Her View 

Northern Ireland - Caywood's perspective

 

Arriving in Belfast I was really excited for two reasons: to see the Northern countryside in Ireland and to hopefully see some Game of Thrones actors. At least one of these came true. Belfast was beautiful. We arrived on a somewhat dreary day, as every day in Ireland is (or at least over 300 each year), and walked around the entire city to get to our hostel. We stopped at St George’s Market along the way which was an inside market that took up an entire block and had local jewelry and random goods, tons of local food, and a local Irish band filling the air with some great music. Our hostel in Belfast was seriously the best hostel ever. Each room had their own bathrooms and showers (rather than shared between rooms), a full kitchen, a huge TV that was actually used, and such a wonderful staff! Vagabonds will be remembered by us forever - I can guarantee that. When the staff learned that we are Game of Thrones lovers, they filled us in on a secret that some of the actors may be at a specific bar that night. We joined fellow travel-lovers (Canadians) Jada and Mara to check it out. Unfortunately it was only behinds the scene people who ended up being there, but it turned out to be a great night on the town including some local beers, pizza, and sightseeing. 

 

The next day we spent doing lots and lots and LOTS of sightseeing. We walked around marking things off of our to-see list, including the Big Fish, the Beacon of Hope, Belfast’s City Hall, and so much more. One of the things I was most excited about was seeing the countryside, and we did so on our way to Giant’s Causeway. Giant's Causeway is a mysterious geological formation along rugged cliffs of the Atlantic. It is usually 8.5 euros per person to get in, but on our 2+ mile walk there we met a nice local couple that tipped us on a way to get it free - you just don’t get the audio guide. We were fine with this and went in the back way to save our money. Although it was a pretty sight, we were ready to head back after just a few minutes. It would have been a lot cooler to see if there weren’t so many tourists, but good luck with that. It also was raining and cold while we were there which made it a bit hard to truly enjoy. After Giant’s Causeway we took a nice stroll on the beach, met this awesome local gentleman who gave us a ride in his right-side drive car, and briefly checked out the Bushmills distillery. We still had a few things to do before we left Ireland, including visiting the famous Crown Bar and getting an Irish coffee. Crown Bar is a breathtaking Irish pub themed as an 1885 Victorian gin palace. Now, as for the Irish coffee… I love coffee, and I like whiskey. Not together. I’m glad I tried one while in Ireland, but it was hard to finish, and I won’t be getting another. Before leaving Belfast we went to the Ulster Museum, a free museum that covers a variety of topics across 6 floors. Here we saw the largest deer ever, seriously.

 

Our last stroll through the streets of Belfast took us to see their Opera House, Little Big Ben (name self-explanatory), and the port where Titanic was built. I am a big Titanic lover, so I wanted to do the tour of the museum, but our budget decided that we could save that money for another attraction. Therefore, we walked to the port to see where it was built and admire the unique building that sits there now. I love the story of Titanic so it was really cool to be here. I’d love to go back one day and actually do the museum when we aren’t traveling to so many different countries on such a tight budget. Finally, it’s time to leave Belfast and hop on an eight-hour ferry over to the UK. Cheers!

His View 

Northern Ireland - Feliks' perspective

 

I had no expectations of Belfast as it was added last minute to our trip. All I knew was that "Game of Thrones" was filmed around there. We arrived in the morning and had a pretty decent walk to our hostel after which we just rested and made some friends. There was word that the cast of GoT liked to hang out at a local pub and so we joined the small party going there. The pub was Canadian themed with hockey memorabilia everywhere and a doorman dressed like a Canadian officer. It was a good night with good company but no luck on seeing any of the cast. The walk back to hostel was pretty nice as we got to see some of the city lit up.

The next day we were off to see the Giant's Causeway. A short train and bus ride and we were in pretty much the most northern part of Ireland. The weather was a bit crappy with chilly winds and a light drizzle but we made it there regardless. The Causeway was pretty cool. I was most intrigued by the shapes and almost perfect symmetry of the formations. As you would expect, tourists were everywhere but I think it could have been worse. The view from the cliffs before we walked to the Causeways was amazing. The way the water hit the rocks and splashed up was worth it alone. I really liked the natural landscape around there... Something about it almost took you back in time.

The next day we began our long walk to the ferry with a few sightseeing stops on the way. It was raining and cold out so we took our time. We started at a museum by Queens College which took me by surprise. I've been to a lot of museums already but this one was really good. There was a lot of interactive displays and it wasn't just classic art; there were plenty of modern exhibits. I also liked the nature area. They basically took you through evolution with fossils and all the way to current wildlife. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

 
Our walk included Crown Bar, by far the most unique drinking establishment I have ever seen. It was like a church inside. The details on the wood and private little sitting areas were just awesome. Caywood got an Irish coffee and I couldnt stop starring at all the woodwork. We walked through the heart of Belfast and saw some cool churches and buildings. They had some interesting sculptures which include a giant fish and a lady made from wire. 
Overall, Belfast was really good, I would come back to visit. The people were the best part. Everyone was so nice and helpful even when we didn't ask for it. WiFi was pretty easy to get but the streets did not have markers so navigation was a little challenging.