Hola amigos. I am in Belfast, enjoying the craic(“good times”, only 1 letter of from craig, which means “from the crag”[thanks mom and dad])

This morning I entered a large green bus driven by a balding Irishman named Don. We hit the Guinness Storehouse which was fun to see as well as the way cool 360 degree view of the city (and free pint of the black stuff) that the tour provided. Beer making is very similar to whiskey making as I enjoyed yesterday; only slightly less involved.

I was today also able to see one of the largest city parks in the world in Dublin as well as a monastery with some of the oldest Celtic crosses in existence, which was cool to see. The Irish countryside is enjoyable to keep an eye on as there are random stone walls and castle towers to be seen as you drive down the highways. We made our way into Belfast in late afternoon after visiting the church containing the long preserved head (from the late 1600s) of Sir Oliver Plunkett, a Catholic martyr for the cause of Irish independence, which didnt come until the 1920s.

I’ve made friends with 2 late 20s Australian fellows, and am enjoying an evening of pubs and good times with them here in Belfast. This afternoon we did a tour in a cab, of all things, telling of the history of the city, the conflicts between the IRA and the protestants, and a number of other city related histories. The cab driver had a strange accent mixing Scottish and Irish, but was jovial and informative all the same. I had dinner at a local pub, talked about running and many other things, and am about to go enjoy some pints with these friendly fellows.

Tomorrow it is off to Derry and the famous Giants Causeway. More description and good times to follow. I hope everyone has a good day and I will talk to you soon. I love Ireland!

Craig (having craic)