galway is that the Galway Races were going on. Evidently, they're a big deal. + +So, after our stop in the pub and a delicious Guiness, we make to explore and +find 'The Crane,' where Shela's son will be playing live music later in the +evening. We find it, and gather from another local (and rather attractive) girl +the location of a couple of good niteclube. After finding the Crane we decide to +hunt our a place to eat, and eventually wander back to 'Kelly's', which helps to +bring back nostalgic memories of Geneseo and our own Kelly's. We enjoy a +deliciously filling meal there, compliments of Chris, and find out that later in +the evening we can enjoy Crane for some authentic (and rather good) Irish jazz +(which sounds not much different from any other type of jazz...). Thus far, +although I've been able to explain our day in only a few short paragraphs, we've +experienced to us what has felt like a lifetime worth of exploration. But, the +fun is only just about to start. + +10:20pm, and we just left The Crane Bar to head back to the B&B for some +kick-ass Scion action. Along the way, we overhear a few clubs, but nothing +really catches our ear until we get to Kelly's. We can hear the beats from +outside, we can feel our feet aching but wanting to join in, so we head upstairs +and find (!!!)... a bunch of people standing around as a DJ mixes. What a let +down! Well, Suf wouldn't have any of this, and neither would the rest of us, so +after settling into our comfortable corner, Suf finally finds a song that he'll +groove to. And groove he does. Following quickly in suite, we join him on the +floor and find ourselves almost alone dancing. The 4 American tourists are the +only ones dancing in the Irish Niteclub. Almost poetic, mostly pathetic. Well, +this quickly changes, as more people flock to the dance floor after seeing our +amazing example. And by no means am I exaggerating! We literally started the +dance party at a niteclub. We groove it and move it for a good couple of hours +before we take off for new adventures. After a bit of exploring, and a lot of +drunk people, we decide to split up: Chris and Suf head back to Kelly's for some +more dancing, Cary wanders the street talking to people, and I, the lamest of +the group, head back to the car to call it a night. Before long, we all +reconvene, load up the GPS and make our way back to the B&B. This night has been +legendary, and no degree of detailed description can truly capture just how epic +the night was. + +Simply put: Galway was unforgetable. + +# Day 5: 07/31/10 + +``` +"Where are we heading again? Ballerina?" "BALLINA!" +``` + +After the unbelievable adventure of Galway, we head out for our next stop in +Northwest Ireland: Ballina. + +We set off after saying goodbye to our thus-far favorite B&B and host Shiela, +and head north. As we're driving, we spot a few turn offs and decide to stop at +one of them to explore a bit of the countryside. We find our way onto a +mountain, scale the smaller hills leading up to it, and eventually make our way +back to the car to continue walking. As we're driving, we happen across one of +the more epic scenes of our voyage: the carved out "seat" of a mountain, which +we refer to afterwards as 'The God Seat.' Surely, the scene of epic Scion games +to come. + +As we continue along our voyage, we stop off at Kylemore Abbey, the most +stunning scene I've seen in my life thus far. Imagine a white and grey castle, +then make it less war-oriented and more beautiful, then set it on a gorgeous +lake, at the base of a very impressive mountain. That's Kylemore Abbey. We park +and explore a bit, and I get several good pictures. Further, I manage to spot a +statue of something half way up the mountain, made of white stone. Whoever made +this statue certainly had a lot of determination! + +We leave the Abbey and finish our journey to our B&B for the evening. We relax, +settle in, and finally get to playing some Scion. Cary volunteered to run +first, so we play through the first half of his one shot: saving a 'shie' from +an Irish scion and his giant lackies. My character, a defensive tank named +Derrick Nasher, does quite well. We finish up the session, spend our exp (making +us even more boss), and crash for a relatively early night. + +This B&B also has an encrypted internet, so at first I'm out of luck. However, +on a whim I try out the Chromium build I brought along (thanks Hexxeh!!), and +manage to easily set up a connection through that! I can't upload any files or +pictures very well, but I can still play some KoL and post a few updates to my +social sites. Also, Google Voice has proven to be a godsend! Being able to text +from a