First, I cannot believe that I only have three more weeks left. I have been having such a wonderful time, I have lost track of the days.
On Thursday, November 19th, after teaching my 3rd class their English lesson, I promised them that if they behaved, they would be given a surprise at the end of the day. I had decided to teach the children about the U.S. currency, as well as show them my driver’s license. I had obtained this idea from getting bus money, at the end of the day, from my wallet.
Every time I would open my purse, I would notice curious faces with prying eyes, wanting to see what was inside. The students were absolutely amazed and fascinated, and their hands reached out all at once to touch the money. I showed them a $1, a $5, a $10, and a $20, as well as a penny, dime, and a quarter (Unfortunately, I did not have a nickel.). Originally, I was not going to give the students my driver’s license, but they requested to see it. In Ireland, the driver’s license is on a sheet of paper; therefore, it is different from our plastic cards. The students’ also requested to see my passport, but I did not bring it to school. However, I told them that I would bring it in for them to look at.
Also, on Friday, Heather and I went on a 3-day Paddy Wagon Tour. The tour was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Our tour bus was 45 minutes away from Galway, when we came across a road that was closed, because an accumulation of rainfall had flooded the area. Our bus driver, Phil, asked a Garda (police officer) if he should attempt at driving through the water.
The Garda told him that if he put the bus in first gear, he should be able to make it across. After talking to the Garda, Phil asked us if he should drive on, or turn the bus around and find another route. Most of the tourists, minus Heather and I, yelled at Phil to do it. My heart stopped when Phil put his foot on the pedal and drove right through the water. I saw the water come over the hood of the bus, and then, the engine stalled, and the bus was surrounded by water on all sides. We were stranded for 2 hours, until a tractor was finally able to pull our bus out of the water.
However, the bus was deemed dead; therefore, we had to take a school bus to Galway. We arrived at Galway around 7 o’clock, and after having checked into the hostel, most of the travelers (including myself) decided to find the nearest laundry mat. We needed to find a laundry mat because the trunk of the bus had been flooded, and most of the tourists’ suitcases had been soaked. I shared the cost of the washer and dryer with Steph, who was from Australia. I had spent 2 hours at the laundry mat.
Saturday, the second day of the tour, was much better. We saw the Cliffs of Mohr, which were breath-taking. Actually, I was really surprised at how windy the cliffs were. I was told by one of the teachers at school that many accidents occur on the cliffs because of the heavy wind. Seriously, it felt as though I was about to take flight.
Also, I learned a lot about Irish folklore and superstitions. For example, Phil (our driver) pointed out several fairy trees and circles. It is a bad omen to disturb these natural wonders. He also drove us to a wishing well. Similar to the Trevi Fountain (in Rome, Italy), you make a wish on a coin, and then you throw it over your left shoulder, and into the water. I also kissed the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, which guarantees me 7 years of good luck.
Overall, I had a great experience with the Paddy Wagon Tour, and I am hoping to go on another tour in a couple of weeks, in the attempt to explore Northern Ireland. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to make new friends, as well as have fun, and learn about the history and experience the beauty of Ireland.
Also, I found out that my USB external port (on my laptop) is not reading my camera or my card reader. Therefore, I am going to try a computer at school, and hopefully, it will work!