Saturday, 26th of August, 2017.
Bejoy gave me a ride until Cork, that 26th morning of August, a Saturday. I decided take a bus until the best point to hitchhiking and save more than one hour walking. I knew about one, the 260, but I also remembered something about the 415. When I saw the 415 parking there, I decided to ask and the nice driver said he could leave me where I wanted. There was just another passenger in the end of the bus and since I sat in front, me and the drive talked during the travel. I told him I was going to hitch-hiking so he left me in the closest spot he could. One of the best 2 Euros spent in my life!
The sun it was not helping me at all. And after over one hour I was start to get concern. But then I was saved by the Pate Guy! Barrie was a gentleman! This cute and charming guy who gave me a ride just until Midleton but who also saved my day. He was very kind and we talk just a few minutes but I was enchanted! At the end he also gave me a pate! It was handmade because they have this farm workers who make a lot of natural products. Very nice! I do not know for sure and I also would not be indelicate to ask Barrie if it was made of meat or even tell him that I am vegetarian. That also did not stop me to eat it in the next morning with my crackers. It was so good!
I just keep thinking about this whole thing of eating meat when it is needed. Should I try harder to not do it?
Back to Barrie, he left me in a very nice spot: a calm street, in direction to Rosslare, where the cars have to slow down, what helps me a lot, right? And for one of the first times at goodbyes hitch-hiking, we kissed each other in the cheeks and had a hug. So cute!
And now I just realized how stupid I am! I have been kept the oldest pages in my little agenda for so long, but in the Peñìscula this weekend (I explain later) I decided throw them away. Guess what? One of those pages had the names of the other drivers who help me to get in Rosslare. I remember a few things, but not all names and maybe the order will be wrong. Oh shit! The worst thing is that probably from now I will keep a lots of unnecessary stuff with me just for fear.
OK, remembering about the places: the next person who stopped was the bridges constructor. Sorry for not remember your name, man! He was a very muscular man but also a nice guy (even not liking vegetarian and vegan people). We talk a lot while we listened Pink and he bought me coffee! We stay a long time together and we went until Youghal to check a small walking he made it on the beach. Then there was a little traffic and he decides take a short cut. Of course I get a little concern, it was into nowhere. But he explain to me that he grew up over there so he knew everything. I cannot find right now where he left me but I think it was somewhere nearly Dungarvan, because it was far away and in a bigger town than the others, so… He gave me a very strong hug, wished good luck and left.
I went to pee, in a motorway, yeah, but trying not to be seen.
After a few minutes a car stopped far away. When I was trying to get in there another one stopped very close to me: it was a mother and a sun. They also were going just a little further but I accepted. In the end, the other car was just checking something or was lost because further on I saw them pulling over in the hard-shoulder again. The mother was very nice, as her son, and she told me she did hitchhiking in the past. We did not talk to much because the ride was very short but she left me in another nice place to keep moving.
The next driver was Tom: this old man in a van who had a pet shop. He told me about his son, that now leaves in London, and how he ended in a well-chair after an accident. Also about how his daughter lived in Australia for 10 years and came back married. We made a detour because he needs take some peanuts, that he does not know being from Brazil or Argentina. I was again concern but not too much. The place was kind of old and messy but I saw some dogs and chickens.
Tom left me just a few kilometers of Rosslare. It was around one o’clock so I was not more concerned about the time. Oh, yeah, because I was planning to leave in a ferry boat to Wales still that same day, but I had not bought a ticket in advance because I was afraid of not making it.
The last driver who stopped for me I can not remember the name! Rugh!! Sorry, man! He was so nice! He told me have two children: a boy and a girl. His car was full of some stuff because they were moving somewhere. There was just one baby car seats but he said I was luck because that day he was alone making a travel back (I guess) but usually the whole family are together and he would not be able of stop for me. A very nice guy who left me in the Harbour! Yeah, exactly in the Harbour. Thank you very much!
It was almost 2 o’clock but I still had to know if there was a seat available to foot passenger in the 18.10 p.m. ferry. There was! And the guy who sold me one looked very surprise with my concern. Pff… Poor naive man… do not know anything about my life…
In those 4 hours waiting I ate my noodles (the best one prepared ever!) and saw some other backpackers too.
Then one French guy from security it was asking for those ones who were going to France, checking their tickets and passing the metal detector in their bags.
Another guy, who at the beginning freaked me out but than I realized that he was not from the security or the immigration, was just making a research about your staying in Ireland. It was some stupid questions that get me nervous but just at the end I realized that do not needed name or any ID.
The travel was OK but I could not get wi-fi. Of course that around the time we arrived in Fishgard there was no immigration or anything like that. I get a little lost at beginning, when I left the station, but then I follow some girls and ended at Tesco buying some cracker to the next day.
When I find the place where I supposed to cross and get in the camping area, there was a few trucks on it, with music and drinks and talking. So I had to get inside the camp, moderating my lantern to no be seen. I found this open place, closer to the motorway than the other one I had planned but I decided make camping there. If I was scary that some one could pass or come at night and be a jerk? Yes, of course. But I had to do it anyway so after finished the tent I try to sleep. Next day would be a new day: I was back in UK and I had a lot of stuff to do in a very short period of time.
