| POOR BOYS IRISH HOLIDAY |
[Jan. 8th, 2007|05:49 pm] |
Getting ready to go.
I spent 4 months on the web gathering information. Much of it from Lonely Planets Thorn Tree UK-Ireland branch. Once you get used to the British humor and them thinking you are a troll they are very helpful and informative.
First I had to figure where I was going. I decided on Dublin, up the east coast to Dundalk, across to Sligo, then down the west coast to Galway, Ennis, Doolin, Killarney, Waterford and back to Dublin. I figured 18 days with 2 nights and one day at each stop.
Next was accommodations. I sent out 10 inquiries in each area. I received 10 replies. 6 were either traveling themselves or otherwise committed. 4 were agreeable to host me. I mention each of the 4 under the appropriate town.
Then I went to Irish hostels online, hostel Booker's, and Independent Irish hostels to fill in the blanks. I booked hostels in Sligo, Galway, Doolin and Waterford. All these can be booked online except Doolin.
I had to much luggage to hitch so I purchased the Buserann open road pass for $139 US.
I booked US Airways for $477 US, and picked up $400.00 US in euros
I packed light just my medicines , 3 changes of cloths, 4 changes of underwear, socks, and personal toilet items.
I printed off my bus schedules, hostel bookings confirmation, any sights I particularly wanted to see, and my boarding pass.
My purpose was to study the Irish people and culture first hand I am not really into castle ruins and monuments. I did want to see the Cliffs of Mohar, take the ferry to the Arran island, and do the Ring of Kerry tour. I also wanted to visit the local pubs for chats and traditional Irish music. Other than that I had a flexible schedule
I figured to use the self catering kitchens to keep costs down. That way I ate for 5 euro per day. |
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| Getting to Ireland |
[Jan. 8th, 2007|04:01 pm] |
I flew US Airways out of Dulles International Airport near Washington DC. I arrived plenty early as Brian, my son-in-law dropped the kids off at school and came and got me. We arrived about 3 hours early. I use wheelchair assistance at the airports as it is usually quite a distance from the curb to the departure gate, and long walks are a problem for me.
I was to fly to Charlotte NC, then to Philadelphia, to go through customs, then to Dublin. Seemed strange to fly south to Charlotte then back north ,over DC, to get to Philly. It seems US Airways hub is Charlotte and customs is at Philly.
I checked my backpack through at the curb. For some reason because I was traveling on a passport I couldn't do it over the internet.When I went through check in they checked everything very closely. I had called US Airways about bringing bug spray which they said would be acceptable. However TSA didn't think so and threw out my bug spray and shaving cream. Everything else passed and I was cleared through to the departure gate. The wheelchair attendant dropped be at gate 210 where I was to catch my flight 3 hours later.
There was a Subway sandwich Shop near the gate and nothing else. It seems that US Air gates are always in out of the way places. I had a steak and cheese sandwich and coffee for lunch and settled in to read my bible. I was reading the book of Psalms, which are really Jewish praise songs written by King David. Reading is a good conversation starter as people want to know what you are reading. When they find it is the bible they always have spiritual questions.
I wanted to get some small housewarming gifts for people who were hosting me on this journey. It was too far back to the tourist trap mall and there was nothing nearby, so I figured I would get them in Charlotte or Philly. Not so, same problem of being out of the way and to far to get anything.
Flight 17 to Charlotte was uneventful. They had free beverage service with alcoholic drinks for $5 if you wanted them. Charlotte airport is bigger than I thought it would be and quite spread out. Thank heavens for wheelchair assistance.
Flight 1706 was on time, and once again had beverage service.
Flight 1706s originated in Philly so it was on time. As we were on the taxi-way and next to depart they announced that we were returning to the gate, It seems 50 bags of luggage had been overlooked by the loading crew. They loaded the luggage and we were off to Dublin.
The plane was a 747 with 10 seats across 2 on both sides of the isle and 6 in the middle. The plane was way to cramped for a 14 hour flight. My seat was at the window on the starboard side. The lady ahead of me leaned her seat all the way back and it pinned my legs to the seat. I asked her if she would be comfortable if she moved a couple of clicks forward. She obliged and it was barely bearable.
My seat mate was Eric. His wife sat about 6 rows back in the middle of the plane and they kept hollering back and forth to communicate with each other. A female passenger sitting next to his wife offered to switch seats with him so they could set together.
My new seatmate was named Sarah and she was from Chicago. She was in her late 20s and had a doctorate from Trinity College in Dublin, in Peace Studies. Her boyfriend was still attending Trinity and she was going to visit him for the weekend. They are both US citizens but Trinity has the best curriculum for their major.
We had quite a chat I had spent some time in Chicago as a kid and was somewhat familiar with the city. We also spoke of spiritual things, which I always seem to do, and she had an interesting concept of it all. She was very philosophical about it all. We spoke of her concept of God etc. I let her know that believing in Jesus Christ and accepting him as your saviour was the only way to get to heaven. I am not sure I convinced her, but I sure tried in a gentle way.
We had taken off at 9:00 pm so dinner was served at Midnight. I had requested a diabetic meal and was very disappointed with it. I had an overcooked chicken breast, dry rice, raw carrots, a roll and a fruit cup. Sarah's meal looked much more appetizing.
Sarah was very tolerant of my constantly getting up to strech my legs to get rid of cramps to avoid blood clots, and go to the bathroom. She had a very nice personality and will make a fine wife if treated with love, respect, and understanding.
They had some stupid movie on where the couple seemed to fight in every scene. Fourtunaly we had earphones, either your own or you could purchase them for $5. So I was able to get some sleep, although my legs cramping kept waking me up.
I was sure glad to see Dublin airport. |
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| Arriving DUBLIN |
[Jan. 8th, 2007|01:20 pm] |
We arrived in Dublin at 3:30 am which is 8:300 am Irish time. They are 5 hours ahead of us time wise.
I picked up my luggage and went looking for customs. There were 2 lines one for non-EU and one for EU passengers. The non-EU line was long and slow so I went down the EU line, which was empty. I saw no one as I went through. When I came out into the lobby I asked the Gardia ( policeman ) where to find customs. He said you just came through it. I hadn't seen it so I went on my way to the curb.
There was a ticket machine there where you could get a 1-3 day bus pass for Dublin. I purchased the 1 day pass for 5 euro which was good for 24 hours on all Dublin buses. I was in Dublin for 2 days and it always worked in the meters on the buses, which I rode a lot to avoid walking as much as possible.
I caught the bus to the main bus station and picked up my " open road " bus pass. Then I caught the # 123 bus from Oconnell street to the Guinness Brewery. My hostel was 100 yards down from the brewery.
The Brewery Hostel is in a very old building in the old part of town. The place is kind of run down and rickety but still comfortable and cozy, with a nice friendly, courteous, helpful staff. They carried my luggage up to my room on the 2nd floor, 3rd floor to me, as they call the 1st floor the ground floor in Ireland. They did all they could to make my stay enjoyable.
My room was an 8 bed crowded dorm room. I had heard of it having bedbugs but never saw any signs of the critters, It is far better than a park bench and more comfortable. It has en suite bathrooms ( loo's ) and was clean and airy.
The place caters to the backpackers and therefore has an abundance of young people. However they were all kind and courteous and treated me like their Grandpa. The room accommodated 3 Italians, and 4 Germans plus myself.
Breakfast is included which consists of Corn Flakes, granola, toast with butter and jam, milk tea and instant coffee. I don't think the Irish know about regular coffee as all coffee is espresso. Breakfast is from 8:00-10:00. The self catering kitchen is always open, but they pull breakfast at 10:00. To get to the kitchen you go downstairs, out the back door and around to the kitchen. There are 2 toasters and you queue up to make your toast.
There is a free Internet in the lounge if you can find it available. I did and tried to get on AOL to check my e-mail, kept getting the "page not available" flag. Then one of the computer savvy young people explained that AOL was a US company and you had to reach it through an EU server to get to it. He showed my how and that worked, so I checked my e-mail
I left my luggage and went out and about Dublin. I needed a collapsible luggage carrier. Everybody thought I was talking about someone to carry my luggage for me. Actually they call it a luggage trolley
I asked the clerk how far it was to find one. That is when I learned about the infamous Irish "5 minute walk" It seems that to the Irish everything is only a 5 minute walk. I think they think that from Dublin to Galway is only a 5 minute walk. Anyway it was 11/2 miles. 25 minutes later with aching feet and many long breaks I arrived.
