After a quick breakfast, we climbed into the Land Rover for the Cliffs, a short 10 minute ride away. The weather was beautiful all morning, right until we stepped into the parking lot and it started raining on us! Not the best sign, for sure, but we joked and said better that it came now instead of on the cliffs. And sure enough, as soon as we drove away, the rain stopped.
The car ride over was loud--everyone was silly, giddy, to see the Cliffs. We saw our first Irish rainbow, which was exciting, and we saw a tiny bunny run across a field (Irish wildlife!).
"A hare!" Bébhinn cried, pointing at it, and we all oohed and ahhhed.
Bébhinn parked the Vagatron in a random lot, with a field of horses below, and a field of cows above us.
She explained that we'd follow the trail to the visitor's center. She'd walk part way us, then go back for the the Vagatron drive it to the center to meet us there.
I really had no idea how long the trail was, or how far away the visitor's center was. I was just along for the ride.
We stepped away from the Vagatron, and suddenly, the rain started up again. Only this wasn't the gentle rain like before--this was thunderstorm, hard, piercing rain! And it came with wind, lots of wind, blasting us with cold air and more big, hard rain drops. The rain fell at us sideways, pelting our faces and instantly soaking our clothes.
But we hiked on, pushing our hoods from our faces, wiping the rain as quickly as it fell. But it never stopped falling. We stopped at a lone detached wall and hunkered down to get out of the rain for a few minutes, then started on again.
Eventually, Bébhinn led us to sanctuary in a cow pasture. We stepped around the muck, and leaned down against a single block wall. It sheltered us a bit from the wind, though the rain kept falling. Cows stood staring at us, swishing their tails, and wondering what the heck we were doing.
It. Was. Awful. I'm not gonna lie to you, I was NOT having fun. I mean, I was up for an adventure, but this was more torture than adventure. I was having such a miserable time that I decided when Bébhinn turned back to go to the car, I was going with her. The hell with the Cliffs, all I wanted was to be dry and out of the rain.
But bless her hearty Irish heart, Bébhinn was tougher than us. She led us forward, toward the first set of styles, a small wooden staircase with two giant rock slab borders. People climb over them, but cows, sheep and horses can't, keeping them safely away from the cliff edges.
Brian, ever the gentleman, stood at the side, hand out, helping us over. I grabbed his hand, flung my leg up, and screamed--something in my knee popped! An electrical current of pain shot through my knee, and I quickly set my leg down on the other side.
"You okay?" Brian asked, and I totally lied, nodding yes to him.
We walked on, up a muddy hill, over another style, and up a wet grass hill.
Bébhinn pointed out a crumbling stone building, explaining it was one of the many Napoleonic towers we'd seen in the hills yesterday. (Napoleon once threatened to raid Ireland, so they built these lookouts all along the Irish coasts to watch for ships coming in to port.)
We explored the tower a bit, eventually re-grouping at the edge of the grass. We were finally, literally, on the edge, staring 700 feet down the Cliffs of Moher. It was exhilarating and scary.
Bébhinn gathered us up, and said it was time to take back the weather.
"Let's see your sun dance!" she called, reaching her arms out and lifting her head back. We all copied, and then the weirdest thing happened--it worked! The rain stopped falling, and I swear to God, the sun came out! The gray skies turned to bright blue, and the sun warmed us through and through.
"Whoa," I whispered. It was pretty crazy how quickly that worked!
And it was all we needed to change our mood. Now we were ready to hike, ready to walk through that brilliant green grass, toward the sun.
Bébhinn left, and we moved forward. The group split into smaller groups--Nate and Ben took off, their long legs striding quickly out of sight. Ashley ran off too, running as close to the edge as she could, as her mom Mary followed behind.
Bébhinn warned us to lay down if we wanted to go on the edge, because one puff of wind could send you flying over the edge.
George and Brian stopped to take photos, and Margie strolled along with Jan and Linda. Everyone went at their own pace.
