This morning, I woke up at 4am, likely still jet lagged by the 8 hour time difference between LA and Dublin.  I spent a couple hours using my laptop in the lobby of the hostel.

In the lobby, a Nigerian traveler was chatting up a girl who had arrived at the hostel recently.  This stood out to me because I had seen this guy having conversations with five different girls in the past 24 hours.  He was a master conversationalist, something which I couldn’t help but admire.  At about 5am, the girl finally left to sleep.  At that point, another male traveler entered into the lobby and the Nigerian traveler started chatting with him about where he’s headed (London) and potential extra security at the London airport.  After that traveler left the hostel, he began chatting with me about my trip, why I was awake, etc.  He was an emotionally intelligent conversationalist who carried on a conversation naturally in a way that made the other person feel comfortable and not judged.  He was literally chatting with someone every single time I saw him between 9pm and 4am.  What an enriching, fulfilling way to spend time.

At 7am I boarded a tour bus near the hostel for the Cliffs of Moher day trip.  The first three hours of the trip were spent driving from Dublin to Galway, and the last three hours of the trip were spent driving from Galway to Dublin.  The tour guide gave us a 45-minute walking tour of Galway.  Galway is a small, older city which now is mainly a tourist town.  There are a few blocks where only pedestrian traffic is allowed, and it’s a beautiful environment to walk around in.

After the 45-minute tour, we had about an hour to ourselves to walk around and enjoy the town.  I grabbed a latte, listened to a few street buskers, and then ordered a sandwich from McCambridge.

Pedestrian street in Galway

Old Church in Galway

After Galway, we continued driving to Cliffs of Moher.  On the way, the scenery was lush green landscapes with granite-like rocks dotting the landscapes.  We passed by Lisdoonvarna, a town that hosts an annual matchmaking festival.  We also passed by ancient castles, cemeteries, and more.

Old cemetery near Cliff of Moher

View from Corkscrew highway

Matchmaker Bar

Matchmaker Bar

At about 2PM, we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher.  The Cliffs tower 200 meters above the Atlantic Ocean and are similar in a lot of ways to Big Sur.  The combination of the green clifftops, dark-colored cliffs, and dark blue ocean are beautiful.  There is a trail that heads in two directions from the parking lot that follows the edge of the cliffs for several miles.  The wind was extremely strong at the top of the cliffs, but I could still hear the sounds of the waves breaking on the rocks 600 feet below.

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center

Shops at Cliffs of Moher

After visiting the Cliffs of Moher, we drove 8KM to the nearby town Doolin where we had a one hour lunch break.  I was still full from lunch, so I just picked up chocolate which was tasty and kept me filled up until 9PM.

Common straw roof in Doolin

Hilly Golf Course in Doolin

Chocolate from Doolin

Stone with deep cracks near the Ocean

Stone with deep cracks near the ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Picture of a castle taken from inside the bus

At 9PM, I walked into the dorm room at the hostel, and Eric and Delaney (siblings from Oregon) asked me if I’d be up to check out Temple Bar.  We went out with two German girls also staying at Abigail’s hostel.  Over the next few hours, we visited four bars and listened to many live songs, including Irish songs, Ed Sheehan, and classic American songs.  It was a great experience and had such a great time.

At about midnight, we stopped by the hostel and went out with the Nigerian guy to a club.  Eric and Delaney left while we were waiting in line at the club, so it was just me and the Nigerian guy dancing until 3AM.  The club was AMAZING, probably one of my top-5 club experiences period.  Lots of dancing, people interacting with each other, indoor-outdoor dance floors, and good-looking girls.

This morning, the plane landed in Dublin at 11AM.  I picked up my luggage and took a local bus toward Downtown Dublin.  Within 30 minutes, we were already in Downtown Dublin and I got off the bus at the O’Connell Bridge, which is the main automobile bridge across the River Liffey.

Abigail’s Hostel was very conveniently located just a block from the bus stop on the River Liffey.  The River Liffey adds a lot to the Downtown Dublin atmosphere, as it passes through many of the city’s attractions including Phoenix Park, Downtown Dublin, and finally ending at Dublin Port.

