Ballinaslow to Cork

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July 25 Wednesday Ballinasloe to Cork

I caught the 0930 bus from Ballinasloe to Galway and made the connection on the X51 to Limerick because that was supposed to arrive in Limerick at 1220 which would line me up for the 1235 #50 bus to Cork. The stupid driver waited on someone who was late at Galway and that threw me late for arriving into Limerick for my connection which meant I had to wait an hour for the next #20 bus and got into Cork an hour later. When someone is traveling getting somewhere an hour earlier sometimes means the difference between getting a good room/bed and getting what no one else wants. When I found out I missed my bus in Limerick I went back to the bus I had arrived in and had a few sharp words with the driver about how his leaving late had made me miss my connection. Hopefully I spoiled his dinner at least.

I arrived in Cork around 3:35 PM and caught a cab for €5.70 +€1 tip to the hostel. It was well worth it as it was up a long and steep hill as is usual in Ireland. But maybe I should have saved the tip as I found out later he could have taken me in to the hostel from the other side and saved me from having to lug my baggage up some steep steps.

When I got there I lugged my suitcases up a set of steps and then to the hostel where I took my computer bag and other bag up 4 flights of stairs to the dorm room.

I went back down and talked to the clerk again and changed my room to a single room on the bottom floor. It was about €18 a day more but I didn’t want to deal with those stairs till Monday. I certainly didn’t want to lug my big suitcase up them and then back down again later.

After getting things sorted out at the Hostel I walked around Shandon a bit and checked out a few things, then I walked down to the River Lee and over the bridge to explore St Patrick’s Street. This I did at my leisure taking frequent breaks to just relax and “people watch”. After a bit I found a pizza place which turned out to have very mediocre pizza and then found the Tesco where I did a bit of grocery shopping before relaxing on St Patrick’s Street a bit more before catching a cab back up the hill to Shandon.

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Photos

Galway station
The train station and bus station in Galway are the same. This is the train for Dublin getting ready to depart.

The bus station in Limerick
The X51 bus out of Galway made a connection to the 51 bus from Limerick to Cork. Or should I say it should have. My bus arrived late and so I had to wait for the next 51 bus to Cork.

The stairway
My first cab driver let me off on the side of the hostel where you have to climb a steps up to it. Every one after that came in from the other side where they could take me right to the hostel.

The view of Cork from the 3rd (4th) floor of the hostel
The view of Cork from the 4th (3rd) floor of the hostel.

The stairs
The flights of stairs up to the dormatory rooms on the 3rd (4th) floor. Nothing like lugging heavy luggage up several flights of stairs to a room.

The eating area
This eating area reminded me of a scene from the movie Dr Chivago.