Plan B! So two fellow hostelers, Rachel and Amelia were already in Galway and I was hearing a lot of good things about the place. I didn't have a place booked past Friday so I had to make a decision. I decided to message Amelia and Rachel and tell them I was going to Galway. They said cool. I get on a tram and head to the train station. I hop on a train for Galway.
On the train I meet a lovely older lady who sees me taking pictures of the scenery outside and tells me there isn't much see on this train ride to Galway. What I see out of my window is lush, verdant landscape with animals roaming and interesting houses lining the tracks. I kindly told her that I didn't agree.
We began to talk and she told me places to see and do. Excellent recommendations. Thank you, Mary Hegarty. Se scurries off in a hurry when her stop comes and I don't get to say a proper good-bye.
Galway! I love this place. Different feel than Dublin, but equally as charming. Dublin feels more like a miniature New York and Galway is more small town.
I didn't have a place to stay so I go to the hostel Rachel is staying at - Kinlay Hostel. Great place. Best hostel I've stayed at so far (sample size is still small). They are booked and the girl at the front desk tells me that pretty much every hostel will be booked because of a match going on. She does say there is a lady that runs a B&B down the road. She calls her and tells me that a room is available but for 50 euro. That's about $64. Not cool. But I am told it might be my only option. One downfall of not planning ahead; not cost effective all the time. I agree to the room.
The three of us trek to find this Betty and her B&B. It's raining and it's cold. We couldn't find it right away. I call Betty to see if she could help me. First time I've used my phone here and it worked! She answers and tells me she is at 25 Forster and not 35. Rachel and Amelia separate from me so I go to Betty's by myself. She is very sweet. She shows me to my room. I get excited to sleep in a comfy bed and actually sleep for more than two consecutive hours. She asks me if I like pancakes and eggs and sausage for breakfast and I tell her yes and get very excited. I start to think this might be worth the price.
Mary seems to be in a hurry. She gives me my keys and tells me she has somewhere to be at "half-five." That's how you say 5:30. I like it. I ask her if there is a curfew and she tells me no and that I'll probably be home before her. A little presumptuous, Betty. She was right, though. I was tired and after Amelia, Rachel and I ate dinner, I was ready for bed. But I told Rachel I would go to the movies to see the new Star Trek movie. She was dying to see it.
I fall asleep in the movie for a tiny bit. The movie was good. I walk Rachel back to her hostel and I amso excited to sleep. I am literally picturing myself snuggled up in the covers with a smile on my face. I was bragging to Rachel and Amelia about my setup. Little did I know, they would get the last laugh.
When I get to Betty's, around 11:00PM, the key turns the lock but the door doesn't budge. I make sure I'm doing everything correctly and keep trying. No good. I'm freezing, even though there is this glass sliding door foyer before you get to the house front door. I shut myself in there and think. I start to ring the doordbell and knock, not caring about waking anyone up but no answer or movement from the house. I can see inside the house from outside. I call Betty but no answer. I am so tired that I decide to sit down and sleep. As you can imagine, these aren't the best sleeping conditions. I doze off for a second and the biting cold wakes me up. I try the door again, as if something has changed. I ring the doorbell incessantly and knock again. Nothing.
Now I'm getting angry. I'm talking to myself, cursing and thimking about my options. I have none. I pace and wait. Knock, ring the doorbell and call Betty. This goes on until 2:30AM, which is when two very and drunk Irish kids show up at the house. I ask them if they are staying there and they say yes. I tell them we are locked out. They argue about who didn't buy who beers at the pub. Then one them asks me if I can drive. I asked him why and he says to me, "let's go hijack a car." I can't believe my ears. I tell him he's nuts and other says, "Feck it, I'm going back to the pub."
They both end up staying there and the three of us try to work the door together as a team. Of course, nothing works. 3:00AM is upon us and BETTY SHOWS UP! She asks us what we are doing and I tell her that a second lock on the door is locked and we can't get in. She cries out, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" About ten times. She can't get in either. She says another man is in the house renting a room and rings the doorbell and knocks for five minutes straight. As she starts to go to the side door, I see a skinny older made in his tighty-whitey underwear walking down the stars.he just stares at me. I yell at him to' "UNLOCK THE DOOR!"
He unlocks it and Betty yells at the old guy. She apologizes to the rest of us. The two drunks kids are fine with it. I'm not. Those two kids were only technically locked out for 30 minutes. I head straight for my room for sleep. It's past 3:30AM.
I wake up at 7:00AM for some dumb reason. I think my body is starting to get used to very little sleep. I take a long shower and re-organize my things and at 8:30, I am ready to leave. No sign of Betty with that breakfast. I open the front door to take a picture of my sleeping conditions and Betty comes running down in her robe begging me to stay for breakfast. I oblige. She make me eggs, pancakes and sausage. It was tasty. I ask her about getting some of my money back and says she will do something.
I eat and the older man comes down and sits next to me. In a heavy accent says to me, "I slept like a pig last night. I apologize." He says he's from Sweden and he was helping his daughter at the police station last night. I don't really care. Mary seems him and goes on about how she is a cancer survivor and doesn't need that stress.
I eat quickly and tell Betty bye. She hands me 10 euro and apologizes once more. I feel bad and tell her it's okay. I take a picture of her, she blesses me and I leave. Fun stuff.
It's all part of the adventure. You don't want to hear anything else about Galway, do you? Stuff about beautiful Cliffs of Moher or the Aran Islands and such. I will save that for next time. I am currently on a train to Dublin so I can get Ina ferry and then a train to get to London. It's called Sail and Rail to London. I'm spent.
It's only been a week but has felt longer. I am loving every moment of this and truly loving the new people I meet. I'm sure there are plenty more crazy times and interesting people on my path.
Can't wait!!!
Be well.