The trolley cost me 30 euro. Darn I had gotten a nice for for my birthday from the kids but couldn't find it when I packed for the trip. However the one I got proved to be invaluable in my travels.
I was worn out so I went to back to the hostel, caught the bus this time, and laid down to think about it. I woke up 2 hours later and was hungry. I went looking for some food. It was 7:30 pm and most Pubs quite serving before that. I found Nash's Pub which served till 9:00 pm and had bangers and mashed. They sure give you a lot of food in the pubs and the price is right. I drank my tea slowly wanting to experience the night scene. I stayed till 9:00 pm which is my bedtime. So I went back to the hostel to go to bed. It seems they don't start partying till 10:00 pm and party till around 2:00 am. To late for me at my age.
My roommates were just going out for the evening when I got back and they came back in at 2:00 am. They were very quiet and respectful and did not cause any disturbance.
Next morning I got up late about 10:30. Breakfast was over, and I was looking for more than toast and jam for breakfast. By the time I got cleaned up and took my medicines it was 12:00 pm. So I took the #123 bus to the city center looking for breakfast. I also wanted a Rugby shirt for one of my sports minded grand kids. I found a pub which served breakfast all day, so I had the Irish Fry Up. Ham, sausage, bacon,1 egg, baked beans and toast with coffee ( watered down espresso ) It cost 7 euro which is more than my usual daily budget for food. It was very good however and filling.
Across the street was Carols Irish Gift Shop. I brought an official Rugby shirt for $50 US, awfully overpriced if you ask me. They only ship from the Internet so I had to find the post office to post it. It was only a 5 minute walk down the street. It cost 4.80 euro to ship it to the US, but that is better than carrying it all over Ireland.
I was tired so I went back to the hostel to lie down and think about it. 2 hours later I woke up and found the breakfast had burnt off so I was hungry and did a food search. I had heard the Brazen Head Pub was a good place to eat and only a 5 minute walk. It took me 20 minutes to get to Bridge St and the Lifty River where it is located and that was downhill, believe me I took a taxi back to the hostel.
The Brazen Head Pub is the oldest pub in Dublin and has quite a history behind it. It was the scene of many important decisions and discussions over the years. It has an old world look about it and traditional Irish music in the music lounge, if you can get in to hear it. One would need to come very early to get a seat cause once it is full they people stay and make a night of it.
So I sat at the bar and had a sirloin steak, with 2 vegetables, one of which is always potatoes, and tea. Very good and cooked just right and plentiful. The people were very friendly and talkitive and kept wanting to buy me a round. I declined for medical reasons and that seemed acceptable.
As mentioned before I took a taxi back, I never would have made back up that hill. When I got back my roommates had gone out for the night so I went to bed.
I realized that I better get out of town or I would spend my entire budget in Dublin so I went to the main bus station to catch the bus to Dundalk. The city bus doesn't service the main bus station so I took the #123 downtown and took a taxi to the main bus station. They said it was a 10 minute walk, and I figured that was twice as long as a 5 minute walk.
I only had to wait 15 minutes for the Dundalk bus, and I was off. |
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| DUNDALK IRELAND |
[Dec. 17th, 2006|05:08 pm] |
My purpose is to go from Dublin, to Dundalk, to Sligo, to Galway, to Ennis, to Doolin , to Killarney, to Waterford, and back to Dublin.
I have lined up 4 Irish families from the Hospitality Club, and Couch-surfers to stay with along the way. So I look forward to an enjoyable trip of discovery and fellowship.
Dundalk is the first stop on my journey. It is an industrial city up near the Northern Irish border. It used to have quite a bit of industry but much of it has moved away. Now a great many people commute to Dublin for work. A 1 1/2 hour bus journey away.
My hosts were Conner and Ina who of course live in Dundalk. He is a freelance accountant who handles the books for many small business in Dundalk, and she is a German girl who teaches German to the Dublin financial community who deal with the German economy. She says she came to visit friends, fell in love, and stayed in Ireland. They have only been married 4 months and seem to be a happy, well adjusted couple.
I really appreciate their hospitality as they were still settling in and basically living out of boxes. They both work and are involved in young peoples activities. Naturally they always have a project going to make the place livable. When I arrived on Sunday they were both working in the backyard preparing a floor for a much needed storage shed. Yet they took the time to stop and come pick me up at the bus station across town.
Conner's " mum " sent over the traditional Sunday roast which was delicious and much appreciated. I had a bed upstairs in Ina's office on the couch. very cozy and comfortable.
On Monday they were both going to work, so I had Conner drop me off at the bus station with the agreement that he would pick me up there at 6:00.
They had a commitment that night so they were eating on the way home, so I ate in town at a small resturant near the bus station.
I hung around town for 9 hours without much of anything touristy to do. There was a park across from the court house which I used as my base. I spent most of the day reading and talking with people who came by. I walked around window shopping.
It was damp and cold so I was looking for a warm coat. I asked several people where to find a second hand store and they said you mean a charity shop. After several wild goose chases I was directed by a knowledgeable lady to a charity shop just a "5 minute walk" away. 20 minutes later I arrived there .The clerk was very helpful but explained that they did not have anything I could use. I was ready to leave wen the manager said, just a minute I just got some stuff in let me check that. He disappeared into the back room and came back with a beautiful leather jacket which fit me just fine. I knew it would be expensive but I was freezing and ready to pay whatever he asked. He said it would be 10 euro about $15.00 US and I was elated. So I walked out with my new coat on.
When I got back to the park I was knackered and tried t take a nap. I say tried as people kept waking me up to see if I was alright. I would rather they do that than let me set there and die from a heart attack or something.
So I wrote in my journal about my Dublin experience which took about 2 hours. Then I read scripture, which is a good conversation starter as people want to know what I am reading. Some are very curious and seeking knowledge and others could care less, so we talked about what they were interested in.
I stopped by the little restaurant I spoke of earlier and had a quiche and side salad. To the chef a side salad is an oblong plate with a tablespoon or so of everything on hid salad bar. More food than I should eat in 2 days. Some of it I liked, some I didn't. however I did not leave there hungry.
Conner picked me up at 6:00 sharp, accountants minds work that way you know. He took me to his home. They were going right out, so I went up to my couch and didn't wake up till I heard them come home.
The next morning after toast and tea Conner dropped me at the bus station to catch my bus to Dublin and on to Sligo. |
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| SLIGO IRELAND |
[Dec. 16th, 2006|08:36 pm] |
Sligo is to hilly for me so I pretty much stayed at the hostel and didn't see much of the town.
To go from Dundalk to Sligo you have to go back through Dublin then out. As we traveled along I marveled at what seemed to me to be 10,000 miles of stone fences in Ireland. Stone must be plentiful as there are stone fences everywhere. Off the carriageways, highways to me, it seems like the roads are more for sheep paths than cars. They sure weren't engineered for cars as they are very narrow and winding. When 2 buses meet they have to pull right up to the stone fence to pass and then pull in their rear view mirrors so they don't hit each other. You are either on the road or against the fence as there is no shoulder, just a foot between the asphalt and the fence. The fences are just piled together and not cemented or secured in any way. I understand that to get your livestock through you move stone to make a gate get the stock through and put the stone back. An Irish rush hour occurs when you come upon a hundred or more sheep being moved down the road in front of you. Doesn't do any good to honk your horn it just starts the sheep baaing and nothing else occurs.
The countryside is beautiful lush green and scenic. I guess all that rain helps.
The houses in the country are rectangular about 100 ft long and 40 ft wide with very steep roofs. The older ones are thatched and the newer ones are of more durable material. The farms appear quite small and stock raising appears to be a major industry. Sheep seem to be the major animal raised.
As I said Sligo is very hilly. It was a "5 minute walk" uphill to the hostel. Thankfully they have a shuttle and came and picked me up at the bus station.
The Eden Hill Hostel is an old Victorian home that used to belong to some prominent person and has been converted by a church group into a hostel. It is in a residential area which is not commercialized in any way. Just a nice quiet place to rest and relax. They are very straight laced and run a good christian place. No partying etc allowed. It is clean well staffed by good people and well maintained.
I stayed on the 2nd floor, 3rd floor to me, and the clerk was nice enough to carry my luggage up to my room. It was an 8 bed ward with only 3 of us there.
They do your laundry for 8 euros as the staff are the only ones allowed to run the equipment. There is a small grocery store down the hill so I made the "5 minute walk" to get there. Going down wasn't bad but it took me 1/2 hour to get back up the hill in small bits and pieces had to lie down for an hour and think about it before I could cook my supper.
