Day: 16
Countries: 5 Cities:
8
Amsterdam, Netherlands à
Dublin, Ireland
The Luck o' the Irish...
Day 16
Monday 4 December 2016
It's a conscious effort to write the date. Monday. The 4th. January (NOT December). Of 2016 (NOT
2015). A time not only of resolutions
but of readjustments…
Current status: 10:14 am. Crammed in the middle seat (12b)
aboard a Ryanair flight from Amsterdam Schipol Airport to Dublin. My backpack,
crammed full of just over half my stuff, is crammed in the overhead baggage
area across the aisle from us. My other backpack, which is smaller so there’s not
as much stuff crammed in it as there is in my big black backpack but which is
still crammed full of the rest of my stuff (except for the five layers of
clothes I am currently wearing in a desperate effort to eek out just a teeny
tiny bit more room in my luggage), is crammed under the seat in front of me.
Like sardines. That's how this flight is so cheap. Anyway. It's worth it to
save almost 10 hours of travel each way.
By now we've been traveling for over two weeks. Which is
still pretty unfathomable. It's day 16. And we still have a solid 5 days to go.
4 countries and 7 cities down. Two more countries and three more cities to go.
Which is also still pretty unfathomable. And a big part of the reason it's so
hard to keep days straight.
But by now we are also getting pretty good at this whole
travel thing. Exhibit A: we reorganized and repacked all of our stuff into two
bags each, a task which has carried with it some doubt and foreboding. And
which still causes trepidation for our two remaining flights. But cross that
bridge when we come to it.
And also also, by now, we are pretty tired. We've really
felt it these last few nights in Amsterdam—falling fast asleep the moment our
heads hit the pillows (well before midnight even, as we've retired fairly early
after full, full days). And in the morning, the snooze button is both like the
sight of your long lost friend and your worst enemy. But we are pros now right?
Or at the very least we can say we’ve made it up to the minors.
And we managed to wake up and get ready and even walk out
the door right on time. It's good we packed everything last night and had only
to shower/dress/zipper everything up. We said hello and goodbye to our Airbnb
host as we were trekking down the stairs and thanked her for a lovely stay. Our
accommodations there worked out quite well. We walked the block and a half to
the tram stop where we waited just a couple minutes for it to come. Perfect
timing really. Bought a ticket on board so we could check in and check out with
their fancy system. No train jumping here. Everyone pays fair and square.
We got to Central Station, bought transfer tickets to the airport,
and then went in search of our platform. The one our directions told us to take
was actually going to Paris and we were stopped from boarding it and directed
to 15b so we could wait for a different airport one. But we had plenty of time
allowed for travel so it wasn't a huge issue. Close tired eyes on train for a
bit, arrive at airport, and follow the signs. Check in after waiting for half an
hour plus in Ryanair’s huge line.
Then proceed to the security check, which is quite a ways
into the airport. Unload everything from your pockets, liquids from your bags,
take off 3 outer layers, plus unlace, unzip, and take off your shoes, put it
all on the conveyor belt, walk into the metal detector, stand on the yellow
feet painted on the floor, hands up now assume the position. Thank you. Now
reverse the process and try not to hold up the line. Double check you have the
important things. Check check check check.
Double check check check check.
Walk under the signs toward your gate. But now another line.
Passport control. Choose a line. Choose wrong. Change in shift. Efficient, but also
not, at the same time. A bit of a hassle. Walk more, follow the signs, pass the
food and the water. Make it to the gate, second and third in line behind a lady
who thought she was late. She wasn't. Try to buy a water from the machine, but
said machine eats your 2 euro coin. But with a paper clip and patience you manage
to get it back. Plus 2.80 euros in coins of other people's change who must have
walked away before you, before their own flights, really, really frustrated. But
a profitable morning for you…
Now wait to board. Now on board. Now wait to takeoff. Phase One
complete. Phase Two = fly. Phase Three = navigate from airplane to hostel in
Dublin. Phase Four = enjoy the day. Cheers.
~
Post flight. Really
tired. So just quick journal and them
come back later: nice/nosy passport control man, said I had a unique name, even
in Ireland. We took the bus to the city center. They drive on the “wrong” side
of the road here. They have “look left” and “look right” painted on the street
in the start of the crosswalks to remind you.
We checked in to our hostel, which seems pretty nice. Went
to the Boar’s Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, for lunch. Set out to the
Guinness storehouse later that afternoon and did the tour/experience there. 7th
floor gravity bar with 360 view of the city is pretty cool. Walked back down to
the Grafton Street area. We ate dinner at a delicious BBQ place (Pit Bros).
Yum. They even gave us ice cream for dessert for free. Then we had some time to
kill so we walked around a bit before heading to the Stag’s Head for a drink
and the comedy show, which besides being funny also had free ice cream. So all
in all a really good day. AND it was really nice out weather-wise so we didn't
need as many layers, and it was just such a refreshing change. And and the sun
was out. So good day. And now I'm tired. So goodnight.
~
~
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