Amazing Belfast

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I spent two awesome days in Belfast, and I will definitely come back in the future. Something about the city is enchanting and it really was a great place to visit. I stayed at Arnie's Backpackers, which was a really cool little hostel. The lonely planet describes it as cramped, but I think it's totally charming. The owner, Arnie, is quite a character, and really makes you feel at home (at his home).

I arrived in Belfast after a short flight from Glasgow. I settled in at the hostel, and then after a bit of food set off for a walk through the Catholic neighborhood surrounding Falls Rd. Much of the "Troubles" in Belfast centered around the neighborhoods bordering Falls and Shankill Roads (Protestant). The two areas are divided by the Peace Line, which is a giant metal and concrete wall that literally runs right through backyards. The main reason for walking into these areas is to view the murals that depict the struggles between the two sides of the conflict.

I found the murals around Falls Rd to be quite moving. Most were focused on the people involved in the struggle against oppression. Seeing these firsthand makes you realize how bad things really were here just a few years ago. However, the neighborhood is inviting, and is definitely on the rebound. I had planned to walk through Shankill Rd as well, but I was pretty worn out and decided to wait until the next day.

I spent the evening hanging out with Sarah from just outside of Melbourne. It's amazing how quickly you get to know people when you're traveling. It's also kind of sad because more often than not you meet people and then they're gone the next day. Oh well, I guess that's how it goes.

The next day I was determined to check out Shankill Rd to see how different it would be from the other side of the conflict. I was joined by Ken (Canadian) and Fiona (Aussie) as they were curious as well. A lot of people opt to take bus tours of the area, which admittedly allows you to see more, but completely alters the experience. Buses don't go down random side streets and discover tiny memorials that only the locals know about. So, I definitely prefer walking through areas. We headed for Shankill Rd, and once we got into the neighborhood the difference from Falls was quite striking. The first thing that you notice is the union jack flying everywhere. There were Irish flags along Falls, but this feels like small town america around the fourth of july with all the flag waving. The other really apparent difference was that Shankill appeared to be more economically depressed than Falls. I never got any bad vibes while walking around Falls, but just off Shankill we found ourselves in a large open square surrounded by murals and not another soul in sight. It was spooky, but I don't think it was really dangerous. The murals are also quite different. A lot more seem focused on the actual conflict instead of remembering the victims, although there is some of this here as well. There were tons of murals of masked gunman, which was a change from the focus in Falls on the victims.

We eventually worked our way to the Peace Line and walked along it for a while before crossing through at an open gate. We went looking for food and eventually settled on fish and chips. A couple months ago I never would have imagined that I'd be eating fish and chips in the rain in a park along Falls Rd. It was a bit surreal, but the food was great and it made for a memorable experience for the three of us.

Ken had a cold so he went back to the hostel and Fiona and I went on a tour of the amazing Belfast city hall. It's incredibly ornate inside and out, with stained glass and marble everywhere. I also got to be mayor of Belfast for a couple minutes...well I sat in his chair at least! I was sad to have to leave the next morning, but it was time to leave the UK.

Stay tuned for Dublin. Mmm...Guinness...

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Photos

Dubya
Always nice to see how our president is viewed overseas...

Mayor of Belfast
Hmm, he looks familiar.

Comments

[deleted_23747]

Keep the entries coming

[Veena]

Hmm
Looks like struggles really attracted u ..dont see much happening in this place..and meeting Fiona here... is there something in the works?????