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tigressaofkanjis · 5 days

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Transformers: Lost World - All Cybertron Transformers Part 1

Cybertron: Sea of Rust 5 (20 Bots Documented) –

137. Ricochet (Combatant) - Can be found in Basic, Narrow Sports Striped, and Wide Racing Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Black Swan (Black, Deep Grey, and Gold with Red Lights), Regal Galaxy (Black, White and Gold with Yellow Lights)

Regal Colors: Radiant Darkness (Black, Red, and Yellow with Red Lights), Wildfire (Amber, Red, and Dark Grey with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Tan, Windsor Tan, Black, and White with Yellow Lights; Springbok), Shattered Glass (Red, Silver, Black, and Yellow with Orange Lights)

Legendary Colors: Time Jumper (Black, Blue, and Red with Blue Lights), Reconnaissance (White, Red, Black, and Amber with Yellow Lights)

138. Nitro Zeus (Combatant) - Can be found in Basic, Chevron, and Tribal Patterns.

Normal Colors: Chromite (Silver and Gray with Red Lights), Treasure Ore (Silver, Gold, and Copper with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Dark Architecture (Tan, Purple, and Black with Red Lights), Black Pearl (Black and Silver with Red Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Dark Grey, Black, and Gold with Red Lights; Stegotetrabelodon), Shattered Glass (Grey, Blue, Light Blue, and Gold with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Mad Scientist (Purple Silver, Gold, and Lavender with Red Lights), Alter Ego (Slate Blue, Grey, Slate Purple, and Black with Purple Lights)

139. Windblade (Infiltrator) - Can be found in Basic, Wide Single Striped, and Ocelot Patterns.

Normal Colors: Death Rose (Red, Black, and Grey with Blue Lights), Radiant Darkness (Black, Red, and Yellow with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Velvet Gold (Maroon, Gold, and Silver with Yellow Lights), Decadent Paradise (Burgundy, Slate Purple, and Silver with Purple Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Black, Grey, Yellow, and Red with Red Lights; Northern Harrier), Shattered Glass (Black, Blue, and Pink with Pink Lights)

Legendary Colors: Titan Force (Grey, Blue, and Red with Blue Lights), Councilmember (Tangerine, Gold, and Blue with Blue Lights)

140. Blurr (Scout) - Can be found in Basic, Tiger, and Ocelot Patterns.

Normal Colors: Blue Sky (Cerulean, Baby Blue, and White with Blue Lights), Aqua Spring (Deep Blue, Light Blue, and Teal with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Royal Blue (Blue, Gold, and Teal with Blue Lights), Mystic Mist (Slate, Lavender, and Yellow with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Dark Blue, Yellow, and White with Yellow Lights; Sailfish), Shattered Glass (Dark Grey, Lavender, and Grey with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Deadly Vortex (Black, Silver, and Blue with Blue Lights), Rescue Racer (Indigo, White, and Green with Blue Lights)

141. Tarn (Leader) - Can be found in Basic, Hexagonal, and Mackerel Patterns.

Normal Colors: Amethyst (Indigo, Gray, and Silver with Red Lights), Predator (Black, Purple, and Gold with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Imperial (Silver, Gold, and Purple with Red Lights), Techno Rave (Dark Blue, Purple, and Gold with Purple Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Purple, Blue, and Silver with Red Lights; Allosaurus), Shattered Glass (Orange, Red, Camo Green, and Black with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Loyal Knight (White, Indigo, Black, and Red with Red Lights), Code Red (Black, Red, Maroon, and Burgundy with Red Lights)

Cybertron: Crystal City 5 (40 Bots Documented) –

142. Blaster (Healer) - Can be found in Basic, Wide Single Striped, and Hexagonal Patterns.

Normal Colors: Sunset (Red, Gold, and Orange with Blue Lights), Fire Hydrant (Red, Yellow, and Grey with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Gothic Luxury (Black, Gold, and Crimson with Yellow Lights), Showtime (Blue, Crimson, and Gold with Blue Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Gold, Red, Light Brown, and Black with Yellow Lights; Lyre Bird), Shattered Glass (Brown, Black, and Light Blue with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Master Rave (Black, Neon Orange, Neon Green, and Neon Blue with Purple Lights), Hard Rock (Crimson, Black, Grey, and Dark Orange with

143. Blades (Infiltrator) - Can be found in Basic, Flames, and Saddled Patterns.

Normal Colors: Sunstone (Orange and White with Blue Lights), Medic (Red and White with Orange Lights)

Regal Colors: Autumn Night (Gold, Orange, and Black with Blue Lights), Sumi-e (White, Black, and Red with Blue Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Grey, Brown, Orange, and Gold with Yellow Lights; Potoo), Shattered Glass (Purple, White, and Green with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Protectobot (White, Blue, Black, and Red with Blue Lights), Blender (Brown, Tan, White, and Windsor Tan with Blue Lights)

144. Leadfoot (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Wide Sports Striped, and Narrow Double Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Harlequin (Red, Black, and White with Blue Lights), Phoenix (Yellow, Orange, Red, and Black with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Crimson Rosella (Red, Blue, and Black with Blue Lights), Dragonborn (Red, Orange, and Yellow with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (White, Red, Black, and Grey with Red Lights; White Rhinoceros), Shattered Glass (Green, Grey, Yellow, and Blue with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Rotor Force (Yellow, Red, and Blue with Blue Lights), Power Core (Orange, White, Black, and Yellow with Blue Lights)

145. Roadbuster (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Narrow Single Striped, and Chevron Patterns.

Normal Colors: Komodo (Green, Orange, and Deep Grey with Blue Lights), Green Amber (Dark Green, Amber, and Brown with Green Lights)

Regal Colors: Night Vision (Black, Deep Green, and Neon Green with Blue Lights), Chrysocolla (Green, Mint, and Grey with Blue Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Grey, Camo Green, Green, and White with Blue Lights; Asian Elephant), Shattered Glass (Blue, Yellow, and Grey with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Amplified (Orange, White, Yellow, and Grey with Yellow Lights), Cloudy City (Red, Blue, Silver, and Black with Blue Lights)

146. Topspin (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Narrow Racing Striped, and Triangular Patterns.

Normal Colors: Energon (White, Blue, and Teal with Blue Lights), Blueberry Cream (Blue and Light Gray with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Apatite Calcite (Blue, Slate, and Orange with Blue Lights), Cloudy (White, Cerulean, and Yellow with Blue Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Dark Blue, Silver, Yellow, and White with Yellow Lights; Kosmoceratops), Shattered Glass (Red, Blue, and Silver with Orange Lights)

Legendary Colors: Rocketman (White, Orange, Red, and Blue with Blue Lights), Wrecking Ball (Dark Grey, Grey, Black, and Blue with Blue Lights)

Cybertron: Tyger Pax 5 (60 Bots Documented) –

147. Red Alert (Healer) - Can be found in Basic, Tobiano, and Wide Double Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Harlequin (Red, Black, and White with Blue Lights), Magical Betta (White, Blue, and Maroon with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Charm (Silver, Gold, and Magenta with Blue Lights), Rhondochrosite (Magenta, Pink, and Pale Pink with Blue Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (White, Black, and Maroon with Red Lights; Skunk), Shattered Glass (Light Grey, Slate Purple, and Teal with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Super Ambulance (Orange, White, Slate, and Black with Blue Lights), Key Defender (White, Blue, Dark Grey, and Crimson with Red Lights)

148. Smokescreen (Scout) - Can be found in Basic, Wide Sports Striped, and Wide Racing Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Flag (White, Deep Blue, and Crimson with Blue Lights), Daredevil (Blue, Crimson, and White with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Mosaic (Dark Blue, White, and Yellow with Blue Lights), Aspen Forest (Grey, Dark Grey, White, and Yellow with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (White, Cerulean, Dark Blue, and Dark Pink with Pink Lights; Gazelle), Shattered Glass (Black, Purple, and Dark Blue with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Iron Hoist (Orange, Blue, and Grey with Pink Lights), Red Lightning (Red, Black, Silver, and Cerulean with Blue Lights)

149. Tracks (Miner) -Can be found in Basic, Narrow Single Striped, and Saddled Patterns.

Normal Colors: Daredevil (Blue, Crimson, and White with Blue Lights), Showtime (Blue, Crimson, and Gold with Light Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Blue Sky (Cerulean, Baby Blue, and White with White Lights), Spatial Wonder (Blue, Gold, and Silver with White Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Brown, Blue, Black, and Gold with Blue Lights; Jackrabbit), Shattered Glass (Tangerine, Black, Blue, and White with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Dark Clone (Black, Grey, and Silver with Red Lights), Burning Rubber (Red and Black with Yellow Lights)

150. Flareup (Gatherer) - Can be found in Basic, Flames, and Leopard Patterns.

Normal Colors: Firestarter (Burgundy, Orange, and Yellow with Red Lights), Dragonborn (Red, Orange, and Yellow with Yellow Lights)

Regal Colors: Rose Bouquet (Red, Magenta, and Yellow with Red Lights), Fire Opal (Orange, Black, and Gold with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Windsor Tan, Tan, Burgundy, and Black; African Wild Donkey), Shattered Glass (Green, Mint, and Brown with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Volcano (Black, Red, Orange, and Dark Brown with Orange Lights), Rubidium Fire (Violet, White, Dark Purple, and Slate Purple with White Lights)

151. Crosshairs (Infiltrator) - Can be found in Basic, Ocelot, and Tiger Patterns.

Normal Colors: Emerald Marble (Green, Gold, and Black with Blue Lights), Chrysocolla (Green, Mint, and Grey with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Azurite (Deep Blue, Copper and Black with Blue Lights), Alstroemeria (Green, Yellow, and Orange with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Windsor Tan, Red, Green, and Black with Green Lights; Saber-tooth Tiger), Shattered Glass (Red, Black, and Blue with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Desert Scout (Tan, Brown, Black, and Windsor Tan with Yellow Lights), Previous Life (Blue, Black, Crimson, and White with Blue Lights)

Cybertron: Mithril Sea 10 (80 Bots Documented) –

152. Cheetor (Infiltrator) - Can be found in Basic, Cheetah, and Tribal Patterns.

Normal Colors: Bumblebee Jasper (Yellow, Black, and Blue with Blue Lights), Elegant Eclipse (Gold, Black, and Silver with Blue Lights)

Regal Colors: Supernova (Black, Red, Orange, and Silver with White Lights), Fire Opal (Orange, Black, and Gold with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Yellow, Orange, Black, and Grey with Green Lights; Cheetah), Shattered Glass (Orange, Green, Black, and Mint with Red Lights)

Legendary Colors: Night Prowler (Black, Blue, Orange, and Dark Blue with Green Lights), Red Panther (Red, Gold, Black, and White with Blue Lights)

153. Rhinox (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Saddled, and Wide Single Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Zultanite (Camo Green, Windsor Tan, and Grey with Red Lights), Huntsman (Tan, Dark Brown, and Grey with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Desert Bloom (Tan, Purple, and Yellow with Red Lights), Aspen Forest (Grey, Dark Grey, White, and Yellow with Yellow Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Grey, Green, Brown, and Gold with Red Lights; Black Rhinoceros), Shattered Glass (Red, Black, Amber, and Silver with Yellow Lights)

Legendary Colors: Armorhide (Maroon, Gold, Black and Blue with Yellow Lights), Blue Rhino (Blue, Grey, Red, and Green with Red Lights)

154. Rattrap (Scout) - Can be found in Basic, Tobiano, and Chevron Patterns.

Normal Colors: Treasure Ore (Silver, Gold, and Copper with Red Lights), Charm (Silver, Gold, and Magenta with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Agamidae (Dark Green, Amber, and Red with Yellow Lights), Emerald Marble (Green, Gold, and Black with Red Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Grey, Gold, Silver, and Orange with Red Lights; Rat), Shattered Glass (Orange, Teal, and White with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Wall Rat (Black, Rose Gold, Blue, and Green with Yellow Lights), Mink Blue (Dark Blue, Baby Blue, and Silver with Red Lights)

155. Airazor (Gatherer) - Can be found in Basic, Chevron, and Triangular Patterns.

Normal Colors: Obsidian Sun (Black, Orange, and Deep Copper with Orange Lights), Smoking Embers (Grey, Gold, and Orange with Green Lights)

Regal Colors: Black Pearl (Black and Silver with Green Lights), Super Seven (Gold, Purple, and Maroon with Purple Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Dark Grey, Tan, Orange, and Gold with Green Lights; Prairie Falcon), Shattered Glass (Gold, Silver, and Black with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Death Hawk (Black, Red, Purple, and Blue with Yellow Lights), Aerial Glider (Yellow, Blue, Silver, and Red with Red Lights)

156. Tigatron (Miner) - Can be found in Basic, Tiger, and Flames Patterns.

Normal Colors: Energon (White, Blue, and Teal with Green Lights), White Lotus (White, Green and Mint with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Tiger’s Eye (Orange, Black, and Crimson with Red Lights), Howlite (White and Grey with Red Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (White, Teal, and Black with Red Lights; Bengal Tiger), Shattered Glass (Black, Purple, and White with Purple Lights)

Legendary Colors: Jungle Hunter (Orange, White, Black, and Teal with Yellow Lights), Crystal Cat (Blue, White, Light Blue, and Silver with Blue Lights)

157. Skullcruncher (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Tribal, and Hexagonal Patterns.

Normal Colors: Coral Reef (Pink, Teal, and Gold with Pink Lights), Tourmaline (Pink, Green, and Dark Green with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Candy Apple (Crimson and Silver with Red Lights), Night Vision (Black, Deep Green, and Neon Green with Green Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Dark Green, Camo Green, Dark Pink, and Maroon with Pink Lights; Saltwater Crocodile), Shattered Glass (Brown, Tan, and Red with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Serpentine (Silver, Green, Gold, and Dark Grey with Yellow Lights), Later Gator (Dark Teal, Light Teal, and Black with Red Lights)

