Dubious Dublin

This morning I missed the 8:10 train to Holyhead, but that was okay because the 9:10 train was the crucial one. 8:10 would have just given me more time. But I wasn't really worried about it until the 9:10 train got delayed and became the 9:35 train. So I was in a bit of a crunch.
I figured if I missed the last ferry of the day I could just go to Manchester for the night or something, but I would be losing 9 euro for a room I wasn't staying in.

But for once the travel fairy took sweet pity, or actually I had just planned for my stupidity, and the train arrived 40 minutes before the ferry was supposed to depart. I got on, no problem. For some reason I thought a ferry is just for cars and is a sort of barge, but this one was like a mini-cruise. It had a cinema, casino, restaurants, shops, and many lounges with comfy cushioned benches for Lizzys to sleep on. Delightful.

Coming into Dublin was beautiful and I made an Irish friend, David, who had been living in London but was moving back to Cork. He told me about the islands as we passed them and let me know that the two ugly towers were actually famously associated with Dublin.

I found my hostel no problem and it is definitely the sketchiest one I have stayed in so far. The showers are two floors below the rooms, the toilets don't have seats and the rooms don't have lockers. However it is huge and has a lot of common areas so it is good for meeting people. I really don't mind, but it would not be one I would take my mom to. But for 9 euro a night? I can dig it.

I kind of find Dublin to be pretty sketchy, but I haven't seen much of it. I may go out to a pub tonight with my new French friend, Guilliam, but I will probably stay in, read, and sleep. Tomorrow I am taking scenic train rides and seeing beautiful countryside and then maybe I can go out in this more industrial city.