To get to the kitchen you go out the back door and around to the kitchen which is exceedingly well stocked with all the utensils you need. They have butter, cream and sugar out every morning for your use. Like all catering kitchens they have instant coffee and tea available all day. There is also the usual " free food " section where travelers leave unwanted non-perishable items for anyone who can use them. This is handy as there always seems to be salt, pepper, sugar and other items you have to buy in bulk and can't use it all up. I brought a # of oatmeal, used it 6 days and left the rest at the last hostel before heading for Dublin.
Had I known 50 years ago what I know now I would have taken 2-3 years after Uni and backpacked the world. However even at 72 years old I am having the time of my life.
Well time to catch the bus to Galway. |
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| GALWAY IRELAND |
[Dec. 16th, 2006|06:36 pm] |
I do believe Galway is my favorite Irish city. It is a city with a home town feel and a very friendly atmosphere.
I caught the bus to Galway. Funny thing with Irish seniors getting a free bus pass they never checked my open road pass. When I mentioned it to one of the drivers he said, you mean you are not Irish? You look like an Irish gentleman and dress like one. I always told them about it anyway.
The bus station and the train station are combined in Galway as they are in most Irish cities. I was surprised to see big signs hanging in the train station with scripture verses on them. Apparently the Civil Liberty Union hasn't gotten there yet. Although God isn't completely in at least they are not trying to put God out.
I was staying at the Gladaugh Hostel in Galway about a block from the bus station. It looked like a dump from the outside and the interior reconfirmed that opinion. Probably the worst hostel I stayed in in Ireland. You went up 30 steps to the admissions desk. Thank the Lord for young people who are willing to help an old fella up the stairs with his luggage. I think I would still be trying to get up those stairs today if they hadn't helped me.
The building is old and run down, primarily a backpackers hostel with young party animals in full swing The staff is kind of lacks and not very accommodating. I was in a 10 bed dorm with 6 guys and 4 girls. I raised 4 daughters but it still seemed strange sleeping in a room with strange women. Everyone was well behaved and seem to naturally except this arrangement. There were 3 guys and 2 girls from Switzerland and 3 guys from Germany plus myself. One of the Swiss guys had a guitar and they played and sang their native songs till midnight when the management closed the party down. I found that part very interesting and entertaining. The Swiss must learn to yodel as soon as they can talk and are pretty good at it.
The self catering kitchen was a mess due to its age and the forgetfulness of some to clean up after themselves. Otherwise it was adequate as long as you washed your utensils before and after use., And cleaned off a working space so you could do prep. The young people tended to use convenience foods and ate out of tins and packages.
Galway itself was delightful and I enjoyed it greatly. It has a home town feel with Eyre Park for a town square. I would set and read scripture and people would stop and ask what I was reading. I had to listen closely as the Irish tend to run all their words together. Instead of saying I am going to town, they seem to say Iamgoingtotown like it is all one word. With my 30% loss of hearing it is difficult. However they never complained about saying it again slower and louder. Anyway, I would say it is a love letter from God ,who loved the world so much that he gave his only son so that any who believe in Jesus might have eternal life. It was written over thousands of years by 66 writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit as to what to write. Many wrote about things that would happen in the future that they never knew or understood. That would start a discussion about was Mary really a virgin, did the people walk across the Red Sea on dry land etc. Soon a crowd would start to gather all asking spiritual questions. If you try this you better know your bible because the questions are many and varied. Enough of my sermon let me get on with my story.
Galway has a 1/2 mile long shopping street with every imaginable kind of shop. The Swiss kids worked in these shops to get traveling money. My departed wife would have worn out her plastic money on this street for sure.
The best fish and chips, we call them french fries and potato chips are called crisps I ever had was in the Supermac Restaurant in Galway They served a whole fresh fillet of fish nicely breaded and cooked to perfection. They gave me what must have been 2-3 potatoes as chips. They may have had a potato famine once but there is no shortage now. Meat and 2 vegetables always includes a potato as one of the vegetables.
I loved the Irish soda bread and soups. I couldn't handle the Irish Fry Up for breakfast as their cured meats are way to salty for my taste and I don't eat blood pudding or lard pudding or have Guinness for breakfast However I loved the food what little I had.
I found that I could eat home cooked meals for 5 euro per day using the grocery store and the self catering kitchen. I would have oatmeal for breakfast, pack a sandwich made with last nights leftovers for lunch and fix a proper supper when I got back to the hostel. Figure 15 euros a day for accommodations that's 20 euro. Add in bus pass cost and I could make it n my budget
Eating out would be about 30 euro a day, way over my budget and I can fix better food. My opinion of course .I am on a special diet for health reasons and things I can have in a restaurant are very limited. I have been known to splurge occasionally of course, but not often. |
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| ENNIS IRELAND |
[Dec. 16th, 2006|03:20 pm] |
Ennis was the most enjoyable part of my journey.
From Galway I went to Ennis where POS ( Paul ) met me at the bus. He took my rolling duffel and proceeded to give me a walking tour of Ennis. Boy it was a "5 minute walk" plus many more minutes walking. We stopped at a pub where Paul had the Carvery while I had my usual soup and brown bread.
Generally I noticed that most Irish don't own a car and tend to use hire ( rental to Americans ) when they need a car. I suppose with the roads, insurance, petrol cost, licenses etc it is quite expensive to own a car unless you really need to. Anyway we split the taxi fare to his place in Clarecastle. He and Mary his wife ( one of the nicest, kindest women I have ever met, live in a modest little place, we would call it a townhouse. It is close to the bus stop and has a small grocery near by.
They are very Irish, friendly and accommodating. I had probably the most enjoyable visit of my trip, visiting with them. Paul is middle age, retired, and works in season as a castle tour guide. Believe me he knows Ireland, its history, travel spots and accommodations. I could not mention a hostel he didn't know about. What Paul doesn't know about Ireland isn't worth knowing. He told me that if I wanted to come back he and Mary would split the cost of a hire car with me and he would show me the hidden Ireland that most people never see. I can't wait and am trying to work out the logistics with him now. Faith and ba gory it will be a great adventure.
Conner and Ina in Dundalk were a nice young couple and treated me very well. However they were just married and had a very hectic lifestyle, with work, settling in and all their young peoples activities. I appreciate that they even took the time to host me with all they had going on.
Paul gave me some pointers about traveling which were very useful. Like getting there early so you get your pick of beds at the hostel and little things like that.
The next day we went to BUN RATTY CASTLE, a restored castle with a replica of an 18th century village included in the complex, sort of a theme park type of thing without the Disney hype and flair. Just plain and ordinary like it would have been in the old days. They even had a gal making apple crisp as they did in the old days in a great big pan. Boy she could sure peel those apples quick. She was left handed and could peel and slice an apple in about 30 seconds. I could sure use her during canning season. She said if we came back in an hour we could buy a slice from the tea room straight from the oven. You know I was in queue 45 minutes later.
With Paul as our tour guide it was very enjoyable and gave a lot of behind the scenes information. You would have thought he had grown up it that village 200 years ago his knowledge was so complete.
I could not see the whole thing because it was too much walking. But they tolerated my infirmity and I waited in the tea room drinking tea till they finished looking around.
Then we caught the bus back to Clarecastle. It took us 15 minutes to get there from Clarecastle and 2 hours to get back, as we had to go through Shannon airport and had a layover between buses.
That night we sat and talked. They liked my hobo stories and had many questions about the life style. Hobos in Ireland are called travelers or gypsies and they usually have a trade with which they earn their living from town to town. However like in the US the lifestyle is dieing out.
Paul said my stories sounded like the old west
I was surprised to discover that you need a license to operate your television in Ireland. It is 160 euros, about $200.00 a year and you only get 4 channels. It is monitored from vehicles on the street and there is a fine for not having the license. The reason being there is not enough advertisement money to sustain it and the govt subsidizes it. You can get cable but that costs extra.
The next day I was off to Doolin on the bus. |
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| DOOLIN IRELAND |
[Dec. 16th, 2006|08:26 am] |
Doolin is a truly Irish experience of the rural Irish life.
I arrived in Doolin about 2:00 pm on the bus. I was booked into the Allie River Hostel and the driver let me off just across the street from the hostel. One thing I noticed about Irish bus service. They are very client orientated and accommodating. They go out of their way to give good service. In this case the bus stop was down the road but the driver stopped across from the hostel just to accommodate me.
