Arrival in stormy Ireland
March 20, 2004 ~ 4:43 p.m.
DUBLIN, Ireland�Descent into this, the capital of the Emerald Isle, was scary. A bit fun, in an amusement park ride sort of way, but because you can never be sure if disaster is about to loom during such incidents, you cannot enjoy it. It seemed improbable that we would encounter such harsh turbulence only 100-200 feet from the ground, and especially in Ireland which is not particularly known for hurricanes, but we were being tossed about. I was by the window seat and could see the plane swerving and bucking in the maelstrom. My stomach was flip-flopping around. People were yelling, including me�mostly �oh my God!� and �Whoa!�
I knew there was a problem when the pilot revved the engines savagely on our descent. We lurched left and right, up and down. I�m no stranger to turbulence, having nearly 70 flights under my belt, but this was honestly like nothing else I�d ever experienced. I was laughing the whole time, hiding my panic. I�m not easily frightened; this had me nearly petrified.
When we landed at Dublin International Airport, I could see the grounds crew on the tarmac getting blown about, so I knew it really was wind, and not whiskey, that made the landing so difficult for the pilot. The whole plane erupted with applause the moment we hit the runway.
The weather is typical for Dublin. It�s not terribly cold, but the wind is still whipping about (at 34 miles per hour), making things a tad chilly, and it has been sunny one moment, raining the next. Off and on. Dubliners�and other Irish�probably think nothing of it, but I find it irritating.
All in all though, things have gone well. Our hotel, which is nothing short of luxurious, is located right in the heart of Temple Bar, and we just walked to Dublin Castle and saw the City Hall, which is massive.
And after I get out of this internet caf�, I intend to sample the local brew. That�s right, I speak of nothing else but the liquid black gold itself. People have told me that the Guinness in Dublin is a unique taste. My Belfastian co-worker tells me this is because Guinness doesn�t travel well and that most bartenders don�t know how to pour it. Whatever the story is, I will soon find out.
There is more to this city to explore and as we�re here only one night, and the weather is so inclement, we won�t get much of a chance.
But at least we have been to Dublin. And to be fair, it�s a gorgeous city.
� M.E.M.
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Copyright � 2001-2007 by M.E. Manning. All material is written by me, unless explicitly stated otherwise by use of footnotes or bylines. Do not copy or redistribute without my permission.
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