I stopped at first to take a really good look over the Cliffs (but not nearly as close as Ben, Nate or Ashley--I've got a healthy fear of heights!).
It was breathtaking--the drop was so steep! There were sea birds everywhere, diving from the cliffs, landing on the crevices. Waves crashed into the cliffs, sending giant sprays of water everywhere. Giant clouds floated in the blue sky, their shadows casting dark circles in the ocean. It was spectacular.
It was also cool because we could get so close to it. In America, there'd be a fence 15 feet from the edge, with warnings to keep away. There's be rangers, and video cameras, and another second wall to keep people out, and protect them. Here, there was a skinny, muddy trail to follow, and nothing to protect you but your common sense. (No, that would not help in the States!) There was nothing for safety except a fence--on the OTHER side of the path, not the cliff side, but the pasture-side, and it was to protect the cows and sheep!
Which made the walk even better--it gave us a sense of danger, and freedom.
Amber and I took about a million pictures too, and stopped approximately every five minutes to scream, "I love this place! Look how beautiful it is here!"
We felt like we were in a dream--was there really a place as gorgeous as this, and was it possible we were really WALKING IN IT RIGHT NOW? We were like giggly little schoolgirls, laughing and pointing at everything.
I was a little bit nervous, though--I'm not a fast walker, more of a stroller. I didn't want to be the last one to the end, and I didn't want the group to wait five hours for me to finish. I thought of the little hare we saw in the field, and I perked up.
"I'm going," I told Amber. "I'm like the tortoise--I'm slow but steady! I'm just gonna keep walking so I don't fall too far behind."
It was a phenomenal walk. We cruised the tops of the Cliffs, never more than a couple feet from the edge. The trail was lined with adorable little wildflowers (lots of my floral namesake, heather!) and the occasional cow. There was no one else on the trial but us, and the silence was very calming.
Amber and I turned a corner and came to a thousand rocks scattered all over. Lots had been stacked into high, wobbly towers. It was surprising to see so many stones here all at once, when we'd only seen them one or two at a time along the rest of the path.
Nate and Ben sat on the edge of the cliff, legs casually swinging, tossing rocks into the air, and watching them sail down, eventually, into the water. They were totally chill, peaceful even, but they gave me an anxiety attack both as a mom and as someone with a wicked fear of heights. I'd felt a pang of guilt upon meeting 15-year-old Ben--maybe I should've brought Mark--but this image killed any remaining guilt. I'd have spent the entire hike yelling at Mark to move back from the edge!
Amber and I continued on. At one point, Amber turned around to say something, and I saw her eyes grow large.
"Get a move on, Dinsdale," she told me. "That rain is coming back for us!"
I turned around, too, and saw what alarmed Amber--giant gray storm clouds dumping walls of rain into the ocean.
"Oh crud," I said, and stepped up my pace. The rain did hit us again, but just barely--nothing like the brutal storm at the beginning!
We kept on our beautiful walk, and suddenly, there was Ashley, bouncing up next to us.
"Hi, girls!" she said. Mother Mary was close behind, with Margie, Linda and Jan.
"Where'd you guys come from?" I asked, confused. I hadn't seen anyone in 15 minutes--I thought thy were all far, far ahead of us.
"They're all back there," Ashley said, pointing toward Brian and George. I saw Nate and Ben, too, but only momentarily, as their long legs took them running right past us.
"Keep going, girls!" Ashley called, chasing after the boys. "We're almost there!"
I just started laughing.
"We're winning!" I told Amber. "I thought we were the last ones, but we were in the lead the whole time! Just like the tortoise!"
That totally cracked me up!
But we weren't done yet. We had to climb down a steep stone valley with a lakeful of water in it, and then back up the muddy path, which grew skinnier as we walked.