From where the bus left me off I only had to walk across the street and down across the river to get to the hostel. The Allie River Hostel is probably the best hostel I stayed at in Ireland. A quaint truly Irish little place right on the river. It looked like it was right out of an old Irish movie. A very friendly, homey type of place which gives you the feeling that you are at home. It is owned by a guy who lives justacross the river and is himself a traveler, traveling in the off season. The sign on the door says " if no staff is present, just make yourself at home and we will be by later". My kind of place laid back and easy going and operated on the honor system just like things were when I was a kid back on the farm.
The place is geared to the traveler with well equipped self catering kitchen, free washing machine with soup included and a coin metered dryer with plenty of clothes line outside to dry clothes on. Free Internet use, just wait your turn and be courteous to others waiting to use the net. There is a well stocked little grocery just a "5 minute walk" away.
Doolin is in two parts about a "5 minute walk" apart. There are two commercial type areas with pubs, shops, etc with other concerns sort of strung out between them. Where the bus let me off is a pub called Fitzpatrick's Pub. A nice friendly little place with a good lunch carvery from 12-3:00. The bartender was a nice young lady from Australia who was working her way around Ireland. A very chatty outgoing type of person who makes for a good bartender.
The best place to eat is Oconnors Pub just a "5 minute walk" from the hostel. So I stuck out my thumb and the second car to come by picked me up. Hitching is very easy in western Ireland and I met many wonderful people. The guy who picked me up was named Stewart, an retired Merchant marine from Florida who had retired in Ireland. Ireland is very good to their senior citizens. They get a government pension of 750 euros, 400 units of free electricity, a free phone and a free bus pass each month. Kind of a sweet deal if you ask me. If my grandfather had come over from Ireland, instead of being second generation American, I could claim Irish citizenship and reap those benefits which I would do in a heart beat.
Anyway it just happens that Stewart was on his way to Oconners for dinner. So I got a ride right to the door. I had a bowl of seafood chowder with brown bread for supper. Steward insisted on buying and would not let me repay him. We talked for about 2 hours while he downed 3 pints of Guinness and I drank tea. Like most Irish people he loved stories especially my hobo days stories. He took to calling me Hobo John which seemed to amuse him greatly and didn't matter to me. He decided that he would go to McManns Pub, his regular hangout, on the other end of town for the evening. I had him drop me off at the hostel and I went to bed.
The next day I was to catch the ferry to Innis Orr in the Aran Islands. The pier was a double "5 minute walk" from the hostel so I hitched there. A nice German couple picked me up. They were on their way to hike the Burrans to the Cliffs of Mohar and dropped me off at the pier. I caught the ferry on time.
The sea was a little choppy and it made me appreciate my experience on Navy ships while in the Marines. The ferry was prepared for the landlubbers problem and had a plastic bag dispenser on board just like you find at the checkout counter at the supermarket. Just take one on your way in so you will be ready. Many people lost their breakfast on the way over and their lunch on the way back.
When we arrived at the Island the captain informed us that we would be departing at 2:00 pm sharp, as the tide waits for no man. Otherwise you would be spending the night on the Island, which by the way has a hostel. The village is small and spread out, and mostly closed in the off season. There are 3 pubs but only one was open.
There are about 250 permanent residents on the Island year around. They exist on farming small plots of ground. The settlers had taken sand and seaweed and put in on top of the limestone to form a top soil. Quite an ingenious idea. There are still many earth movers with big buckets on the rear doing this process. Most were parked for the winter when we were there. There were cows, sheep, gardens, and other crops in small , I would call them limestone enclosures, all over the island. Our guide told us that the limestone fences were loosely stacked so the wind could pass through and not knock the fence down but still protect the crops. But I am getting ahead of the story.
The one open pub served lunch. You could have a choice of Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich with potato wedges ( french fries) or Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich and potato wedges. That was the menu for the day. Of course you could also have Guinness which they even have for breakfast in Ireland.
Outside the pub were vendors who offered tours of the island . One was a pony cart which was very expensive which is a lot just to smell horse manure. The other was a van for 8 euros run by a gal who was born and raised on the island so knew it very well. I went with the van, having worked horses as a kid I was not impressed with the nostalgia of the pony cart. The tour was fun and informative.
About 1200 it started to rain. So I crawled under an earth mover and took a nap waiting for the 2:00 ferry departure. People passing by would wake me up to see if I was alright which I was till they woke me up. Of course I appreciated their concern and thanked them for checking. At home I could have lay there dead and nobody would check to see if I was alright.
The trip back was like the trip over. We dropped the island only trippers at the dock and set sail for the Cliffs of Mohar. We came very close to the cliffs which are high and majestic. The Captain said they were formed as part of the ocean floor millions of years ago. This gave me a chance to inform him of the account of Noah's flood from the book of Genesis and its perspective on our times.
Arriving back at the pier I hitched back to the hostel where I fixed my supper and sat around talking with the other travelers the rest of the evening. My roommate BEN was from Kentucky. He had met a solo female traveler from Australia and they were touring together around the world. He was a friendly sort. In the morning he had plenty of eggs and bread left so he fixed us all breakfast.
I packed up and caught the 10:00 bus for Killarney. Incidentally it was the only bus.
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| Killarney Ireland |
[Dec. 15th, 2006|10:03 pm] |
I understand the name means "church of the rock" I enjoyed this part of the trip as it gave me a look at the "old" Ireland first hand.
I was supposed to stay with a lady who is a member of couchsurfers inc and lives near Bodyke north of Killarney. When I called to confirm she indicated that she had a very hectic schedule and would not be at home much. She indicated that she would put me up as she had agreed too but that it would be a great inconvenience to her .I told that I would make other arrangements. So I booked the Railroad Hostel in Killarney.
The Railroad Hostel is across from the rail-bus station. From the entrance you go 1 block then up a small alley 1/2 block to the hostel. It was raining quite hard so I put on my trusty poncho and walked the block and 1/2 to the hostel.
The hostel is a very nice place well maintained and staffed with friendly helpful people.
My room was on the 1st floor, 2nd floor to me. All the rooms are named after animals. Mine was the Buzzard room I guess because I am an old buzzard. It was a 4 bed dorm room. As POS had suggested I was early so I got my pick of beds.
The restroom is down the hall and it is the first time I have used a unisex bathroom with males and females using it at the same time. Heck I have 4 daughters and we didn't even do that at home. A different experience I must say. It is completely private however with individual enclosed private stalls for everybody.
3 young German guys joined my room and were very helpful and respectful. They treated me just like I was their grandpa. I had gone to the store 3 blocks away and wouldn't you know I forgot to replenish my juice supply to keep my sugar balanced. Well my sugar dropped too low. Felix one of my roommates noticed the problem and when I explained it to him he ran the 3 blocks to the store and came back with a quart of orange juice. That was a lifesaver, as I would have gone into a comma shortly and had severe problems. You may count this kind of thing up to circumstances or luck, but I know that Almighty God had a hand in it all. I praise God for good caring young people.
The next day I took the "5 minute walk" to the town center and looked around. There were the usual stores and shops pubs and restaurants etc. Not much of interest to me. If you have seen one big town you have really seen them all.
Delos Tours runs a Ring of Kerry tour which I was interested in taking. I was able to book it through the hostel for an extra 5 euro fee, but the shuttle picked you up at the door took you to the tour and brought you back after the tour. The tour costs 15 euro and I felt was well worth the money.
The driver-guide has a real heavy Irish accent and it took me awhile to catch on to it. He was extremely well versed in the local history, and gave us a great deal of information as we traveled. He stopped frequently to point out points of intrest and let those who wanted to take pictures.
We stopped at a "Bog Cutters" village, out of the 17-18 century, 8 euro entrance fee, where we saw how the cutters harvested the peat. When cut and dried it burns like charcoal and is a principle source of heat and cooking fuel in the rural regions. They have a hand turned cutter where they cut the peat into squares like building bricks. Then they sell it to create their income. Each cottage has a large pile of these bricks piled up next to it.
They used a pony, looked like a Shetland pony to me, to pull a high wheel cart to traverse the bogs. I understand the peat is about 30 foot deep and there are acres and acres of it.
They also have a special cow called the Kerry cow which is black with white tipped horns. It has a higher butter fat content than regular milk and in the days before the low fat craze it was much in demand. I guess there used to be thousands of them but now they have dwindled to a couple of hundred or so. Half of those are on a national preserve to maintain the breed.
Down the road we stopped at a pub/restaurant which was built into the hillside and had a beautiful view of a lake. It must be a regular stop as they were expecting us. They had an excellent "carvery lunch" the Irish name for a lunch buffet because they carve beef ,ham ,etc to order. I had the beef stew very tasty indeed. We were there about 45 minutes then we stopped at a couple small villages on the way back to Killarney. All in all a very enjoyable informational journey.
