I, along with the other international student teachers, set up a Paddy Wagon tour to Northern Ireland. Paddy Wagon is a notable tour company that takes groups to the major attractions in Ireland. Our trip to Giants Causeway and Derry included the "services of an expert Paddywagon Northern Ireland guide" and a ride in "a luxury Mercedes Paddywagon van." Check out the van!!!
We began our adventures nice and early...3:45am! In order to get into Dublin to catch our Paddywagon we had to get a ride at 4:05am into town. Completely exhausted from the previous week's adventures, this was no easy task. And...we encountered a bit of a problem with public transportation into Dublin. We misunderstood that the AirCoach bus, which travels 24hours, only lets passengers off at the airport and not the other stops, and the bus driver rudely reminded us of our fault. So...Nick called his host mother, who graciously picked us up and took us into town in the early morning. We managed to find the Paddywagon office in Dublin after a few missed turns, only to wait another 45 minutes or so for the tour to begin. We could all tell that it was going to be a long day!
A bus picked us up at 6:00am, our destination-- Belfast in Northern Ireland. Being such a long ride, nearly two and a half hours, I dozed off. When I woke up, I found myself in a new city, which resembled Dublin in many ways. The bus dropped us off and waiting in front of us was the Paddywagon! How could you miss a bright green van with a large leprechaun on the side! We jumped on the wagon and off we went through Belfast to the countryside.
Our tour guide, Captain Conrad, was quite the character. He spouted off little anecdotes about Irish culture and history as we bumped along the roads towards the Northern coast. As we left the city, all of a sudden it turned into vast green fields covered in little white specks (sheep!). What was most remarkable about these fields was the fact that they were still outlined by miles, or should I say kilometers, of fences made of broken stones. Ireland is all about outlining property with tall and heavy stone walls. When you walk down the sidewalk, you walk next to a series of giant walls where you can barely see over the tops to the homes. And it is interesting to see this carried through into the countryside, but I'm guessing it's a little more appropriate here for the sheep. But anyways...
We approached the coast, and had it been a clear day we could have seen across the waters to Scotland. But as our luck would have it, we came on a dreary day. In fact it was the worst day weather wise I had seen while in Ireland: cold, windy, and rainy...a great day for exploring outdoors (not!). Our first stop was along the coast at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. For a small fee you can cross the bridge, but it had closed due to the windy conditions of the day. And when you look at the picture you can absolutely tell why they would shut the bridge down on windy days! Originally this bridge had been used by local fishermen so that they could gain access to a different part of the waters. Now it is a major tourist attraction, and with good reason. The view is phenomenal!
The rain decided to pick up as we traveled back to the Paddywagon, and the wind was far from gentle. It was worse than Boone!! But we all made it back in one piece, just a little damp. As we continued down the coast, our guide pointed out the Dunluce Castle, some of the most beautiful and famous castle ruins in the North. We made a quick photo-stop, and then made our way to Giants Causeway.
Giants Causeway is one of the World's Wonders! It was absolutely fascinating to see the stones so rightly shaped and placed in this harbor. It really did look as if someone had constructed the stones in an attempt to make a building of sorts. The stones are basalt columns created by lava flow many many years ago. They were able to get their shape due to the accelerated cooling of the ocean water. That's the scientific reasoning behind the creation.
There is an Irish tale of the formation as well. Finn MacCool, an Irish knight, challenged a Scottish giant by throwing a bit of earth over to Scotland. The giant promptly responded by throwing some back, creating a pathway across; a causeway. The challenges continued with threats of crossing the Channel. MacCool worked tirelessly preparing his land for the giant. The giant decided to finally go after MacCool and take care of the situation, but the witty MacCool disguised himself as a baby in his own house. The giant came, and MacCool's wife offered some food, which were actually stones. The giant not knowing any better ate the stones, broke his teeth, and decided that whoever ate such stone must be pretty tough. He then saw the "baby" in the corner of the room sleeping.
When the giant saw the size of such baby he became threatened and frightened, thinking that whoever fathered such a large baby must be a large and powerful man. MacCool, playing the part grabbed the giant's finger and bit as hard as he could. Seeing the power of the baby, the giant thought the father must be that much more powerful. Fearful, the giant fled back to Scotland destroying the causeway as he ran. And that is the supposed tale of Giants Causeway. Here are some pictures of Giants Causeway.
We made one final stop with the Paddywagon tour in Derry, or Londonderry. Derry is most well-known for its defensive walls that protect the city, which are still intact. We walked the walls of Derry, stopping to look at the cannons that lined them, and an old cathedral in the center of town. It was a bustling town, mainly filled with shopping. It's fascinating to think that these walls were once used for protection in battle.
Finally, we finished the tour and enjoyed a relaxing three hour ride back to Dublin. We stopped at a pub on our way to the DART to celebrate our survival in the wind and rain. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience on this trip. I learned a lot, and acquired some pence and pounds while in the North because it is a separate entity from the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the English. I had a wonderful time, and would definitely consider taking another Paddywagon tour in Ireland!