Pint 2a: Anybody wanna peanut?

It is late once again. My day has been full and instead of going out and grabbing a pint this evening, I have decided to write about today and all its magnificence. For those of you that are only into being entertained with humor, you might want to skip this post, because nothing too funny happened today and I am not sure I can come up with a good story. (Well, my bum does hurt, but I would be lying if I said it was for a funny reason.)

Today I did in fact rent that bike and ride the 10 miles to the cash machine. The ride gave me ample time to see a lot of the country side and be in awe of all of it. I know now where the Irish get their Kelly green national color. It is everywhere. The grass covers this land and all of it is the lushest, greenest, most beautiful grass I have ever seen. I will even go so far as to admit that the grass here is better than the grass in Washington, which is saying a lot. Riding through the hills, you can see for miles and miles and all of it is beautiful.

I made it to the town of Lahinch or Lehinch depending on the sign you read. THE cash machine, and there was only one, was in a convenience store. I pulled out 100 Euro and started looking for breakfast. Mrs. O’Brien’s Kitchen is where I ate. The food was… alright, filling but just alright. My next destination was the Cliffs of Mohar. Most of you have probably not heard of the Cliffs of Mohar, but I bet all of you have heard of the Cliffs of Insanity. Let me refresh your memory.

INIGO
Look! He's right on top of us. I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using.
VIZZINI
Whoever he is, he's too late –
(pointing ahead of them)
– see?
(big)
The Cliffs of Insanity.
And once he's said the name...
CUT TO:
THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY AT DAWN
They rise straight up, sheer from the water, impossibly high.
CUT TO:
THE TWO SAILBOATS
In a wild race for the Cliffs and the Man In Black is closing faster than ever, but not fast enough, the lead was too great to overcome, and as Inigo sails with great precision straight at the Cliffs
CUT TO:
THE BOAT
Being pursued.
VIZZINI
Hurry up. Move the thing! Um... that other thing. Move it!
(staring back now)
We're safe – only Fezzik is strong enough to go up our way – he'll have to sail around for hours 'til he finds a harbor.
There is much activity going on, all of it swift, expert, economical. Fezzik reaches up along the Cliff face, grabs a jutting rock, reaches behind it. Suddenly there is a thick rope in his hands. He drops back to the boat, gives the rope a freeing swing and
CUT TO:
THE CLIFFS
The rope goes all the way to the top.
CUT TO:
INIGO
Hurrying to Fezzik. He straps a harness to him, then lifts Buttercup and Vizzini in the harness. Finally, he himself gets in the harness. All three are strapped to Fezzik like papooses.
And he starts to ascend the rope, carrying them all along with him as he goes.
CUT TO:
THE MAN IN BLACK
Sailing in toward the Cliffs of Insanity, watching as Fezzik rises swiftly through the first moments of dawn.
CUT TO:
THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS, LOOKING DOWN
FEZZIK'S GROUP is only faintly visible far below. This is the first time we've gotten the real vertigo feeling and it's a gasper.
CUT TO:
Fezzik CLIMBING ON
Buttercup is almost out of her mind with fear.
CUT TO:
THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE CLIFFS
Fezzikis moving right along; however high they are, he's already over a third of the way done.
CUT TO:
THE MAN IN BLACK
Leaping from his ship to the rope, starting to climb. He's impossibly far behind, but the way he goes you'd think he didn't know that because he is flying up the rope, hand over hand like lightning.
CUT TO:
VIZZINI AND THE OTHERS
INIGO
(looking down)
He's climbing the rope. And he's gaining on us.
VIZZINI
Inconceivable!
He prods Fezzik, who nods, increases his pace.
CUT TO:
THE MAN IN BLACK
Roaring up the rope, and
CUT TO:
LONG SHOT – THE CLIFFS
And the Man In Black is cutting deeply into Fezzik's lead.
CUT TO:
VIZZINI AND THE OTHERS
VIZZINI
(shrieking)
Faster!
FEZZIK
I thought I was going faster.
VIZZINI
You were supposed to be this colossus. You were this great, legendary thing. And yet he gains.
FEZZIK
Well, I'm carrying three people. And he's got only himself.
VIZZINI
(cutting through)
I do not accept excuses.
(shaking his head)
I'm just going to have to find myself a new giant, that's all.
FEZZIK
(hurt)
Don't say that, Vizzini. Please.