website has been my primary means of keeping in contact with the family +back at home. + +# Day 6: 08/01/10 + +``` +"...just chillax..." + +"Woah... I never expected to hear 'chillax' outside of the states!" + +- A conversation between Kim and Chris +``` + +Day 2 of our stay in Ballina. We eat an early breakfast and make for Killary +Adventure for some archery! + +We arrive in Killary around noon, and enjoy an hour of arching with our +instructor Kim and another instructor named Dugal. I managed to shoot 2 +bullseyes! It's amazing that if you actually hold the weapon properly and keep +proper form, you can actually aim with it. Never would have thought otherwise... +(/sarcasm). We joked, tried out some trick shooting, played a HORSE-style game, +and all-in-all came out of the adventure feeling really great. Plus, we all got +some wicked "battle wounds" from the bow on our forearms. + +After the archery, we decide to head to Westport, on advice from Kim, for some +shopping and to get lunch. We immediately (perhaps fatefully) stumble upon a +place called 'The Asgard' and decide that there's no better place to eat in town +than here. I enjoy some Bangers and Mash - Asgard Style - and feel the wonderful +feeling of fulness once more. This trip has been a wonderful venture in +delicious foods. The traditional Irish breakfast (Egg, real bacon, sausages, +black and white pudding, half a tomatoe, toast, tea and juice) is so filling +that most of the time we feel no need to eat before dinner. Today, though, was a +glaring exception; that, and we had a different breakfast of pancakes and +poached eggs. After the Bangers and Mash, we split up: I head off to explore the +riverway and the port, while the others go shopping. I manage to snap quite a +few nice pictures, and figure out some more features on the camera, before we +meet back up and head back to Ballina, and then onwards to Enniscrone, the +birthplace of Cary's ancestors, the Grimes. + +We arrive in Enniscrone around 4:00 in the afternoon, to a beautiful sunny day +and warm weather. Enniscrone in a beach town, so we split up once again, with me +heading out towards the beach and the others once more hitting up the shops. I +walk along the Atlantic Ocean, soaking in the waves and the rays, and eventually +make my way back to the car to relax for a bit. We head back to the B&B, rest +for a bit, and decide that heading back to Enniscrone for some delicious, +authentic Irish-Chinese food would be best. And best it was: we discovered the +awesomness and addictivness that is puffed-rice prawn crisps. Dinner was good, +too. + +We head back to the B&B and finish up Cary's session of Scion. Chris set his +crab-tank relic for self-destruct and took care of all the giants for us, while +I managed to manipulate our crazy Irish scion friend Brian that he forgot how to +fight, which led to his untimely demise (or at least him falling +unconscious...). We saved the 'shie', secured the relic protected inside it, and +got Brian's birthrights for ourselves. A success, and a good start to our Scion +adventures yet to come. Cary hands the GM torch over to Chris, and we begin his +session tonight: we get tasked by Brigid (one of the Tuatha) to help out one of +her daughters. We manage to find her just in time for the night to expire, and +so we call it there. In KoL, I've managed to get to level 4, half-way towards 5, +before I call it a night. I haven't yet played all my available turns, but I'm +making decent progress. With a bit more practice I can probably get getting to +level 6 a 2-day process, which will help to speed through the slower part of the +game. + +# Day 7: 08/02/10 + +``` +Worst. Bank. Holiday. Ever. +``` + +After a restful evening, and another delicious breakfast of pancakes and poached +eggs, we enjoy a quick chat with John, our host, before heading off on our +"driving day from hell." Our course will take us through the middle of Ireland, +stopping off at Athlone to see the oldest bar in Ireland (and perhaps the world) +and eventually into Tipperary for the evening + +Our first stop of the day is in Athlone, a city smack-dab in the middle of +Ireland. The drive to Athlone was a bit long, but still strikingly beautiful. It +seems like Ireland, despite it's rather small size, is still host to some of the +most grandiouse and beautiful scenes I've ever seen. We arrive in Athlone around +noon, and wander around a bit. Suf, Cary and I all stop in at 'The Snug' for a +quick pint, before we take off across the bridge in the middle of town to hit up +some shopping. We stop off in Athlone Castle along the way for some great +pictures, and run into Chris, who had wandered off to find some