Well the summer travels have finally come to an end and I am back on the ground in Doha. It is taking some adjustment getting back into the swing of things at work but feels so good to not be living out of a backpack and moving every 2-3. The final adventure of the summer was a road trip/reunion in Ireland for the Eid al Fitr holiday. I had the privilege of visiting William Nestor on his home turf in Ireland with my friend Kevin from Doha and Brandon even flew out from the US!
When I left Cusco, Peru for a 40 hour journey back to Doha, I knew it wouldn't be the last plane I would see. Once I landed in Doha I only had about 48 hours before I was on another flight to Dublin. Needless to say I wasn't looking forward to the 12 hour journey from Doha to Dublin. When I arrived at the check-in counter I was told they had over booked the flight and that I would need to be re-routed. I wasn't too excited to hear the news but then they told me I would be compensated for my "troubles". If the re-routed flight landed before my original I would get 300 Euros and if it landed after I would get 600 Euros! The re-route took me from Doha to Zurich to Frankfurt to Dublin and got me on the ground about 5 hours later than planned. But this meant I was handed to check to be cashed in Frankfurt for 600 Euros!! This basically paid for my entire flight and I arrived in Dublin 600 Euros richer than I was that morning. A great kick off to a trip that would span over 1,000km in just 6 days!
After the amazing start to the trip, I was reunited with Will, Brandon, and Kevin all waiting for me at the Dublin airport. We hopped in a car and sped off to Will's hometown of Ballyhaunis in Country Mayo. It was about a three hour drive from Dublin and we got to stay at his parents house. We checked out the family businesses (Corner Bar and Bouncy Castles), we did a hike to a pilgrimage site of St. Patrick, we spent time with Will's childhood friends, and took in the feel of small town rural Ireland. We had such a good visit with the Nestors (and Will's 5 sisters) and they treated us as their own from the moment we stepped in the door. But this was only the first few days of the trip...we had big plans ahead that would take us all over Ireland!
After leaving Ballyhaunis we rented a car and drove down to Dublin to meet up with some of Kevin's friends from Ohio State. We were only there for the one night before we were back in a car heading to the Cliffs of Moher just near a town called Doolin. The Cliffs are one of the main sites in the whole of Ireland and we got views from hiking the top and taking a boat down at the bottom. We also stayed at a great little bed and breakfast directly over a restaurant/pub that was in town. We only had a day or two in Doolin before another trip highlight...the Galway race!!! We were in luck that the week of our visit was the biggest horse racing week of the year in Ireland. So we made our way to the track to catch some races and test our betting luck. It was an overcast day but the track was very busy and buzzing with excitement. We placed bets on each of the six races we were going to see and got off to a great start. Our horses performed well but going into the last race we decided to bet it all on the favorite horse who was supposed to win by a long shot...so in eager anticipation we watched the last race hoping to walk out big winners! Right from the gate our final horse could barely even keep up and we left the track with our hands in our empty pockets. No big money but losers all the same. Still an amazing day as a whole and made up for it with a night out in Galway.
The trip wrapped up with Kevin and I heading back to Dublin while Brandon flew off to London and Will had to attended his sister's wedding. As a whole Ireland lived up to its reputation. Green as far as the eye can see, friendly people at every turn, quaint towns, great music, pubs lining the streets, and no limit of places to see and explore. It was a great first trip and I am sure it won't be my last.
For now though? I have my feet on the ground in Doha and won't be traveling for quite a bit. A big piece of news that I have been holding is that Kristal has FINALLY gotten a job in Doha and will be moving here at the end of August. In an exciting summer this was by far and away the best and most exciting part of the whole thing. She got a job at Northwestern University in Qatar and has a September 1 start date. We are both relieved and excited to finally be living in the same country! So we are counting down the days but as if you needed any more reason to visit...now you can see BOTH of us!!!
When I left Cusco, Peru for a 40 hour journey back to Doha, I knew it wouldn't be the last plane I would see. Once I landed in Doha I only had about 48 hours before I was on another flight to Dublin. Needless to say I wasn't looking forward to the 12 hour journey from Doha to Dublin. When I arrived at the check-in counter I was told they had over booked the flight and that I would need to be re-routed. I wasn't too excited to hear the news but then they told me I would be compensated for my "troubles". If the re-routed flight landed before my original I would get 300 Euros and if it landed after I would get 600 Euros! The re-route took me from Doha to Zurich to Frankfurt to Dublin and got me on the ground about 5 hours later than planned. But this meant I was handed to check to be cashed in Frankfurt for 600 Euros!! This basically paid for my entire flight and I arrived in Dublin 600 Euros richer than I was that morning. A great kick off to a trip that would span over 1,000km in just 6 days!
After the amazing start to the trip, I was reunited with Will, Brandon, and Kevin all waiting for me at the Dublin airport. We hopped in a car and sped off to Will's hometown of Ballyhaunis in Country Mayo. It was about a three hour drive from Dublin and we got to stay at his parents house. We checked out the family businesses (Corner Bar and Bouncy Castles), we did a hike to a pilgrimage site of St. Patrick, we spent time with Will's childhood friends, and took in the feel of small town rural Ireland. We had such a good visit with the Nestors (and Will's 5 sisters) and they treated us as their own from the moment we stepped in the door. But this was only the first few days of the trip...we had big plans ahead that would take us all over Ireland!
After leaving Ballyhaunis we rented a car and drove down to Dublin to meet up with some of Kevin's friends from Ohio State. We were only there for the one night before we were back in a car heading to the Cliffs of Moher just near a town called Doolin. The Cliffs are one of the main sites in the whole of Ireland and we got views from hiking the top and taking a boat down at the bottom. We also stayed at a great little bed and breakfast directly over a restaurant/pub that was in town. We only had a day or two in Doolin before another trip highlight...the Galway race!!! We were in luck that the week of our visit was the biggest horse racing week of the year in Ireland. So we made our way to the track to catch some races and test our betting luck. It was an overcast day but the track was very busy and buzzing with excitement. We placed bets on each of the six races we were going to see and got off to a great start. Our horses performed well but going into the last race we decided to bet it all on the favorite horse who was supposed to win by a long shot...so in eager anticipation we watched the last race hoping to walk out big winners! Right from the gate our final horse could barely even keep up and we left the track with our hands in our empty pockets. No big money but losers all the same. Still an amazing day as a whole and made up for it with a night out in Galway.
The trip wrapped up with Kevin and I heading back to Dublin while Brandon flew off to London and Will had to attended his sister's wedding. As a whole Ireland lived up to its reputation. Green as far as the eye can see, friendly people at every turn, quaint towns, great music, pubs lining the streets, and no limit of places to see and explore. It was a great first trip and I am sure it won't be my last.
For now though? I have my feet on the ground in Doha and won't be traveling for quite a bit. A big piece of news that I have been holding is that Kristal has FINALLY gotten a job in Doha and will be moving here at the end of August. In an exciting summer this was by far and away the best and most exciting part of the whole thing. She got a job at Northwestern University in Qatar and has a September 1 start date. We are both relieved and excited to finally be living in the same country! So we are counting down the days but as if you needed any more reason to visit...now you can see BOTH of us!!!
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