I thought I would take the scenic route rather than the highway all the way to Belfast, but when I saw how many ks away it was, 49 or something, I just wanted to get there even quicker So after one wrong turn and having to back track, it wasn't long before I was on the highway.
Because I didn't spend as much time in Galway as I had originally intended, I've decided to get to Belfast two days earlier, then go back to Dublin, and that will mean that I don't have to wake at some ungodly hour to get to Dublin airport on the day I leave Ireland. That in turn has meant that I can return the car earlier (not that they'll give me my money back), because I just won't need it in Belfast.
So as I drove into Belfast, the cars on the highway flying past me, there were a number of signs directing traffic into the appropriate lane. I had a choice there to take the car directly to the airport (that is the only Hertz drop off point), or go to the city, find my hotel, check in, then take the car. I chose the latter, as that would mean I wouldn't have to take my luggage with me.
I got into the city with just a bit of hassle, trying to find the heart of the city. The GPS was on, but then I had to work out how to get in the right lane to take me to the hotel. That was relatively ok. But then, the hotel wasn't actually where the GPS was saying it was! I circled a couple of times and checked nearby streets to no avail. I was starting to think I would just have to stop the car and ask someone, when I looked up and saw it! The GPS was saying it was on the left of this major road, on a small side street. But it was actually right of the major road and a block away. So then it was a bit of a debacle to get to the right of the major road, as I couldn't just turn right on this particular street.
I have to say, driving in the small towns, is soooo much more easier!
Anyway, I got there and checked in and parked the car. Tried to use my room phone, but it was f*&ked, they said they would send the maintenance man. He didn't arrive any time soon so I went for a walk. I was actually on a mission to find a physio or masseuse as my hip is rotated and my shoulder muscles jarred so much that I've had a headache for two days straight. I found a tourist information place and the kind lady looked up a couple of places for me and gave me the details. So venturing towards one of them which was not too far from my hotel, I came across City Hall so I went in and had a look. I find City Halls in most places some of the most beautiful buildings, and this was no exception. I ended up grabbing a bite to eat in the cafe there too.
I went back to the hotel thinking I'll call for an appointment for a massage. The phone still wasn't working, called reception again, a different person answered, they said they would get onto it. Two minutes later the maintenance man was there and he replaced the phone. I made a couple of calls then decided I should return the car today so that I have tomorrow free and Thursday can just head to Dublin without worrying about needing to drop it off. This is where the fun began.
The girl at the hotel desk gave me some instructions for getting to the airport. I know now, that there are two airports in Belfast; 1. City Airport, 2. International. The City airport is as the name suggests, near the city. The other is not.
First I drove out the wrong way because the directions were not clear. I made my way back to the right road ok, but the directions I was reading may as well have been for another city. Nothing seemed to correlate at all. I thought I was doing ok, but then when I was back on the highway and driving quite a distance and the instructions were showing timings of 3 mins for a particular road, well I figured out what was going on. I stopped the car (most highways have a stopping lane), looked at the instructions, but figured that was pointless, and that my best bet would be to take the first exit, get back to the starting point and start again.
Good plan, except I didn't keep to it. When I got nearer to Belfast City I saw roads that were listed on the instructions, figured I'd try my luck. I started off ok, then I think I went straight when I should have turned. I had to fill up the car with petrol so at the first station I got to, I saw a taxi driver and I asked him. Now this dude, was most helpful, and the instructions even sounded straight forward, except, get this... he said, "when you get to the roundabout, you've got to take the fourth exit, so you've got to get yourself across to the correct lane". In my head I pictured that famous roundabout in Paris, and thought that I would finally have an accident in this car, on the day that I'm returning it.
But, really the instructions were straight forward, and I told myself it would be fine, that if worse came to worse, I would hit the hazard lights and cars would make way for me! That was my plan!
The problem was, I never got to the roundabout the taxi driver was talking about. He had said to me to go back the way I came. I thought I went back the way I came....maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but there was no roundabout. So, given I now had a 'general sense of the direction' I needed to be going, I turned the car around and headed that way. First attempt failed, ended up where I started, second attempt, bingo! A sign for City Airport - woohoo!
I got to the airport and either lack of signage, or me reading the signs wrong, I had to exit the airport and go back in again (again I had stopped and asked a tax driver - another lovely man). I finally rid myself of this damned car! It was like a tonne of weight off my shoulders. Relief.
I was just going to get a taxi back to the city, but there was a line up, so I took the bus which was only £2.40, and figured it would drop me somewhere in the city. I spoke to a couple of ladies waiting for the bus and one of them said it stops at the Europa Bus Station, I said "oh, that's where I need to be anyway, it's just opposite my hotel". And it was!
This all took a fair amount of time as you can imagine, but I decided that I would go for a walk and find this masseuse, which I found ok, but she didn't answer the door as she was with a client. So I went and grabbed a coffee and sweet from the cafe on the corner. Went back to the masseuse, still no answer, so I went back to the hotel. I then got it in my head that I had to get some laundry done. Else, I doubted the Czech Republic customs would let me into their beautiful country! I asked at the hotel, but their service looked expensive. So I googled, and found that there was a laundromat not far from the hotel (in fact, close to where I had been looking for the masseuse earlier). So I packed a bag of dirty clothes and spent the evening doing laundry. Happy happy joy joy! But, again, am so relieved that that chore is done. Not how I thought I would spend my first night in Belfast, but there you go.
At the laundromat there was an Aussie couple there and we started talking about our travels etc. then the subject got onto the election. We were on the same page and we vented a bit. Funnily, they're from the Shire where the Sydney riots occurred many years ago now. And they are Lefties. There you go.
Dinner was a sandwich!
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