Day 5 - 6: Galway, Ireland

Assalamualaikum!!

A continuation to my previous Ireland tour - Day 1 - 4. So, the next day, our group went to Galway for a 3 days stay (23 - 25 Dec '04). We arrived there around Maghrib if I'm not mistaken & stayed at a house full of aspiring doctors :-) Thanks for your hospitalisation :)

The very next morning we went to Cliff of Moher. That was such a phenomenal experience (although can't really beat my Swiss experience hehehe). It's more like I was captivated by the sheer beauty of the place! Subhanallah!!

I couldn't remember the fee for this tour. All I can recall is that we took a tour bus & mixed with other tourists. Definitely not helping for those reading my tour journal looking for informations. LOL. I also cannot remember the total expense for this trip but it's quite cheap considering that we paid little to none for accommodations thanks to all the Malaysian students all over Ireland ;) You're the best!

Top: Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara Village
Bottom: A too-happy me at Black Head lighthouse, Burren

The fact that I was wearing gloves means that I could not tolerate the weather. p/s: Normally I only wear jumpers & no gloves even during winter. However, I think the weather in Ireland was surprisingly colder than in Manchester.

Top-Left: O'Brien Tower, Cliff of Moher
Top-Right & Bottom: Majestic Cliff of Moher

Photo above is taken at a spot where the wind was blowing too strongly. We were pretty sure we'd be blown away if were thinner. Look at how hard it took for us to take the pictures! Hilang ayu sudah hahaha.

As we headed back to our bus, hailstones (imagine tiny ice cubes) hit us out of a sudden!! It hurts but no one was injured :-P In my time abroad, I had experienced two hailstones events. Here in Ireland & in Manchester (while we were having dinner).

Top: Poulnabrone Dolmen, Burren, County Clare, Ireland
Bottom: SHEEPSSSSSSSSSSSSSS~~~~ at Burren. I freaking love SHEEPS!!!!

We woke up to the 1st snow in Galway on Christmas~ It was very light though & lasted for awhile only. I took picture using my phone & lost it when I switched phone :-(

We headed to Dublin at night.... if I'm not mistaken. Hehehe.

To be continued...

Day 1 - 4: Liverpool, UK - Glendalough, Ireland

Assalamualaikum.

I'm bored so why not update on my 8-days trip to Ireland 8 years ago (20/12 - 27/12 2004). HAHAHA. #pathetic

This was my first winter vacation after I went to study abroad in the UK in 2004. I didn't have any plan so my mate invited me to go to PUISI in Ireland. PUISI stands for Perhimpunan Ukhuwwah Insaniyyah Seluruh Ireland (Overseas Students Winter Gathering in Ireland). #gasp I know shut up! LOL

Anyway, we went to Ireland via a ferry *gasp please* Save cost punye pasal <3 It was a terrible experience. Never again I will take a ferry for a long journey.

We departed from Liverpool at midnight. Our bus got into the ferry & we got off, venturing into the ferry. I barely remembered this trip actually. LOL. I don't even remember how long it took. We slept at the bar & I barely slept because it was so uncomfortable & noisy as they were loud people playing cards etc.

Sleeping at the bar

The youth hostel where we stayed at and the event place where all the ceramah, pengisian were conducted were quite far. I think it took 10-15 minutes walk but since it's the beginning of winter and the scenery through out the stroll is beautiful, it made the journey quite worth it.

PUISI 2004 - Malam Gema Islam

We went hiking or more like taking a stroll (?) after the ceramah ended to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Let the pictures speak for itself yeah?

SHEEPSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Such a dork and no, that's not real snow

This is simply a place I'd love to live in. So majestic & full of lush greenery. I'd love to take a walk or go for a jog and at the same time enjoying Allah's creation~ That would be a bliss <3

Subhanallah the scenery is simply magnificent!

I even met a friend I made during BTN before we went abroad. See top picture below.

Where we stayed: International Youth Hostel

After lunch, in the afternoon, we finally headed to Galway...

Wind that could blow you away

At the moment, I'm addicted to this hilarious Korean variety called '1 Night 2 Days' (Casts: Kang Hodong, Lee Seung-gi, MC Mong, Kim C, Eun Jiwon and SuGeun), where they went to travel around Korea on a shoestring budget. There are games to decide who would be sleeping indoors or outside in the tent in the freezing cold and who would receive the money for foods. I've retired from Korean varieties for quite some time now but this is the best and wackiest show that managed to allure me back into the scene.

Anyway, this time they went to Udo Island, where the wind was so strong that it could pierce your skin and literally blows you away. Within this Udo Island, they went to JiduChungsa and climbed a cliff. The wind was so vigorous that it almost toppled Seung-gi off the cliff. Instantly, that reminds me of the time when I went to Cliff of Moher in Galway.


Me with Nawar, Jannah and Abby

At this very particular spot, you won't be able to stand still and if you're super thin, you'll definitely collapse. The wind was too powerful. We even had a hard time trying to take a picture because we couldn't stay still. What an incredible experience. On top of that, just when we were about to head back to our bus, we were hit by hailstones in the freezing cold! It hurt like someone throws small pebbles at you...

This was taken during my 1st year. The only worth place to go when you're in Ireland (but that's because I found Dublin to be unexciting and I haven't been to Cork yet) :P