The next morning I caught the bus for Waterford |
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| WATERFORD IRELAND |
[Dec. 11th, 2006|10:36 pm] |
Waterford is a pretty good size town, much bigger than I expected it to be. I didn't see much of it though as my hostel, the Beach Haven Hostel, was about 10 miles south at Tramore. It was right on the beach with the owner also having a B&B next door. I would say it was on a par with the Allie River Hostel as one of the better hostels I stayed at on my journey. I was booked to stay with a Hospitality Club member who is divorced and has extra bedrooms when he doesn't have his kids for the weekend. When I called to confirm he indicated that he had his kids that weekend so was unable to host me. So I booked the Beach House Hostel.
The owner had purchased the property and refurbished it as a hostel. It is the only hostel in the Waterford area. There used to be one in Waterford but it was in a bad area and they turned it into a home for recovering alcoholics. So the Beach House is what you get. It is well worth the stay. Very well maintained and staffed by a Canadian couple. They were very pleasant and helpful. The bus stops right across the street which is convenient.
There are guys and girls dorms on the ground floor and it has uni-sex bathrooms. The hot water is on 8 am to 10 am and 5pm to 8 pm. There are nice large stalls with toilet, sink, and shower in each. There is a mop handy with a sign asking you to mop up after yourself.
The self catering kitchen is downstairs and is clean and well equipped. They clean it every night. The only problem I saw was when 3 Lithuanian guys came in. One of them spoke pigeon English and the other two spoke no English at all. They seem to have a different philosophy in their culture, I generalize as they are the only people from their country that I ever met. In a self catering kitchen everybody brings their own food and does not use anybody elses without their permission. They brought their own food, but if they wanted to use someone elses food they just helped themselves without asking. You couldn't communicate with them and make them understand. They seemed crude and brash to me and did about as they wished.
Anyway back to my tale. There was a roommate named Mac and he and I got along well. Then 3 Irish lads from Wicklow came in. They were 19-20 tears old and talked and giggled like school girls. They stayed out to 3 am and when they came in they talked and giggled quite loudly. I have a 30% loss of hearing in both ears caused by explosions in the Korean conflict and it even bothered me. I finally told them it was 3 am and people were trying to get some sleep. They finally quieted down and went to sleep. When they undressed they just let their clothes fall on the floor. The room was very untidy. They finally ran low on funds and went home.
Now Mac and I thought we would get some peace and quite. Not so. The Litho guys followed the Irish lads and operated in about the same fashion. Loud talking, staying out till 3 am, throwing their stuff on the floor etc. I asked them to quite down but they did not understand what I was saying. These guys were in their 30s and should have known better. The manager must have heard them as he came in and told them to quite down or he would put them out right then even though it was 3 am. That did the trick.
I didn't do much in Tramore. I had made the " 5 minute walk " to the small grocery about 1 mile away for some groceries and that was enough for me. I just kind of hung around the hostel talking with the other travelers and reading.
There was a solo female about 25 years old from Afghanistan named Nageba and she and I had a very interesting discussion. She hated the Taliban, but did not like the Americans much better. She felt we were trying to turn her country into a democracy and maybe they did not want a democracy. They had lived their way for 1000s of years and did not want to change.
I made the bus ride to the Waterford Crystal Factory in Waterford. I got as far as the showroom and couldn't go any further. I would have liked to take the factory tour, but couldn't handle any more " 5 minute walks ". My daughter wanted a 1 stem rose vase so I ordered it there. They were to ship it to me in the US as I didn't want to risk breaking it as it was quite expensive. It is a long story but 60 days later I still haven't seen it. They misplaced my order and couldn't find it although my credit card was charged for it. After several e-mails I told them to forget it and ordered it from the Internet. It cost me $50.00 more but it was for a special occasion and timing was important. Now I receive an e-mail saying my order has been shipped on Nov 20. from Ireland. More e-mails I guess.
Anyway I digress back to the trip.
I left the factory and went to the bus stop. The bus went right by me and stopped down the road, seems they changed the stop but not the sign. A couple in their mid 40s pulled up and asked me where I was trying to get to. I told them Tramore and they said get in we will take you there, we are just out for a drive anyway. So they drove me to Tramore and dropped me right in front of my hostel.
The next day I packed up to go to Dublin airport. When I travel I tend to eat oatmeal for breakfast, pack a sandwich for lunch and fix a proper supper. I used up the last of my supplies to make 2 sandwiches, one for lunch and one for supper at the airport. The rest of my non perishable supplies I left in the " free food " area at the hostel. It is an area where unwanted, or I should say unneeded food is left for whoever can use it.
Then I caught the bus into Waterford to connect with the Dublin bus. ` |
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| DEPARTING DUBLIN FOR USA |
[Dec. 11th, 2006|12:32 am] |
They had told me that my Open Road Pass from Buseireann was good on Airlink. It wasn't. The driver said I would have to pay 5 Euros to go to the airport. Well all I had was a 50 euro note which he could not change. I went inside the main bus station to get it changed and had to stand in queque to wait for change. When I got back outside the bus had left. Another bus showed up 10 minutes later and I was off to the airport.
Following POS's advice I arrived early, about 5:00 pm to claim a good spot for the night. I had decided to sleep in the airport as my plane left at 9:00 am and I had to be there at 7:00 am to go through customs. Public transportation in Dublin doesnt start till 6:30 and that was cutting it to close for me. Plus I was saving $30.00 US for a room in Dublin.
I went to the departure floor and all the way to the end to the BMI Airways section. It had a bench for those with restricted mobility which I qualify for, so I staked it out. It was close to the restroom and had a soda vending machine nearby. There were about 30 people already there. This number grew to over 100 by 10:00 pm with people stretching out wherever they could find room. Kind of reminded me of a flop house in Chicago in my hobo days.
I read and wrote in my journal to pass the time. At 7:00 pm I ate my last sandwich and then settled down for the night
Three young ladies from Manchester ,who had been over on holiday, approached me and asked if they could sleep near me and tell the guys I was their grandfather so they would not be hassled. I said why not so they settled down near me.
I tried to sleep but the young people were quite active and noisy. About 10:00 other people started to tell them to settle down so people could get some sleep. They quieted down finely. However the security announcement was a problem every 10 minutes a recording came on saying not to leave baggage unattended and that unattended luggage would be removed and destroyed. This went on all night. Also the maintenance crew came through about 12:00 midnight with cleaning machines and talked very loud to be heard over the equipment.
About 2:00 am the English girls were freezing being attired in the usual fashion which considers style over comfort. I lent them my blanket and jacket which allowed them to sleep warmly. About 4:30 am security came by and told us we had to move as the place was opening up for the days activities.
There was a 24 hour MacDonald's restaurant on the mezzanine so I went up and had pancakes and real brewed coffee. One thing I missed in Ireland was real brewed coffee, as they tend to use Expresso or instant coffee neither of which I can stand. I saw coffee pots in the hostel self catering kitchens, but never saw ground coffee in the smaller stores. I was told the super markets would have it but never got close enough to one to find out.
US Airways opened at 6:30 so I checked my bags in. I could not check it through to Dulles International in the US as we had to go through US customs in Philly I had to go through a security check before checking into US Airways area. ID passport, ticket stubs that kind of thing. We were told our parting gate would be B 23 so we went there and waited. The flight was to be on time so we had 1 1/2 hours to wait. About 8:15 am an airline staffer came by and told us the gate had been changed to B 22 so we went there.
We started boarding after another security screening. ID passport boarding pass, did you pack your own bags, have they always been in your sight, and so on. We flew to Shannon airport where we went through US Immigrations, same procedure, same questions. We boarded again and were off to the US.
About 2 hours out they served lunch. You had a choice of Ravioli or checken with mashed potatoes and corn medley. I went for the Ravioli which tasted salty to me. Of course I am on a salt free diet so would notice it more that most.
They had alcoholic beverages for 5 euro and soft drinks were plentiful. About 4 hours later they served a snack of a turkey and cheese sandwich and beverage.
I was very tired so I fell asleep and did not wake up till we were landing at Philly, about 12:30 pm 3/4 of an hour early. We had a tail wind on the way over. We flew at 54000 feet, it was bumpy in spots but all in all a smooth ride
At US Customs same procedure, same questions also they went through your bags looking for illegal stuff being brought in. One gal had an apple she had brought along for a snack but didn't eat. They were not to happy about that as you are not to bring any fruit in. She talked her way out of it and alls well that ends well I guess
After a 2 hour layover I flew to Dulles International where my son in law picked me up.
