Our last few days in London were great! Thanks so much aaron and anya for letting us stay with you! Even though we had about 11 days to spend in London there is so much to do and see there I'll have to go back someday ;) On Suday, our last day in London we visited emily one last time before leaving. She took us to a park nearby her house to spend some time in the sunny weather. We played frisbee with her and her friend and like she said, when the sun comes out everyone goes to the park. It's like their day at the beach i guess. The weather in london and ireland has been great, its only rained once since we've been on our trip...very lucky! On Sunday we also visited Abbey Road where the Beatles crossed the street for their famous album cover. I was VERY excited we got to fit that into our trip. There is quite a bit of traffic on that road so it was a challenge trying to take a decent photo without risking your life ;) one guy was literally in the road stopping traffic so he could get a good shot..... I definately felt like a tourist that day ;)
We flew out of London on April 11th and arrived in Dublin Ireland. We decided to rent a car for our time in ireland since we will be here until the 26th. Figured we could make our way around the island and stop and go as we please.... No set plan.... Just going- which has been working out great! Well, i did have one reservation about renting a car... I told myself I would never rent a car again after a road trip my girlfriends and I took in Australia... And although that is a completely different trip and a totally different story its worth taking a break from beautiful Ireland to explain...
Basically myself and 3 of my girlfriends who I studied abroad with in Australia decided to rent a car and head up the east coast of Australia to Carins for a little road trip on our summer break from college or Uni as they call it. We were traveling from Brisbane and had about 2 weeks to travel. I was the oldest so put my name on the car - cheaper that way! Now before I start this story let me just say that im shocked it even happened, it surprises me again and again each time I tell the story. So here we go...
We headed out in our compact 4 door red little rental driving on the odd side of the road but loving the slight challenge of it... We were taking turns driving and i think each of us has our own little experience with this car. First, im driving along and a bird hits the windshield. Probably killed it not sure, but who hits a bird?! We drive on. We decide to stop in Airlie Beach and take a walk along the water. We get back to the car and realize we have a bent rim and a flat tire....probably the pot hole we hit a few miles back... They dont work in maintaining the roadways too well in between cities. And some cities in au are quite far apart so you are just driving through bush for a while. Back to the flat tire, my friend cristalle luckily lnows how to change a tire. The jack is not working too well tobpift the car so after 10 minutes of trying she reaches her hand underneath the tire to see how much room there is. The jack gives, and the car falls on her hand! We pull her hand iout from underneath the car and she has to go to the hospital :(. We get a new rim since ours is bent and a new tire. Cristalle gets a cast and we decide to thik positive and not let it ruin our trip. On to the next stop! We made a mistake and drove as it was starting to get dark, you're not supposed to do this. We r looking for the next town to sleep in and out of nowhere out jumps a kangaroo, smack in the middle of our car. We hit it. We cant stop because on either side of us is just bush and the road is completely dark and empty. We hear clunk clunk, clunk clunk and realize we need to get to a town fast. We finally find an exit and a gas station and i'm the first to get out to look at the damage... Half of our front bumper is literally removed, ripped off the car, completely gone and along the enges of the torn bumper is fur, poor kangaroo!!!! We dont know what we will tell the rental car company, but whats done is done, keep calm and carry on as they say. This car is obviously giving us some trouble and we kinda sit back and laugh at it all. We finally make it to Carins and here we get to snorkel, go to the white sandy beaches, go out, and just enjoy our destination! The trip is great and time to head home with a bit of a cracjed windshield - bird, a substitute rim and new tire - pot hole, and half of a front bumper protecting the car - kangaroo. Oh this car!!! We are about half way home, Denise and I are sleeping in the back seat and we wake up to the car swirving, twisting, circles, glides...hill...then, flip. The car flups and we land on all 4 wheels on the opposite side of the road facing the opposite direction we were headed. Somehow all i was thinking as we were tumblung was shoot this car is under my name, my dad's going to kill me!! Screams were followed by silence as we stop. Then panic. We all get out, check ourselves and somehow we are all okay. Our car, not so okay. The police come, towe our car away and report it totaled and shocked and speechless we head back on a greyhound bus to Brisbane. I guess we dont need to explain the windshield, rim and tire and busted bumper to the rental car company now... We now look back and laugh at this story of our Aussie Roadtrip which despite this crazy rental car still ended up being one of the best vacations ever. Lesson: always purchase full coverage insurance, kangaroos are noccturnal animals so seriously dont drive at night, look out for potholes and if this all goes wrong at least you have a good story to tell!
So far so good as far as driving goes in ireland. Our route so far has beed Dublin - Wicklow - Glendalough - Waterford - Killkenny - Cork - Blarney (we kissed the stone!!) and now at a B&B in Kinsale (adorable town). Went out last night and hung out with some hilarious Irish guys! Stood outside the pub after it closed for about another hour, purely entertined by our new found friends and got in at about 3:30am. We are happily sleeping in this morning!
Roadways here are very narrow, but they areactually kinda fun to wind in and around on! In
southers Ireland now, Kinsale - adorable town! Heading up the west coast today which is supposed to be scenic and beautiful. Everything so far has been breathtaking so I can only imagine whats next!
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