I arrived at the hostel at 12:30PM and still had about a hour and a half until checking.  I used the time to walk through the surrounding areas including Trinity College (a University founded in 1592), Grafton Street (a pedestrian-only retail street), Stephen Greene’s Shopping Center (a unique, light-filled shopping mall opened in 1988), St Stephens Green Park (a scenic, urban park), and then made my way back to the hostel.  Dublin is a very walkable city, especially the area that I’m staying in.  The streets are densely packed with lively retailers, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.

Stephen Street Mall was a challenged, yet vibrant mall in an excellent location right off of Grafton Street.  When I first saw the exterior design of the mall and walked inside, I would’ve guessed the mall was 75-100 years old, however it was a relatively young 30 years old.  The design was very unique, character filled, and had many old-school accents including rod-iron designs throughout the building.  The indoor mall was 3 levels.  The first level was vibrant, the second story had about 50% of the traffic of the first level, and the third level had about 5% of the traffic of the first level.

Here are my thoughts about why this mall has held up much better than most other 1980s malls:

• Location:  The mall’s excellent location in a high pedestrian traffic area right off of Grafton Street
• Character/Design:  The white rod-iron railings and other accent points add a lot to the mall’s atmosphere.  Also, the glass ceilings allow natural light to permeate the mall which is also a huge advantage compared to Westside Pavilion and Beverly Center
• High density of stores/entertainment:  The mall, especially the first level, is very densely packed with small stores.  They also did a nice job of filling the center of the mall with non-pestering storefronts/businesses
• Weather:  The Dublin weather is very rainy, which also provides an advantage to indoor malls
• Well maintained:  The mall was very well-maintained and tidy
• Creative uses:  The Landlord has been creative, and has set aside some of the third floor space as an exhibition space, art gallery, beauty school, tattoo parlor, etc.

After walking back to the hostel through St Stephens Park, I showered and walked to Phoenix Park, the largest City park in Europe.  The park has well-maintained,  wide-open lawns that one would expect to find in a rural city with no shortage of land.

Also, that afternoon I booked an all-day tour to the Cliffs of Moher for tomorrow (Thursday).  At 45 Euros, the all-day tour seemed reasonably priced and I feel like it’s nice to spend time in nature, rather than spending all day in Dublin.

Map of Abigail’s Hostel (Downtown Dublin)

Stephen Green Shopping Centre

Irish Famine Exhibit in Stephen Green Shopping Centre

Irish Famine Exhibit in Stephen Green Shopping Centre

River Liffey

St Stephens Park

St Stephens Park

River Liffey

River Liffey

River Liffey

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park

Bridge constructed in 1821 across the River Liffey

River Liffey

Last night, I arrived at the airport three hours early.  After going through security, I still had a couple hours before boarding.  During this time, I spoke to Michelle, Abigail, and Gabriela.   Before I knew it, it was already 9PM and I was one of the last people to board the 9:50pm flight to Reykjavik.

I sat down in a middle seat and proceeded to talk to a free-spirited, hippie, outgoing girl from San Clemente, who was traveling to Frankfurt to visit her boyfriend of 3.5 years.  Lexi Kookoo had a fun personality, was easygoing, friendly, and a great companion for a long, drawn out, tiring day.  Here’s some more information about her:

• She worked/lived at the Piedras Blanca lighthouse near Big Sur, when she’s had breaks while attending university in San Luis Obispo.  She’s 21 year old and just graduated from SLO
• She becomes extremely excited when noticing mundane plants along trails.  She runs over to the plants, touches them, and talks about them like they’re pets
• Her background is greek and she has 7 siblings, multiple step siblings, multiple ex-step siblings, step parents, and ex-step parents
• She’s traveled to India, Thailand, Peru, and more

What can I learn from her?

• She’s a great conversationalist (friendly, interested, non-judgmental)
• She’s witty, sarcastic, adventurous, open minded, free-spirited
• ollows her passions including botany, environmentalism, traveling, etc

She also had a 16 hour layover in Reykjavik, and after talking about our backgrounds for a couple hours, we decided to hang out during the layover and try to find a tour to go on.

At around 2PM, we arrived in Iceland, picked up our luggage, and bought roundtrip bus tickets from the airport to downtown Reykjavik.  We also reserved a spot on the Golden Circle Late Afternoon Tour, which costed about $80.  The tour would begin in Reykjavik at 5:30PM and end in Reykjavik at 12:30AM.  Until arriving in Iceland, I didn’t fully realize that we would be experiencing 16 hours without night/darkness.  During our entire 16 hour layover (1:35PM-6AM) Reykjavik was consistently lit up as if it was just after sunset or just before sunrise.  This definitely helped me stay up by tricking my mind into thinking that it was too early to sleep.

