Having a blast in Ireland

So we landed in Belfast International airport (which is 30 mins out of the city).... and then got on the wrong bus! We nearly ended up going to the wrong city! Luckily, Phlegm asked the driver a question before we'd left and we quickly realised we were in the wrong place. Phew! Could have been REALLY bad.

Ireland has been freezing but really beautiful. Irish weather makes Melbourne weather look stable and predictable. It's crazy - raining one minute, sunny and blue sky the next.... but ALWAYS cold! Belfast wasn't too crash hot. It had amazing murals and fascinating political history - all about the "Troubles", which were the decades of guerilla warfare between the Unionists who wanted to stay British and the Republicans who wanted a free Ireland. Check out the photo of the 'peace lines' - a huge wire fence between two areas of the city that gets locked every night.
Otherwise Belfast was kind of dingy. Mind you, they have only had peace for about 10 years and are on their way up. Give this city another decade and things will have turned around. A very VERY good fast food place here called Spuds. Served fantastic potatoes (who'd have thought?)

Derry was the next stop on our itinerary. Before we got there we passed two fantastic things: the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Giant's Causeway.

Derry was a much cooler city. Had a lot of political history too - this is where the Bloody Sunday massacre occurred
The place is also looking up and it has lots of potential. The city centre is entirely surrounded by 400 year old city walls that are all intact (so cool). We walked them and they were wicked.

Will write again tomorrow. Great to hear from you Tom and Eddie (seems we've lost an Eddy and gained an Eddie... hmmm). Phlegm's making me hurry - he must be hungry! - so I've got to split. Have fun at school and I'll see you guys soon.