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I flew into County Kerry, Ireland from Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon, and of course it was raining when we touched down. By the time I got to my hostel in Kilarney it was pouring and the day was pretty much a waste as almost everything was closed so I went and saw the Di Vinci Code. When I got back to my hostel I met 2 of my roommates who just happened to be from North Carolina. It seems we had an American themed room, because our other roommates were from Colorado and Wisconsin.
We lucked out on Monday as the sun stayed out for most of the day. I took a tour of the Ring of Kerry, a scenic drive that went through the Kilarney National Park, along the coast and through the mountains. I usually don’t like taking tours but figured I had no other option, as there was no other way really except to rent a car. It was actually a lot of fun though; at first I was little worried, as I appeared to be the only person under the age of 55. Then however 2 American college students from Colorado and another American from Idaho
got on, so we sat in the back chatting and joking around for most of the day.
The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and was the stereotypical Irish countryside I have always imagined. We also saw some Celtic ruins and our bus driver explained a bit of the history but his Irish accent and PA system did not allow me to understand much of it.
Today I was initially going to go for a bike ride around the National Park, but then decided I felt more confident on 4 legs instead of 2 wheels so I went horseback riding instead. It was a lot more expensive but it was definitely worth it. They divided the group into two one for beginners and the other for those who had some experience. Only myself and another woman from England was in the later group and our guide was great so we had a lot of fun. My noble steed for the day was a good-natured gray named Leroy. It had been a while since I had ridden and I forgot what a great feeling it is to canter through the woods. We trotted and cantered quite a bit and Leroy seemed
to like to splash through the mud puddles, which was fun but got me quite dirty. We saw several herds of deer in the park as well as the obligatory sheep. Kirsty and I always meant to go riding on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne but we ran out of time and now I wish we had. Oh well, next time.
The Irish to put it in their own words “are quite lovely” and very friendly. I just wish the weather had been a bit better but this is Ireland so I guess I can’t say complain too much. Tomorrow I fly back to Frankfurt and depart for my last stop before heading home. --Jodi
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Sara
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I am SO jealous! I want to go to Ireland so badly. And Pamela would have KILLED to be with you on horseback. Have a safe journey home. Can't wait to see you!