Dublin, Day 2: Lost in Dublin

Well, not completely lost. I just had a few difficulties getting around. I went into Dublin to see the sights. I hopped on the bus to the city center, hoping to get to the tourist office. Unfortunately, I was slightly confused as to where the tourist office was, and I wasn't sure when to get off. I spent my time staring out the window, hoping to see some sign that would tell me where I was and where I needed to go. After about 45 minutes or so, I finally saw a sign for the tourist center. I pushed the button to signal the driver. Unfortunately, the stop wasn't nearby, so I had to walk for awhile after getting off. I arrived at the center and bought a map of Dublin so I wouldn't get lost again. Using the map, I headed off to see the General Post Office.

Why the post office? you might ask. As it turns out, the GPO was the site of an Irish rebellion against British rule in 1916. The 1916 Easter Rising was one of the events that united the Irish people in their desire to be free. The original building was destroyed, but the columns in front remain, bullet holes and all. The post office has several plaques, photographs, and other items relating to the uprising. There is a statue of the Irish hero Cuchulainn in the window. The GPO also has a philatelic store, which is exciting for me because I collect stamps (though I haven't really been actively collecting since I've been in college). I bought a first day cover of a stamp featuring the GPO; the envelope commemorated the Easter Rising. (A first day cover is an envelope with a stamp cancelled on the first date of issue. Usually the cancellation is decorative and relates to the stamp; the envelope is usually decorated with the stamp's theme as well).

That evening, I went with a group of honors students to check out the pubs downtown. We were looking for some traditional Irish music and maybe some dancing. Unfortunately, the music in the pub we went to wasn't all that exciting. It was just a guy playing a guitar. My friends wanted to stay out late, particularly as one of the students was hanging out with some American students he met on the continent during one of his side trips. They would be going back to the States the next morning, so he wanted to spend some time with them. We ended up staying past the time of the last bus, and so we began searching for the night bus, which runs later and on a different route. We finally found the stop after much searching, but while we were there, a man walking by stopped us and suggested that we just share a cab and split the fare--the night bus costs 4 euros, and it would be cheaper to take the cab. We agreed that this would be the best plan, and the man proceeded to hail some cabs for us. The people in Dublin (and the rest of Ireland I've been to) seem to be extremely friendly.