The previous excerpt comes to you with permission from the Internet.

If I didn’t mention this before, I came to Doolin solely to see these cliffs, and it was worth it if only to enjoy the knowledge that I have seen the Cliffs of Insanity in person, but also because, as with the rest of Ireland, they are beautiful. The bike ride up to the cliffs wasn’t entirely direct. There is this walking trail, the Burren Way, and I was attempting to follow it to the cliffs, but I got temporarily disoriented and ended up somewhere else. I could see the cliffs off the distance, but no roads led there. I eventually braved the fields and bushwhacked to them. Bushwhacked isn’t the right term because for all of Irelands beauty, it does lack something, trees and bushes. I simply pointed my bike towards that cliffs and road. Riding became impossible when I hit the marshy, mossy parts, but it was still possible to walk along side of the bike, though my feet did get wet.

My first experience with the cliffs was marvelous. They do rise straight out of the ocean and climb 800 feet. There are many more miles of them than I imagined so I didn’t even see them all and couldn’t say if I saw the exact cliffs from the movie, but I did see some likely possibilities. After getting to the cliffs, I rode to the left and stopped at the ruins of a look out post. There I read my bible and just sat and relaxed for a couple hours. I think it is in the bible that God uses nature to reveal Himself, but I know that I feel the presence of Christ more in nature than anywhere else. That is why I love being out doors, especially in the mountains. Part of it is my fear of heights and a sense of insignificance that comes from being on the top of something very high. It puts the fear of God in me and forces me to trust Him more.

Trusting God is a big thing with me. I don’t do it enough and am working on that. One of my big prayer requests over the last few years is to grow in faith, a part of which is trust. The bible says a lot about faith, that it can move mountains and stuff, but we humans miss the point so often. I am not saying that I get it, but there is so much to faith; it is so practical. Faith will allow you to move mountains, but who cares about that? I just want to not worry about getting a job. How can faith help me get a job? I want to know that I will get married some day. How can I be sure? Or can I? I am still working on those answers so I don’t feel comfortable answering them just yet.

And here is the thing with faith that gets me: If I don’t have enough of it, is that a sin in my life? Does my desire denote a lack of patience? And does even asking all these questions mean I don’t have faith because if I had faith I wouldn’t be asking these questions? Or do I have a measure of faith and if so how much and again, how do I get more? Lots of questions, working on the answers.

But Ireland… It is beautiful, and the people are great too. Karl runs the Allie River Hostel. (I am wondering if the little creek out the front door is the “river” they are talking about, but I am too scared to ask.) He has been working here for 12 years and I can see why. He loves this place. He takes great care of the building and the people in it. Karl is so giving and humble and selfless. Good job Karl, though you will never read this. Today while building a fire in the stove, Karl was extra careful to make sure there were no extra bits of wood or charcoal making a mess. He swept up the smallest mess and did it with a smile. I wish everyone could be as satisfied with their job as Karl appears to be.

Nothing much happened the rest of the day. I road back to Doolin, picked up some groceries from the only store in town, and made a delicious spaghetti dinner for one. Apparently it was spaghetti night at the hostel because four groups where having it too. (I actually wasn’t the original; I got the idea from Karl.) The hostel was quiet when I prepared dinner, but the activity grew. It is full now and I have met people from everywhere. Phil and Matt are from Minnesota; Lindsey is from Vancouver, and Ruth and Michael, Heidelberg, Germany. Antonio, who I met yesterday, is here with his wife and they are from Genoa, Italy. That is everyone I have met so far.

Deep breath, big smile, time for bed. Another perfect ending to a perfect day. Oh, what adventures will tomorrow bring? (Or today because it is already tomorrow.)

Until then and tomorrow.

Jason