Hi, from the Cliff of Moher: Day 2 in Ireland. Clare County (2014)

My study abroad had an excursion on the Aran Islands. I’m going to Inis Oirr (Inisheer, “Eastern Island) and to the Cliffs of Moher. I used the excursion services of Garrihy’s Doolin 2 Aran Ferries. After a long waiting-line for the ferry, I got on the motorized boat, “Happy Hooker,” that zipped through the blue, black waters showing off her curves as she pitched and rolled along the way. The boat soon docked and I got off ready to start feeling my way around the island. There’s many ways to get around in Inisheer: by the modern tourist truck, the classy eighteenth-century horse-drawn carriage, bike, or just plain-old walking. On foot, I went around, at a leisurely pace, looking out at the large green “chess board” of plots of land sectioned of by stone walls on this hilly island. Inisheer had greeted me with a warm sun, but on my way to the Cliffs of Moher in the motorized boat “Discovery,” the sky became overcast and threatened to bring down a drizzle of rain. Here in Ireland, the weather is a bit moody. The rain began to fall, accompanied by cold brisk wind, and my diligent and goofy parents put me in a plastic parka that made me look like an overgrown lemon drop (between you and me I was warm, although, I felt ridiculous). The weather changed again back to a sunny blue sky and through the remnants of rain I saw the stags (rock pillars) jutting out of the ocean standing like Celtic warriors guarding the Cliffs of Moher and its natural inhabitants. The Cliffs of Moher are called home by a congregation of Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills. Leaving behind the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands in the distance, now on land, I was in my taxi and ready to go back to Doonmacfelim House B&B. Before I left, an athletic and tall Irishman, Donnie Garrhy, the director of the Garrihy’s Doolin 2 Aran Ferries, introduced himself to me and thanked me for using his services and as a gesture of goodwill he hoped that I had had a good time. As a memorabilia of this excursion, he gave a signed postcard with a picture of a puffin in the front and underneath the bill is typed, Hi from the Cliff. Later on, during my way back to my B&B, my driver, Richard told me that Donnie had and accident and became paralyzed for five years. This reminded me that disability can happen to anyone and is always unexpected and Ireland has proved that it is becoming more accessible as times goes on. In the end, a person with a disability has two choices: either go under with it, or cope and/or overcome it. I would make the second choice, any day; it makes life more interesting!