Cliffs of Moher

Concerning Ireland, I think I was meant to have fun and to suffer in equal doses. I liked Dublin for its local food, cheap ass pints of Guinness, and pub music. But I caught an awful headcold halfway through my stay there, for the second vacation in a row no less. It was the kind that lasts for a week, with three particularly brutal days at the start. I couldn’t fight it off with Afrin or tissues alone, and needed to consult with the healing powers of Irish Coffee and Guinness Stew, of which I learned counts as a cold remedy. I also learned that in Ireland, chicken curry fries are a thing. And it’s fucking awesome. Eat, drink, and feel like shit, for tomorrow we drink again.

But I was well enough on Friday to go to a Couchsurfing meetup to drink with locals and international backpackers. I stayed out drinking until 2, and then sat on a 3 hour shuttle the next morning with a pounding headache. I needed water, but I couldn’t hydrate because I was stuck on a bus without a bathroom. Kind of a catch-22. We made it to the coast in the afternoon to see the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Like everything else out here so far, it was well worth the suffering.

I walked along the cliffside trail for an hour, watching shuttle boats go by on the water as seabirds turned gracefully in circles along the rocky walls. We went back to the bus and the guide drove us to a boat dock to the north. For the next hour the boat went along the cliffs on a perfect bluebird day. We didn’t stay out for long, but I’m sure it must have been one hell of a sunset.

On the way back, I managed to slowly drink a PowerAde from a rest stop, and then sober up back in Dublin of all places. I’m getting another headache just talking about it. Recovery mode or not, the Cliffs of Moher is well worth the day tour. And the Temple Bar is a great place to get shithoused, even if your congestion makes you feel like you’re beat to shit.

About Dan Hagen

I’m a guy from Chicago who travels as often as possible. It is my lifelong goal to see the world by train, foot, bicycle, and raft. I like open country roads, urban nightlife, good cuisine, local beer, alpine mountains, wild rivers, and lots of other badass shit. And I will write about it as often as I can.