158. Mindwipe (Healer) - Can be found in Basic, Mackerel, and Narrow Double Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Pink Dream (Pink, Purple, and Maroon with Red Lights), Velvet Gold (Maroon, Gold, and Silver with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Purpurite (Purple, Lavender, and Gold with Purple Lights), Cupid (Pink and White with Pink Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Burgundy, Black, and Red with Red Lights; Bulldog Bat), Shattered Glass (Teal, White, and Brown with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Stealth Flyer (Dark Grey, Gold, and Red with Red Lights), Convobat (Blue, Dark Grey, and Red with Yellow Lights)

159. Weirdwolf (Gatherer) - Can be found in Basic, Saddled, and Tribal Patterns.

Normal Colors: Elegant Eclipse (Gold, Black, and Silver with Yellow Lights), Leather Coat (Windsor Tan, Neon Yellow, and Dark Grey with Yellow Lights)

Regal Colors: Legrandite (Gold and Yellow with Orange Lights), Crimson Rosella (Red, Blue, and Black with Red Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Gold, White, and Silver with White Lights; Tundra Wolf), Shattered Glass (Blue, Silver, and Black with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Colorful Creature (Yellow, Green, and White with Red Lights), Werewolf (Grey, Black, Tan, and White with Red Lights)

160. Snapdragon (Gatherer) - Can be found in Basic, Flames, and Tobiano Patterns.

Normal Colors: Amethyst (Indigo, Gray, and Silver with Purple Lights), Poltergeist (Black, Purple, and Grey with Purple Lights)

Regal Colors: Parade (Cerulean, Teal, and Crimson with Red Lights), Stardust (Black, Gold, and Tan with Red Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (White, Purple, Black, and Teal with Red Lights; Drake), Shattered Glass (Black, Blue, Orange, and Yellow with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Mythical Hydra (Dark Green, Dark Purple, Slate, and Lavender with Purple Lights), Water Dragon (Teal, White, Blue, and Gold with Blue Lights)

161. Hardshell (Wrecker) - Can be found in Basic, Tiger, and Narrow Single Striped Patterns.

Normal Colors: Dark Butterfly (Black, Indigo, Gold, and Light Grey with Red Lights), Moss Rock (Camo Green, Windsor Tan, and Black with Red Lights)

Regal Colors: Venom (Black, Green, and Silver with Yellow Lights), City Night (Blue, Orange, and White with Orange Lights)

Rare Colors: Beast (Black, Gold, Tan, and Brown with Yellow Lights; Hercules Beetle), Shattered Glass (White, Yellow, Silver, and Black with Blue Lights)

Legendary Colors: Insecticon Warrior (Dark Brown, Copper, Gold, and Black with Red Lights), Banishment (Black, Grey, Silver, and Dark Grey with White Lights)

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devoutpriest · 1 month

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nivallis:

THE AIR WAS thick with the smell of the sea, various spices, and food being cooked and sold around the market. The seafood was quite strong in its smell, like white oysters and crab. The din of vendors advertising their wares, housewives and stewards haggling over prices, and the familiar screech of seagulls overhead was a comfort to the hidden Stark, who walked among stalls in a familiar path. One seagull walked along the ground, with its webbed legs, fluttering its white wings. They skimmed the water with their legs, rippling through the sea. She was in guise as a bastard with the name of Blackfyre. She stopped for a bouquet of desert roses with tall yellow and green grass strands, beautiful adenium obesum, and was still holding them in one arm when she paused to examine a display of peaches. A northern man already stood at the stall and she gave him a polite smile before taking a peach in one hand to judge its ripeness with a squeeze. It was rare to see other northerners in Sunspear but she supposed the port city saw its fair share of various kinds of travelers. “Good morning, Lady Blackfyre.” The vendor greeted her with a grin before she could say anything to the northern stranger. He was a salty Dornishman with a thick beard who often looked Lyanna up and down as if she, too, were a ware to be haggled over. “Good morning, Jarek. I see you’ve raised your prices since last week. For that many dragons I could buy my own tree, maybe go into business myself. What do you think?” She turned to the northerner with an enigmatic smile. “I could sell peaches. I’m VERY charismatic.” Jarek groaned. “Of course you know, for you, my lady, as the ward of the Martells, I would offer a discounted price…” The sentence seemed to physically pain him to say.

Sunspear was boiling to an intemperate degree, far more generous in their heat than England, or even Kattegat. As he ties his jumper to his waist, wiping sweat off his brow. the desert and the sea were in sunspear, quite like kattegat, quite like...lindisfarne, he thought. It was in Dorne, where the Martells were, the main city. The city, with their beautiful dumpling roofs and castles and turrets was on a sandy desert. He supposed he should have expected it, it being widely acknowledged in Westeros as a desert.

He was here to ask for an alliance with Sunspear, he travelling there from Kattegat where he was a warrior, but first, he paused to examine the array of fruits on display. As he looks at the peaches, he feels the presence of another, and he turns his head a fraction seeing a brunette woman, giving her a polite nod and returning her smile. As Athelstan hears the vendor address her with the title of LADY and as ward of the noble family here, he realized with a small start that she was of high birth. Perhaps, he could speak to her of this alliance…?

“Yes, I am sure you are…Lady Blackfyre.”

He says, not sure what else to say in reply. He hardly knew her after all, but from the way she spoke to him and the vendor, she was comfortable in speaking to people. Charisma could certainly be a trait that she may have.

“…You know the Nymeros Martells?”

#rp partner | nivallis #ic

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bikotours · 2 years

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Top 5 Ways to Buy a Used Tanzania Tourist Attractions

Tanzania is home to a large number of Africa's most notable nature stores and normal marvels, for example, the stunning Mount Kilimanjaro. Subsequently, safaris and natural life related encounters are the most unmistakable Tanzania vacation spots and the reason numerous guests visit the country.

Most of voyagers will travel through Dar es Salaam on their Tanzania Tours and Safaris to places. The dazzling sea shores of Zanzibar captivate individuals able to invest some energy in the sun. Do you likewise want to make the most out of Tanzania visit? On the off chance that indeed, the read the total aide.

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) is Africa's most noteworthy mountain and Tanzania's most renowned picture. Not at all like different stores in northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is visited for the opportunity to look in wonder of this fantastic snow-covered top and, for some, to trip to the culmination. Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed whenever of year, yet the greatest months are late June to October when the weather conditions is dry. Bison, panthers, monkeys, elephants, and eland live on the wilderness inclines. Bird watchers will find a bounty of flying predators in the elevated zone.

Public Park Serengeti

The Serengeti is generally known for its yearly wildebeest relocation, however you may likewise see the Big Five and around 500 different bird species. The Serengeti, Tanzania's second-biggest public park, draws a huge number of guests every year. The long stretches of June through September are the best for creature watching in Serengeti National Park. Walk to May is the blustery season, with June to October being the coolest.Beaches in Zanzibar

Zanzibar, usually known as Unguja, is a famous vacationer location in Tanzania, celebrated for its eminent sea shores. This island, which is arranged in the Zanzibar archipelago, which incorporates the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar, offers a portion of the world's best sea shores. Guests will track down gorgeous white sand and clear shallow water, as well as conventional boats covering the coast, contingent upon which side of the island they are on. Stone Town, Zanzibar's noteworthy capital, is popular for its old Arabian manors, slender rear entryways, and clamoring waterfront.

Olduvai Gorge

This huge archeological site has uncovered an ancient skull and bone parts that have offered significant data about early humankind. The Olduvai Gorge is an archeological site on an organization of separation points where periods of disintegration have revealed early human fossils and relics.

Mafia Island

Jumpers and swimmers come from everywhere the world to see the Mafia Island Marine Park's safeguarded submerged wonderland. The best times for scuba are October to March; in any case, May to October has the ideal environment on Mafia Island. Walk and April are both stormy months. It contains coral gardens, a different fish populace, and a laid-back jumping climate. The region is home to various birds and one of the Tanzania vacationer attractionswithover 400 different fish species.

Conclusion

Tanzania is known for its vibrant wildlife and abundant aquatic life, which ranges from immense wilderness to lush green islands, as well as from the Big 5 game to beautiful corals. By choosing to visit Tanzania, you are helping a developing country's incredible investment in the future.

#Tanzania Tours and Safaris #Africa Adventure Safaris #Tanzania luxury safari tours #best luxury safaris in Africa #Group joining safari and trekking #Kenya and Tanzania luxury safari #mountain trekking #hiking and trekking #Tanzania destinations #best places to visit in Tanzania

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ladynightmare913 · 3 years

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Ink Bloom

Greetings and welcome to Chapter 1 of Ink Bloom!

This is an original story inspired by Asian lore, Jellyfish and so many more things I couldn't possibly begin to list! Since it's Mermay, I wanted to write something about mermaids, but I just didn’t have a clue as to what to do until it hit me like a tidal wave and I knew I had to bring this to life in writing! I would like to say a special thank you to my best friend Olivia (@asunshinepuff ) for joining me in writing this spectacular world onto paper!

For the readers who enjoy Red Rose, Blood Moon, don’t worry I will still be writing chapters and I hope you will enjoy this story as well!

This story only has original characters created by Olivia and myself. For those who want to be tagged, feel free to send an ask to me or Olivia on her blog. If you have any questions, theories, or curiosities about any of our characters or how the story will progress, send them to the ask box!

Chapter 1: Is That Cosplay?

Welcome to Poseidon’s Aquarium, as a reminder to all visitors, please keep sight of your children at all times.

“Alright everyone, stay close to your chaperons! Now, does everyone have a buddy!” A woman with medium-length dirty blonde hair, sun kissed skin, red lips and bright green eyes spoke to the group in front of her. She was dressed in a light khaki jacket with a white blouse, black slacks paired with black flats, and wore light brown rounded frame glasses.

“Yes Ms. Baker!” A group of fourth graders responded.

Ms. Baker nodded approvingly at her students, she looked over to one of her students who was in front of the group.

“Darcy, you must be so excited to be here. Maybe we’ll even see your dad and he will give us a tour!” The woman smiled.

A nine year old girl with long smooth brown hair, sea blue eyes, pale skin, rosy cheeks, and soft pink lips simply nodded at her teacher. She was wearing her school’s uniform, a light grey jumper dress with a long sleeve button up blouse underneath, a matching light grey blazer with deep blue accents along the collar, and her school’s name emblem of a horse with a fishtail over the left pocket in the same shade of blue, white stockings, black converse, and a simple deep blue bow on the side of her head.

Ms. Baker was undeterred by her student’s subdued response, turning her attention back to the rest of the class she smiled wider. “Let’s go!”

The fourth grade teacher walked straight ahead to the Northern Pacific exhibit. Darcy followed along silently, her buddy, a boy called Henry with short strawberry blonde hair and green eyes with freckles and blue rimmed glasses gently pulls her along with the class.

The children stare in awe and whisper among themselves as they go from exhibit to exhibit. Other students from different schools all played with the sea lions, and waddled like the penguins, and cooed at the otters. Darcy's father hadn’t made an appearance.

Next, they entered the underwater tunnel. The children gasped at the sight of the sharks, manta rays, and vibrant colors of the fish. One little boy gasped then pointed near the top of the huge tank.

“Look! A Mermaid!” He exclaimed.

“Where?!”

All the children rushed to where the mermaid dived down to them, she had black hair, and her tail was a shimmering yellow. When she finally reached the children’s eye level, she smiled and waved. Henry watched in wonder, his jaw agape. Darcy simply stared. She did not smile, she did not gasp in excitement.

“Is that a real mermaid?!” One little girl asked. Darcy looked at the girl who had asked Ms. Baker. The fourth grade teacher smiled as she shook her head.

“No Alisa, mermaids are not real, but she’s the closest thing to a real mermaid.”

The child, Alisa, pouted at the teacher, “Well I believe mermaids are real!”

Ms. Baker simply chuckled, and the children returned to watching the show. Darcy silently watched. The mermaid blew bubbles kisses to the children, doing a few tricks and swirls. They watched for a while before Ms. Baker spoke.

“Alright class, let’s move on, we have many other places to see!” She smiled as she urged the groaning and pouting children on. Henry followed until he noticed his shoelaces were untied. Quickly he bent down and tied his shoes. Looking back up, he noticed his class was already far ahead.

“Hey wait up!” He called after them, running to catch up. Unknowingly leaving behind his buddy, Darcy.

The nine year old girl continued to watch the mermaid, and when the mermaid left once everyone else had gone, and still, Darcy remained motionless.

“Do you believe?”

Darcy startled, breaking her reverie. Darcy turned to look at who spoke to her. It was an Asian woman. A very beautiful woman. Dressed in a long traditional pink dress with a darker shade of pink that looked like jellyfish, a dark indigo outer robe, and dark indigo flats. Darcy’s head tilted as she took in the woman’s clothes. She had pale skin, long ink blue hair that looked so soft to touch, bright indigo eyes. Darcy continued to stare at the strange woman.

“Is this not the right tongue?” The woman frowned gently as she looked over the small child.

Darcy shakes her head. She must have been quiet for a long time if the woman thought Darcy didn’t understand her. “Sorry, do I believe in what?

“Do you believe in maidens of the sea?” The woman in strange clothes elaborated. Giving Darcy a gentle smile.

“Do you mean mermaids?”

The woman silently repeated the word, mouthing out mermaid slowly before a nod to Darcy. Darcy looked down to her feet before turning to look back at the swimming fish.

“I used to. But they’re not real.”

“Well, not this one.” The woman looked at the swimming fish. Who seemed rather keen to stay a safe distance away. “And who says mermaids are not real?” She huffs.

Darcy frowns at the woman. “My teacher says they're not real.”

The woman scoffed. “What does she know about mermaids, she didn’t notice one of her disciples is missing”

Darcy blinks curiously at the woman’s words. Although she did have a point, Darcy wasn’t convinced. “My daddy says mermaids aren’t real.”

“Well, he’s wrong because mermaids are real.” The woman smirked at the little girl.

Darcy frowned. “My daddy is a scientist, he studies the ocean. Believe me, he’s looked.”

“Not hard enough, they are elusive creatures.” The woman shrugs her shoulders as she gives Darcy a smile. “And even the most enlightened scholars can be wrong.”

Darcy stared at the woman in bewilderment. There is no such thing as mermaids, everyone knows that. Did this adult really believe in mermaids?

