First off, nobody made you get out of bed this morning and come on this trip that has been so nicely included in your tuition. You don't have to pay a dime extra because you're lucky enough to be in a program that takes you on trips around the country when other study abroad students would have to pay out of their own pocket if they could even find half the places we've been to on their own.
Second, shut up. The tour guy shouldn't have to tell you and your friends to pipe down once let alone twice.
Third, I hope Amsterdam eats you when you do decide to go because apparently weed and booze are the only things that can hold your attention for more than 5 mins." These are the same people who have mommy and daddy's credit card with them and just bounce around Europe without a care in the world. I don't care if people do whatever they want, but there's no reason to be rude to the tour guides and coordinators who are trying to share some of the country's history.
Anyways the grounds of the castle were absolutely beautiful and the place is now a public park. We also got what could possibly be the best lunch we've had so far on this trip including the time we ate at a place operated by Ritz Carlton.
After the castle, we went to visit these caves that claim to be the 2nd darkest place in Ireland. The tour guide was once again incredible and is a stronger man than I for putting up with what has inspired me to post some universal tour etiquette. Etiquette that if not followed should result in your immediate stoning by the rest of the group (or just kicking the guilty party out... but what's the fun in that?)
1. This goes back to the whole Kilkenny Castle situation. In the words of my young neighbor Rhea Planey "Shut. Up." People will understand if you're late getting to a tour. That isn't the problem. The problem occurs when you can't quietly join the rest of the group and have to be told repeatedly as you're descending into a cave where your voice reverberates like a bouncy ball on steroids to be quiet and you fail to follow the directive. So rule number 1 is simply "Shut up."
2. Get control of your kids. Maybe my parents were just weirdos but if I ever ran around and caused mayhem out in public like some of these kids did there would be hell to pay. I knew this growing up as did all my other siblings so it rarely if ever happened. If your child is running around and bounces off me into a rock and starts crying, don't think I'm going to feel on ounce of sympathy for them even with the death glare their parents may be shooting at me for not helping them up.
3. If you have a child under 3, hire a babysitter. Or at least don't bring your baby down into a dark wet cave. Because what's the one thing babies hate more than getting water dripped on their heads? Darkness. So no, terrible parent, bouncing your child up and down in your arms is not going to get them to stop screaming their head off. Do everybody a favor and remove yourself and your child from the tour.
4. Don't make the tour about you. When our guide asked us if we'd like him to turn off the lights in the cave to truly experience the 2nd darkest place in Ireland, I couldn't believe what followed. In the pitch darkness I see people with their cell phones out trying to take pictures. How stupid can you possibly be? Ya wanna know how to get the exact same shot anywhere in the world? Cover up the lens before you shoot and viola! Darkness! Also if you're afraid of the dark and are loudly laughing about it with your friends for why you're keeping your cell phone on, WHY DID YOU EVEN COME DOWN TO THE CAVE ADVERTISED FOR BEING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF?! The people also seemed to think that darkness had a sound proof quality to it because everyone felt the need to yell when they wanted to communicate something until the lights came back on. Of the 60 seconds the lights were off, there wasn't one where I couldn't see a cell phone or camera ruining the effect
5. Taking a picture of a sign that says "don't take pictures" doesn't make you funny or some super cool rebel; it just makes you an ass. Especially when the guide explains beforehand why they don't want pictures taken during the tour (because they're distracting, who'da thunk it?) and that there will be time at the end. No they won't arrest you for disobeying it, but is it really too much to ask to just be courteous to others around you?
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The next day we sojourned out to Newgrange, home of one of the coolest architectural feats of the ancient world. These tombs were built so well that they have lasted to this day. Not only that, but they predate the pyramids and Stonehenge by 1000 and 500 years! Using stones similar to that of Stonehenge, they dragged these massive rocks across the land and labored for decades to build up these tombs. While the outside looks quite large, the inside is actually very small. But that doesn't make it any less impressive. These buildings of earth and stone had complex roofs that even included a drainage system that kept the inside perfectly dry. The geographical placement of these tombs also aligns perfectly with the sun during the different solstices. The normally artificially lit interior is completely lit by natural light for a small window of time around these solar benchmarks. I'll just show you some pictures because these things were really impressive.
Our last stop we went out to the Hill of Tara which is an ancient sacred site that is home to several holy wells. We had cups this time so we were able to sample some of the water and it was amazing how clean and good tasting it was. There were also several spots on the hill that dated back to some of the ancient Celtic Kings and it was interesting how St. Patrick decided to convert these formerly pagan sites rather than destroy them and build new ones. While the site itself was cool, I'd like to go back on a less rainy occasion so I could more fully enjoy it. Multiple people slipped in the mud and were shivering by the time we got back to the base. Overall though a pretty cool site.
It might be a while before I post again simply because there aren't any trips scheduled anytime soon. The next time you hear from me will probably be in about 2 weeks when the lovely and talented Lady Rachel flies out to grace me with her presence in Ireland for a few days before we both depart for Roma! I'll try to make up for my absence with a nice long post detailing what's sure to be an incredible break covering 5 cities in 7 days. Until then I'm gonna try to teach myself some Italian. Arrivederci!
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