Arrival in Westport (part one)
1-29-06
Arrival in Westport – (Part one)
I got all ready to leave Dublin with no problem. So I got the taxi to pick me up, but he was a bit late, but no worry, I had planned to be very early- so I was OK. But then this crazy driving man seemed to take the REALLY long way to the station. I was told it would be about 7 euros, which was a lot since the station was 5 minutes drive from the hostel. But this guy was either looking for more money or wanted to show me more of the city then I cared to at the moment! I was trying to stay calm but I was so afraid to miss my rail! He finally got me there and dumped me on at the entrance, and charged me 8.50! I picked up the big red monsters and dragged myself to the “ticket machine” that would spit out my ticket. I got up there and was confused. I didn’t want to waste time trying to figure it all out, so I went to information. The girl that waited on me was to be no help but a God-Gift came up and just got the ticket for me. I asked where the rest rooms where (they call them toilets here and it’s such a gross name – so I won’t use it) and she told me around the corner. But the God-Gift told me that I didn’t have time, I had to get to platform 6- they were boarding! I ran like the wind on drugs and was frantic by the time I found platform 6. They were remolding and everything was gated off. I did in my panic see a trolley thing to put my bags on and I was off and running. I had to go through a gate with a man stamping the ticket and just happened to get behind a woman that was trying to get on the train without a ticket. She was a friend of someone that worked there. They chatted and she was flirting a bit and he finally gave her a ticket. I was standing there panting like a dog in heat as this exchange that was going on, willing her to get the hell out of my way! People are just so totally unaware of other people. Is that because they are accustomed to people always being right next to them? I am so aware of everyone. I just can’t understand this behavior. Anyway, again I vamp…
I get past the ticket guy and run to the train. I decide to get on the last train, hoping that it will be easier to get the red monsters off. I leave the trolley thing and hopefully made someone happy, when they take it back they get my 1-euro that I put in it. I was no way running back to get the euro! I wrestle with the monsters and get them up the steps and up on a luggage shelf and walk into the seating area. I have not been on a rail (we call them a rapid) since I was young- but I also don’t remember them being so tight (small). I see that everyone else had the same thought as me to get on the last train. Everyone had taken a seat and put their stuff on the one next to them. I saw a woman had a table in front of her and on the facing seat she just had a suitcase- so she was actually taking up 4 seats. I boldly asked her if I could sit there and she moved the bag and I fell exhausted into the seat panting away. I was sweating like an old man at a fashion show and I was pulling off my very warm wool coat and trying to find something to fan myself with. I didn’t realize that I was sitting with my back to the train’s forward motion and when I did realize it, I had to get back up and go to my red monster and find a Dramamine to prevent motion sickness. That would be all I needed.
I sat back down and was so exhausted, but I thought I should introduce myself to this woman, being that I would be looking at her for the next 3 ½ hours. We were facing each other. But I was just too tired, if I talked to her and she was Irish- I could be looking at a very long trip and I really needed to try and catch a wink or two to be able to be interesting to hostel owner. So I never said a word and neither did she.
But I’ll tell you- she was very interesting to look at! I did blow up my neck pillow and take a little nap of sorts, until the sun came into the train and hit me in the face. I ended up pulling out my sunglasses and after I while I found myself awake again. But with the sunglasses, I was able to inspect my surroundings without others noticing. And this woman was a lot to inspect.
She was also entertaining. She was a smoker and the rail is non-smoking (thank god). When they would announce that they were coming to the next station, she would jump up, run to the back door, light up a cigarette- hang out the door and puff and puff- till they said “stand away from the doors” and then she would come back in and sit down and wait for the next station. This went on for about 5-6 stops then it started to slow down a bit. She got tired and took a wink.
Aside from this action, she was very unusual looking and dressing. She had this very curly hair almost like corkscrew like – all over the place curly hair. I think it was natural- or she should be very mad at her hairdresser. It was a dark color with red highlights. She was overweight and had on a silky material top with a print. It had a V-neckline but she had a broach with rhinestones clasping it closed. She had on a black silk skirt – above the knee and a very large and chunky silver belt. She had black hose and black pointed ankle boots with a high heal. She was Irish, for she got a phone call and I heard her voice. She talked with her eyes closed. She had the table strewn with papers, clippers, water, pen, phone, ticket, and a kidney shaped pink purse. She was dressed like someone that came out of a retro store. But attempting to look retro cool, but she just wasn’t able to pull it off. One she was too old- she was about 40 something but she tried to act a lot younger. This is most likely how she dressed back then and just never changed her style. But the one thing that I was obsessed on was her lips. She drew on lips with lipstick. Very pointy parts. Like it was a man would do. I don’t know how to describe it more – they were exaggerated. It was like she didn’t have lips just these painted on ones. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them. It was like watching a car accident. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. As time when bye, she must of got chilled because she took out the most ghastly cloak I had ever seen! It was that really hairy fabric that is coming back for the 70’s. Like a very long fur, and it was black, gray and white, it looked dirty, old and HAIRY! It was hideous! But I will say, it completed the ensemble. This kind of dress was more for clubbing rather then daytime apparel.