“Are you teasing me?” Darcy asked the woman dubiously.

“No, I am being sincere, I promise.” The woman chuckled.

There was nothing Darcy could do if this woman was adamant about mermaids being real. This wouldn’t be the first time Darcy knew someone who truly believed mermaids existed. Darcy sighed, looking back to the exhibit.

“So if you do not believe in mermaids, which one is your favorite?” The woman leaned forward a bit, tilting her head as she looked at Darcy.

Darcy was silent for a long time, but the woman never urged her for an answer. At long last, Darcy spoke.

“Sea horses.”

The woman smiled, Darcy couldn’t help but smile back.

“Show me.”

And so she did. Taking the woman’s hand, Darcy led her to her favorite place in the entire aquarium. Taking her back near the entrance, passing the main Tropical Reef exhibit, and into a hidden darkened room. All the other visitors had already moved on and the room was near silent. It was how Darcy preferred it.

Still holding the woman’s hand, they wordlessly walked right up to a small exhibit. There, in the blue water, were the golden sea horses that Darcy loved. Softly floating from one rock to the next.

The woman ran her fingertips over the plaque, mouthing out the words. “Leafy Sea Dragons?” The woman looked to Darcy.

“They were my mom’s favorite,” Darcy whispered, her gaze never leaving the sea horses.

The woman said nothing as she gazed gently at Darcy. The little girl’s longing gaze yet gentle smile was enough for the woman to understand. Silently, she returned to look back at them as well, leaving Darcy in peace to reminisce. And there they stayed in silence, simply basking in the beautiful creature’s presence.

With a deep breath, Darcy took the woman’s hand and led them to the cafeteria, where Darcy learned that the woman didn’t have money, nor did she seem to know what money even was. Darcy paid for both of their meals.

“What’s your name?” Darcy asked as she swallowed her ham and cheese sandwich.

“My my, we just met and you’re already asking me such forward questions.” The woman smirked, her eyes seemed to sparkle in mischief. “You don’t even introduce yourself and yet you wish to know my name?”

Darcy couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m Darcy.”

“Darcy,” The woman repeated the name carefully, “It suits you well.”

“Thanks, my mom picked it. My dad wanted to name me Sarah.” Darcy finished as she took another bite of her sandwich.

“Well Darcy, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Mingzhu.”

“Mingzhu? Is that your real name or your cosplay?”

The woman frowned. “Cos-play? What is cosplay?”

Darcy shrugged, “I don’t really know, but my cousin does it sometimes. He dresses up as characters and pretends to be them.”

“Ah, no. No, it is my real name. I do not… Cosplay. I really look like this.” Mingzhu said, “Well when I am in this form anyway.”

Darcy shook her head with a smile. “Are you from Japan? My cousin wants to go to Japan.”

“I’m not surprised, Japan is beautiful. Especially in the spring.” Mingzhu commented. “But no, I am not from Japan.”

“Have you been to Japan?” Darcy stared curiously at her.

“I have. Although I am sure many things have changed by now, it’s been years since I’ve traveled there.”

Darcy pondered on that for a while, “What made you want to come here then?”

“I was drawn here by the water and food, I came here last night actually.” She answered simply.

“No, I mean, why did you come to California?” Darcy clarified.

At that, a smirk crossed Mingzhu’s lips. “Curious little thing aren’t you? Very well, I will tell you if you tell me why you wandered off from your pod.”

“My pod? Oh you mean my class.” Darcy thought it over before she nodded. “Okay. I didn’t mean to, sometimes it just happens.”

“What happens?” Mingzhu pressed.

Darcy shrugged as she looked at her hands. “Sometimes things just make me feel… lost? I don’t know.” Darcy admitted.

Mingzhu hummed thoughtfully, “I understand. I feel that way too sometimes.”

Darcy looked back to the woman, “So… why are you here?”

Mingzhu’s smirk returned, she leaned forward. “I am here to repay a kind act a man showed onto me three years ago.”

“Why did you wait three years?” Darcy asked.

“I was wounded, I had to heal, and then I had to learn where exactly California was.” Mingzhu huffed as she leaned back in her chair, a pout on her lips as she huffed.

“So where are you from?” The little girl asked as she sipped her milk carton.

“From far away.” The woman stabbed her fork into her salad. Darcy mused that she wasn’t used to eating without chopsticks.

“But where?” Darcy pressed.

“A cave.” Mingzhu finally managed to get the food onto the fork.

“A cave?” Darcy asked skeptically.

“A very nice cave. Full of sea glass, pearls, and jewels.”

Darcy shook her head, her shoulders shaking as she laughed. “That sounds like a dragon.”

Mingzhu tilted her head, “Really. How so?”

Darcy shrugged her shoulders, “My cousin plays stuff about dragons, fairies, and stuff with his friends. Dragons are bad, mean, and greedy. They keep treasure in caves.”

Mingzhu grew more horrified the longer she heard Darcy speak of dragons.

“ I saw a movie where a boy found a dragon and they were best friends,” Darcy commented. “That dragon couldn’t talk though.”

Mingzhu shook her head gently as she chuckled. “Well, where I come from. Dragons are benevolent creatures, not evil. Well, most are not.”

“What’s ben-voilent?”

“Ben-eh-voh-lent. It means kind and good. They could fly, and talk to creatures.”

Darcy made an ‘oh’ shape with her lips before looking down to the remainder of her sandwich. “I wish I had a best friend. Maybe then, I wouldn’t feel so lonely.”

Mingzhu’s heart clenched. How could a child already have such a grave look in her eyes? As if the reality of the world was snuffing out the last fragments of magic and wonder in her.

“Darcy, I-”

“DARCY!” Yelled the voice of Ms. Baker who stood at the entrance of the cafeteria. Turning the heads of many visitors who stopped to stare.

Darcy gasped, she quickly gathered her things, speaking hurriedly. “I gotta go, I forgot I had to go back to school,” she grabbed her sandwich, looking to Mingzhu. “It was nice meeting you Mingzhu! I had a good time. I hope to see you soon!” Darcy called out as she ran to rejoin her class, waving goodbye.

Mingzhu smiled softly as she waved goodbye to the child. Her tender gaze never left Darcy until she was gone from her sight.

Ms. Baker was not pleased that Darcy had strayed away from the group. Darcy pleaded with Ms. Baker not to tell her dad, and Ms. Baker only relented since Darcy knew the aquarium. On the way back to Sea Colt Academy, Darcy looked out of the school bus window, thinking about the stranger woman she had met and their conversation.

As she watched the ocean from her window, she saw something large swimming in the water. It sparkled against the blue water and under the sunlight, and when it dived down, a large pink frilly tail splashed against the water, but in a blink of an eye, it was gone. Darcy deemed that she was simply imagining it. She would probably never see it again. Just like she would probably never see Mingzhu again.

Until the very next day, when Darcy looked out of the classroom’s window, there Mingzhu was. Laying on a tree branch, in the same strange clothes, with the same dazzling smile, and giving Darcy a wave hello.

Darcy dropped her pencil.

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stilldanytrash · 5 years

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Have some Danyara:

Yara: This is to the loser who dared tell me that being gay isn't a choice.

Yara: You're right.

Yara: Being gay isn't a choice.

Yara: IT'S A COMPETITION AND I'M WINNING! HAVE YOU SEEN MY GIRLFRIEND?!

•

Since Dany's always been one to touch, to hold hands, to caress, Yara, who's not very “femme”, is completely fine with Dany placing braids in her hair. Dany's thin smaller fingers make light work brushing against her scalp, being ever so careful to never bring her pain. Or even smaller touches; always a hand on her shoulder, wrist, waist, arm, face, knee. Always small, always to remind the two that they're there. Yara towers slightly over the willowy-but-slightly-stocky built Dany, so everything Dany does is cute and small.

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Yara sleeps in the nude during summer nights, uncaring and proud. If it's raining outside, she might sleep in an old shirt, but she usually doesn't care. Dany likes to sleep in Yara's shirts anyway. She's especially fond of the hooded woolen jumper Yara managed to, ahem, legally obtain. Before she received the raven announcing Dany's revival, Yara and the Prince of Dorne set their fleets along the Northern coast and terrorized the xenophobic arseholes who were responsible as to why a murder such as Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow got off scott free while Daenerys, who, up until that one day, never showed any madness, had to die. It had been in injustice. And now... Now Dany was here, with her, safe and warm, and sleeping in the hooded jumper that once belonged to some lordling of the North.

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Dany and Yara figuring out how to cook, and burning the first fifteen meals while they learn and the rest because they're making love. It takes them a while, but soon they're able to cook dinner without the fear of burning the food.

•

Drogon welcomed Yara as family without the threatening growl they had given that false Targaryen. To them, Yara is more family. Drogon is now the proud parent of a new generation of dragons, four, to be exact. Dany and Yara name them; the gold and white one they call Visenyrion (a mix of Visenya, Viserion and Viserys because they couldn't decide on the name), the crimson one they called Ellarian after Ellaria, the dusty yellow one they called Oberyna after the father of Ellaria's children, and the green and black one they called Rhaendei after Rhaegal/Rhaenys and Missandei. Curiously, they discovered an angry old cat living in one of the ruins, the cat seemed to be a grandmother of sorts. Without looking to each other, the women knew exactly what the other thought; this cat is Olenna. They said the old Queen of Thorn's name, and the cat perked it's ears, either in surprise at being given a name, or in recognition, the cat wouldn't say.

•

With Dany being the traditionally more femme of the two and Yara being butch, everyone invited to their wedding were surprised when they saw Daenerys in a tuxedo. Daario was her best man, naturally, although he cried through the whole wedding. Yara wore the wedding dress, and proudly presented her battle scarred, muscular arms. None could say she was a dainty, blushing bride: Yara would have knocked them flat despite being in a floor length, sea blue dress. The sworls were in the shape of kraken tentacles and tendrils of fire; they looked so similar, one could not tell for certain where the fire stopped and kraken began. The Prince of Dorne, who its revealed to be the husband of Princess Arianne Martell, and his wife attend the wedding, with the cunning Crowned Princess as the Maid/Matron of Honour. No Starks were invited nor wanted at the wedding, and the reception lasted well into early morn.

#daenerys #daenarys targaryen #daenerys stormborn #yara greyjoy #danyara #Dany x yara #danyara is canon khaleesi #wlw #headcanon

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arplis · 5 years

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Arplis - News: Four leaf clovers, leprechauns, travellers, beer… just some of the many things that come to mind when you think of Ireland

