IT'S BEAUTIFUL HERE!

Hi all, we hope you are doing wonderful! Unfortunately we don't get to use a computer very often so we aren't updating our blog too much yet. When we do find a computer it doesn't allow us to put our pictures up because they have all the towers locked. Anyway, we have almost made it to the tip of Northern Ireland! We're having a fabulous time and have been very fortunate with the weather. We started in Dublin and then up to Belfast by train which was a nice, scenic ride. From Belfast we started walking/backpacking quite frequently. We've spent each night in a different town more Northern than the last. We've been staying in hostels, B & B's and we camped one night. We climbed a couple of giant mountains and camped at the top with lots of sheeps. So far we are averaging 8-10 miles a day with our 30-40 pound

backpacks...which I admit is quite a challenge. We are definitely sore but seem to be improving our distance each day. We hope to get somewhere up near 15-20 miles per day. It's hard to walk far here though because there are so many sites to stop and see and people keep offering us "lifts." So far, we've gotten several rides from families, hostel owners and people who want to chat with Americans. We are having a blast and really getting to relax and enjoy the "slow" life. The people here are incredibly nice, it's quite amazing! Last night and tonight we are staying in Ballycastle.

Today we got an early start out to Rathlin Island and hiked about 9 miles. Absolutely breathtaking views! Next week we will probably be on the West Coast and have better access to the internet as there are some major cities there. It's interesting and quite funny walking through the cities like Dublin and Belfast with our giant backpacks on. We hope everyone is well and feel free to comment, we love hearing from you all back home!