shops, after we +cross the bridge. Chris and I decide to backtrack to the Castle, then wander +around before we head back to Sean's. Sean's is the oldest bar in Ireland, +dating back towards 900AD, and quite possible the oldest bar in the world. +Obviously, I enjoy a pint of Guiness before we head back to the car and continue +along our day's journey. + +We decide to stop off at Clanmocnoise Abbey, a ruined abbey just south of +Athlone, before heading out to Tipperary. The sites there are truely amazing, +and the ruined Abbey is quite cool as well. The conservation attempts have, thus +far, done a good job of maintaining what was salvageable, but the Abbey itself +is beyond repair. After some cool pictures, we continue on our way to Tipperary. + +We finally arrive at our destination for the evening. Tipperary is a small town, +with a good amount of shops and a very comfortable atmosphere. Unfortunately, +and unknown to us, due to the Bank Holiday most of the food shops are closed. We +settle for a fast-food place called "American Stars" and apologize to our +digestive tracks before heading back to our B&B for some Scion action. + +Scion has us defending Nikki from a couple of Fenrir, which we succeed in doing, +and then finding out our target was, in fact, a doppleganger. We discover this a +bit too late, though, and end our session assaulting 'The God Seat' and a Norse +Scion, who claims that "the ginger bitch has got to go." Well, Derrick'll be +damned if he let's a potential future employer die that easily. The stage is set +as both Derrick and the Norse Scion enter their Collosus Armor, Cary's Scion +enters his Warpspasm, and Suf's Scion prepares to make pincushins out of the +Frost Giants. After Scion comes KoL, which sees my progression to level 5 and +acquisition of Advanced Sausecrafting. I adventure for a bit more, before +fatigue wins and I succumb to sleep. + +# Day 8: 08/03/10 + +``` +"There any bars... excuse me... pubs around here?" + +"Welcome to Ireland, lad!" + +- A conversation between me and a bouncer +``` + +Today we headed back to the Rock of Cashel to get a great tour around the castle +grounds. I took lots of pictures, bought a few things for myself and a great +sweater for my mom, fall down a few steps while wandering the castle grounds +(resulting in a beautiful leg-bruise to match my archery-provided battle wound +on my forearm), and we wrap up Tipperary and head to Cork. + +We arrive in Cork and are immediately thrust into the realization that Cork is +quite the large, industrial city. After a bit of confusion finding our way to +our B&B for the night, we decide to take some naps to recover some energy and +mana, and head out to find dinner and some nighttime entertainment. On the +generocity of our very funny and cheery innkeep, we head to a place called +Zak's, and are pleasantly surprised in the meal; I had a delicious Irish-beef +burger, some awesome garlic bread, and a Murphy's to wash it all down (Murphy's +is brewed in Cork; Guiness is not very welcomed here). We finish dinner, and +head out to find some clubs for the night. + +We start our evening off wandering the neighborhood around Zak's. We find a +place, rather populated and playing somewhat good music, but quickly discover +it's overpopulated with Binfo for the night. We pass this pub, and ask the +bouncer for any suggestions, and get pointed towards a place called "Sober +Lane." Ignoring the odd name, we head off in the appropriate direction and run +into a metal pub along the way, so I insist we stop in and enjoy a drink. We get +a pint, enjoy the music, and move on. 'Sober Lane' turns out to be a much +younger-oriented pub, which doesn't dissappoint us, but it really pulls through +when Chris discovers the dart board in the back corner. We quickly take it over, +playing darts until the pub closes (oddly early, for our expectations), and +Chris and I head out to relax outside. Cary and Suf, being the charmers that +they are, end up chatting it with two girls local to the area, who invite all of +us back to a place called 'Cruscien Lar' (which we all continually misunderstand +as crusifixion). We follow them through the streets of Cork, and eventually wind +up at the closed pub. They hit the secret side enterence, and convince the owner +and co. to let us in. + +Cruscien Lar (which I'm sure I'm spelling wrong), ended up being the undeniable +high point of Cork. Once we got a bit more comfortable and began chatting with +everyone, we really ended up enjoying ourselves! And then, we met Alan. Alan is +a veritable world travelling musician. He has been pretty much everywhere, +including state side, with his band 'The Jordans' and he