However, the real Ireland is even more enchanting. Its landscapes are breath-taking, ranging from wild and rugged mountains to green hills and valleys. It has beautiful, historic cities, a great musical culture, fantastic pubs and most importantly, a warm, welcoming hospitable people. And yes, lots of beer. All this, and more, is what makes backpacking Ireland so amazing. Lough Tay, Dublin : gregda Jump straight to: The best time to visit Ireland Best places to visit in Ireland Travelling around Ireland Accommodation in Ireland Ireland backpacking itinerary Cost of backpacking Ireland What to eat and drink in Ireland Irish culture and people Travel advice for Ireland Best time to visit Ireland Ireland is known for its emerald green landscape, but there’s a reason for this: the weather. Ireland tends to be quite rainy all year round, however, it’s no worse than parts of England. The climate is best summed up with one word: changeable. You can really see all four seasons in one day here. The wettest months tend to be in Autumn and Winter, and the driest in the spring, but this changes year by year. So remember, there’s no such thing as bad weather – just bad preparation! Remember to bring your waterproof jacket and a jumper whenever you go, and don’t let the weather dictate your plans! There’s not that much seasonal variation in temperature either, with the summer months averaging highs of around 13-18 degrees. On the flip side, winters don’t get too cold. One thing that does vary widely, however, is the length of the days. In winter, the sun goes down around 4 pm, but in the middle of summer, it doesn’t get dark until after 10 pm, allowing you to sit out long into the evening. Ireland is pretty small, so the differences between places aren’t too drastic. It’s generally a bit rainier on the west coast, with clouds coming in from the Atlantic, as well as getting a little cooler the further north you go. Best time to visit Northern Ireland The best time to visit Northern Ireland for a backpacking trip is in late spring and early summer, when you’re likely to get the most sunshine. However, if you’re doing a short city break, you can go at any time of year, as you’re unlikely to get extreme weather. The coldest months are between late February and early March, with very little chance of snow. The driest areas are around Belfast and the eastern coast, which get significantly less rainfall than Galway, Cork and the rest of the south/west. Best time to visit Dublin Dublin’s where you’ll find the driest climate relative to the rest of Ireland. It’s also pretty mild, with winter temperatures similar to those in Southeast England. The driest months in Dublin are between February and April, but the best time to visit Dublin is in late spring, when the temperatures are a little warmer. Given that the city has plenty to see – the weather usually isn’t too much trouble anyway, as there are plenty of pubs and free museums to duck into. Best time to visit Galway The west coast, around Galway, is the wettest part of Ireland. However, it’s slightly warmer than Dublin. So, if you’re lucky, you might get some hot, sunny weather – with the isolated white-sand beaches making it worth the risk! The best time to visit Galway is probably when it’s driest, in the late spring and early summer. Best places to visit in Ireland :@iaraanddavid_travel Ireland’s landscapes are beautiful, ranging from the dramatic to the gentle. Each of its national parks have their own unique character and can be just as breath-taking as more well-known destinations (if a bit rainier!) Apart from Dublin, its cities are relatively small, but are full of life, easily walkable, and have a rich history. To help you choose where to spend your time we’ve listed some of the best places to visit in Ireland including the most scenic places the country has to offer, as well as the best cities in Ireland to visit: Scenic spots: Mount Errigal and Dunlewy Lough, County Donegal As you approach the Derryveagh mountains, all you see are dark shadows on the horizon. Before you know it, you are amongst them, with the long, unfenced road winding through the valleys. Drive far enough and you’ll come to Dunlewy Lough, which sits down in a quiet valley, cut off from the outside world. Rising above its shores is Errigal, the highest mountain in Donegal, and one of the best hikes in Ireland. However, the steep, rocky slopes means the route can be challenging. If you’d prefer something a little more gentle, you can also take a walk down around the lake. This will take you a forest in which you’ll find a hidden world covered bright purple flowers and almost luminous green mosses. You’ll also pass an abandoned church, where you can sit and look out over the water! Find hostels in Donegal Glencolumbkille and Malin Beg, County Donegal Glencolumbkille sits on a stretch of coast Donegal’s southwestern corner. As you travel round the cliffs, you’ll be greeted with the spectacular sight of grey, stony headlands and jagged rocks being pounded by the mighty waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, you’ll reach the beautiful white sand beach of Silver Strand: a serene, isolated cove, hidden beneath the steep cliffs. Just behind Glencolumbkille are the Slieve League (Sliabh Liag) cliffs, some of the highest sea cliffs in Ireland. Here, a jagged mountainside plunges straight down into the ocean. The colossal scale of this is difficult to capture in any photograph: really huge waves end up looking like tiny ripples. If you want to explore, there are great hikes in the area, including the so-called “One Man’s Path” a narrow, rocky trail with sheer drops on either side. Just be careful, this should not be attempted if you’re not an experienced hiker – even if it is a great place for getting that perfect Instagram shot! Find hostels in Donegal Wicklow Mountains, County Wicklow The northern edge of this national park can be reached by taking a €3.30 local bus service from Dublin to Enniskerry, meaning it’s ideal if you want to escape the city for a while. If you’re really keen, you can hike along the so-called “Wicklow Way,” a 130 km interlinked network of roads and paths stretching all the way down through the county. If you don’t feel up to that, you can simply wander along the trail for as long as you like, through fields and glades filled with ferns, wildflowers and shamrocks. One great walk, which takes about an hour each way, is from Knockree hostel to Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest in Ireland. Seeing it this way also allows you to avoid paying the entry fee! Find hostels in Wicklow Copper Coast, County Waterford If you want a day by the sea, some ice cream or fish and chips, head on down to the scenic little harbour town of Dunmore East. It’s an hour away from Waterford city by bike, or 20 or so minutes by car or bus. The little sheltered cove is gorgeous, with golden sand and deep blue water, overlooked by cliffs on both sides. If you don’t feel like getting your feet wet, sit outside at the Strand Inn, which overlooks the beach, looking out towards Hook Head and its famous lighthouse. From Dunmore, you can head around the coastline along the so-called “Copper Coast”, which has been designated an UNESCO Geopark. Even if you’re not a geologist, it’s easy to appreciate the beautiful cliffs and seaside villages, such as Stradbally and Tramore, which literally means “big strand”. Here you’ll find a 5 km stretch of golden sand where you can hire surfboards, fish, or go sea kayaking. Find hostels in Waterford Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry With sea on three sides and towering green mountains behind, the Dingle peninsula is a spectacular setting for a drive by the sea. We’d recommend you stop off at Inch Beach, a spit of sand that juts out into the bay for miles, with towering dunes full of wildflowers. On the right side, you can see the Dingle Peninsula, to the left the golden shores of the Iveragh Peninsula. From Inch Beach, you can head along the coastal roads to the colourful little harbour town of Dingle. But, if you’ve got a little time, it’s worth taking a minor detour down to Minard Castle. The roads are a bit narrow and windy, but it’s definitely worth it. You’ll not only be rewarded with the sight of a medieval stone tower, but also a quiet little beach with a clear mountain stream flowing into the bay. From the colourful town of Dingle, you can head up towards Conor Pass along Spa Road, which snakes away out of sight, tightly hugging the undulating landscape. If you look hard on a clear day, you can even see the rocky pyramid-shaped Skellig Islands jutting out of the sea. If they look familiar, perhaps that’s because they were used as a location in the new Star Wars films! Find hostels in Dingle Killarney National Park, County Kerry Killarney National Park :@cochou33 Killarney, is home to one of Ireland’s most beautiful national parks, and its tallest peak, Carrauntoohil. It’s hardly surprising then, that you’ll find some of the best hikes in Ireland here. In fact, the “Kerry Way” signposted route runs through the county, for over 200 km, taking experienced hikers eight days or more to conquer. However, you don’t have to be a seasoned hiker to enjoy the trail – you can always walk along one of its 20 sections. There’s a walking loop starting in Killarney, which takes in the Victorian stately home, a ruined monastery and old traditional farms. Nearby you’ll find Torc waterfall, which crashes down into a little pool, creating a surrounding mist. If you continue up the steps past the waterfall, you’ll be rewarded with amazing views of Killarney’s three lakes. For a break while you’re driving or hiking round the national park, there’s no better place than The Strawberry Field Pancake Cottage. Renowned for its delicious pancakes, the café rests within Killarney’s isolated countryside. Afterwards, you can head on up to the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow valley, with steep, high sides. It feels incredibly isolated and cut-off, almost like going through a tunnel. Look one way and you’ll see the valley and lakes of Killarney open up in front of you, look back and you see the mountains closing in on each other. Find hostels in Killarney Strawberry Field Pancake Cottage :@iaraanddavid_travel Aran Islands, County Galway The Aran Islands are three, isolated rocky pieces of land lying between the edge of Galway Bay and the North Atlantic. They’re pretty inhospitable and rugged, battered by the waves and winds, making the place feel like it’s at the edge of the world. The historic isolation of the islanders means that many of them speak Irish as a native language. In fact, we heard it being spoken on the Ferry, and by locals in the local pub. To get there, you can book a ferry and bus transfer from Galway, or from Doolin, in County Clare. The two smaller islands, Inisheer (Inis Oír), and Inishmaan (Inis Meáin), are a little less touristed and easier to get around. However, if you’re visiting Inishmore (Inis Mór), the largest island, it’s a good idea to go for a whole day, as there’s a lot to see. It’s still only 14 km (8.7 miles) long: meaning that the best way to get around is renting a bike. Head around the coast and there’s a spot where, if you look hard enough, you can spot the silvery heads of seals bobbing up and down on the water. Continue a little further around the coast and you’ll stumble upon Kilmurvey beach, where the sands are a pristine, dazzling shade of white. The island is also home to a handful of prehistoric stone forts, with the most well-known being Dún Aonghasa. However, if you don’t want to pay, it’s perhaps better to head to Dún Eochla, which perhaps even more impressive in scale. These historical sights blend in with its natural wonders, such as Poll na Bpeist or “the wormhole”. This natural, perfectly rectangular pool sits atop a bare, rocky clifftop. As calm as it seems, diving into the pool is strongly advised against. Sometimes, the drop down to the water can be about 15 metres, with waves crashing over the clifftops and draining down into the pool. Find hostels in Aran Islands Connemara, County Galway Connemara is another national park, in the west of the country, but it differs a lot to the others. The Wicklow mountains are characterised by rolling valleys and forests, whereas Killarney has huge lakes and dramatic rocky mountains. Connemara national park, on the other hand, feature huge, rounded hills that are curved like a camel’s hump. The roads wind through the misty valleys as you approach the park’s visitor centre, about an hour and a half away from Galway. From here, there are several well-marked walking and hiking routes, each for different abilities. The toughest one leads to the summit of Diamond Hill, going over boardwalk, and rocky slopes, with views of the sea on three sides and golden beaches in the distance. When you reach the summit, you can see all the way down to the Victorian grandeur of Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore Abbey is a huge 19th century “castle” – but it’s the setting that really sets it apart. Unlike other, similar places, it is set against the backdrop of a steep mountain slope, with a serene lake stretching out in front. However, the main highlight is provided by the gardens. The manicured flowerbeds contrast beautifully with the surrounding wilderness and the kitchen gardens are full of juicy redcurrants, blackcurrants and raspberries. Find hostels in Connemara North coast of Northern Ireland, County Antrim and County Derry/Londonderry The north coast is probably the one of the most well-known and best places to visit in Northern Ireland. It’s known for its white sandy beaches, green fields and of course, the Giant’s Causeway. More recently, it’s gained fame as one of the locations for the acclaimed fantasy series, Game of Thrones. These Game of Thrones locations are worth seeing for the sake of their wild beauty, even if you’re not a fantasy fan. One such place is Ballintoy harbour, a tiny cove at the bottom of a single-track winding road, full of little fishing boats. Another recommended stop is at the Dark Hedges, otherwise known as the “King’s Road”, where ancient trees curve and twist to form an eerie tunnel. If you want a little adventure, and are a fan of wildlife, catch the boat from Ballycastle to Rathlin Island. During the late spring and summer months, it’s home to a huge colony of birds who nest on its high cliffs, including cute little puffins! If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to see seals relaxing around the harbour. For something a little more daring, head to the notorious Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, where you can test your mettle by walking across a vertical drop above the rough, churning waves. If you’d rather just relax, there’s always the White Rocks beach, near Portrush, with its golden sands and dazzling white limestone cliffs. The most famous sight around here, the Giant’s Causeway, is also worth seeing. Layers upon layers of hexagonal columns rise up out of the ocean, looking as if they were fashioned by a giant’s hand. the best part is probably the walk, which takes you over the cliffs, giving you a spectacular bird’s eye view. And for those in need of a little refreshment after a tiring day outdoors, the Old Bushmills Distillery is just a few miles away. Founded in 1608, it’s also the oldest continually-operating distillery in the world. Find hostels in Derry Mourne Mountains, County Down This is where you’ll find Northern Ireland’s biggest mountain, Slieve Donard. You can reach it without a car, by taking a bus from Belfast to the seaside town of Newcastle. The route is quite easy to follow, but requires hiking shoes, as it can be a bit muddy in places. The views from the summit, however, are gorgeous, looking out for miles out over the coast. If you’d prefer to do something more gentle, you can also hike to a viewpoint part of the way up the mountain, or just walk along the beautiful seafront promenade with an ice cream. Those people renting a car should also consider visiting the Silent Valley Reservoir. This huge artificial lake supplies the entire population of Belfast and is hidden away in the narrow space between the mountain slopes. It’s a beautiful and secluded location to sit, relax, or take a walk around. Dublin Temple Bar, Dublin :@diogopalhais If you ask anyone who’s visited Ireland about the best places to see, the Republic of Ireland’s capital is always high on the list. There’s s a lot to see, a lot to do, as well as a lot of visitors! The historical centre is packed to the brim with beautiful buildings and parks, many of which are free. Free attractions in Dublin: Parks: Stephen’s Green: this 17th century square is filled with trees, ponds and sculptures, and was one of the spots held by the rebels during the 1916 Easter Rising. Merrion Square: another park in a city square, which is home to a famous statue of Oscar Wilde. Phoenix Park: this is the largest urban park in Europe, and home to a herd of deer! Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland is located here, and on Saturdays, you can even book a free guided tour! Museums and Galleries: As Ireland’s capital, Dublin is home to many of Ireland’s best public museums and galleries, many of which are free to explore, so take advantage of this! Chester Beattie Library: housed in Dublin Castle, this museum displays beautiful and rare manuscripts from places such as East Asia, the Middle East and North America. Irish Museum of Modern Art: situated in a former hospital, this place has six multi-roomed exhibits, which are constantly changing. National Gallery of Ireland: this fascinating gallery includes medieval, renaissance and modern works, including those of renowned local artists. National Museum of Ireland: this is not really one museum, but four, with three of them located in Dublin – specialising in Archaeology, Natural History and Decorative Arts. Given its history full of literature, scholarship, conflict and revolution: Dublin is fascinating just to wander around. So, take advantage of a free walking tour, or explore these historical sites for yourself: Statues of O’Connell Street: this busy shopping street is full of statues of famous Irish revolutionaries, labour leaders, parliamentarians and reformers, including Daniel O’Connell, after whom it is named. GPO (General Post Office): this imposing stone building was the main headquarters of those taking part in the Easter rising, an armed insurrection that aimed to create an independent Irish Republic. There is a paid exhibition inside, but you can still visit the post office itself, which has beautiful floors and an ornate ceiling. Trinity College Grounds: you have to pay a steep charge to visit its historical library, which contains the precious medieval manuscript “the Book of Kells”. However, the grounds themselves are free to enter. Famine Memorial: this tribute to the millions of people who died and emigrated during the potato famine of 1845-1849, shows emaciated figures trekking along to the port of Dublin in search of a new life abroad (though many died during their journey). Glasnevin cemetery: this is the resting place for many famous Irish figures, including the musician Luke Kelly, of the Dubliners, and the writer Brendan Behan. One paid attraction that is worth seeing is Kilmainham Gaol. This cold, grey stone building, located in a quiet suburb, has witnessed many key events in Irish history, including five rebellions. It is where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and then executed. It has held prisoners from the subsequent Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War. Perhaps the most shocking fact, however, is how some victims of the famine committed crimes simply to be held here and have a roof over their heads. Going out in Dublin can feel overwhelming, with hordes of tourists flocking into the iconic pubs of the Temple Bar area, which gets extremely crowded and quite rowdy. In terms of iconic bars, O’Donoghue’s near Merrion Square is a good bet. This spot has live music every night and is where the trad band “The Dubliners” started out. Although it’s packed with tourists, the crowd is generally less rowdy. Also worth a visit is the Brazen Head, which claims to be Ireland’s oldest pub, dating back to 1198. For somewhere a bit more off the beaten track, head north of the river to the area of Stoneybatter, where you’ll find great pubs and cocktail bars, full of locals. We arrived in the middle of the “Stoneybatter Festival” which takes place in June each year. The events even included Wuffstock, a fancy-dress parade for dogs and their owners! Find out more about all the free things to do in Dublin in our guide. Find hostels in Dublin Kilkenny Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny :@kmitchhodge Kilkenny, although compact, is worth visiting. Hundreds of years of history is packed into two adjoining streets, known as the Medieval Mile, which stretches from the cathedral at one end and the castle at the other. The space in between is teeming with history: from the Tudor Roche House to the Black Abbey. It’s not all grey, medieval stone though, the town is like a picture postcard snapshot of Ireland – with colourful pubs, restaurants and cafes on cobbled streets. As well as being a medieval town, Kilkenny is known as being the birthplace of Smithwicks (pronounced Smith-icks), probably the second most well-known Irish beer (after Guinness). You can still visit the old brewery today, where you’ll get the chance taste the beer at different stages of the brewing process and smell the different types of hops used. This will give you all you need to bluff with even the most seasoned of craft beer snobs! Even if you’re not all that interested in this boozy barley beverage, the tour is fascinating simply from a historical point of view: it’s built on the ruins of an abbey that brewed beer until it was closed down by King Henry VIII. In the end, you’ll get the chance to sample a pint, with three different varieties on offer! In the same way as with its historical sights, Kilkenny’s nightlife packs a big punch for its size, with over 15 bars and pubs within 10-15 minutes’ walk of one-another. It’s a historic town, so there are tourists, but it’s nowhere near as crowded as central Dublin. Plus, if you’re more of a fan of tea and coffee than beer, don’t fret! Kilkenny has some cute little cafes, including Cakeface patisserie, which serves up delicious baked treats. Find hostels in Kilkenny Waterford Waterford :@yaboicarl Waterford is one of Ireland’s oldest cities, dating back to Viking times. The traces of this history are most evident in the old part of the city, the so-called “Viking Triangle”. In fact, there are six medieval towers scattered around. If it’s a rainy day, why not visit the “Museum of Treasures”? This is actually made up of three separate buildings, each within 3 minutes’ walk of each other: the Viking-built Reginald’s tower, the Medieval Museum and the Bishop’s Palace. The city itself is incredibly pretty, its main street extending along a stretch of river for about a kilometre and a half. This creates a dazzling effect as the lights from bars, restaurants, and shops are reflected in the water. Step back from here, and you’ll end up on bustling pedestrian streets full of little squares, coffee shops and boutiques. Given that it’s a relatively small city and not as much of a tourist hotspot