She told the person that she was talking to on the phone that she couldn’t sleep, she had gotten a lot of rest last night and she just couldn’t sleep. And then 10 minutes after she was done on the phone- she fell asleep for the remainder of the trip! Luckily I had seen her ticket – on the table she wouldn’t clear for me – and when they called the name of the station, I remembered it was her stop. I tried and tried to wake her- she was dead asleep. She finally awoke and didn’t know that I was saying. It finally kicked in and she jumped up and ran blindly done the isle! I’m glad that I wasn’t facing backwards and saw her running toward me! It would give me a fright!
After she got off, it seemed most everyone around me also started to get off. I had the whole back end to myself and I got all my bags out. With each stop that was going on the train master would announce the stop and then say that you had to exit from the front of the train. The towns were small and their platforms did not go far. This was no what I wanted to hear! I was on the very last train and there was no way that I could get all these red monsters down the narrow isles and get to the front of the train. God does everything on the journey have to be bullshit! There was group of people about 10 rows up and they all seemed to be together. They had baggage in the isle and they had arms in the way too. How was I going to do this? But as I’m whining in my head about this new dilemma, the head of the group comes in and says, we have to get off at Westport and we have to get to the front of the train- lets start up. OH GOD! I do have to go all the way up. But thank God they are going first. But the red monsters still had to be dealt with.
I remembered that Westport was the last stop for this train, so that means that anyone still on the train must be getting off there. So I see 2 girls and I ask one if she knows the station and town? She said she had never been there before. I ask the next girl and she says, yes her family lives there. I ask her if they have taxis or do I have to call one? And how far is the town for the station? She said the town was only 10 minutes to the town and yes there were taxis and they will all be waiting outside the station. THANK GOD.
So now they announce that Westport station is coming up. I start to panic. I really don’t know how many trains I really have to maneuver through to get off- so I start the journey. I have on my big wool coat, an across the chest bag with my heavy laptop. My camera backpack on my back and I’m attempting to balance the big red monster backpack on top of my pull behind. But I’m not pulling the pull behind I’m pushing it while I try and hold on the backpack on top of it! What the hell was I thinking WHY DID I TAKE ALL THIS CRAP!
I start the long journey; I keep banging all the bags on the seats all the way down the isle. I’m getting snagged on the arms of the seats, I’m getting caught on the next seat, and I’m running into the following seat. I’m doing all this as I’m being thrown back and forth from the movement of the train. …. I’m a drunken sailor walking down a path! I want to SCREAM! I am getting frustrated, overheated and I just want to scream and throw myself down on the floor and CRY. I can’t get these f..n bags off this damn train!
Another girl that I didn’t talk to sees me and of course hears me panting and puffing and screaming under my breath and she comes to me and asks if I need help. YES! And I give her the pull behind and my laptop. I try and drag the big red monster backpack down the isle with the camera case on my back. That doesn’t work either! I finally stop and put the damn red monster on my back and carry the smaller bag and I can get down the isles. We get to one train and she figures that we are ok for the platform- but someone comes up behind us and says you have to get up through another car! We go down another one. The train comes to the stop and she helps me get all the bags off. I say thank you and she says, she better help me for a bit more. It’s a bit of a walk to the exit. I can’t walk. I have to stop. I have to breath. I can tell she can’t wait. She has a ride waiting for her. I see a trolley and I say- I’ll get this for my bags. She walks back to me and I find that I don’t have 1 euro, I only have 2 euros! SCREAM! She pulls out her wallet and she has a 1-euro coin- I almost grab it out of her hand and throw the 2-euro coin in her wallet! I thank her profusely and she runs off.
I load the trolley and off to find an exit. I come around the corner and there are all these men standing there. They’re all looking at me. I don’t know who they are and one older man dressed in a suit sees me and me him and I say Taxi? He says yes and goes to get my bags. He brings me to a Beamer and opens the trunk and puts my bags in. I go around the car on the right to get in and he says NO – wrong side and I go to the other side’s back door. He says you are not in America- Let me help you. He opens the front right side door and then I realize it’s the cars with the driver’s side on the wrong side. That’s right Dorothy; you’re not in Kansas anymore!
I’m still all confused because of that horrible time getting off the train and I trying to get my bearing on where the station is in conjunction with the town. Very quickly we are in a much bigger town then I thought Westport to be, And of course, lots of traffic! I see similar storefronts like in Dublin and all THAT COLOR! What’s with these Irishmen- they paint everything with bright color! I think one area is the town center and he says, not that’s just the clock…. I’m in shock. It so big. (It’s not really – it just seemed that way) I was expecting 2 small streets. Everyone is walking and I see Dunnings pub/restraint and cyperpub, which is one of the places that I emailed for barter. We go past an enormous Christmas tree in a big box. He says, our Christmas decorations- we haven’t put them away yet. We pull down another long street of stores and shops and pull into a tunnel. It’s really narrow and has this wonderful stone building- the sign says “Old Mill Holiday Hostel” I’m excited, I have a place to stay!
OR At least I thought so…
To be continued (it was painful to live through and equally painful to write – I need a break)
Kym
Tags: Dublin, Ireland, Travel, westport
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