I loved Ireland. The people were great and friendly and the country is beautiful. I especially liked staying with Irish families and the smaller out of the way towns and villages. Dublin to me is like any other big city and I'm just a country boy at heart. |
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| THE WOLVERINE-CHICAGO TO PONTIAC MI. |
[Dec. 3rd, 2006|11:08 pm] |
The WOLVERINE left out at 9:00 am for the 6 hour run to Pontiac Mi.
It was an older single level train, but it gets you from point A to point B pretty much on time. Mostly businessmen going to Detroit or Pontiac on business. Working away on their lap tops and cell phones. Kind of a quiet, non-talkative bunch.
I believe there is a snack car on the train, but I don't really remember. I had picked up a roll and coffee at Union Station so I was set for the ride.
Saw a lot of back yards and junk yards on the way but nothing spectacular. We stopped at Detroit station just long enough to unload passengers and were off again. We turned north toward Pontiac and traveled up the back side of the suburbs.
We arrived in Pontiac on time at 3:00 pm where my daughter met me. I spent several wonderful days with her and the grand kids. Then back on the WOLVERINE to finish the last leg of my journey,
I took the train to Detroit where I had a 4 hour layover waiting for the Thruway bus to Toledo to connect with the CAPITAL LIMITED for the trip back home to Washington DC.
The Detroit Station is in kind of a seedy part of town. However it sets all alone on its own little spot . I would consider it very safe and secure. The staff was alert and protective. A panhandler came in but they sent him out immediately. There was one young man who opened doors for you and helped with your luggage for tips as he was not a railroad employee. There was a White Castle Hamburger place across the street and he would even run and get you some burgers and fries. I wondered when people gave him money if we would ever see him again, but he always returned, change and all.
The Thruway bus showed up on time at 9:00 pm and we loaded up to go to Toledo. The CAPITAL LIMITED came through Toledo at 11:00 pm and we were off to DC.
When I woke up we were just about to pull into Union Station in Washington DC. We had lost some time with the switching of cars in Cleveland, but I slept through it.
I called my son-in-law to pick me up and I was home.
All in all it was an extremely enjoyable journey. Met a lot of good people and it brought up a lot of memories.
That's the end of my tale, hope you enjoy reading it. |
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| THE END OF MY HOBO DAYS |
[Dec. 3rd, 2006|10:14 pm] |
I guess everything has to end sometime.
Coming across the Empire Builder Line I remembered those grain silos. As I said in the TEXAS EAGLE segment, Bill and I worked the grain harvest out of Texas clear up to North Dakota. When all the grain was in the silos we worked filling the "grainers" as we called them. The rail cars which took the grain into Minneapolis-St Paul for refining.
They would back 6 or 8 cars, however many were needed, in on those spurs to the silos. There were 8 of us, 4 loaders and 4 tie downers. They would turn on the augers and the grain would come out at about a bushel a minute. We would set on the top of the car wall with our shovels. When the grain was almost to the top we would jump in and level it of so the load was full. We mounded it up in the middle like a loaf of bread. Then they moved the car forward and began filling another one, Meanwhile the tie downers pulled a tarp over the filled car and tied it down for the trip. The whole process took about a day to empty the silos. They swept the floor of the silo in with the grain and we were done.
I always wondered how they got the dirt and chaff from the grain before they ground it into flour. I understand they have a vacuum at the mill that does it, but it never saw it done. Cause Bill and I would catch a night freight into the Willamette valley looking for work.
Well after Bill left my heart kind of went out of it. It just wasn't the same without Bill. I wintered in Chicago that winter, hoping to see him, but didn't.
While wandering around town I came across Cicero Raceway and having always liked horses went in to look around. A trainer noticed how well I got along with horses and offered me a job working on two horses, cleaning stalls, harness, washing down the horse after his run, walking the horse till he cooled off, and working him through his races. $50.00 a week and I could sleep in the barn. Sounded good to me so I took the job.
I went where the horses went all over the country to race meets. Riding in the truck with the horses so I could let the driver know if one of the horses were in trouble. They liked me doing it as I was young and dependable and a good worker. Most of the other guys were drunks or winos and would pass out before we got on the road and stay smashed till we got there.
So my hobo days ended and a new phase began. I did that until I joined the USMC in Nov 1952. |
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| THE EMPIRE BUILDER PASCO TO CHICAGO |
[Dec. 3rd, 2006|09:23 pm] |
The Empire Builder pulled into Pasco at 9:00 pm only 15 minutes behind schedule, which I consider ahead of time for Amtrak.
We got on board and settled in for the night. Unfortunately we missed most of the Rocky Mountain scenery as we rode through the night. At least it was late enough that the kids had settled down for the night, and were not running up and down the isle.
Somewhere around daylight we passed through the (mule yard) the place they house the emergency snow crews ans mule engines that pushed the heavy freights up over the Great Divide. There is a hotel there called the Issac Walton, if you are a train buff you would love the place. The entire staff of the hotel plus quests came out on the porch to wave at us as we went through. Kind of a tradition I heard.
Three or four hours later we came down on the upper plains of North Dakota etc. A long barren stretch of corn fields and wheat fields stretching as far as you could see. Way off in the distance you could see the grain silos, which are about three stories high, with tracks running to them off the main line. Not much to see as there were no human inhabitants to be seen.
Many people sat and read a book. I went to the observation car as I can always go to the library, but can't always have a captive audience to exchange stories with. Met many wonderful people there and learned about their lifestyle, work and so on.
They have changed the eating format somewhat. They used to come through taking reservations, now they just say the diner is open and you can go down anytime to eat. I was not concerned with that as I had my food with me.
Once we turned south at Fargo you started to see more activity and it became more interesting to look out the window. It was raining when we pulled into Chicago. To late to catch the Wolverine into Mich. I knew I would miss connections so I had booked a hostel bed in Chicago. So I took a cab to my hostel.
I had a printout of the place with address. It was the Chicago International Hostel. The cabbie said he knew the place but that wasn't the correct address, and sure enough he took me to the Chicago International Hostel. The bottom floor is a bank or insurance office. You take the elevator up to the second floor which is where the hostel is. Surprisingly they did not have my reservation and said it would be $35.00 for a bed for the night. You might know the other International Hostel across town did have my reservation. They charged my credit card as a no show, another $35.00
It was late and I had to be up at 5:00 am to catch the Wolverine into Pontiac Mi. So I went for it never thinking about the no show rule. It was too late to go out and get something to eat, especially in the rain, so I ate out of my stash.
The place was neat and clean and relatively quiet. There was a troop of Boy Scouts two floors up, but management kept them under control.
When I came down at 5:00 am the clerk was stretched out on the floor sleeping. I told him I was sorry for interrupting his nap, but I needed to check out and get a cab to Union Station. He checked me out and called a cab and helped me downstairs with my luggage. He stayed with me, the streets were deserted, till the cab showed up. and I was off to Union Station. |
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| Hobos picking fruit and vegatables in California |
[Oct. 1st, 2006|12:55 pm] |
As I rode the Coast Starlight up the coast of California it reminded me of Bill and I, and hundreds of others ,working this area. Although it was dark and I couldn't see anything out the window I could vision it in my mind.
This is where we did most of our harvesting. We picked fruit and vegetables mostly from Sacramento north to Washington state. We worked with machetes, hoes, pruning shears, sickles, ladders ,and mostly our bare hands, with gloves on of course. We picked apples, oranges, pears, grapes, peaches, potatoes, cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, brussel sprouts,lettuce, cabbage, you name it, if it grew and was a fruit or vegetable we harvested it.
Bill knew the lay of the land, where to go, who paid the best wages and treated you well, what crops to avoid and when crops were ready to harvest. Some of the growers were good guys and if they saw you were giving a good days work for what they were paying they left you alone and let you work, if you weren't you were paid off at night and told you wouldn't be needed anymore. Some were what Bill called slave drivers, always after you to work faster and harder and cheating you on your wages. Bill knew who was who and directed us to the good ones. I would have had a very hard time without him mentoring me.
We were making about $5.00 for a 10 hour day, but then a loaf of bread was 25 cents and ground beef was 59 cents a pound. Bill brought the cheap cuts. That is where I learned to eat pigs knuckles, ham hocks and many other things I wont mention for fear of offending those with a weak stomach. When I complained and said I wouldn't eat that, Bill would say what do you think was in that sausage you ate this morning. For awhile I had trouble eating any sausage or lunch meat at all, but when I got hungry I adjusted.