as Dublin, it’s easy to wander from one place to the other without getting lost. We’d recommend a little bar called ‘An Uisce Beatha’, the Irish name for whisky literally translating as “water of life”. This pub hosts a lively, youthful crowd, with free music on most nights. Find hostels in Waterford Cork Cork :@yvesalarie Cork is the Republic of Ireland’s second city, but sees less travellers than Dublin and Galway. However, it really shouldn’t, as it’s absolutely full of life, music and history! Also just outside Cork is Blarney castle, one of the most famous attractions in all of Ireland. It’s a very touristy spot, and entrance costs between €14 and €18 (with online discounts available). Although this may seem like a lot, the castle’s gardens are huge and there’s a lot to see – in fact, you could spend the whole day exploring. The beautiful grounds contain a garden of poisonous plants, a glade filled with huge ferns and a waterfall, as well as a dungeon, where you can crawl through medieval stone passages on your hands and knees. In the high season, queues for the castle can be huge, but you can avoid this by going on a weekday. Once you get to the top, you can admire the views, and kiss the legendary Blarney stone, which is said to bless you with the gift of the gab. The whole thing might seem like a bit of a silly tourist ritual, but it’s impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere of the whole thing! Cork itself is great for going out, with music around every corner and streets full of people. In the Victorian Quarter there’s Sin É, which serves a huge selection of whiskies, gins and beers, as well as having a traditional music session every night. If you want to listen to something a bit different, head down to the Crane Lane Theatre. This consists of three different bars, each with different things going on, as well as the theatre itself. There you can see free gigs (everything from jazz to reggae), DJ nights, and even take a dance lesson. Oh, and if you’re looking for a caffeine rather than alcohol-based pick-me-up, head to Three Fools’ Coffee or Cork Coffee Roasters. Budget travellers looking for something to do can take a wander around the Campus of University College Cork. Here, you can enjoy the parkland, visit the exhibitions at the Glucksman Institute, and admire the beautiful stained-glass windows of the Great Hall, all without spending a cent. The English Market is also free to enter, but you’ll probably end up spending something! It’s situated in a building that dates back to 1786 and is full of stalls selling fresh meat, fish, vegetables and fresh local baked goods, as well as arts and crafts. There’s even a brightly coloured fountain filled with models of birds! For something quirky to do, head to the Butter Museum: Cork used to be a centre of the huge Irish butter business, and even had its own Butter Exchange (like a Wall Street for butter). Just around the corner, you will see (or hear) Shandon Church. Here you can pay to climb the tower and have a go at ringing the bells yourself. A little less imposing is Shandon Sweets, a cute family run factory and shop, where you can enjoy some locally-made sugary goodness. Find hostels in Cork Galway Galway, Ireland :@mymytudoan Galway is smaller than Dublin, Belfast and Cork – but is very lively (perhaps, in part, due to its high student population). You can see this in the Latin Quarter – home to many medieval buildings and filled with narrow, cobbled streets onto which partygoers pour onto to at night to enjoy a drink in the open air. We went to the Quays bar, which blasted out cheesy indie and pop hits all night long. We also ended up in a great rock bar called Sally Long’s, after which we headed to the west end to hear some traditional music at the Crane Bar. There was a trad music session in the upstairs room, with everyone crowded around, sitting on stools, listening attentively to around 8 musicians on fiddle, tin whistle, flute and mandolin. The historic Latin Quarter is also great for exploring during the day, and as you head further down the river, you’ll find another historical landmark, the Spanish Arch. This stone gateway, built in 1584, is connected to the remains of the city walls, and used to house the soldiers who manned the battlements. On the other side of this is the Galway City Museum, which is free to enter, and will give you an insight into what Galway looked like in medieval times. It also houses a full-size “Galway Hooker”: a sailboat designed to withstand the harsh North Atlantic weather. Although Galway’s medieval buildings date back hundreds of years, the cathedral was only built in the 50s and 60s. It looks much older, but it’s actually the last great stone cathedral to be built in Europe. It’s worth visiting to admire the artwork underneath the dome, consisting of angels and stars set against an emerald green background. Another thing that’s great about Galway is that if it’s a sunny day, and you don’t feel tramping around the streets or standing indoors, you can easily just head out to the area of Salthill. This is just 20 minutes’ walk from Eyre Square, past the west end and has some beautiful beaches, as well as a diving platform where you take the plunge into the not-so-tropical water of Galway Bay. Find hostels in Galway Belfast Belfast :@kaelihearn The island’s other capital city, Belfast, is very different to Dublin. It’s a much younger city and is perhaps less “classically beautiful”. However, it’s emerged from its turbulent past to become a great destination and has somewhat of an alternative feel in places. It’s also cheaper for going out than in a lot of cities in the Republic, with a great bar and restaurant scene. In terms of sights, you’ll be spoilt for choice. A lot of hostels are located around the university, which is made up of beautiful redbrick buildings. Just around the corner, you’ll be able to see the Botanical Gardens, with its ornate Victorian greenhouse, as well as the Ulster Museum. Alternatively, you can visit the exhibitions at the City Hall, and take a tour of this spectacular building, which is full of marble floors and columns, stained glass windows and chandeliers. Best of all, every one of these attractions are completely free! One of Belfast’s biggest draws in recent years has been the Titanic Museum, a huge shining metal structure, as high as the ship itself, where you can find interactive exhibitions and even a ride guiding you through the history of the shipyards. It may seem quite pricey, but the ticket also includes entrance to the Nomadic, a boat that brought passengers to the Titanic at Cherbourg, France. If you want to go out somewhere that’s cheap and student friendly, the area around the University and the Dublin Road is a good bet. However, for something slightly more upmarket, the Cathedral Quarter is the place to go. Here you can find “the Harp Bar”, which is all red velvet seats and fancy decorations, or the Dirty Onion, which has an outdoor terrace in a ruined building. There are also cultural venues, such as the MAC and Black Box, which host art exhibitions, theatrical performances and films. Still, if you’d prefer something a little more alternative, it’s just a short walk to the Sunflower Bar, which hosts musical events ranging from ukulele sessions to bluegrass music, and attracts a young, progressive, activist crowd. Find hostels in Belfast Derry/Londonderry Londonderry : @kmitchhodge Northern Ireland’s second city is definitely worth a stop, not least because it’s the only fully-intact walled city in all of Ireland. You can still walk round the top of the walls, free of charge, look down over the rest of the city. Within the walls themselves, you’ll find the “Tower Museum”, which takes you through the city’s eventful history, from prehistoric times to the sectarian violence that plagued the city from the 1960s to the 1990s. It’s not all dark and depressing though: you’ll also hear about the city’s cultural heritage, including the band “The Undertones”, who penned the song “Teenage Kicks”. The history of the Derry/Londonderry, is very contested, all the way down to the city’s name. It should come as no surprise then, that it has witnessed key events for people on both sides of the Unionist/Nationalist divide. The city saw historic civil rights marches in the 1960s and early 1970s. The predominantly nationalist “Bogside” also witnessed clashes between police and the local residents, as well as the incident known as “Bloody Sunday”. It’s in the Bogside that you’ll find the Free Derry Museum (which shares its name with a famous mural), a place that recounts the story of this conflict. On the other side there is the Siege Museum, which focuses on 17th century siege during which the Protestants of Derry/Londonderry held out against an army led by the Catholic King James. However, there’s more to the city than the dark days of its past, with plenty of cheery, and good value bars and restaurants. One such place is Sandino’s, which is full of posters and memorabilia supporting various progressive causes, and often hosts great live music events. You can also pose with one of the city’s newest murals, a painting of the stars of Derry Girls, a hit comedy series set in the city! Find hostels in Derry/Londonderry Travelling around Ireland :@iaraanddavid_travel Unfortunately, in Ireland, the public transport network isn’t as extensive or developed as in other western European countries. However, both buses and trains are relatively affordable, making backpacking on a budget in Ireland easy. There are easy links between a lot of the major towns and cities. But when it comes to more rural spots, provision can be a bit lacking. Trains in Ireland are modern, comfortable and usually punctual, with good links on the east coast and to Galway. The prices here are reasonable too: an advance ticket between Dublin and Kilkenny can cost as little as €14, with extra discounts available for students. But there’s no direct line from Waterford to Cork, which makes a round trip by train difficult. Travelling by train also needs planning, as they often don’t run as regularly as buses or coaches. In the west of Ireland, train links are much less developed, and although it’s easy to reach Galway, heading north through the scenic counties of Sligo and Mayo requires a lot of changeovers. It’s even harder to navigate the scenic and isolated county of Donegal, where there are no train connections at all. Indeed, in the past, many rural train stations were shut down in favour of a (short-sighted) transport policy favouring cars. On the other hand, some of these former lines, such as the “Waterford Greenway”, have been repurposed as cycle and walking paths – allowing you to explore the countryside away from the roads. Trains in Northern Ireland are pretty lacking too, and many places in the southwest, such as the beautiful Lakeland county of Fermanagh, have no railway lines at all. Luckily for tourists, in addition to the line from Belfast to Dublin, there’s one that stretches north, linking Belfast to towns on the scenic Causeway coast, such as Portrush and Castlerock. This same line then heads west alongside the sea and finishes in the city of Derry/Londonderry, with the last stretch of the journey overlooking the sea. One of the easiest ways to get to places is travelling around Ireland by bus. A lot of the services, especially those between more major towns and cities, are comfortable and modern, and have lots of luggage space, as well as occasional internet access. These usually run more regularly than trains and are often just as quick. They also have routes between cities where trains do not, and if you’re travelling up the west coast without a car, buses are a lifesaver. They can reach beautiful rural areas and isolated counties such as Donegal where trains do not. In addition, local bus services will allow you travel to tourist attractions just outside cities. From Dublin, you can catch a bus to Enniskerry and explore the Wicklow Mountains, from Cork, you can head out to the colourful little fishing village of Kinsale. There are a lot of isolated sights in Ireland that can’t easily be reached by bus or train, and require you to take an organised tour. Some of these go directly from the hostels, and are pretty good value. Another alternative is travelling around Ireland by car for the ultimate Ireland road trip! This will allow you to see ruined churches, abbeys and abandoned stone cottages, as well as letting you stop to get out and appreciate the landscape: something you’ll want to do every five minutes or so! Just be aware that the roads in some rural areas are full of cracks, are narrow, and sometimes even have sheep wandering across them. Accommodation in Ireland Gardiner House Hostel, Dublin Ireland is a popular place for backpackers, meaning that there’s a wide range of hostels and budget accommodation. Hostels in cities such as Dublin and Galway tend to be bigger, with more going on, but can be quite busy. In the countryside, or smaller towns, such as Kilkenny, you can find cute little places with just a handful of rooms, where it’s easy to get to know other guests! Hostels in Dublin and Galway are significantly more expensive than other places, with prices soaring on the weekends. However, nightly rates in Dublin can more than double to over €50, the price of a weekend room in Galway is more reasonable at around €30. Strangely, the same is not true of Cork, where prices remain pretty steady. Where you stay in Dublin depends a lot on what you want to do. Gardiner House Hostel is about 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre, allowing you to avoid the noisiness of the city centre. Another great spot, Abigail’s Hostel, is right in the middle of Temple Bar, hosting nightly pub crawls and surrounded by lively pubs, bars and clubs. There are also a couple of places that are a little closer to the city, but in the quieter areas, such as the Four Courts Hostel. All these places have facilities including storage lockers and fully-equipped kitchens, as well as providing a free breakfast and wifi. There’s also plenty of choice when it comes to hostels in Galway, with almost all of them being rated above an 8 on the Hostelworld website. Sleepzone is good if you want somewhere central at a reasonable price: it’s five minutes from Kinlay Square Centre, most of the dorms are ensuites and there’s a fantastic kitchen, TV room and outdoor terrace. Kinlay Eyre Square Hostel, which is just around the corner, is another good choice. But if you want something a little quieter and still within walking distance of the city, you can stay at Nest Boutique Hostel, located right beside the beaches of Salthill. Hostels in Cork are pretty few and far between, with the choice essentially coming down to Kinlay House Cork and Bru Bar & Hostel. Both are located at the northern end of the city centre, close to sights such as the Shandon Bells and the Butter Museum. Both also offer free Wifi and free breakfast. Bru Bar & Hostel, as you might guess from the name, it has its own bar with discounts available for guests! But if you want to relax, go for Kinlay House, you can get access to the pool and gym next door (which includes a jacuzzi and steam room) for €5. Some of the best hostels we stayed in on our trip were in rural areas, where you can find small, cosy places that feel more like guesthouses. One of those places is Tom’s Cottage, an eco-friendly hostel that’s a 15-minute drive from Waterford. Apart from a couple of houses across the road, there’s nothing but green fields all around, making it the perfect place to relax and recharge. Tom, who runs the hostel, is an incredibly friendly guy, often even inviting guests to hear him play in an Irish trad music band at the local pub. Global Village, Belfast When it comes to city hostels, Belfast is really good value. Global Village, Vagabonds and Botanical Backpackers are all rated at 9 or above on Hostelworld. They’re also located in the youthful Queen’s Quarter, nearby Queen’s University Belfast. You can get a bed from about £14 and all of them offer free breakfast, WiFi and a common room to relax and hang out in. There are also plenty of hostels in the towns and villages in the north coast. Bushmills Youth Hostel is perfectly situated, just 5 minutes’ walk from the Old Bushmills Distillery and a short bus ride from the Giant’s Causeway. The village itself also has plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafés. If you don’t mind being a little more isolated, the Sheep Island View hostel in the village of Ballintoy is a good shout. Its picturesque location overlooks the sea and cliffs, and is only a short walk from a cute little harbour and beach. Outside Belfast and the north coast, there aren’t so many options when it comes to hostels in Northern Ireland. While there’s not many dorms in Derry/Londonderry, Hostel Connect is great value and fantastically located, with beds for as little as £17.30 (€19.26). Compare all hostels in Ireland Ireland Backpacking Itinerary Connemara National Park :@benorloff There are endless things to see and explore in Ireland, and you could spend years without having discovered all that it has to offer. However, this being the real world, most people don’t have that much time or money. So, to help you, we’ve put together a few rough travel itineraries. Given how different every backpacker is, we’ve tried to make this relatively flexible. Just bear in mind that it’s not exhaustive and you may want to skip certain places or choose to discover somewhere else entirely. We’ll start with a simple Ireland itinerary, for 7 days long, as many backpackers won’t have much more time than that. Lack of time shouldn’t put you off though, as there’s plenty you can see if you manage it right. Day 1: Dublin This is where you’ll most likely be arriving into, whether by boat or by plane. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can explore some of the free museums, or Phoenix Park (which doesn’t close, meaning you can go and visit later in the evening to save some time). Day 2: Kilkenny The journey here from Dublin is less than two hours by bus or train. This means you’ll have time to explore the medieval sights of the city, whether it’s the castle, cathedral or abbey! If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can always pop into the brewery. Day 3: Waterford Again, this Viking city is a short hop by bus or train from Kilkenny. You can either wander around and take in these sights for yourself, take a city tour, or visit one of the city’s museums. If you’re more of a sporty type, you can head out along the Waterford Greenway cycle route! Day 4: Cork The easiest way to get here from Waterford is by bus, as the train takes a long and complicated route. Once you’re here, you can head out on a local bus to Blarney to explore the castle and gardens. Or you can choose to stay in the city and ring the bells of Shandon at St. Anne’s Church, as well as visiting the Butter Museum, university campus and English Market. Day 5: Galway The bus journey from Cork to Galway takes a little longer, at around two and a half hours. But this will still allow you to explore some of the main sights, such as the Cathedral and Spanish Arch, as well as enjoying the local nightlife. Day 6: Galway day trip Galway is a good base for exploring some of the most scenic areas in Ireland. From here, you can take a day trip out to Connemara National Park, or to the Aran Islands. Those of you who have a car can always spend a night in Connemara if you want! Day 7: Dublin From Galway you can take a bus or train straight back to Dublin. Spend your afternoon exploring more of the free museums and galleries, wandering around the city centre parks, or heading out to Kilmainham Gaol. If you’ve got a car, and enjoy the outdoors, you can easily do a day trip out to the Wicklow Mountains instead of spending a second day in Dublin (or skip a destination and go to Killarney national park instead). If you’d rather explore the big city more, you can even catch the bus or train from Cork straight back to Dublin. It’s all up to you! Even though it’s a small island, for an Ireland itinerary, 14 days isn’t that long. Given that lack of public transport in some places makes things complicated, the guide below sets out separate routes for travelling with and without a car, giving you some alternatives if you want to alter your journey a bit. :@iaraanddavid_travel By public transport Day 1: Dublin (See section above) Day 2: Kilkenny (See section above) Day 3: Waterford (See section above) Day 4: Cork (See section above) Day 5: Killarney Take a day trip out through the National Park by bus, a boat trip around the lakes, or visit Ross Castle, which is just a short walk away! Day 6: Killarney Take a trip out to see the gorgeous Dingle peninsula, and maybe even go whale watching. Day 7: Cork Use your second day in Cork to explore some of the sights of the city, or head out to Blarney, whichever you missed the first-time round! Day 8: Galway (See section above) Day 9: Galway day trip (See section above) Day 10: Dublin (see section above) Days 11-14 Option 1: you can take the bus to Letterkenny, in County Donegal, basing yourself there for two or three nights. You can then take day trips out to places such as Errigal, Slieve League or the Inishowen Peninsula, before heading back to Dublin for another night before you get your flight. Option 2: you can get the train or bus up to Belfast, stay there a night or two, then head up to the north coast for a night. After this you can head back to Belfast and then to Dublin (if you’re flying home from there). Option 3: if you don’t want to go that far, you can simply go hiking in the Wicklow mountains, and take some extra time to explore Dublin’s many sights. By car Day 1: Kilkenny Head straight from the airport to this beautiful medieval town. Day 2: Waterford (See above) Day 3: Cork Use the drive from Cork to see some of the breathtaking Copper Coast, and maybe visit some scenic villages along the way. Day 4: Cork (See section above) Day 5: Killarney Check in and then head off to explore the beautiful Dingle peninsula, stopping off at the beach if it’s a sunny day. Day 6: Killarney Take a trip around the Ring of Kerry road to see some stunning landscapes, or park up somewhere in the national park to do a hike. It’s also worth making a slight diversion to see the Gap of Dunloe. Day 7: Galway Head to Galway, perhaps stopping off at the famous “Cliffs of Moher” along the way. Use the rest of the day to explore the town and its sights! Day 8: Galway You can use this day to see the Aran Islands, either driving or taking the bus to the ferry terminal. Day 9: Connemara Head out to Connemara and explore the unique mountains. You can take the Connemara Loop route (see below), go hiking, or even do some water sports on Killary Fjord. Days 10-12: Option 1: take the car up the West Coast, along the Wild Atlantic Way (see below) to Donegal. There you can visit the cliffs of Slieve League and nearby beaches, then head on up to the Derryveagh Mountains and Glenveagh National Park. You can spend the third day exploring more of Donegal or visit Derry/Londonderry, just over the border. Option 2: take the car up to Belfast and then spend a couple of days exploring the north coast or go to Derry/Londonderry. Option 3: head to the Wicklow mountains, and spend a couple of days hiking and exploring, before heading back to Dublin. You can even go back to the city