Here's an excerp from a recent e-mail home

I've moved on from Wicklow now, and am in Dublin. I had GREAT crack in Wicklow too though! On my last day we went on a hike in the woods and came across a river. This river was beautifull, so we stopped to enjoy it. 'Twas at that poin that we found 11 500ml bottles of cider. So . . . we took 'em. While we were gathering these beer, I happened to look into the river and notice a full can of Budwiser floating past. Following that I found a fottle of Miller sitting in the shallows. 'Twas grand and it was the start of a great night!

I arrived in Dublin yesterday around noonish. I managed to find a German couple who would put me up for an indefinite period (always a good thing) and along with them came a couple of guys from Germany, a girl from Finland, and another girl from Argentina. They're all great craic and today a bunch of us snuck (we didn't have to try very hard) into the Guinness brewery. We did the entire thing, went to a tasting, and at the end of the tour, some American guy I just bumped into asked me 'Hey, do you want a free beer?' My obvious answer was 'Yes!' and there I was, enjoying a 360 degree view of dublin, in a pub that I wasn't allowed into without paying, with a pint of Guinness that I didn't have to pay for.

Tonight we're going to go to a free pub that's going to play reggae/sca/dub/Brazillian music. Should be good, but if not, who cares, something else is going on within a couple of minuites walk.

Seeing as this blog's been so popular lately . . .

I'm out of Galway. It took me a little longer than I had planned to pry myself away from everything and everyone that was keeping me there, but I've moved on. I'm in Co. Wicklow now (actually at the moment I'm in the library in Wicklow Town) and I'm working on a farm again.

It's really cool. It's called Carraig Dúlra (can't seem to link to it, but the URL is http://www.dulra.org/) and it's not only a farm, but also a traditional skills bank. It's on Carraig Mountain which is lovely, and I spend everyday outside. I sleep on sheepskins on the floor of a yurt and we cook all our meals in either an outdoor kitchen or over a fire.

I live with a couple of other folks, Petra from Toronto, Meg from Maine, and Alberto from Millan. They're all great craic and I'm really enjoying myself. Today was our day off and we walked all over the place and ended up enjoying the sun at the beach. We've got some photos kicking around, but they're not online yet, thus you can't see 'em.

Progress

It's been a while since I've updated this blog, and so many things have happened. It's been even longer since I wrote in my travel diary. I've been spending all my time having adventures, and not leaving enough time to chronicle them all.

Galway is the graveyard of ambition. It's been said again and again and I think I understand why. I met a guy two nights ago from Florida. He's been in Galway for 3 years now, and his life takes place in a triangle about 400 meters across. He lives in a flat that overlooks shop street where he busks, which is in turn beside his local pub. He says he counted the steps he made one day, and it was only 40.

I take MANY more steps than that in a day (I mean, I live in Salthill) but my life has likewise been simplified. I don't really buy groceries, I just go with people when they're going to eat and contribute a little to the cause. I've had authentic Italian pasta, Jamaican curry chicken, Spanish omelettes all cooked by folks who grew up in each respective country, and know what they're doing.

It's going to be hard to leave Galway, but it's gotta happen. I'll probably only stick around for another week or so, for the arts festival, but leave before race week.

Timmy O'Horton

Where am I anyway? Apparently you can get Horton's coffee in the back of some shops. I've not seen any yet, this cup was found by Jill (from P.E.I.) in a pub with a name I can't spell. It's been a grand 2 weeks in Galway, especially since I was only supposed to be here for a couple of nights.

The other night Karol had a big BBQ, we spent a good hour putting her BBQ together and then found out the connection wasn't right for the propane we had! Fortunately one of the guests was a chef and he cooked everything up in the kitchen. After a bottle of Buckfast and a few beers we went downtown to a pub to dance, then to an after party in a condo uptown with a D.J. We were supposed to go clubbing but I wasn't allowed in with my shoes, despite the fact that there were a few other folks inside wearing runners. My theory is they heard my accent or saw that I was having fun and decided I wasn't getting in. My response to them went a little like this . . .
Ignore the funny looking Italian guy giving me the fingers, I don't know him. He only lives with me.

It's chilly today . . .

. . . and there is a window open in the internet cafe.

Colm took this one of Keith and I at the first place I stopped in Taumgraney.

This is Matia, Kano, Drea, Chris and I on Jarod's last night in Ireland.

Galway City

Traveling is really all about flexibility. You make plans, and then they change.

Well, Galway has changed my plans for a while. I wasn't even going to visit the city when I was planning my trip in Canada, but I'm glad I did. I've got friends around town now, a flat to live in, a way to earn a couple of euros and I'm having a ball. I've been here a week already and now (Thanks to Shabudabu and her sister's friends) I've got a flat to stay in for the next 10 nights.

I felt a bit guilty though, so I'm sharing the place with an Italian guy I met in the hostel. He is a funny funny man. Today we walked around and ended up in a sea side casino/amusement hall. We were feeding 5 cent pieces into a machine, and we ended up winning some silly colouring sheets and some markers to go with them. I'm going to give one of mine to Karol's (The Shabudabu contact) daughter, just to be nice. The other one I might colour and try to sell it to some tourist on the street. We'll see how it goes.

Where I am in Salthill there is a sandy beach less than 5 minutes walk from my front door. There are mountains in the backgrounds, palm trees, and sailing ships on the horizon. The Australians, Italians, and Floridians have all been taking the piss out of it, but I think it's fantastic! The weather here has been wonderful, and I'm all tanned up. You'd have no idea I was in Ireland.

Last night was your man Jarod's last night in Ireland before he went to London and then back to Australia, so we had a bit of a piss up. We snuck into a nightclub after drinking some Buckfast (a drink brewed by monks as a cure for constipation) some Polish vodka and some beers. It was grand. People here are REALLY friendly and even if you have no plans, and you're out by yourself you'll have a fantastic time. I've been to parties on rooftops, dance offs in the streets, drinking beers by the Spanish Arch 'till 6am when the Guarda came to chase everyone off.

It's been a pretty wild week, and I'm having a blast. I have to return someone's bike I borrowed yesterday because I was so far away from where I was staying. I only met the people that night and already they're giving me their bikes and buying me wine and Gyro burgers.

Anyway, as you can tell, there are TOO many stories to post here but rest assured, since my arrival in Glaway, the craic has been mighty.

Ok, so I can upload my pictures now . . .

. . . but only if I do it one at a time. So I'll be waiting again to upload them to my album. I will however post a couple, just for the craic to let everyone see some of the stuff I've been up to.

I'm in Galway city now. I decided to head here before I left for Killarny because everyone told me it was a fun city. I'm in an internet cafe now that I was told about by an Aussie. It gives you a free half hour internet use, so it's not a bad deal!

The other day I went to a jazz festival and almost got stranded. I had met a couple of people from the same village as where I was staying, and they said they would drive me home. Then they disappeared. I didn't find them again 'till almost 3am (they said they would meet me at 2am) when they came walking down the street. I was getting so worried that I was starting to make friends fast in the hopes that I would be able to crash on their floor and not have to spend the night sleeping in the cemetery (which was what someone I had talked to was planning on doing.)

Anyway, without further delay, here are some pictures . . .