Belfast Bonanza!

Hello all! About two hours ago, I got off Bus Eireann bus #261 across from GMIT, finally back in the Republic of Ireland after spending the weekend in Belfast, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the trip and the unrest in that part of Ireland, and no one was really sure what to expect. I went with seven guys, Stephen and the rest UW-Platteville men. We got there in the evening on Friday, immediately greeted by rain that the forecast didn't predict. Sweet. We walked around and saw all the lights and City Hall, which was all decked out in Christmas decorations, and got our bearings. The town is really quite lovely. One of the Erasmus students went a few weeks ago and didn't bring back a good report of Belfast, but I instantly loved it and knew I would probably like it better than any other big city I had been to here. Our walking around got us a little lost, but we eventually found the hostel.

Hostels are always a huge question mark until you get there. Even though you can get details online and stuff, you're always blind-booking. It could be a nice place, it could have rats crawling around, but you won't know until you get there. I wasn't immediately impressed when we walked in to the Linen House Hostel, but the guy at the counter quickly proved apt, exceeding my expectations. Over the course of the weekend, all the staff were helpful. We paid up, got the key, and made our way upstairs. We got a private room for the 8 of us, so we had a big room with bunk beds and a sink, and we were right next to the bathroom- good move, especially since we stole the showers both mornings.

Anyway, after unloading our stuff, we started walking again, and eventually walked into what I think is the coolest mall ever. It was an indoor/outdoor one. Basically, you came into the complex, and could walk around, but all of the stores were connected by crosslinks that were, for the most part, exposed to the elements. I guess if you took a regular mall and removed all of the entrances, it'd be like that. There's even an observation deck on the top floor, where you can see all of Belfast. I went up twice, once that night and once today. After climbing back down, we immediately spotted our dinner outing- Chili's. Hah! It's been such a long time since I've had Chili's, and we were all so excited. After a few hours, we cleared out and went back to the hostel to sleep.

Saturday, we had booked a tour to the Giant's Causeway and Derry. Giant's Causeway is a World Heritage Site in N. Ireland. It's a huge collection of basalt deposits on the coast, and they create these magnificent shapes and cliffs that are breath-taking and awesome. (I'll let you know when I get pictures posted.) We spent hours climbing up these cliffs and then back down and then walking out onto these deposits. It was absolutely freezing, and crazy windy. In fact, there were advisories to not go up on the cliff paths because of the wind, but did you really expect 8 crazy American college kids to listen?? Of course not. I can't adequately describe how gorgeous this place was, hopefully pictures will help.

Our last stop was in Derry, Co. Ulster-aka the Walled City. All of a sudden, the scary stories we heard about Northern Ireland became true. This place wasn't the friendliest-looking, and some of us were a little creeped out. We didn't stay for long, just enough time to walk around, get a bagel, visit the market, and get back on our bus. When we got back in Belfast, six guys wanted to eat and hang out, and Darin and I went to watch a hockey game. The Coors Belfast Giants played the Edinburgh Capitals. We were a little late, but our tickets were in the second row, and the fun we had that night dissolved any regret for missing the first few minutes. The Giants KILLED the Capitals, 5-2. We had so much fun. We walked back to the hostel and arrived just minutes after the rest of the gang. We attempted to go out to see some live music, but we couldn't find the bar, so 5 of us came back to sleep, while the other three tried again.

This morning we slept in, checked out at 10:30, and then tried to find some breakfast. Being Sunday, it was not the easiest task. We grudgingly settled on McDonald's. Last night we had discussed getting a Black Cab tour, and our guy was picking us up at 12:30. The tour was supposed to take us to some of the places in Belfast you really shouldn't go to on foot. And boy, did it. This was the most somber experience I might have ever had. Our driver took us through the divided Protestant and Catholic communities in Belfast. We saw the murals and peace gardens commemorating those who had died in the struggles since the '20s, some as recent as the past few years. We saw the graffitied "peace wall"- the gated, barb-wired wall that runs in between the two communities to reduce violence. It's called the Berlin Wall of Belfast. And it really is. Our cabbie told us vicious stories of bombs, shootings, terror and the attempts of peace in the past ten years. All of the stories we'd heard about the Republic of Ireland v. Northern Ireland/ Catholics vs. Protestants/ Nationalists vs. Loyalists, materialized in those moments. I was stuck in a period of complete silence. This conflict was something I could loosely identify with, considering my family's history (Armenian genocide). We all hear so much about civil conflicts in other countries and we feel removed and safe, but there I was, I was in it. I fought back fear even though I knew I had nothing to be scared of. I'm still shaking my head now, trying to sober up from the monstrosity of it all. On the other hand, I'm not sure I would have ever been able to "get it" without having been to Belfast; I walked down Bombay street where bombs put 7,000 Nationalists out of their houses, I read pleas of peace painted on the dividing wall, I stood underneath a mural of a gunman who pointed his rifle at my face, meaning to inspire terror in the onlooker. It was unreal.