a day earlier, if you want more of a chance to see all its sights properly. Once you get back to Dublin, you can return your rental car and spend the next couple of days exploring the city. Day 13: Dublin (See above) Day 14: Dublin (See above) Given its small size, it’s pretty easy to put together a Northern Ireland itinerary. However, if you’d like to visit the west of Northern Ireland as well, transport can be a bit of an issue. To help with this, I’ve put together one itinerary for those with a car, and one for those without a car. Without a car Day 1: Belfast Here you can spend the day exploring the free attractions around the University, including the museum and botanical gardens. Afterwards, why not go out to explore some of the pubs and coffee shops around the Cathedral Quarter? Here, you can find out what exhibitions and events are going on at the MAC or Black Box. Day 2: north coast In the morning, take the train to Coleraine. Then, take the train to Portrush, where you can go to the beach, go surfing, or just enjoy an ice cream by the sea. Alternatively, you can head to Bushmills, from where you can take the bus or walk to the Giant’s Causeway, and take a tour of the whiskey distillery. Day 3: north coast You can take the bus from either Portrush or Bushmills to Ballycastle, from where you can head off to see the wildlife of Rathlin Island. Another option is to go to Ballintoy harbour, which (as mentioned above) was a filming location for Game of Thrones. Day 4: Derry/Londonderry Take the bus from Bushmills or train from Portrush to Coleraine. From there, you can take the train to Derry/Londonderry. You can explore the city walls, cathedral, Guildhall and museums, and have a night out if you’re feeling like it. Day 5: Belfast On returning to Belfast you can visit the Titanic Experience museum, as well as taking a tour of the City Hall. Day 6: head home or take a day trip to the Mournes. From there, you can head home, or if you want to explore a bit more, take the bus down to Newcastle. You can even walk from the town to the peak of Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland’s highest mountain. With a car Day 1: north coast Drive from the airport in Belfast up to a hostel in Bushmills or Portrush. On the way you can visit various scenic spots, some of which have been in the TV series “Game of Thrones”, such as the Dark Hedges and Ballintoy harbour. Later on, you can visit the Giant’s Causeway, and then, if you’re staying in Bushmills, make a stop at the legendary distillery. You can also take the beautifully scenic Antrim coast road (see below) – a scenic, but indirect route. Day 2: north coast On your second day, you can visit the seaside town of Portrush, and go for a surfing lesson, or just enjoy a day by the sea. You can also get the ferry from Ballycastle to go and enjoy the wildlife there. Day 3: Derry/Londonderry (See above) Day 4: Option 1: head back to Belfast for a couple of days, and see some of the things you missed. Option 2: go and explore Donegal, just over the border before heading back. Option 3: continue your Northern Ireland journey, by going to see the beautiful Lakelands of County Fermanagh. From there, you can head back east to Newcastle and the Mournes (see section above), before returning to Belfast. When you take a car around Ireland, it’s not just a mode of transport. For many people, doing an Ireland road trip is a long-held dream. There are plenty of amazing roads through the breathtaking countryside, so we’ve included a short selection of some great routes that you can include in your itinerary: Causeway Coastal Route – County Antrim and Derry/Londonderry This route stretches all the way from Belfast, heading past castles, green forested valleys, little beaches and harbours, as well as Game of Thrones sights. The most scenic part of it is probably “the Antrim Coast Road” which was built in the 19th century. It runs along a small stretch of ground beneath the foot of the cliffs and the sea, making it a beautiful drive. Wild Atlantic Way This 2,500 km signposted route covers the entire length of Ireland’s west coast, from just outside Derry/Londonderry all the way to Kinsale, outside Cork. The website Wild Atlantic Way lets you customise your journey, so you don’t have to tackle the whole thing in one trip: Ring of Kerry This road takes you right around Killarney National Park, taking in some of its most remarkable and beautiful sights, such as Moll’s Gap and Torc waterfall. Conveniently, it starts and finishes in the town of Killarney, where there are plenty of hostels. Connemara Loop Like the Ring of Kerry, this signposted circuit takes you around the beautiful mountains, lakes and fjords of the Connemara National Park. (Bonus non-car route) Waterford Greenway You don’t need to have a car to explore the Irish countryside at your leisure, and the Waterford Greenway is a great example of this. Built along a disused railway line, it cuts through beautiful landscapes on its way from Waterford city to the harbour town of Dungarvan. Cost of backpacking Ireland :@iaraanddavid_travel When you’re backpacking around Ireland, you’ll notice that prices can vary widely from place to place. Restaurants, groceries and accommodation in bigger cities tend to cost a lot more than rural areas. Northern Ireland is also generally cheaper, especially when it comes to alcohol. So, if you’re going through Northern Ireland on your way to the Republic, and enjoy the occasional drink, it’s best to stock up on alcohol there and take it with you. One saving grace is that the costs of travel are quite cheap – both with intercity buses and trains. However, if you’re travelling long distances by rail, it’s worth booking in advance to get a good deal. Also, there are plenty of free attractions. The countryside is full of gorgeous hiking routes, abandoned buildings, and castles and monasteries that are free to explore. In the cities, you can find green parks full of flowers, as well as museums, botanical gardens and scenic university campuses, many of which charge no entrance fee. When it comes to food, it’s obviously best to stay out of the touristy areas. If you want something cheap, but don’t want to cook, there are supermarkets such as Dunnes and small shops such as Centra, where you can find salad bars full of rice, pasta and veggies, as well as fast food such as pizzas, cooked breakfasts and potato wedges! Remembering the currency Ireland uses is pretty simple if you remember one thing: the Republic of Ireland uses the Euro, and because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, it uses British Pounds. Even though Northern Irish notes look different, you will still be able to spend English or Scottish notes there without any problems. Budget for backpacking Ireland :@iaraanddavid_travel When you’re backpacking around Ireland, travel costs per day can be difficult to estimate, depending on where you’re going, what and where you’re eating and where you’re staying. So, I’ve set out a rough guide to potential prices for each activity, at the lower and higher price ends: Costs per day (Republic of Ireland) Average Price – (Lower end) Average Price (Upper end) Transport €5 (short intercity bus) €25 (small hire car) Breakfast €0 (free hostel breakfast) €8 (breakfast in a café) Lunch €5 (salad bar at a supermarket, deli or sandwich) €12 (lunch at a café) Snacks €2 (supermarket) €6 (artisan coffee shop coffee and baked treat) Dinner €6 (ingredients from supermarket to cook at home) €26 (nice restaurant in Dublin including drink) Drinks €8 (for a cheap bottle of wine, or four cans of beer) €5.50 x 3 = €16.50 (three pints in a Dublin pub) Hostels €15 (hostel in a rural area) €55 (hostel on a weekend in Dublin) Total price €41 €148.50 Costs per day (Northern Ireland) Average Price – (Lower end) Average Price (Upper end) Transport £10 (intercity bus) £20 (small hire car) Breakfast £0 (free hostel breakfast) £6 (breakfast in a cafe) Lunch £3 (supermarket “meal deal”) £10 (hot café lunch) Snacks £2 (supermarket) £4 (coffee shop coffee and cake) Dinner £4 (ingredients from supermarket to cook at home) £10 (hot café lunch) Drinks £2 (supermarket) £4 (coffee shop coffee and cake) Hostels £12 (for a dorm in Belfast) £24 (for a shared private room) Total price £33 £78 Dublin has a reputation for being expensive, and once you get there, you’ll realise it’s not entirely undeserved. However, since it’s the capital, there are plenty of free attractions, which I’ve listed in the section “where to go in Ireland”, above. To help you out some more, I’ve set out some other tips for visiting Dublin on a budget below: Taxis in Dublin are extortionate – and can be about €18 for a 10-15 minute journey. It’s better to either walk or take advantage of the city’s many buses and trams. Another big cost is accommodation. Obviously, hostels are a great place to stay and meet other like-minded people, as well as for saving money, but prices skyrocket on Fridays and Saturdays, so it’s best to go during the week. Food and drink are obviously expensive in Dublin, especially in areas such as Temple Bar- meaning it’s often better to cook in or grab something ready-made from a supermarket. If you want to eat out, remember, the further you go out from the city centre, the less likely you’re going to get stung with high prices. If money’s a little tight, it’s perhaps best to enjoy one nice meal out, rather than going to a string of mediocre places and spending more money overall. What to eat and drink in Ireland Duke of York Pub, Belfast :@kmitchhodge Traditional Irish food is rich and hearty, perfect for a grey, rainy day. One great thing about food in Ireland is the quality produce: fish from the nearby sea, fresh local fruit and vegetables, cheese from local creameries and freshly baked sweet treats. The best places to look out for fresh local produce are at the markets. Both Belfast (St. George’s Market) and Cork (the English Market) have centuries-old marketplaces serving up fresh fish, fruit and veg and cooked food, alongside arts and crafts. One of the great delights of Irish cuisine is the bread, specifically soda bread and wheaten (or brown soda, depending on where you’re from). White soda is soft, fluffy and dense, and in the North is often served fried as part of a cooked breakfast. This makes it beautifully crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside: an unhealthy, but vegetarian-friendly treat. There’s also brown soda, or wheaten, which is rich, crumbly and best served with a steaming hot bowl of vegetable soup. It may be a stereotype – but traditionally, the Irish do eat a lot of potatoes. Many people, especially the older generation, are connoisseurs, knowing all the different varieties. There’s no better way to enjoy these beautiful carbs than in champ: a dish consisting of crunchy spring onions mixed into potatoes with rich butter and milk to make smooth, creamy side. Alternatively, there’s Colcannon, in which flavoursome curly green cabbage is mixed in instead. When it comes to pub food, the Irish do it really well. Some meals are similar to what you can get in Britain, but with a bit of a twist. The classic example of this is the steak and Guinness pie, ideally with a crumbly buttery crust, the beer adding to the rich, meaty flavour. If this sounds appealing, head to The Pie Maker in Galway, where you can also find chicken and vegetarian pies baked with a delicious spelt-flour crust. If that’s not your thing, try a warming lamb stew, or the most simple Irish dish of all, bacon, potatoes and cabbage. For Irish snacks, the best place to go is the bakery. Here you’ll find beautiful, soft scones in a variety of flavours, as well as huge array of traybakes. One such delight is Fifteens, which you’ll only be able to find in Northern Ireland. These are delicious, squidgy treats made from 15 cherries, 15 marshmallows, 15 biscuits mixed up with sweetened condensed milk. Ireland also has soft drinks and crisps you won’t find anywhere else. People are fanatical about Tayto crisps, but there’s a big rivalry here, as the brands are different in the North and South. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which you prefer! On St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll probably find the usual treats, such as candy floss and chips, being sold around the streets. However, there are no real St. Patrick’s Day food traditions: green beer and milkshakes are both American inventions. If you really want to go traditional, it’s probably best to go with a hearty stew or lamb roast. Up North though, at traditional fairs, there are some odd food traditions. Go to the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle and you’ll find people snacking on “dulse”, a type of edible seaweed, and “yellow man” – a type of honeycomb that’s liable to break your teeth if you’re not careful! Ireland is pretty renowned for its beer, and Guinness beer is one of its main exports. You can even do a tour of their brewery in Dublin! The pub culture is also very prominent particularly in cities like Dublin and Galway. Irish culture and people Until relatively recently, Ireland was a very rural country and one of the poorest in Europe. It has had a long and turbulent history, characterised by war, colonisation, famine, violent revolution and sectarian tension. However, it also has a long tradition of scholarship, poetry and music. Although it’s now a thoroughly modern country, Ireland’s culture has been shaped by its history. One thing that can’t be denied however, is the warmth and hospitality of its people, perhaps owing itself to the that fact that, in the past tight-knit communities had to rely on each other to get through hardship. Below, I’ll set out some Irish culture facts to help you get by, and hopefully give you a deeper appreciation for the things you’ll come across. There are some isolated parts of Ireland, particularly in the west, where you can still see traces of the old, slow rural way of life. Many parts of the County Donegal, for example, still feel very cut off from the rest of the world. Here you can find Doagh Famine Village and Glencolumbkille Folk Village: which both allow you to see the type of two-room white cottages where whole families used to live, scraping a meagre living off the barren land. You can also witness rural life first hand, by visiting the working farms at Muckross House in County Kerry, which still use age-old agricultural techniques. If you’re a dog lover, and want to get a taste of life in the Irish countryside, why not go to see some sheepdog demonstrations at “Away to Me”, which is part of a working farm in southern Donegal? It is also mostly in the western counties that you’ll find Gaeltachta, areas in which the Irish language is spoken in an everyday context. These include the Aran Islands and Connemara in Galway, as large areas of Donegal and Kerry. Irish shouldn’t be confused with the local dialect of English however, since it’s from a completely different language family. The first time you’ll encounter it will probably be on road signs, all of which are bilingual. In places like Dublin, you’re unlikely to hear it, but go into a pub in certain rural areas in the west, and you’ll hear locals switching seamlessly between English and Irish. But don’t worry, even in Gaeltacht areas, almost everyone speaks English at a native level too. Still, there are summer Irish language courses available in Gaeltacht areas if you’re interested in learning more. Traditional music is a big part of Irish culture, and typically involves instruments such as the fiddle (violin), tin whistle, flute, banjo, guitar and uillean pipes (a type of Irish bagpipes). The style includes songs that tell tales of lost loves, historical events, misfortune and celebration, coming from a time when stories were passed down through word of mouth. There’s also more instrumental music, which is often played at lively traditional dances called céilis. The music also can be performed in a more casual, informal environment. A group of musicians often gather round a pub table, sipping beer and playing songs together, something that’s known as a session (séisun). This creates a warm and friendly atmosphere, with people in the bar chatting to each other rather than sitting in silence. :@iaraanddavid_travel Northern Irish culture is similar to the rest of Ireland, and you’ll find traditional music, quaint rural villages and friendly, hospitable people there too. However, the tension surrounding historical events feels much closer. From the late 60s to mid-90s there was conflict arising from tensions between those who identified as Irish and support a united Ireland, and those who identified as British. Today, these tensions have greatly lessened, with both sides, especially young people, freely mixing with one another. In reality, they share most aspects of their culture, yet close links with southwest Scotland have left their mark here. You may hear this in the way people speak, and encounter Scots-language poetry, bagpipe performances and highland dancing. Another aspect of life in Ireland is Irish Gypsy culture. Known commonly as “gypsies” but more accurately referred to as travellers, these people are a recognised ethnic minority group, making up around 0.5% of the Irish population. They mainly speak English, but also use “Shelta” or “Cant”, a language formed using aspects of both English and Irish. They are a traditionally nomadic, setting up camp in traditional “stopping places”. Traditionally travellers played a key role in the Irish economy, providing seasonal labour in planting or harvesting crops, as well as trading in certain wares. However, the historical prejudice against these groups has put increasing pressure on them: many cannot camp in their traditional spaces without fear of eviction, and they are often discriminated against by society at large. Travel advice for Ireland Ireland visa Not only is the Republic of Ireland a member state of the EU, it’s also part of the so-called “common travel area”. This means that British citizens technically don’t need visas or passports to cross the border. However, airport officials will check the ID of visitors travelling by air from the UK. Travelling from the UK by sea doesn’t require any ID, but it’s still best to bring either your passport or driving licence in case you need to prove your nationality at some point. Northern Ireland is even easier to visit when travelling from the UK, as you won’t have to go through any sort of passport control, with most airlines accepting UK driving licences as a form of ID (to be safe, check your airline’s website before travelling). If you’re a non-UK citizen, it’s best to bring either your passport or national identity card. Crossing the border between Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland is even easier, as there are no controls or checkpoints, meaning you won’t need any documents to do so. Although both the UK (including Northern Ireland) and Republic of Ireland are currently Member States of the EU, they are not part of the “Schengen Zone”, which abolishes internal border controls. This means that you will be subject to passport control when travelling from another EU country. However, if you are an EU citizen, this will only consist of a quick glance at your ID, after which you’ll be waved through. You’ll then have the same rights to travel/stay as in any other Member State, allowing you stay for three months with no further conditions. If you want to stay for longer, you may need to get a job, apply to study, or prove you have sufficient means to support yourself, including health insurance. Please bear in mind however that the rights and visa requirements applicable to EU citizens travelling to Northern Ireland, as well as the requirements for crossing the Irish/UK border, may change after the Brexit deadline on 31 October 2019. Visitors to Ireland from outside the UK and EU may not need a visa either. For Australian, Canadian, US and New Zealand citizens, as well as nationals of the other countries listed here who are visiting Ireland, visa requirements are practically non-existent. Citizens of these countries are entitled to visa-free entry for up to 90 days in the Republic of Ireland. In general, the visa requirements in Northern Ireland are the same as the rest of the UK. Visitors from certain countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the USA or Canada who are flying to Northern Ireland (or elsewhere in the UK) can enter the country and stay for up to 6 months without a visa. However, they must bring the same documents as you would if applying for a visa. If you are travelling for tourism, this simply constitutes a travel document (i.e. a passport). If the travel document is not in English or Welsh, this must be translated into English. For any further document requirements that may need, please check this page. Also bear in mind however, that if you are already visiting the Republic of Ireland, you can visit Northern Ireland by crossing the border on land without having to go through any checks. If you want to stay in the Republic of Ireland for a little longer, but are not an EU or UK citizen, there’s a chance you could apply for a working holiday scheme. These schemes are based on two-way agreements between Ireland and other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. There are specific requirements for each, and you can find the details under the following links: Australia Canada New Zealand USA There are similar schemes in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK for citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand (see more details here), but there is no UK working holiday scheme for US citizens. So, to sum up, Ireland’s a great destination, with small, but lively cities, in addition to beautiful landscapes. There are plenty of places to go hiking, cycling, and when the weather’s nice, there aren’t many places with nicer beaches. It’s somewhere you can find complete isolation and serenity, or enjoy the atmosphere of a busy pub. It may not the warmest place in the world, but with all this to offer, don’t miss out on what is surely one of Europe’s most scenic, interesting and friendly destinations. About the Author: I’m David Irvine, and I’m originally from Northern Ireland. I’ve got a passion for languages, other cultures, and learning about local history. I’m currently based in Glasgow, Scotland, have previously lived and worked in Germany and in Portugal, and love nothing more than showing people around my favourite places, wherever I am. I’m a translator (of German, French and Portuguese), and love adapting travel writing for speakers of different languages. I’m also an occasional scribbler, passionate (geeky) fan of jazz music and amateur dramatics enthusiast. You can follow my travels (along with my partner, Iara) at @iaraanddavid_travel and find out more about my translating/blogging work on my LinkedIn profile. Special thanks goes out to my girlfriend, Iara Calton, for helping me research my trip, taking beautiful pictures and putting up with my scatter-brained nature. Thanks too to Allie Mairs and Philip Tallon for their company on the second leg of the journey, especially to Phil, for driving us around for miles! Keep Reading 15 best places to visit in Ireland The 15 best hostels in Ireland The best hostels in Galway The post The ultimate guide to backpacking Ireland appeared first on Hostelworld Blog. #NorthernIreland #Ireland #TravelTips

