AMAZING!!!!!  THE BEST TRIP EVER!!!!

so today Marisa and I just shopped in dublin to use up our euros and went to the movies.
we leave tomorrow morning to go back home to california.

Yesterday Marisa and I arrived in Dublin at 8:30 am.  We went to our hostel and locked our luggage in cages in the basement, and then set off to check out Dublin.  We ended up taking a tour of Dublin by riding the Hop on Hop off bus around town (a good choice).  We hopped off at the Guinness Factory, took a tour and had a free sample at the top in their Gravity Bar which has a great view of the city and bay.  We also hopped off at the National Gallery to look at some art.  We were so tired and we ended up riding the bus around Dublin two or three times because we didn’t want to get off.

Today we took a two hour bus ride to Kilkenny.  We were going to watch their hot air balloon festival, but because of all the rain that came today it was canceled.  We walked around town in the rain for a while and ended up at the Kilkenny Castle where we took the tour inside.  In the afternoon, the rain cleared up, and we decided to go horseback riding which was so much fun!  It was the first time I had ever ridden English style and I learned all about posting while trotting.  We rode some trails in the country with two girls from the stables and we enjoyed talking to them about Ireland and the US.  When it came time to leave, we were supposed to take the bus back to Dublin, but the windshield wipers broke on the bus, so they had us take the train into town.  We got back late, and we are going to bed right now so that we can be up at 3:45 so we can catch the 4:30 bus to the airport for our 7 am flight to ROME ☺

Our hostel is very cute, and very interesting.  It is right next to the train tracks (literally maybe ten feet from the window) and the bus station (very handy for the day trip to Kilkenny).  It is also the first time in my life that I have ever experienced push button showers where the water only lasts about 30 seconds before its turns off and you have to push the button again.  Good water conservation, don’t you think?

we made it! Marisa and I are in Dublin and we’ve done so much already! we are very tired as we haven’t selpt in over 24 hours.  will update at a later time when i’m not being charged and after i have gotten some sleep