had many tales to share +with us. He mentioned that the prices for alcohol (and women (...and drugs)) +were best in Slovakia, that you'll never see anything more beautiful than the +Southeastern Asian countries, and that Russia really isn't that bad a place. +Really a lot of what we talked about fell into those topics, and it was a +conversation which I enjoyed thoroughly. Alan taught me that being a world +traveller doesn't take gobs of money and resources. All it takes is a desire to +explore, and a willingness to step outside your comfortable little box. + +Throughout the night we talked with Alan, and his friends Marie and Ger (the +girls which Cary and Suf connected with), about not only their travels, but also +their taste in music (which was gloriously metal-oriented), their careers, their +adventures and their aspirations. As the night wound down, we all said our +farewells, and left through the side door. Our night was almost at an end! As we +wandered back to the B&B, we stumbled across a rather rowdy bunch, and Suf, +being the social butterfly that he is, decided to hop on board. We eventually +were introduced to Nollagh and her friends, who were travelling in our direction +to a supposed party. Considering we're still young, as was the night, we tagged +along and were eager to arrive at another Irish party. Sadly, the party was a +bit of a bust, and seeing as we were so close to home, we decided to just call +it a night. An awesome night, almost so much to as to rival our crazy adventures +in Galway. + +# Day 9: 08/04/10 + +``` +My father's name is Merry Merry Mack! +``` + +After a rather enjoyable rest, we departed from Cork on our way to our final +"big city" stop: Killarney. Killarney has a very homey feel about it. There are +plenty of tourist shops, plenty of sites and sounds to experience, and the night +life is absolutely amazing, but more on that in a bit. + +We arrived at our B&B to find that the owner had stepped out for a bit, so we +decided to just park and wander into town. We quickly found some great shops, +restaurants, pubs, and other such attractions. Chris and I wandered around a few +places, and I ended up finding a few good gifts for the family: a corkscrew and +wine stopper for dad, both made of pewter; and a hat for Eric, which I think +will suit him quite nicely. After a bit more wandering, we headed back to the +B&B to relax and recover before we hit the town. + +I think the most memorable part of Killarney for me was all the festivities +going on at night in the city. Almost every pub had live music, there were +people out walking and having a great time. There were lights, and food, and +music, and drinks... it just felt like a fun place to be! We started our night +wandering around a bit, and found ourselves at an outside banquet of sorts, with +life music. Suf and I, exemplifying our boistrious nature, led the singing of +the chorus (see the quote), and made our mark early in the Killarney +perspective. After our job was done there, we found our way to a pub called +'Scruffy's', near an amazing hotel. The band playing there had some great +traditional music as well, which we joined in on. Had a pint, made some friends, +moved on down the road to our final destination for the evening: McSorley's. +McSorley's is appropriately named because my feet at the end of the night were +very McSore. To say the least, McSorely's is about 50% enough to keep me in +Ireland. The drinks were great, the atmosphere was amazing, and, the best part +of all, the music was fantastic. This particular evening we were treated to a +performance by a ground called "Zoot Allures", a cover band. They played an +AMAZING set, with so many great songs, and such great energy, that it made me +really wish American clubs would pull their heads out of their asses and +actually play good music. Anyways, amazing music was played, several videos +were filmed, more-than-several beverages were consumed, and at the end of the +night, the lead singer from the group gave me a great, big bear hug. Naturally, +I returned the favor. + +Well, Zoot Allures wasn't the end of the night for us, as McSorely's has a +secret back room dance club, so we obviously had to make use of that. We danced +for a good while, then Chris, Cary and I decided to take off and get back to the +B&B to sleep. We left a window open for Suf. Once again, to say the least, +Killarney is absolutely amazing! + +# Day 10: 08/05/10 + +``` +The room fell silent, as the man lowered his microphone to the crowd. A single +bewildered bystander asked, "Yeah?" The man only nodded, a knowning nod. The +bystander tipped his head back, and breathed deep the pub air, and