We are going to rent bikes and go on a 30-mile bike ride around the National Park and through the Gap of Dunloe and its just going to be fabulous.
Yes, maybe its supposed to rain, but thats no big deal.
Also not a big deal, the fact that I'm not totally sure I can bike 30 miles. That sounds like a lot. And it sounds like a work out. And I do not love working out.
But I'm going to do it. Because you only live once. And because I swore to Josh that if I did this trip I would get everything I could out of it so it is worth all the sacrifices.
So after breakfast we go and rent our bikes
Don't worry about that ominous rain cloud! We are good to go!!
Yay!! We've got our bikes and are ready to go
See that rain cloud was just there to give us this beautiful rainbow. A single rainbow, but we still acted excited [remember, no rain in Texas = no rainbows...]
About 3 minutes into the bike ride, the sky opens up Noah's Flood style. Just raining out of control. But we keep going. Riding on the road. With traffic. Trying to avoid all the debris that's falling down around us. Trying to avoid puddles and hoping the cars will do the same. Awesome fun.
We go about 15 minutes and then Daniel sees a gas station with a nice over hang for us to stand under for a while
We stayed at the gas station staring at the rain for about 30 minutes. And over time there were many other bicyclists who joined us. It was a nice little gathering of disappointed people.
Then I went inside the gas station and heard over the radio that they were expecting flash floods.
Well that was it for me. Flash floods + going some place with the "gap" in its name + no real map to speak of = no go for this lady. Nope. Not at all.
Add to that the fact that it was cold and I HATE the cold. And I was headed back to the hostel.
Daniel decided to ride on.
Since his friend from London was joining us that afternoon I figured it would work out well that I was there to meet up with her and then she and I could figure out something to do.
Now I will introduce you to Lina. Lina is studying abroad at Queen Mary with Daniel. But she goes to UF Law and went to UF undergrad. Daniel was convinced we would be instant friends. And we were.
After drying off and warming up at the hostel, I took a quick nap and then was all ready for Lina when she arrived.
At this point the rain has stopped. So we decide that she will rent a bike too and we will go on a bike ride to the Torc Waterfall.
It was about a 45 minute ride. And it was gorgeous the whole way.
Quick break after my bungee cord got caught up in my bike chain. But we fixed it!! Big, strong, independent women that we are!
Bikes unceremoniously thrown on the ground when we got to the waterfall
You will notice that I am not appropriately dressed for a bike ride. We will get to that in a later post.
Back to town we go [it was about 15 km round trip, so a good work out. Thank you very much]
Now what of Daniel you may be asking yourself. Well at about 2pm I got a text from him that said: "Path flooded. Lost. Phone dying. <Expletive>."So I was a bit worried about him all afternoon, but there was nothing I could do.
When we got back to the hostel, I saw one of the guys we had met at our gas station hang out. He informed me that he had hitchhiked back because with the path flooded about 3-5 extra miles was added to the trip, and there was no way to be sure one was heading in the right direction.
He also told me that Daniel said that if he wasn't back by 8pm I should call the cops.
It was about 530 now. Luckily about 30 minutes later Daniel arrived!! He was very wet. Very cold. And not in a very good mood. But he was alive.
And I was so very happy with my decision to turn back early in the trip.
That night we cooked dinner at the hostel again and then went to the pub across the street for some beer and live Irish music.
Daniel wasn't sure he loved the music.
Our the Guinness apparently
All and all. Quite the day.
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