As the visitor's center came in to view, more and more walkers jammed on to the the trail, and more people stood along the cliffs taking photos. We'd been all alone for the past 2 1/2 hours, and though it was a long hike, I was grateful we'd had that time to ourselves to really appreciate the scenic beauty.
George and Brian passed us, too, as did Jan, and I still came in last, but only by mere seconds, not hours, like I'd feared.
We finally got to the visitor's center, which we loved for two reasons: 1. It had bathrooms! 2. It was built into the hills, which made it look like part of the landscape. Very cool!
We found Bébhinn and most of the group already there, except for Linda and Brian.
"I think they went to explore that other castle," someone said, pointing up at a stone structure.
Margie looked mildly annoyed but not surprised. "Text your dad or Linda," she told the boys.
"We did," Nate and Ben answered in unison.
Bébhinn was pacing--she had to keep us (mostly) on schedule, and this was not helping.
"Those Shinners!" she cursed, jokingly. "When they come back, we should shun the Shinners!"
"Shun the Shinners!" we answered back. "Shun the Shinners!"
"Not ALL the Shinners!" Margie interjected, and we all laughed.
And when Brian and Linda showed up, that's exactly what we did. We all flipped our heads dramatically in the other direction (Bébhinn even gave them a loud, indignant "HUMPH!") and walked off to the Vagatron. Then we dissolved into laughter and told them we were shunning the Shinners.
"But not ALL of them!" Margie reminded her.
It was such an awesome way to end the morning--what started out as the most miserable day in my life, but ended up being one of the best! It's amazing what a little sunshine and perspective can do.
As we drove on, someone asked about the Great Famine, and Bébhinn gave us another lesson. This was also sad--she told of the barren land that barely grew any food at all, save for root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, but grew enough to feed the folks if the English hadn't shipped all the food out of Ireland. She told us of the potato blight that decimated the crops, of the 1 million people that died, and the 1 million people that left Ireland, and how the population never recovered. the evil landlords and how they took advantage of their tenant farmers. She told of the mass exodus to America, and how the new American immigrants sent money back to the family farms.
Again, it was all terribly sad, but really important to hear. It made me respect the hearty Irish people, their resourcefulness, and how they lived in a land that didn't give them an inch, not when it came to food, resources or even weather. I thought of the families struggling, of young men moving away across the world. And I thought of the pub from last night, and the mournful songs that seemed to hit home with all the patrons singing along. It IS sad, the Irish history, but it's also inspiring. Irish people got nothing easy, and they struggle for everything they do have, and yet...you've never met such a happy, friendly people.
It was a lot to take in as the green fields and beaches flew by us through the car windows. It was even more heartbreaking for the families in the car of Irish descent, as they realized why and how their own families ended up in America.
"Oh, I've done it again," Bébhinn fretted. "I brought everybody down again."
We assured her it was okay; quiet isn't always bad, and we came here to learn about Ireland, too, not just play.
We stopped for a quick lunch by the beach, and then it was back on the road. Bébhinn turned on some Irish tunes for us. The music filled the air, and as we passed by more fields of sheep, rolling hills, and stone fences, I smiled. It was all just so perfect, almost like I was in a movie, with the Irish songs and sights passing in front of my eyes. I could feel Ireland creeping in to my soul, and I knew then it would always be part of me.
After a bit, we landed at the river Shannon, and on a ferry. Bébhinn let us out of the car, but the minute she opened the door, it started to rain on us! It was a short rain, though, only lasting about 30 minutes--the time it took us to cross the river!
On the other side of the Shannon, we drove on, past the Kerry butter and cheese factory, and through tiny villages with even tinier streets and bright, colorful buildings. We loved those towns, and it seemed almost mean that Bébhinn crawled through them at a snail's pace but wouldn't stop. She did offer to stop briefly for the restroom, and then thought better of it--once you let this group out of the car, it was like herding cats to get them back in!
"It's not that far to Dingle," she reasoned, and we were fine with it.
