Savage Crack

 Dingle is a great and thanks to the shitty bus service in Ireland, I'm spending another night here. Can't complain too much though because the owner of the hostel I'm staying at is an awesome guy and he gave me the night's stay on the house.

 I tried to catch the 10 am bus to a small town called Doolin, so I purchased my ticket online, wrote down the confirmation number, and showed up at at the stop. Driver wouldn't let me on because I needed a print out of the confirmation page. Ok. No big deal. Back to the hostel to wait until 3 when the next bus came. Hopped on that with my confirmation print out and relaxed on the way to the bus station in Tralee, ready to catch the connecting bus to Doolin. Fail.

We missed the connecting bus by thirty minutes. Luckily, by that time, the service desk was closed, so my options were limited. I could try to find a hostel and stay in Tralee, travel up to Limerick and wander around in the darkness looking for a hostel, or go back to Dingle and stay in a place I enjoyed and was comfortable in. So that's what I did.

I used to think that public transportation was so great, before I had to rely on it. Now I realize that America has it right- the freedom of you're own car. Who cares about gas as long as I can drive to the store without waiting for a bus that may or may not show up and let you ride.

Cow in my way

Old lighthouse possibly?

Dingle Bay lighthouse

 Anyway, last couple days have been awesome. Hiked out to the coast line of Dingle Bay and there's a trail that runs right along the cliffs, literally three to five feet from the edges at some points. Witnessed some amazing views and got a glimpse of Fungi the Dingle Dolphin, a famous figure in Dingle since 1984. Didn't get a picture of him however.

The hike was actually pretty tough as the path, that was pretty much a goat path, was muddy and continued to get steeper as I went. The best part was sitting on a little grassy spot a few feet from the edge and just looking out at the water, sky, clouds, and waves...and being completely relaxed. It was a beautiful day with a light mist on and off, and a great hike that lasted about 4 hours.

 

After a tough hike, I made some stew for supper...not great but hearty, and went out for a pint with a couple of the other people staying here. Nothing tastes better than a pint of Guinness out of a fresh Irish tap. Nothing. We had a pint and talked with the old bartender for awhile then went to the next place, a more traditional pub.

Dingle's traditional pubs are great, and it's a mix of two things; one half is the pub that has a few tappers, a bar and a couple stools. The other side is the shop where you can get some leather work done, get your hair cut, or get some horse supplies depending on where you are. Great great atmosphere with savage crac about. The pubs are very old and the atmosphere is so relaxing, and the locals provide for some great conversation. Crac(k) refers to an old gaelic phrase..can't remember it all, but basically means music, dancing, and talking. If a place has good crac, you'll find good conversations, music, or dancing. Great crac is everywhere in Dingle and it's a place I'd recommend to anyone.

Leaning over a 300 ft drop...picture is doesn't do justice