finally, as +the tension grew to an unberable level, cried out: "THUNDERSTRUCK!!!" +``` + +I thought the first night was amazing. Holy crap this town just keeps getting +better and better! + +So, day 2. After some great, great sleep (which, of the 4 of us, I'm the only +one to wake up in time for breakfast), I clean myself up and head to town. +Yesterday I had seen an "internet cafe," and figured it would be similar to what +we call internet cafes in America (I was wrong), so I made my way there to get +my KoL fix, and check up on the tubes. Well, the internet cafe was a +pay-per-use computer room, so I threw my cash at the front desk and got a couple +hours of hardcore internet access. KoL Update: beat the boss bat, the Goblin +King, and the first part of my Nemesis quest. Not bad, I guess, but I think it's +safe to say that juggling an acension with travelling abroad is a bit difficult, +unless you know what you're doing. I don't, for the most part. + +After lunch at a (surprise!) Chinese food place, we decided to take the +afternoon off and head back to the B&B to play some more Scion, before +McSorley's opened up again. We did some great stuff, saved the freckled Scion, +then I made the decision to let her die (which ended up coinciding with some +major character development, so that's nice), and then Cary's character died +defending her. So, all in all, we failed our mission, but succeeded at Scion. +Huh. + +Anyways, McSorley's opened up shortly after the game, so we hit up dinner (more +Chinese), and I spent some time wandering around getting pictures of the pubs we +had visited. It's funny: my dad complimented me on all the pictures of the +beautiful scenary and what not, but he asked a very important questions: where +are all the pubs?? So I tried to rectify that our last night in Killarney, +snapping a picture of a few placed before winding my way back to McSorley's for +the evening. Round 2... FIGHT! + +The cover band at McSorley's tonight was not as good as the other band, which is +the equivalent as saying that the 200000 Candle-Power flashlight isn't as bright +as the 300000 Candle-power one: they're both way brighter (or, awesomer in this +case) than the required flashlight (or, typical American cover band, in this +case). Tonight's show was by Revenge, who paid tribute to some of the older +songs, including quite a bit of ACDC. We rocked out hard core, really supporting +the band out front by dancing and singing along. Then the moment happened, the +moment that Chris has claimed is the most epic moment of the trip. The quote +says it all, but in short: the band was playing Thunderstruck by ACDC, and the +lead singer lowered the mic to me to scream "THUNDERSTRUCK!!" into, and it was +amazing timing. I do have to say, sometimes my timing is spectacular. Anyways, +that memory will stick with me forever, and I think with Chris, Suf and Cary as +well, so I consider this night an unbelievable success. + +Once more, we invaded the back room, only this time we stayed until close. We +danced our way into another dance party, because evidently we're all Lords of +the Dance, and met some new friends: May, a French girl there with friends. We +danced with them, we danced with total strangers, and we danced until we +couldn't dance any more! I literally understood what it meant to be out of mana +that night. I had barely the energy to return home, before I just passed out on +my bed. + +Killarney is the city I would most enjoy in Ireland. Of all the places we've +gone, it's the city which feels the most alive. It has the loudest pulse, the +brightest flash, the sweetest music; it's the type of environment I want to live +in. While I don't think Ireland is quite the island for me, if I did decide to +live here, Killarney would be my final destination. + +# Day 11: 08/06/10 + +``` +Wow, this place is nice. I don't think we belong here. +``` + +Today we all are taking a bit of a down day. After the past 2 nights, I'm +exhausted, and ready to just sit around a do nothing for a bit. Well, +conveniently Cary is getting his tattoo today, so I got my wish. We check out of +our B&B, pack up the car, park in town and go exploring a bit more. After I +stop at the Tourist Information, I learn of a free Wi-Fi pub nearby, and relax +there for a couple of hours, enjoying some tea and playing some KoL. I don't +really achieve anything of any worth in game, and Suf, Cary and Chris show up +just in time for us to work on our Scion characters a bit and head to dinner. We +go to the Chinese food place we hit up last night for lunch, and then Cary must +depart for his tattoo. Chris, Suf and I all decide to wander back into the pub +for a bit, where