We are sitting in the kitchen of the hostel, trying to figure out where to go next. There are many places to see, but none that really catches our attention. We ask the hostel keepers and their best advice is to go and take a walk up a holy mountain named “Croagh Patrick”. When she says it might be tough towards the end, you really couldn’t believe her. Seriously, can’t she see we are three guys in our best years – heavily trained? After a great breakfast at a small café we are back out on the road again.
You know that mountain we mentioned earlier – we went there - you know how she said it might be tough at the end? IT WAS. Crap. The first thing Daniel does, is going about with how he will get to the top in 45 minutes – right – it toke us one hour to get to what we THOUGHT was the end destination only to find out that its twice that, and much worse than so far!
The mountain top is positioned about 780 meters above the sea level – and you have to walk abiiiiiit further than that to reach it. The walk is being done by women and men, as well as youngsters and really old ones. The trail was steep at most places and mad up by sharp rocks and loose gravel that rolled under your feet, witch mad it hard to walk on. The worst must have been this guy who walks barefoot (!) to honor his dead friend. RESPECT! In fact, we had shoes – and our feet hurt so badly once we got down. The only good thing about it being a long walk is that it numbed your pain as you went on.
Half way up people had written their names in the grass on the sides of the hill with some white stones – name of loved ones and countries etc. We thought it was quite nice and obviously we had to do something, so we wrote “FLEN” – only we wrote it 20 times smaller and not in the valley like the others… hehe.
The last way up the mountain was really though, as we had to stop several times – only walking 20-40 meters a time and then having a rest. The trip was totally worth it though as once at the top you find yourself being in direct level with the lowest clouds and the view is just spectacular. The sea, the mountains across, the valleys and little cute buildings…. It was wonderful.
There was also a grave and a place to pray and there were be also a small church. The story of this mountain is that St.Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, picked this place for his 40 days fast and it was on this mountain he reputedly banished venomous snakes from Ireland.
We found a good spot to have our little picnic; we had brought some diet coke and water, along with a creamy desert we bought at the breakfast place. Could never have tasted better than after this walk!
We sit and have chat and rest for a while then we begin the long journey back down. The first part was fun as we could slide through the rocks loose rocks, like in the movies – a bit risky but that’s how we like it. RISKY! (hehe) The rest of the walk back down isn’t as funny as Daniel had hurt his knee, Tobbe had now two blisters and Andreas had ripped his jeans and destroyed his shoes. But hey – we like to live dangerous right?
Btw, it toke us about 2 hour to get to the top and one hour down. Danne says he would have made it in 45 minutes if he didn’t have to wait for the rest of us. Doubt that, but hey, if he is up for a new try, then go ahead.
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Once back down again we decide to get some food ASAP, and not repeating the same mistake as yesterday of waiting to long. We head back to Westport and catch the restaurant right besides the hostel we stayed the night at. The dinner was delicious! Best so far by miles, even if the pizza last evening was good too.
After writing our phone numbers on the plates of the desert with the jam from the cheesecake, we paid and left only to head across the street and back to the hostel. After a quick chat we decide to stay the night here in Westport seeing as we are pretty tired of seeing old ruins and churches and figures that if we stay here for the night, we could manage a long drive tomorrow, going back east to Dublin. This is planned to be a four hour trip according to the hostel keepers, so we probably have to add another 3 or 4 hours on top of that. They must really drive like mad mans over here – even compared to us, and at least we got good roads in Sweden!
Having some time to kill we go to the cinema complex only 40 meters from the hostel and decides to see Shrek 3. This is even though we know the cinema will probably be crap, seeing as they have been so far – and we aren’t talking about the movies here… apparently there might be business in introducing air condition to the Irish once we get back home.
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