$35.00 a week was good money in those days and I never did figure what Bill did with his money. He would disappear into the ghetto for a couple of days and come back broke. At one time I figured that he must have been sending money to somebody back home, wherever that was. He never got mail or any contact from his people that I know of. I never asked as Bill would have been terribly offended that I was nosing around in his business. As I said I sent my extra money to a secret bank account I had set up under an assumed name.
The work was hard but the money was good and the times were laid back and unstressful. |
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| Coast Starlight and hobo's picking fruit and vegatables |
[Oct. 1st, 2006|11:52 am] |
This was probably the most disappointing leg of the trip. Not that the super liner train wasn't a good ride, the staff was wonderful and the seats were comfortable.
The downside was the fact that we left Sacramento about midnight and rode all night, missing the scenery. At about 9:00 am we reached Klamath Falls Oregon, where because the Starlight was running to late to make our connection with the Empire Builder, they took us off the train and put us on a thru-way bus to Pasco Washington. The Willamette valley is one thing I wanted to see, but we were going to miss it this way.
The bus was a big tour bus and the driver was fantastic and treated us well. There were 3 of us me, another guy ,and one female on the bus. The female set way in the back of the bus, the other guy set in the middle and I set behind the driver and chatted with him all the way over. None of the passengers interacted with each other the whole trip. I mentioned to the driver that they could have run us to Pasco in a van for a lot less money. He said the contract called for the tour bus. He indicated that the bus was never more than 1/2 full, even during the busy season.
The area we passed through was very sparsely populated, rolling farm land, although I don't remember seeing many farm animals. We were going up a valley as there were mountains on both sides within view.
You could tell the bus company had done this before, as just at the right moment we pulled into a regular type gas station to use the bathrooms and pick up something for lunch. They had the usual gas pumps, beverage station and cooler of sodas, there was a small amount of frozen microwaveable sandwiches, pizzas and such. We were the only customers in the place. The road was about devoid of traffic, and I wondered how the station existed out there.
Down the road about 10 miles the driver said we were way ahead of time and he wanted to show us something. He pulled down a side road for about 1/4 mile into a small park. He said about 300 ft over there was a wall be careful and don't lean over the wall. When we got to the wall and looked over we were looking into a 300 ft gorge which reminded me of a mini Grand Canyon.
We stayed there about 1/2 hour stretching our legs, then got back on the bus.
About 6:00 pm we pulled into what I call a tourist trap gas station, like the kind you find at truck stops on major expressways. A hot bar with chicken, egg rolls and the like, a sundries store, a small fixed menu restaurant of the fryer to buyer type, and a Subway sandwich shop. The Subway sounded good, but a bus load of school kids showed up and over ran the place so that you couldn't get near the counter. They worked in the American style, they didn't form a queue just crowed up to the counter , shouting out their orders. Europeans will understand what I am talking about. You would think we would teach our kids better.
We were only going to be there 1/2 hour, so I settled for dry greasy chicken and egg rolls and got on the bus to enjoy my repast.
We pulled into Pasco about 7:15 pm 3/4 hour ahead of the Empire Builders arrival. |
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| What it was like being a hobo in 1949-50 |
[Sep. 27th, 2006|02:14 pm] |
Hobos were not well received in this era any more that they are today. We were thought of as tramps. Once people realized you had no money or home address they turned cold and closed the door in your face. That's why you never went to the door. You would catch the farmer in the field and ask to help him. If he asked what you expected you would say just a bite to eat and be able to sleep in his barn. This usually worked well for me.
Some people wanted to know what I was doing running with that N****. Once they accepted that he was " my man " we were both accepted. We worked as a team and if that wasn't agreeable we moved on. My being a kid was a great benefit to both myself and Bill and got us both through some pretty tough times. We never went hungry and always had a dry place to sleep.
As I have said we worked the crops and slept in the field, under a hay stack, a billboard, park bench etc. We carried our stuff in a tarp and if it rained you pulled the tarp over you and slept through the rain. It also worked as a raincoat.
We would eat what ever we were harvesting, vegetable's, fruit or whatever. Many times the farm wife would feed us at the back door of the kitchen.
We carried a change of clothes, an Army surplus canteen which fit inside its own cup, and had a knife, fork, and spoon enclosed, a days supply of food, usually a can of beans, some toilet tissue and a bar of floating soap, like Ivory. Not much else.
Our ability to find work began to shrink when the Mexican imegrants came in. They were dirt poor and worked in the hot sun for long hours for very little money. They camped out in the fields, wives, kids and all. Their only disadvantage was the inability the speak English. Usually one of the group spoke English and he would interpret for the others. This is why I phased out of this lifestyle eventually.
This is where I learned " street fighting " the art of protecting oneself no matter what the odds. Many times it was good to have Bill cover my back.
There is no such thing as a fair fight, except in the boxing or wrestling ring.
The primary purpose in fighting is to win, whatever it takes to disable your opponent. If he got seriously injured that was his concern. This helped prepare me for Korean combat and may have saved my life more than once. You strike first and figure it out later, you need to take the advantage when you can.
It was a rough and tumble lifestyle and had its good side and bad side. You always had to look out for people would wanted to misuse you including, the police, especially in small towns, town toughs, vigalantie groups, etc. I have been threatened with knives, guns, whips, and hanging parties. The good thing was you could always move on and go elsewhere.
I enjoyed the lifestyle as a young person and learned a great deal. All my life when things got tough I've wanted to catch the next freight out of town.
The train whistle still calls to me. |
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| The California Zephyr Galesburg to Sacramento |
[Sep. 27th, 2006|01:25 pm] |
The Southwest Chief got into Galesburg, where it meets the Zephyr headed for Sacramento, about 2 hours behind schedule, which is on time for Amtrak trains. I had a 5 hour layover in Galesburg. My brothers brother-in-law lives in Galesburg and was nice enough to meet the Chief when it came in. He and his wife are very friendly, amabile people and took me to their home for a SS&S. The wife made lunch and it was one of the best tuna casseroles I have ever tasted. Sure beats eating out of cans.
I needed to restock my food supply. The train station is small and right downtown. There is a Sav-A-Lot supermarket and laundry within 2 blocks of the station, as well as the other things you will find in a town of about 75,000. Used to be bigger and busier but a couple of the big corporations moved elsewhere leaving 10,000 unemployed people behind.
I had put my underwear in a plastic grocery bag on the train and my trash in another grocery bag. In my confusion in getting packed up coming into Galesburg I threw the wrong bag in the trains trash bin. Oops there goes my undies. So I needed to replace them also. My hosts took me to the Carl Sandburg Mall, names after the author with that name, to go shopping. It had a K-Mart, which I noticed most all western cities of any size did with a nice supermarket near by.
After I got done shopping my hosts gave me a tour of the city while waiting for the California Zephyr to come through. I know you will be surprised to find out it was also an hour or so late. This worked out fine as we left Galesburg about 7:00 pm. That way we crossed Missouri and Kansas after dark and there is nothing of interest to see anyway unless you like wheat fields and cornfields stretching for miles.
The only thing of note was it is very cold on the plains at night. Amtrak leaves the air conditioning on 24/7 as it takes to long to cool the train in the morning and the constant opening and closing of the doors loses a lot of cold air. I always carry my traveling blanket and pillow with me and was sure glad I did.
We reached Denver about 9:00 am and that's where the trip gets interesting. Two members of the California Railroad Association come aboard at Denver and set up in the sightseeing lounge. They keep up a running commentary of the history of the area as the train passes through. Things like the pioneers struggle to get over the mountain, Donner pass, etc. It is a very scenic, enjoyable trip. I could do it twice a week and never get tired of it. In my opinion this is the best ride of the entire western lines.
We got into Sacramento about 7:00 pm and had a 41/2 hour layover before catching the Coast Starlight to Portland, so I laid down on the bench and took a nap. The station is a big empty barn of a building. It has a ticket office, snack machines, phone, and newspaper boxes. Not much else. It is out of town in the industrial area and not much retail stuff around. The benches are the old type with the metal armrests. I lay down and stick my feet through the arm rest. Sort of like sleeping in an MRI scanner. |
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| THE SOUTHWEST CHIEF LA to Galesburg Ill. |
[Jun. 28th, 2006|01:08 pm] |
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As mentioned in my last post the Sunset Limited was 9 hours late getting into LA.
