I returned the rental car at Dublin
Airport (I didn’t cry this time) and hopped on a bus to my next country-
Northern Ireland. It was only a couple
hours away but it was clearly different- pound sterling currency, miles instead
of kilometers and British flags draped everywhere. I knew absolutely nothing about Belfast until
I started reading about the Troubles in my guidebook. Luckily my brother’s friend Doug was up for
the task of playing tour guide as well as host.
My time in Northern Ireland was
very brief- I had just one day to pack in some sights. Doug took me for an accelerated pub crawl on
our way to dinner and introduced me to a Dark and Stormy (black seal rum and
ginger beer). We took advantage of the
all-you-can-eat sushi, which was perfect because my body was having withdrawals
after being out of NYC for so long. My
favorite bar of the evening was probably The Crown Bar, which epitomized
Belfast and its turbulent history. It
was owned by a couple- the husband was Catholic and wife was Protestant. She got to name the bar but he got to
decorate it. So she obviously showed her
alliance to the English Monarchy in its name.
However, he had strategically built a mosaic crown at the front door so
that every bar patron stepped on the crown before entering. Ah such a fine line between love and hate!
The next day I rushed through the Ullster
Museum before going on a private taxi ride through West Belfast. Our ‘unbiased’ taxi driver took us through
areas where peace walls, derelict buildings and political murals were still
very clear and present. The Irish
Catholic names and pious symbols on the Falls were completely overpowered by
the Protestant British flags showering down from the power lines on Shankill
Road. They had more flags hanging on a
daily basis than Americans do on the 4th of July. Although the country seems to be on their
road to recovery , the wounds are still
fresh. You could feel the bitterness and
vengeance from men and women that have seen far too much. Our driver’s entire family had either been
killed or were estranged due to the Troubles.
Although he had no hope for peace or progress in Northern Island, I did. His generation will never admit to any
progress since their hearts were so badly broken. I believe there is hope for this country
through the various private and public programs that focus on integrating the
younger generations, especially through sports.
Many people mentioned that the Belfast Giants, the local hockey team, is
actually one of the best forms of integration for the community. Both parties can put their differences aside
as they watch the Giants strive to maintain their #1 spot in the Elite Ice
Hockey League in the UK.
Big thanks to Doug for his killer
hosting skills in Belfast! He sent me on
my way with tons of tips for my next country- Scotland!
Click on this link to see all the other great pictures from Northern Ireland (you don’t need a facebook account to view the photos): http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.916327639917.2363482.1611207&l=957f035cdc&type=1
FOODS I TRIED-
Dark and Stormy, crazy good assorted sushi, local cider beer
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