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/four-leaf-clovers-leprechauns-travellers-beer-just-some-of-the-many-things-that-come-to-mind-when-you-think-of-ireland

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nepaltibettrekking-blog · 5 years

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Everest Base Camp Trek

Mt Everest, known in Nepali as Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा) and in Tibetan as Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ), is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the sub-range of the Himalaya. The international border between Nepal and China runs across its highest point. Everest base camp is the highest trekking route the world has to offer. It is situated in the lap of world highest peak of the world Mt Everest which was first explored by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzin Norgay Sherpa back in 1953. Everest is popular in the whole world because it is the highest point on the earth surface. It is also called the Roof of the world. It is one of the most hostile and magnificent terrains on the surface of the Earth.

Where do we start from Everest base camp trek?

It is an adventure of a lifetime! Initially, we will have to take a short adventurous flight from Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu to Lukla airport which is 2805m in elevation and takes the minimum of 25minutes. The airport is actually situated in the Lukla valley at the lap of the mountain cliff which is an adventure in itself. Lukla offers the fresh northern Himalayan environment, green rolling hills in the south and a distant view of mighty Mt Everest. From Lukla, our trek starts or if you have time and have the desire to explore the variety of terrain along the way, you can drive Kathmandu to Bhandara and start in a foot which is a lengthy process but is worth it.

Generally, for Everest base camp trekking, there are varieties of itineraries but we provide the packages which take mostly 10 to 18 days including the acclimatization days. The duration mostly depends upon the quality of the person able to walk. In the trekking season, it will not be much difficult to the average people. We would like to recommend you to have few spare days if you are making your trip via Air transport to Everest region because normally Lukla flights get delayed mostly due to high altitude mountain weather and busy air traffic.

Even its Mountainous terrain of the Khumbu region, people from all demographic region can easily complete the Everest Base Camp Trek. It's status as a moderate trip grading so people don’t have to need much trekking experience to complete this trek. You will mostly have to do up-hill and down-hill trekking in relatively flat-lands and high hill. The clothing depends on the weather condition as up to elevation.

How difficult is Everest base camp trek?

Everest Base camp trek is not as much difficult as the normal people usually think. It may be the one the highest elevation trek but it is not more difficult to the normal or average human being.

