Roadtrip North: Belfast, Northern Ireland

For one of our last weekend's here in Ireland, we took a girls road trip up to Belfast for a quick visit. Jetting off Friday after work from the South of Ireland, we arrived about 5 hours later in the very North. If only California was like this!

We had a little dispute with our accommodation on the first night as they gave our beds away and ended up putting us from a 4-bed room into a 35-bed room!! Luckily there was only 1 other person in the room but it was such a cold room I felt like I was going to freeze! But the next day they were able to move us into a private 4-bed so it ended up working out fine.

We spent most Saturday outdoors and luckily the rain held off for us when we were outside exploring. We drove about an hour outside of Belfast and went to the Giants Causeway, which is an area that was formed from a volcanic eruption and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The ground is made up of hexagonal-column like structures that can range all the way up to 36 feet in height! The columns are like little stepping stones which lead both into the ocean and then also up along the large, thick cliffs.
Stretching out into the ocean and then along the cliff wall, the Giants Causeway is luminous with jet-black volcanic stone which enters the dark blue Irish sea/Atlantic ocean and highlights the vibrant green of the Irish cliff side.


Then about 10 miles from the cliffs is Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, a heart-thumping thrill when the Irish winds are rapid! This suspension bridge connects the mainland to a tiny little island called Carrick. Even though the bridge is only about 65 feet long and just under 100-feet high, the suspension caused by the enormously strong Irish wind isn't something to underestimate. Normally the bridge is taken down in late October or early November (put up in March-time) because of the high winds and safety factor, but surely enough we just about made it across in mid November.We arrived to the bridge at 3PM and the sign posted said that it actually closes at 2PM. So we were really sad but decided to walk down anyways because we heard it was a pretty walk down to the area. Well on the way we ran into a group of people who had purchased tickets and on the ticket it said that the bridge remains open an additional 45 minutes after the posted sign. So although we couldn't buy an official ticket, we just scalped three off the guys and then ran down to the bottom of the bridge. Now it's actually a very long walk to the bridge but we made it with enough time and tickets! :)
John, the main watch postman at the bridge, said that they were JUST about to close it but given the number of people out to see it the day we went, they decided to leave it open although according to the safety standards should have closed down. Eeeek! He recommended Stephanie and Sarah to leave their purses with him, as walking across the bridge is VERY windy and many people have lost things. Of course they didn't listen, but I left my camera with him so he could take pictures during the crossing itself- since it's so windy you can't manage to on the actual bridge yourself. So as we walk across the bridge and after 5 steps onto the bridge Stephanie's purse falls to her hand and almost off the bridge completely as she screams, "John was right!! omg he was right!" (A zoomed in picture below shows her purse at the bottom of her hand)

Always listen to the watchman.
It was amazing how windy it can get on there, as the pants of my jeans were pushing me against the far part of the bridge, and I even had to take my glasses off on the way back because they almost fell off. Now, as a person who would skydive and bungy-jump again in an instant- I was amazed at how terrifying that short distance across really was and couldn't help cracking up the whole time!
Once we made it back to Belfast we went for some food and then out for cheap drinks! It's amazing how much cheaper everything is once you leave the Republic of Ireland and get into Sterling/Pounds rather than Euros.