Arrived into Dubin airport about 6 am after a change in Newark, NJ, it was an easy bus ride into the Dublin City Center. And a few blocks walk to Abigails Hostel. It was too early to check in, so I had to wait in the lobby until 2 pm. All the while chiding myself for not sleeping on the plane. I watched 3 movies in flight, a good time to catch up on the movies that I rarely see after Randy’s death. He loved movies so. On board, I did not follow my normal routine to fake out myself to minimize long flight anguish. This flight was only 7 hrs to Dublin I told my self over and over compared to that 14 ½ hr flight to Tokyo I did for 17 yrs. These are my tips: l) Reading the first two chapters of a good page turner book, so that I am looking forward to getting on board and delving in. 2) Take 50 mg of Benadryl (anti allergy medicine that causes drowsiness). Take it just before they serve the meal, if you are lucky..they’ll be waking you up for arrival 3) Take toothbrush and toothpaste and an extra pair of socks, goes a long way to combat that icky feeling of being on a plane overnight.

So back in the lobby, no sleep. The guys at check in are really kind and helpful and a twist of humor. They offered me one of the many leather couches to crash on until the rooms were ready and offered me coffee and breakfast complimentary. I had coffee and croissant. During breakfast, met a Canadian girl in her 20s. She’s here to work. Moved to the inviting red couch, put my Ipod on, and stretched out but unable to sleep. My room is an 8 bed mixed room comprised of 4 sets of bunk beds. They give you bed linens to make your own bed and towel rental for 1 Euro. It has a private bath in the room. Mine is a lower bunk close to the bath.  

My roommates are 2 boys from Germany, one happened to be an exchange student that spent time in San Antonio. There is a girl age 24 from the Netherlands, a mystery guy that’s been asleep since I arrived, and 3 girls from Canada. Most of them are students working on Master’s degrees at the very near by Trinity College. They are looking for the scarce, reasonable, housing to share. My room/bed costs only 93 Euro, $160 US for 5 nights and the fun it free.

Randy would have never stayed in a Hostel. If he did’t have enough money to stay in in the style he liked, he’d stay home or go camping.

First thing was to take a shower, then a nap. I slept for 3 hrs. Met the Tenneys from Austin, had Irish food, I had a chicken and bacon pie. It was delicious. Afterward to a pub. First pub is the famous Temple Bar, it’s only a couple of blocks from where I’m staying. The historic pub has many rooms, some open at the top, live music and a soccer game televised in different rooms. However it was so crowded, not my favorite situation. Walking around Dublin, it’s a beautiful sky this evening framing the ancient and European architecture.

My place is right on the river with ornate metal curved bridges crossing. Lots of people walking in this area with pubs, restaurants, street music playing from rock and roll to Irish music. However, I imagined streets of tall, strapping, red headed lads. Buts its mostly a sea of brown. We went to a nearby pub, not as crowded, we all three set at the bar and ordered Guiness. One of the Japanese men I worked with raved about Irish guiness. It tasted like beer!.. but stronger and darker. I drank it and chatted with the bartender Paul, around my age. His pub is 60% tourists and 40 % regulars. I told him I’d be back. Hope to talk to him about man of the street interviews.

Back to my room, put on some Pink Floyd with the consent of my bunk mates. Several kids stopped by, I am by far the oldest…in age but young at heart. We laughed and talked until we got a request from one of the room occupants to tune it down. Guiltily, I knew it was probably my loud voice. Time for bed…try to catch up on my sleep.