Today
was filled with ups and downs, literally. This morning we first took a bus ride
to Doolin and then hopped on a ferry to visit one of the Aran Islands. The rocky
trip to the islands was rather rough for most of us, and lots of motion
sickness meds were needed.
After a quite long journey (an hour for some, and a
lifetime and half for others) we arrived at our destination for the day,
Inishmore. Although the sun was shining when we left Doolin, we quickly became
disappointed when it started raining during our arrival. We were bummed out
because we had plans to rent bicycles and tour the island. We decided to find
some food for lunch and cross our fingers for the clouds to clear. We went to
Bayview Restaurant, and while eating we took note of some sustainable practices.
The restaurant used local products to make their menu, which is great since
they would have to ship in food through the ferry if they did not use these
practices. The plants they used to decorate were in moss pots, which means the
pot is biodegradable and less plastics are being used. These sustainable
efforts kept us entertained while we waited for our food.
Our spirits were raised when the
weather cleared up while we were eating. Most of our group followed through
with the bike rentals and began to tour the island. The Aran Island is a small
island so it is easy to access the whole island on bike or walking. Although a
few vehicles were used on the island, bikes were a quick and sustainable way to
get around the island. We biked along an Oceanside path and took a few pit
stops at the Seal Colony and beach. The weather and view were both absolutely
beautiful, and we even managed to take a group selfie while in motion on the
bikes. While most of us were biking...
Others explored the island and shopped
around. Some people prepared for the cold ferry ride back to Doolin by stocking
up on warm clothes at the local wool shop. Thankfully, the sun was still out
during our ride back so we were able to sit outside, which helped with the sea
sickness.
Next up was the Cliffs of Moher. We had an hour to explore this gorgeous
site of tourism. Needless to say, the pictures we had previously seen of the
cliffs did not do justice to what we saw today. Some of our group was more
adventurous than others and got closer to the cliffs while some of the more
cautious students looked at them from a safe distance. The Cliffs of Moher is a
sight that you almost need to experience yourself in order to truly grasp the
beauty of it.
After a long day spent outdoors, we
were ready to see what the small town of Doolin had to offer for dinner. Since
it was Saturday night, most of the restaurants were packed. A few of us ended
up sharing tables with tourists from other countries and ended up learning a
lot about their own European adventures. After dinner, we began to settle into
the Doolin Hostel for a night of rest before our journey back to the States in
the morning. However, our night had a little bit of excitement left in store
for us. One of the girl’s hair driers triggered the fire alarms, and we all (some
of us in our bath towels) had to evacuate outside. The rest of our night
consisted of strategically shoving all of our souvenirs into our suitcases and
getting a good night’s sleep before our long day of travel.
Laura Bohnker
Senior, Biology
Rachel Kunst
Senior, Biochemistry
