A Tour of Northern Ireland

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Up plenty early due to jet lag or body clocks, all of us were ready in plenty of time for our 8 am breakfast. It could have also been the hot room and uncomfortable beds, but who knows. Kyle had kindly booked for 3 of us the night prior, but surprisingly Alex joined us too so we purchased one more.



Our day was filled with a tour all-around the coast of Northern Ireland. We headed one block over to check in with our tour and were promptly lead to the busses. Good thing we were early as it allowed Carl, Alex, and I to pick near to the front seats to limit motion sickness. A good choice because the roads were narrow and winding which caused a passenger in the back to get sick. Alex informed me as we started off that this was his first coach tour.



Our first quick stop was at a castle called Carrickfergus to see the outside of the building. It was followed by a short pit stop for a bathroom break. The drive was beautiful along the coast with views of the water and hills. We even passed by a quarry used for Castle Black and the Ice Wall in Game of Thrones then many small towns including one that was famous for its salmon. I was able to offer up a barf bag and ginger candies to the man who got sick on the bus. He was still throwing up at that stop. Hopefully it helped as he seemed able to participate in the rest of the activities.



We had some time for pictures of the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge before going to lunch at the Dark Hedges Hotel. Our bus drivers accent made most people wonder what we were going to see. Alex guessed 'Dark Ages', Carl 'Dark Aegis', and Kyle was just confused. I was able to clarify as the bus driver went on to explain the usage of the tree covered road in Game of Thrones as the King's road.



We bought a buffet lunch at the hotel which consisted of then piling high a plate with your choices. This resulted in lots of potatoes and turkey for me while the others had a bit more diversity. Plates half empty, but stomachs full we wandered through the rain to see the Dark Hedges. It was too early in the year for their leaves to be full so we saw a more foreboding view, yet still a view to see. To prepare for more time on the bus and get a chance to see one of ten GoT doors made from 3 fallen hedge trees by HBO, we did a quick bathroom stop before hopping back on the bus.



The bus progressed to a much too short visit to Bushmills Distillery according to Carl and Kyle. They did manage to get one tasting in while Alex bought a bottle to bring home. Through they were sad there wasn't time for a second flight, they understood why as the progressed through the hike at our next stop, Giants Causeway. There were two paths to get to the stones. I took the gentle sea level walking path as the others trudged across the top of the cliffs on down a sloped pathway. I sat with a lady from Idaho while waiting for them. Her and her husband were on a day trip off their cruise around Scotland and Ireland. Her knee kept her down as he explored. Soon after she left, I spotted the 4 blobs representing the others in the distance thanks to Carl's distinctive arm swing while walking and Kyle's bright red shirt. We all explored the rocks a bit and saw the dolphins Kyle's fish eyes pointed out before heading back to the bus. A bit of an uphill walk back despite being the easier path had Alex and Carl pushing me along so my speed could keep up. I felt a bit like Mom in the sand dune situation in our Australia trip. We had just enough time for bathroom, drink, and cool down before hopping back on the bus.



A final photo opportunity as we headed out was at Dunluce Castle a ruined castle used as The Pike in Game of Thrones. The ride back to Belfast blurred as both Alex and I napped. Luckily we arrived with plenty of time to grab dinner (at a place just like Chipotle), grab our bags, pee, and taxi to the station for our train to Dublin. Alex and Laura grabbed some Starbucks as we waited in line to board.



An easy train ride later, we uneventfully arrived in Dublin. As our luck was to Belfast, we walked out to rain. We learned from our mistakes and just focused on hailing a cab. A short ride later we found ourselves at Ashling Hotel a quite nice one. We checked in and went up to the rooms. Hungry, Kyle and Alex went out for an evening snack. Laura, Carl, and I planned for the next day. Our first booking was 11:30, so we aimed to fit one additional stop in. Plan in place, we wound down our day.

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