Margie and Brian taught us a game, where you had to say a letter that could spell a word without completing the word. Everybody got really in to it, and it made me love the Shinners even more, because they always a game to play or a way to pass the time. And I was really loving our little group, how close we'd all become in such a short amount of time.
We drove through the adorable towns of Listowel, and Tralee, home of the annual Rose of Tralee pageant. It's kind of like a beauty pageant/talent competition for Irish girls, or girls of Irish descent, and every year it turns the sleepy little town into a boom town. The pageant was next week, and the streets were adorned with banners, posters and signs that lit up at night, all welcoming the contestants.
And then we were climbing a mountain! After a quick turn out of Tralee, we passed Brandon Mountain, Ireland's second highest peak. (I love that about Ireland! Everything is celebrated, even if it's only the second highest, or the fourth most...) We drove up the Conor Pass, a tiny, windy road about four feet wide--and it's a TWO-WAY ROAD!! I am not even kidding you!
We got stuck behind a van running interference for a biking tour (and actually giving a lift to one tired biker). I love this shot of the biker, the van, and the unimpressed sheep on the roadside.
And we could see the road ahead.
Bébhinn pulled over near a waterfall and announced the second hike of the day. I stood to get out of the car, and my knee announced I was not hiking anywhere at all. (It was fine while I was moving, but swelled up from all the sitting afterwards.)
I contented myself with checking out the waterfall.
And to be honest, even if my knee was not hurt, I doubt I'd have done the hike. Because 1. Of course it started raining the minute we got out of the car, and 2. Look at this "hike"! It was UP A ROCKY MOUNTAIN! A mountain SLICK WITH RAIN! How many times was I gonna take my klutzy chances? I'd already survived the Cliffs of Moher without falling, so I ended my hikes for the day on a positive note.
And I wasn't alone. Most of the ladies in our group hid in the car from the rain, while Bébhinn took the guys and Ashley up the rocky mountainside. Nate and Ben raved about it, and how they could see a hidden lake from the top.
And then it was time for our last stop of the day, Dingle Town. We had to clear the Conor Pass, and then we were just minutes away from Dingle.
Um, did I mention that this was a TWO-WAY ROAD??? And do you notice the flimsy wood and wire "fence" in the photo above? That is the *safety barrier* for Conor Pass!
It was more than I could take--I closed my eyes and put all my faith in Bébhinn. And she rocked it!!! The other cars stopped, pulled over as far as they could along the edge, and Bébhinn punched it, sending the Rover over the pass.
I needed a drink by the time we reached the top!
But I got an even better reward--a view of the valley leading to Dingle!
Bébhinn gave us an impromptu tour on the way to the hotel, pointing out the local hardware store/pub, the statue of Fungi the dolphin (Fungi loves to show off for the boats and kayakers!), and a few pubs with good music sessions. It looked like a super cute town, and we were excited to stay here for two consecutive nights. (The moving everyday thing was getting old quick.)
Then Bébhinn drove us out to our hotel. It wasn't far, maybe a 10 minute walk, but I almost cried when I saw how far it was from town. It actually wasn't far at all, maybe a mile, but my throbbing knee told me there was no way I'd make it to town and back on foot. And so the girl who hates to miss a night out on the town did, in fact, miss a night out on the town. :-(
We settled into our room, and as much as it killed me, I told Amber to have a good time. She went to dinner with the group, and I settled in with an ice bag, room service fish chowder with soda bread, and some really bad Irish TV reality shows.
Amber said it was a very quiet dinner. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who got smacked down by the Cliffs of Moher! But it didn't matter--my knee hurt and I was exhausted, but I was also happy, deliriously happy, at all the amazing things I'd seen today.
And even more so, I was content. Content because we were only two and a half days into this tour, and already, I was already so close to this group of people that it felt like we'd been roaming the Earth together in a Land Rover forever.
Life was definitely good.
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