(To be read in a booming and masculine Katherine voice…) Click here for an example

We set off Saturday for the Cliffs of Moher by Bus Éireann in the wee hours of the morning (9:25 am). An hour and 45 minutes later, we stepped off the bus, Katherine feeling a bit ill from the bumpy bus ride and Mark ready for danger. Of course, it was raining. We escaped to the visitor’s center to peruse the wonders of the gift shop, sampling flavored pretzels and cheese. From there, we headed back out in the wind and rain to see the magnificent cliffs. Our pictures consisted of fog and rain, with a bit of cliffs on the side. Not so exciting.

Back to the visitor’s center we went for a lunch break of (crunchy) peanut butter and bread sandwiches. Mmmm…cheap packed lunch. Oh no! The next bus was leaving shortly. Do we stay in the rain or leave with our less than perfect pictures? Being the tough backpackers that we are, we most certainly stayed. Just then, the fog lifted and the rain ceased, and out of the clouds appeared the Cliffs of Moher. Snap, snap, snap went the cameras. We captured it all (amidst the lurking danger of falling).

2 hours down, 4 to go until the next bus. What now? More pictures or walk somewhere? Without a car, our choices were limited. 5 miles north was the village of Doolin or a few miles south was the village of Liscannor. We could see Liscannor from the cliffs, so we ventured along the winding roads of semi-remote Ireland. We passed backpackers, cows, old men, cows, a weird tomb, grass, cows, and castles.

Two stinking hours later, we were still walking. Through rain, mud, rain, and mud we traveled. Near cars, buses, bicycles, and cows. Finally, we came to a large rock saying “Liscannor Rock Shop.” We saw geodes, shark teeth, elephant bones, mood rings, and key chains. After 30 minutes of looking around, we left only to walk some more. “Almost there,” Mark said. Yeah right.

After two hours of grueling downhill walking, we reached the Atlantic Ocean outside of Liscannor. We ravaged Mark’s backpack for anything edible. We could choose fiber (in the form of cereal), fiber (in the form of milk and cereal bar), or fiber (in the form of 1 slice of bread…the butt slice). We split the butt and a 7 Up. Renergized, we set off to find the castle in the distance.

After getting to the castle and seeing it inhabited by cows, we took more pictures and took the bus home.