We were dropped off in City Center, and the only way we could all get out of our collective slump was to get some food and burn off energy before getting back on the bus to go home. The Christmas Market just started in Belfast this week, but it was in full swing today. We bought cups of mulled wine and hot chocolate and browsed stall after stall of candies, meats, crafts, and gifts. I bought some black licorice from Holland and shortbread cookies to share on the road. OH! And a kangaroo burger, which is.. exactly what you think it is. A burger made from kangaroo meat. It was impressively good. :)

We boarded the bus around 4, not expecting to get back in Galway until 10:30 tonight. But no one expected the events of the trip home. Leg #1, from Belfast to Eniskillen, was sleep time for everyone. Leg #2, Eniskillen to Sligo, was short and was perfect for reading and light conversation. But Leg #3, from Sligo to Galway, was... well... I can't think of an adjective. Brett came to the back of the bus to talk to me about philosophy. All of a sudden, half of our group came to listen to me talk about the basics of good, truth, and beauty, three of the most debated concepts in philosophy. Then, of course, it got into God talk. I was a little uncomfortable, because I knew something potentially crazy could happen with our varied backgrounds. But the problem wasn't with anyone I knew, but with the older man who jumped in! Haha, he was sitting nearby, and I could see him shifting in his seat a little before he turned around to contribute to our discussion. His intention was to get me riled up, I think, but I kept a level head and tossed ideas back and forth like I did everyday in my philosophy classes. (I was later congratulated by my friends, I guess they were impressed with what I had to say.) It was a regular hot-potato debate for a while, before he trailed off into something I couldn't hear. Then Brett finished off the conversation by changing the topic. I never mind when people hop in, but his input (and rebuke of our "Christian American" beliefs) sparked way more talk after he got off the bus. The next couple of hours contained nonstop discussion of religion, philosophy, psychology, evolution, theology, time travel and everything in between. I, the philosophy major, was considered to be the answer box for most of the posed questions, and I did my best to field what I could. It didn't take long before all the guys moved from their seats in the middle of the bus to where I was in the back. We all deep-thought together and expressed opinions and saw sides of each other we didn't know existed. They posed some of the hardest theological questions possible, and the discourse that followed was intelligent and well-spoken. Before we got off the bus, I thanked all of these guys for taking part. Seeing their confusion, I added that I had been feeling so lost without someone to TALK to, and I had been lamenting to God about it. Well, he heard my heart murmurs, and used these guys- all of them tough athletes who talk mainly about drinking and women, studying to be businessmen, engineers, and contractors, rarely showing any passionate emotion for anything other than sports or the political race- to directly answer my prayer. What was even better was the satisfaction all of them got out of it, as well. I got off that bus, the happiest I'd been since I got here. And seeing how well we all talk together, there is suddenly interest in having "Philosophy Night" where we can all just hang out and 'philosophize'. Ha. I am surprised and so honored to be a part of all of this, but I was also struck tonight with a deep sadness of having to leave them all so soon.

This was my last trip with that group of guys. Stephen and I are going to Germany next weekend, but I won't be traveling anymore with the WI guys. Not in Ireland at least. However sad I will be to part ways with them, I will forever be grateful for how these friends have enriched my life. I really hope I can figure out how to see them again. I might call my uncle and see if I can get a beach house for their Spring Break- they said they would come down. Hmm. Anyway, the whole point is that Belfast was great, and I loved it all. This may have been my favorite trip so far, but there's always Germany next weekend!