The Golden Circle Tour was conducted in a 12-seater van, and we visited the following three attractions:

• National Park Thingvellir
  • https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g315853-d276576-Reviews-Thingvellir_National_Park-Thingvellir_South_Region.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Þingvellir
• Geysir
  • https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/information/about-iceland/geysir-geothermal-field
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geysir
• Gullfoss Waterfall
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullfoss
  • https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attraction_Review-g7940590-d1740559-Reviews-Gullfoss-Blaskogabyggd_South_Region.html

The first two attractions were fascinating, but a bit underwhelming.  This may have had to do with how high my expectations were.  The third attraction, Gullfoss Waterfall, was incredible and awe-inspiring.  Quite possibly the best view I’ve ever witnessed.  The strong/raging multi-tiered waterfall with a lush, green backdrop could have been worth sitting and enjoying for hours, if the tour company didn’t limit our time to 1 hour.

National Park Thingvellir

National Park Thingvellir

National Park Thingvellir

National Park Thingvellir

National Park Thingvellir

National Park Thingvellir

Geothermal Energy Generator

Geysir Geothermal Area

Geysir Geothermal Area

Geysir Geothermal Area

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss Waterfall

https://youtu.be/ya9VkKO0T5ghttps://youtu.be/OuVsbY9jdNUhttps://youtu.be/XLwMaXTQTXI

At the end of the tour, Lexi and I were dropped off in downtown Reykjavik at 12:30AM.  The downtown area was empty and almost all the businesses were closed, but the entire Downtown area was lit up as if the sun had just set.  We decided to spend a couple hours in the Downtown area before catching the 2:30AM bus back to the airport.

We ate a sandwich at a late-night shop, walked around a little bit, met up and conversed with some fellow Layover-ers, and boarded the bus to the airport.  It was a long day, and other than a few naps on the plane and bus, I still haven’t slept in a bed since Sunday night.

Interesting Links:

Geology of Iceland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Iceland

Wow-Air’s business model: http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2014/11/transatlantic-flying

This morning, I started packing and preparing for the upcoming month-long trip through Western Europe.  As of this morning, I’ve done very little research and planning, and haven’t reserved anything except for the flight from LA to Dublin.

How did the idea of this trip begin?

About a year ago, I printed 20 4×6 photos to pin on a vision board in my bedroom.  The photo (shown below) was intended to remind and inspire me to finally follow through a long-anticipated trip through Europe. On May 11, I booked a one-way flight with Wow-Air from LAX to Dublin, with a 16 hour layover in Reykjavik.

What do I know so far about the trip? (Everything except the flight to Ireland is approximate/preliminary)

•  Leave LA at 6/26 at 9:50 PM
• Arrive in Reykjavik 6/27 at 1:35PM
• Blue Lagoon
• View from top floor of church
• Fish and chips
• Hang out in downtown Reykjavik
• Leave Reykjavik at 6/28 at 6:30AM
• Arrive in Dublin at 6/28 at 10:05 AM
• Dublin 3 nights (6/28-7/1)
• London 3 nights (7/1-7/4)
• Bruge, Belgium (7/4-7/6)
• Amsterdam (7/6-7/8)
• Berlin (7/8-7/11)
• Prague (7/11-7/13)
• (Budapest (2 nights))
• (Vienna)
• Munich
• Zurich (7/17-7/20)
• Tuscany (7/20-7/23)
• Croatia (7/23-7/27)
• Ft Lauderdale (7/28-8/5)

Resources 

https://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/eurail-global-pass/index.html?gclid=CJzxqdfKz9QCFURlfgodIcoM1g

https://thepointsguy.com/2015/04/layover-lowdown-icelands-keflavik-international-airport/

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/twelve-hours-in-reykjavik-the-layover-of-a-lifetime/article21286671/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com&service=mobile

Tahoe and Me

What do I hope to get out of this trip?

• Freedom
• Reference experience/growth/educational
• Expanding my comfort zone/overcoming challenges
• Meeting open-minded/interesting people from different cultures/backgrounds
• Sightseeing/pleasure
• Escape/adventure
• Move further away from addiction/toward sobriety
• Study of urbanization/real estate