I finish up my KoL for the day, enjoy some more Scion, check +the email, and generally just chillax. + +We leave Killarney around 5:30 and arrive at our second-to-last destination, +Ballyseede Castle Hotel. Since we have nothing to do until later, we settle in, +relax for a bit and get to playing some more Scion. That's right: WE ROLEPLAYED +IN A CASTLE. + +After the session, we split up: Cary, Suf and Chris all head back to Killarney +(a whopping 15 minute drive) to hit up McSorley's again, and I lame out and take +the night off. Whilst waiting for sleep to drift in, I enjoy some good ol' +American past-time and watch a bit o' telly: 'Analyze That' was on. I watched +'Analyze That' in a castle. Today is just full of achievements! + +# Day 12: 08/07/10 + +``` +"Ma'am? A quick question. We named the dogs: this one is named Roger the Mighty, +and this one is named George the Stout. How close were we?" +``` + +After a wonderful night's rest in the castle, we pack up our things, enjoy a +delicious breakfast, explore the castle grounds a bit more, and head off to our +final B&B, just outside of Shannon. + +As we approached our destination, we decided to stop by Limerick for +lunch/dinner and just explore our initial landing grounds one last time. We +wander to 'The Bitter End', take some pictures, and find our way to a Chinese +food place (big surprise) and an outdoor pub. Since we couldn't decide on which +one to go to, I suggested we go to both. This decision was met with much +happiness. After we finished our Chinese food (quite delicious), we headed next +door, and was met with delicious desserts and beautiful women. Our waitress let +slip it was her birthday, so in true, boistrious American style, we sang her +'Happy Birthday!' (Hope it was a good one, Sam!). Apparently she got in trouble +for that... Oops... + +Anyways, we hit up our B&B to drop stuff off, and repack our bags for tomorrow's +trip, and finish up our Scion campaign. We hopped out to 'Durty Nelly's' for a +quick dinner (and sadly, our waitress Una already had her birthday a month ago) +of traditional Fish and Chips, then back to the B&B to finish up our night +rolling the dice. With the campaign finished, we hit the hay in preparation for +tomorrow's voyage. Hopefully none of my loot get's wrecked! + +# Day 13: 08/08/10 + +``` +"Do I really have to be the asshole to say that we travelled back in time in +that hot tub?" - Hot Tub Time Machine +``` + +And just as quickly as it began, our whirlwind tour comes to an end. We left the +B&B early this morning to get to the airport, returned the car without a fuss, +checked in our baggage, shuffled through customs and passport checks, and +eventually found our way to the gate. The airport in Shannon has free Wi-Fi, +which is epic, so I whiddle away at my turn-count in KoL, achieving little but +still enjoying the game. Shoot off a text to mom letting her know things are on +time, and eventually board my first of three flights for the day. + +The flight is rather uneventful. We're seated next to a kid flying back from a +wedding, so it was fun to chat with him for a bit. Then, onto the free movies: +Iron Man 2 (pretty boss), Hot Tub Time Machine (really, quite the unknown +comedy. Hilarious!) and Repo Men (meh, not really my bowl of soup...) round out +the trip. We land soundly in JFK, disembark, and find our next flight delayed, +so Chris, Suf and I, after bidding farewell to Cary at the Terminal, head to +'NYC Sports Grill', right outside our arrival gate from the beginning of the +voyage, and enjoy some good ol' fashion American burgers before our flight to +Boston. + +The flight to Boston is painless, despite the Logan Airport's best attempt at +being the worst air port ever (I just really don't like it). We land safe and +sound back home, and I eagerly make my way to baggage claim to make sure +everything is safe there. I get my bags (w00t), find everything in one piece and +accounted for (w00t x2), and bid Chris and Lindsay farewell as my parents drive +up in the van. + +Thus, our voyage ends. A successful first trip overseas, and a more-or-less +successful first attempt at travel blogging too. Methinks I'll have to try this +again sometime. Farewell, and as they say on the Emerald Isle: CHEERS! diff --git a/_posts/2015-05-06-TLS-Part-1.html b/_posts/2015-05-06-TLS-Part-1.html index 550b1ed..c4bbe23 100644 --- a/_posts/2015-05-06-TLS-Part-1.html +++ b/_posts/2015-05-06-TLS-Part-1.html @@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ thanks to TCP.Part 2 focuses more on the specifics of TLS: certificates, cipher suites, and public key authentication.
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