I had a 9 hour layover before catching the Southwest Chief to Galesburg where I would hook up with the California Zephyr back to Sacramento. So I figured I had missed the Chief at LA, as it was supposed to leave 15 minutes before we got into the station.
As I was getting off the train the conductor was telling passengers to go to customer service and they would rectify the situation. Which I figured meant spending the night in LA and catching the Chief the next day. There was a train across the platform getting ready to pull out. The conductor said it was the Chief running late leaving LA. I noticed the kitchen door was still open and I dashed across the platform, luggage and all, and heard the two short blasts from the Chief that indicated it was pulling out. I have hopped on many freight trains on the fly, but it is the first time I ever hopped on a moving passenger train. I heard the conductor yelling sir, sir, you can't do that as we pulled out of the station.
I stood there taking time to catch my breath, not as young as I used to be, and decided to look around. There was no one down in the kitchen as the staff was upstairs taking a break. The kitchen consisted of a 2x3 foot grill, dish sink, refrigerator bank and a solid wall of warming ovens nothing else. This indicated to me that the caterer brought the prepared food on board and put it in the warming ovens and took away the dirty pots and pans. Everything else was throw away stuff. There were 8 trays of pre dished salads in Styrofoam bowls, about 15 per tray. The plates were of durable plastic, which I know as Melita ware. I did not see any silverware so I don't know whether it is plastic or not, but there is no dish washing equipment, so I must presume it is plastic. I take my own food and do not go to the diner so I can not verify this.
I took my backpack up the stair, leaving my rolling duffel for the next trip up.
When I hit the top of the stairs there were 4 kitchen staff there 2 servers and two cooks. Boy were they shocked when they saw me. The dining steward says who the hell are you and how did you get in here. I told him my story and he says quite a feat for a man your age, but federal regulations say you can't be in here.
I knew actually what he was talking about but played dumb. He went down and got my duffel and led me forward, I had told him I had a coach ticket, to the first coach car we came to. He said set here and the conductor will take you to the proper coach. Well the conductor was just as surprised as the dining staff. I told him my story and he said stay here we will be in Fullerton in 15 minutes and move you then. So at Fullerton I moved to the proper car and stowed my luggage.
The entire staff took it in stride and were very helpful and courteous.
Once again I had a seat to myself as did everybody traveling alone, those who were together sat together. I sat in front of 2 Amish couples traveling back to Indiana. What excellent people the Amish people are, they stay to themselves, don't bother anybody and are very kind and courteious. I have , on other trains observed them as families and the children are respectful and obedient. If we had the lifestyle that these people follow there would be less juvenile delequency. When the parents spoke the kids listened and obeyed without hesitation or complaint. They are a spin off from the Mennonite religion, and although I don't necessarily hold all their beliefs, I can't fault them for their earthy, God fearing beliefs. They are plain people not given to fads or modern trends and holding to the old ways.
At Albuquerque We were held up for 2 hours as the drug enforcement people scoured the train checking everybody and I do mean everybody. They worked in teams of two with one checking ID, tickets, and luggage. The other one stood back watching for signs of nervousness and other signs of uneasiness which would indicate suspicious behaviour. If they thought there was any they really clamped down, checking luggage, unpacking it, searching for hidden pockets etc.
I ask one of them why here? He said Albuquerque was a major drug connection and they check every train and bus that comes through. They catch one or two carriers per week this way.
The rest of the trip was uneventful with good views of the plains, and we arrived in Galesburg 1 1/2 hours late. On time by Amtrak trains standards.
THE HOBO DAYS in cold blood
Uncle Bill and I caught what is now the Southwest Chief line just west of Chicago heading for LA to work the California harvest fields. Later that afternoon another tramp entered our " hobo Pullman " Bill says watch that there one as we's gonna have trouble wit him fore the nights gone. Bill took the front of the car as it was safest. You don't get pitched out the door in case of a sudden lurch or stop. We lay down and went to sleep. We only carried a pair of bib overalls, a flannel shirt and a couple changes of underwear which we used as a pillow to keep them from being stolen. We wore boots for protection and to deter thieves, as they were harder to get off. During the night I felt somebody trying to get my boots off and gave a yell. Bill was on his feet like a cat.
When the other guy saw Bill on his feet he pulled his knife and swearing told Bill what he was going to do to his b---- A--. Bill did not say a word just pulled his knife from is boot and was ready for action. I had never seen a knife fight or a man killed, but knew I was about to see it now. Bill did not play around, his motto was never pull a weapon unless you intend to use it and then know what you are doing. I could tell by the way Bill handled that knife that he knew what he was doing and was ready to do it. The other guy was all show and bluff and did not know what he was doing. I had slaughtered chickens, pigs, cows and other farm animals and even worked for a couple of days in a slaughter house. Till I got sick from all the killing, but I had never seen a man killed.
Well the other guy took a "roundhouse" swing at Bill. Bill just as quick and neat as you please took a short jab to the liver. Each time the guy would swing Bill would stick him with a short quick jab to a vital organ, kidney, liver, pancreas ans so forth. The guy was losing control now and swinging wide and wild. The guy took a wild swing, Bill stepped behind it grabbed him around the neck and slit his throat pushing him out the door at the same time. I saw the guy hit the ground, roll a couple of times and lie still. I am not sure whether he was knocked out or broke his neck in the fall, But I knew he would be dead when he woke up.
I never knew as we carried no ID, did not get the morning paper or listen to the radio. TV was in it's infancy so it probably would not carry the news if we were so watch it. The guy would have been buried in an unknown, unmarked grave.
The whole thing only took less than 5 minutes but to me it seemed like ages. Even after all I saw in Korea I can't forget the drama and have flashbacks of it at night 55 years later. |
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| THE SUNSET LIMITED |
[Jun. 20th, 2006|10:04 pm] |
The Sunset Limited linked to the Texas Eagle at San Antonino. I was supposed to catch it at Benson at 9:30pm. Benson is an on demand stop. The Sunset showed at 4:30am in the morning with the excuse that they got held up by construction near Houston. I had the privilege of setting at the dark "Am Shack" station for 6 hours contemplating the joys of train travel. I wasn't worried as I had a 9 hour layover in LA so should catch the Southwest Chief in time, The town had long since closed for the night. The one lone street light above the shack was on a motion sensor device and came on every time I moved. Kind of like trying to sleep in a room over a bar with a flashing neon sign.
Benson is a nice little town of about 25000 or more and you are right downtown so amenities were close and plentiful. It was the site of the shoot out at OK corral in its hay day and the place where the gold was shipped in to the railroad.
An interesting side note. My nephew knew I would be cold so he left me his border patrol jacket. The Mexicans got up and moved on the train when I sat down and avoided me like the plague.
The train was just like the others I had been on, with the one plug, etc. Nothing special to talk about. About 1/2 full with two seats for everybody. It was 4:30am so I went to sleep and woke up 1/2 way across the bottom of California.
Well we lost 3 more hours ,tons of really long freight trains to wait for, and arrived into LA 9
hours late and at the time the Southwest Chief was due to pull out.
THE HOBO DAYS Rattlesnake stew
Uncle Bill and I were comming out of San Antonino going to California to work vegatables and such.
We were just coming out of Arizona into California when the train slowed out in the middle of nowhere. Bill knew something was up so we got off quickly. Sure enough about 1/4 mile ahead the railroad bulls (police) were stopping the train to look for hobos and tramps. We walked out into the desert for a 1/4 mile and sat down.
We only had a can of tomatoes and one of red beans left as we figured to resupply when we hit the orange grove country. Bill told me to start a fire and get the tomatoes and beans simmering and he would be right back with the meat. I couldn't for the life of me figure where he was going to get meat in the desert..
Well here Bill comes with a 4 foot Rattlesnake, holding it just behind the head and letting it dangle. He put it on the ground and took out his knife. He says when you cuts it figure 8 inches behind the head so you don't keep the poison sack and don't lets him bite hisself or he will poison the meat. He then cleaned it and skinned it cut it up in chunks and put it in the pot.
Well I was flabbergasted, I was not eating no snake with poision or without. Bill says that is up to you we ain't et today and it will be late tomorrow before we eat again so you suit yourself.
I set there and watched it simmer till it was done, Bill ate his share and says either eat it or throw it out but clean up the pot and walked off into the desert. I set there till I couldn't stand it any longer and finally held my nose and swallowed it whole and cleaned up the pot. Bill came back and said did it taste like chicken or tuna to you. I said it tasted like snake to me, trying not to barf it up.
We walked down to where they had stopped the train and when Bill heard a freight commimg he set the light to slow, the train slowed, we got on and off we went. |
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