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Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
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Sunday, 8 July 2001
--> Dungiven, Northern Ireland (UK)

The night out at the Arcade Bar was really enjoyable, and fortunately Brian and Elena at the Dungiven Castle offered me another night here.

So today I could sleep in until around 11am. Woke up, got downstairs and as I planned to make a long walk through the nearby park, Eileen made me a good and healthy Irish breakfast. I would need that, she said.

Their provider British Telecom was not very cooperative in connecting me with the Internet, so the reporting and new pictures had to wait for my next destination.

I decided to make the Dungiven Castle walk through the Environmental Park. When I passed an old abandoned factory I climbed up a hill where the old Dungiven Priory was located.

It was very startling to see the graveyard there, with gravestones dating from 1720.

Walking over the grass overgrown churchyard my right leg slid into a hole. After I climbed out, I discovered was a half open grave.

Mmm. Either strange things have happened here or the old the stone grave covers are actually collapsed because of the aging for centuries…

That was enough. I hoped I did not wake anybody up.

From the Dungiven Priory I walked around the farm fields until I arrived on the other side of Dungiven.

The walk probably was some 10 kilometres and really felt good. It was predominantly cloudy, but it was dry.

Once back at the castle Elena provided me some sandwiches for a late lunch and I settled myself in the Reading Room of the castle.

Since my departure I use any spare time to read the book Round Ireland with a fridge by the English comedian Tony Hawks.

He made a drunken bet with a friend, in a London pub, that he can hitch hike the boundary of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calender month.

I got the book from that nice lady Chris in Liverpool and I’ve really been enjoying it the last weeks!

He actually did it and joined by his trusty white little travelling companion appliance he found himself in the midst of a remarkable adventure.

At certain times very inspirational, just because I have been doing quit the same in Ireland, only not with a fridge, but with my website.

And he was actually approached by the same media as I was in the last weeks. So it was also very identifiable.

’One of the more tiring aspects of hitching away is a need to be sociable and make conversation with whoever is driving you. It would be considered poor form to accept a ride, hop into the passenger seat and then simply to look out of the window until you reached your destination. How I longed to do just that, but instead I chatted merrily away, energy receding from me with each sentence, until the lady dropped me at the addres of the man who had offered me free B&B.

One of the more tiring aspects of accepting an offer of free accommodation is a need to be sociable and make conversation with whoever has offered it to you. It would be considered poor form to turn up, dump your bags, crawl into your bedroom and order an early morning alarm call. How I longed just to do that, but instead I chatted merrily away to the guy, energy ebbing from me with each sentence, until the tea was drunk…’

Until he finally finds the courage to interrupt the guy, and goes to bed. But his story tells about his meeting with Prince Charles, the King of the little Tory Island (northwest coast of Ireland) and he even got his fridge christened by a priest. Unexpectedly, the fridge itself became a momentary focus for the people of Ireland; developing its own identity and bringing people together wherever it went.

That is what I mean recognizable. Good quality art of writing. Read that book, join the fearless pair as they battle relentlessly on towards Dublin and a breathtaking finale that is at the same time moving, uplifting, and a fitting conclusion to the whole ridiculous affair.

After dinner I had a rendezvous with the Arcade Bar again, meeting up barmaids Lisa and Deidre. Nothing scary happened this time, but I had great fun when the pub was closed and some locals kept hanging around.

As Lisa closed the outside door of the pub around 3am, she offered me to have her taxi take me back to the Dungiven Castle, for which I was very thankful; even though it was only a five minutes walk.

Time flies when you are having fun. Sorry, must have said that before somewhere.

Good night Dungiven!

Ramon.


By the way:
I have received some strong accusations against me in my message board about me being a spoiled guest who tries to take everything that I can get my hands on like cigarettes and alcohol – me using people’s hospitalities…

They were posted without any good arguments, so they were just insulting and I had them removed.

But I would like to know how previous hosts think back about the time I stayed with them. Everybody is of course welcome to say her side of the story.
I hope they can post it on the message board.


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