As I walked back to the hostel, I was shocked to see my car was covered with snow. It was my first time trying to thaw a car. I was not sure what to do but I just blast the heater and direct the heat to windscreen. Took about 5-10minutes to thaw and I used brochure to scrape the snow off the windscreen to hasten the process. I wanted to be on Hill of Tara to see sunrise...
With GPS coordinates, I drove passed the towns of Slane and Navan. There are some changes to the roads but with coordinates, the GPS was able to improvise. As I approached the Hill of Tara (Teamhair na Ri), I must admit that I was very disappointed. I was really looking forward for green lush hills as I always seen online but God shows me other kind of beauty...The view on hilltop was amazing. The raw beauty of nature cannot be more palpable or dramatic than in winter. The visitor centre on Tara Hill is closed during winter but one can still enter the hill for free. There is an Irishman with his son playing snow gliding on the hill. Hill of Tara is a very special place. It was the ceremonial capital for 142 Irish high kings before the arrival of Christianity in 6th century. It has Stone Age passage tomb and prehistoric burial mound that dates back to 5000 years ago. It rivals the Stonehenge in UK. The snow was very thick. I was thankful that I was wearing waterproof hill hiking boots. It does offer some protection. Walking in the snow is not easy. All the romantic notion about Winter Sonata disappeared right away. And it is difficult to make out the landscape when the hill is snow clad. I could see the Banquet Hall but I could hardly see the rectangle shape site. Found the Mount of Hostages, a small Stone Age passage tomb that dates back to 1800 B.C and in the 3rd century was used as prison by King Cormac MacArt. Nearby is the Royal Seat and Cormac's House. Atop Cormac's House is the Stone of Destiny and one can have a great view of Boyne and Blackwater valleys here. The Stone of Destiny is said to be an inauguration stone of the high kings and if it let out three roars when the would-be king stood on it, he would be crowned. There are many sheeps on the hill grazing on the snow covered grass. I wondered how does the sheeps stomach it...cold icy grass...The feeling of being all alone on a mountain is very peaceful and satisfying.
Next, I drove to Bruna na Boinne to visit Newgrange. To my utmost dismay, it is closed due to the snowy weather!!! Newgrange has the finest Stone Age passage tomb and it predates the pyramids in Egypt as it exists from 3200 BC. Sadly, I could only see it from far...
Due to time factor, I had to skip the Hill of Slane and drove straight to Monasterboice to see the famous celtic high crosses. It is located in a quite remote place but is very near Bruna na Boinne. I had to pay toll of euro1.80 though when I followed the gps fastest route. Having a gps coordinates made the journey easier. The atmosphere in Monasterboice is very unique. I was the only human being there, probably the first visitor of the day because I did not see any tyre markings on the road or carpark. Monasterboice was founded by St Buite in 520 A.D. Later, it was taken over by the Vikings who were eventually slaughtered and driven out by Donal, an Irish high king of Tara. The round tower is visible from far and was built after 968 A.D but damaged by fire in 1098 A.D. Near the entrance is the Muirdach's Cross (900-923 A.D) which stands 5.5metre high with biblical scenes being sculptured on its western and eastern faces. It is one of the most photographed crosses in the world, frequently seen on the covers of bibles or christian books. The Western Cross is near the tower and has carvings too. I enjoyed the peaceful quietness of this old monastery. It is like suddenly time stood still for a moment. The high crosses did appear very weathered and with time, the carvings may no longer visible...
I skipped Mellifont Abbey which is most likely closed in winter anyway. Drove 1.5 hour to Belfast. It was a smooth journey since I used the M1 motorway. No toll to pay this time. Arrived in Belfast at 230pm. Checked in into Belfast International Youth Hostel which really looks like a 5 stars hostel. It has a spacious lobby and free parking at the back which is exactly why I chose this hostel. Maybe it is winter but I only paid GBP9.50 for a night stay in 4 bedded female dorm. No breakfast though. The room and the toilet are clean and the heater kept me warm during the night. After freshen up, I went out to explore the town. Maybe I should take the black taxi tour but I wanted to explore the infamous Belfast murals on my own. I was just being plain ignorant, I did not know then that walking on ice with snowfall is treacherous. Almost slipped on the ice while walking on the sidewalk. I walked along Donegal road till I reached the roundabout and then turned into Broadway. Then I reached the Falls road which is famous for its murals. By the time I reach the junction to turn into Northumberland street to go to Shankill road to see more murals, the sky has darken and the snow started falling. So I skipped Shankill road and walk towards the city centre instead. The snowfalls was significantly heavy by the time I reached Divis Street. I wanted to explore the harbour to see the Big Fish and Titanic shipyard but I was distracted by Tesco. Shopped for food instead. Unfortunately, I met a man inside Tesco that creep me out . Initially I thought he was just being friendly like any other Irish people but that was something not right about his gaze. My internal alarm was beeping away so I steered away from him. But by the time I finished paying at the counter, he was waiting outside the door for me. That really scare the hell out of me. Because of that, I cancelled my initial plan to explore the harbour and walked back to the hostel instead. I made a detour to make sure I was not followed. Belfast suppose to be one of the safest town in Lonely Planet listing but somehow I just do not feel safe at all. I was prowling the streets of Dublin at night without feeling any ounze of fear but the Tesco experience left a bad taste in my tongue.
My bag was very heavy with food supply and by the time I reached the hostel I crashed onto the sofa in the lobby to rest. Ate Tesco pasta for dinner and slept after a hot shower...And I felt warm that night :)
Murals on Falls Road near the Beechmount Drive
Murals on Falls Road near the junction to Northumberland Street
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