But if someone is doing it for the first time they have to be aware of the altitude sickness and others. If anyone has never been in such elevation should focus on health and should carry the medicine along with them. If the person doesn’t have an average walking ability should do a proper exercise before starting the trek like running, swimming etcetera. People of all age group, shapes and sizes have completed the trek over the past years with a little bit of preparation and determination we will find that almost anyone can conquer the trek.

The Everest Base Camp Trek requires no technical professionals or mountaineering skills at all as it is basically a long hike at altitude They have to get prepared with all safety measures. Clothes like a down jacket, a pair of a jumper, inner thermal coat, warm gloves, socks, sunglasses, cap, a pair of hiking or trekking boots, slippers, sun block cream, woollen hat etc should be obligatory. Spare Clothes and unwanted object should be excluded as it increases the weight of your backpack which can reduce the quality of walk in a general.

How is hospitality in Everest region trek?

People in Nepal treats the guest as their god. Most of the ethnic groups can be broadly divided into two groups: Indo-Aryans/Indo-Nepalese and Tibeto Mongolians/Tibeto Nepalese. Local people in Nepal are quite too friendly with the outsiders. As in our old belief that the people here state tourist as god and they are treated like they are the member of the same family. People from many indigenous tribes call this place their home but also the majority of people are. As in our old belief that the people here state tourist as god and they are treated like they are a member of the same family. People from many indigenous tribes call this place their home but also the majority of people are from. In Everest region is top commercial tourist destination so there is no shortage of hotels or lodges. But sometimes in the peak season for mountaineering, there will be no rooms so the lodge will provide us with a tent as well. And there will be plenty of top hotels if you want the luxurious room.

#everestbasecamptrek everesttrek everstbasecamptrekking trektoeverest everesttrek

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mediocrephan · 7 years

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Fight or Flight

Written by Anna :-)

Summary: There are a few things to know about Dan Howell. One: he is as straight as a hoola hoop. Two: He is really short. Three: He is a pastel lover. And one more thing: Dan is a nervous flyer; always has been, always will be. However, when a creepy stranger hits on him and a punk swoops in to save the day, Dan’s flight home may be a bit different than he expected.

“Dan had fallen asleep with his head on Phil’s shoulder. Dan’s face burst into hot embarrassed flames while he gasped and sat up straight, almost smacking Phil in the chin with his head.“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. That must have been really annoying and like those weirdos who invade your personal space and I-”“Dan,” Phil cut him off laughing, “I’m not offended or annoyed. I don’t mind having cute boys sleep on my shoulder. It was kinda cute.””

Dan’s hands shook as he grabbed his floral patterned suitcase and approached the loading gate. He was flying back home to Manchester alone. The rest of Dan’s family had decided to stay a few extra weeks in Florida. He would’ve stayed with them if he didn’t have to go back to university and attend classes.

Nervously, Dan started pulling on his pastel blue jumper over his hands and balling the material into a fist. It was a habit he had acquired over the years because of his crippling awkwardness and anxiety. Flying always made him nervous. Who wants to be in a steel box flying over the hard earth with endless possibilities of the plane being knocked out of the sky. He needed to stop thinking about this or else he was going to have an anxiety attack.

He quickly scanned over the crowd of faces he’d be sharing a metal deathbox with. I wonder who will be stuck sitting next to me. Dan thought bitterly. He scanned over the people once more, making brief eye contact with a boy around his age with blonde hair and grey eyes that gave him bad vibes. He quickly diverted his eyes and focused on his white converse. There was some shuffling and he saw some brown shoes accompany his white ones, dragging his eyes upward before looking into the same chilling grey eyes. The boy smiled at him, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Dan tried a pitiful smile in return.

“What’s your name, babe?” The boy asked. Dan shivered at the pet name unpleasantly.

“D-d-an.” The answer was shaky, he wanted no part of this conversation. The boy smiled hungrily at him.

“The name’s Richard.”

“Flight 297 to Manchester, England is now boarding. Flight 297 to Manchester, England is boarding, thank you.” The voice of the air hostess cut off Richard, blaring through the airport. Dan sighed in relief. He can get away now!

“Well this has been fun, but I have to start boarding the plane now. Goodbye!” Dan stated quickly before he shot away from the boy and towards the door leading to what was previously his nightmare. Now, this airplane felt like heaven.

In his rush to get away from the boy he accidentally bumped into a man standing in front of him. The man turned around to look at Dan. The man looked only a few years older than Dan with deep blue eyes mixed with green and yellow too. Black hair swept across his forehead in a fringe parallel to Dan’s. He was dressed head to toe in black with black boots and a leather jacket, completing the look with tattoo sleeves complementing his pale skin and several others randomly placed on his body, with piercings scattered across his face. He was gorgeous.

Dan had to fight back a strangled gasp at the man in front of him. This guy- while looking hella hot- could tear me to shreds! Dan thought panicking slightly. Dan looked up at the man through his fringe noticing the man was about a foot taller than Dan with Dan standing a measly 5’4” while this guy could clearly be 6’4”. Shit this guy could kill me if he wanted to.

The man smiled down at him before moving out of his way and giving Dan space to stand, surprising him. The kindness this punk man was showing him was shocking. I guess he’s a nice punk, you can’t judge a book by its cover, Dan. You should know this better than anyone! Dan thought to himself. Dan smiled back before shuffling into the line for the plane.

“Have a nice flight!” The air hostess smiled cheerily at Dan before sending him down the aisle toward his seat. Row 12 seat H. Dan slowly made his way past the rows of seats before finding his row with someone already sat down. Dan gripped his suitcase and got on his tiptoes to shove his bag into the overhead compartment before flopping down into the seat next to the stranger.

The stranger suddenly turns toward Dan and- no fucking way- it was the punk man from the line, except now the leather jacket was folded on the floor in front of him and he was only wearing a black t-shirt. The lack of the leather jacket exposing tattoos all over his body. Dan gaped at the man slightly because there was no way that the universe would put this gorgeous human being next to Dan. The man’s lips- which seemed to be in a permanent slight smirk- lifted slightly into a small smile.

“My name’s Phil,” The punk man- Phil- states, “What’s yours?”

“D-dan,” He cleared his throat, hoping to sound less shaky, “My name’s Dan.”

Phil smirked slightly and settled back into his seat, while Dan looked into the aisle. The boy from earlier had started making his way down the aisle walking closer and closer. Dan’s hands started to shake and he deflated into the uncomfortable seat, praying that he would become invisible. Distractedly, Dan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Phil was looking at him worriedly, but Dan was starting to feel anxiety building in his chest, crawling up his throat and keeping air from reaching his lungs. Richard was two rows ahead of him when he met Dan’s eyes, his cold gaze settling on Dan, slumped over in his seat, gnawing anxiously on the sleeve of his pastel jumper. He raked his eyes over Dan, giving him a malicious smile.

With each step Richard took towards Dan, the faster Dan’s heart was beating. Richard brushed his hand against Dan’s arm as he passed by, the simple act causing Dan to shudder in fear. He continued to walk down the aisle before slithering into a seat a few rows behind Dan. Dan exhaled in relief before glancing towards Phil who was staring worriedly at him.

When Phil noticed Dan looking at him, he cocked his head to the side in a questioning gaze. The light of the setting sun from the small window beside Phil catching his eyebrow piercing, causing it to twinkle. Dan turned away from his twinkling eyebrow to meet Phil’s worried look.

“Flight 297 to Manchester is ready for take off. Please fasten your seat belts,” The voice of the Pilot crackling over the intercom shook Phil from his stupor and Dan relaxed into his seat mentally preparing himself for the 9 hour flight ahead of him. This was going to be a long flight.

“Hey, Dan?”

The voice made Dan raise his head from where it was buried in the book he was reading. He had thought all of the other passengers had fallen asleep, all the overhead lights had been turned off, the only light coming from the sea of stars out of the window and Dan’s small reading light. They had been traveling for about 4 hours already, with 5 more to go. Everyone else on the flight was snoozing, but of course Dan was still up, lost in his book, and would probably still be until sun started to peek over the horizon. This was predictable if his sleep schedule was anything to go by. He jumped a little bit, losing his place in his book. He turned toward Phil who was looking at him.

“Yeah?”

“Whatcha reading?” Dan noticed Phil had a bit of a northern drawl and was surprised at how smooth and pretty it was; Phil was. Dan snapped out of his thoughts remembering that Phil had asked him a question.

“Oh! It’s called Read Between the Lines which is funny because on the front cover the are three fingers with the middle finger in the- well- the middle! Which is a play on words and I thought it looked funny…” Dan trailed off blushing as he realized he was rambling. Sometimes when Dan was really into something, he could just talk and rant about it for hours. Especially with books, movies/tv shows, music, anime, and… well most things.

“It looks like a good book. What’s it about?” Phil asked looking genuinely curious and interested in what Dan had to say.

“It’s about a bunch of different kids in high school dealing with different problems in their life. It shows that no matter how someone looks, they have a whole story that you don’t know about. Everybody has something they’re going through and we shouldn’t judge others when we don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. It’s really good.” Dan smiled sheepishly at Phil after his long rant. Phil was smiling the whole time Dan had been talking. His blue eyes had a spark of amusement and interest at what Dan was saying.

“That sounds awesome.”

“Well, you know it’s awesome when you go to the Library and the old lady behind the till forgets your name and calls you ‘Spaniel’ instead of Daniel.”

Phil starts laughing at Dan’s sarcastic comment. He tries to keep quiet so he doesn’t wake the sleeping passengers, but just ends up sounding like a pug with allergies which made Dan start snickering. Finally they calmed down after a few minutes of concealed laughter, Phil’s tongue poking between his teeth as his lips rested in a smile, his metal lip ring contrasting beautifully with his white teeth.

Dan took this time while Phil was laughing to inspect his various tattoos. Both of Phil’s arms had sleeves of tattoos trailing from his wrists and up under the fabric of his t-shirt sleeve. The tattoos reappeared from the collar of his shirt, crawling up his neck. For some reason, Dan wanted to see if there were any more hiding underneath his black t-shirt, and from the tips of color poking out from beneath his collar made Dan believe there were way more waiting to be discovered. Some tattoos that stuck out to Dan the most included a cartoon lion on his upper arm, an ornate red rose positioned on his collarbone, an x-box controller on his left hand, and a beautiful vine of leaves, flowers and thorns sprouting from somewhere underneath his shirt and swirling down his arm, ending curled around his ring finger. Dan almost laughed when he saw a tomato soup can on his forearm, alluding to the famous painting. There were so many more tattoos placed around Phil’s body and Dan wanted to see all of them.

For a fleeting second Dan fantasized about Phil getting a tattoo in Dan’s honor that Dan could caress lovingly whenever he wanted, but Dan quickly shook that thought away. That would never happen. He was shaken out of his gaze when Phil spoke again.

“So, tell me some things I don’t know about you, Dan.”

“Well, since we are strangers, I guess I have unlimited options, don’t I?” Dan asks with a smirk.

“Why, of course, Daniel.”

“Well then, Philip, I am a huge nerd. I like to wear pastels, obviously,” Dan gestured to his white jeans and pastel blue jumper. “ I love anime, muse, and Kanye West. I am 19 and I’m going to Manchester University. I like Chinese food. And surprisingly this flight isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

“YOU LIKE MUSE TOO?!” Phil practically squealed, “I love them so much!”

“ME TOO! Ok, your turn!”

“I am also a huge nerd. I loooove video games. I like to wear punk-ish clothes, obviously. I love muse, obviously, and anime. I am 23 and actually live near Manchester University. I am a video editor and work part time as a tattoo artist too. I also like to write random things and post them online. I also love chinese food. And this flight isn’t bad either.”

“We’re like the same person in different clothes.” Dan laughed.

“True!” Phil looked thoughtful for a second, “By the way, why did you say the flight wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be.”

Dan’s eyes widened, “Um… I guess because the flight is nine hours long and overnight and I’m alone.” Dan then took a deep breath and quickly spouted, “PlusI’mscaredofplanes.”

“What?”

“I’m scared of planes.” Dan muttered blushing and looking down.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed about that! I mean, I’m afraid of horses.” Phil blushed a little.

“Horses?”

“Long story.” Phil said, waving his hand dismissing the question.

Dan heard some shuffling behind them and they both turned around to see Richard shifting in his sleep. Dan visibly stiffened and the blood drained from his face, remembering another reason he thought the flight would be horrible. Phil noticed Dan’s change in mood, frowning slightly.

“What happened with him earlier?” Phil asked worriedly.

“What do you mean?” Dan hoped that by playing dumb he wouldn’t have to tell Phil. Tell Phil how he was a wimp and this random guy had scared him, which wasn’t hard to do in the first place.

“Well… something must have happened because when you saw him, you literally shrunk into your seat. You looked frightened and even though I’ve only known you a couple hours, I think of you as a really good friend and I’m worried about you. I want to makes sure you’re okay.” Phil gave Dan a warm smile and reached out to give a comforting side-hug to Dan. Dan smiled and accepted the hug even though it was awkward with the armrest in between them, it was still sweet. Honestly, Dan thought of Phil as a good friend now as well. Dan released himself from the hug and looked down beginning to fiddle with the sleeves of his jumper.

“Alright… I-I’ll tell you,” Dan took a deep breathe to calm down his nerves. He recounted how the man, Richard, had approached him, calling him babe and how he eyed him like a piece of meat. Dan told Phil about how he was scared and was running away from the man when he bumped into Phil. Then, Dan told him about how when he was walking down the aisle, Richard had looked Dan up and down like a wolf would look at a crippled deer. Phil’s face changed from a look of concern to one of fury as Dan spoke. He looked like he was ready to charge out of his seat, down the aisle and punch Richard in the nose. Seeing Phil react like this made Dan’s heart warm and a gooey feeling settle in his body.

“So… yeah,” Dan finished intelligently, “The flight is significantly better than I originally thought it would be. I’ve had a lot of fun hanging out with you.” He felt like he needed to reassure Phil in order to keep him from killing Richard. Phil seemed to calm down a bit, his expression not quite as murderous, but was still glaring daggers at Richard’s unaware, sleeping body.

“If that creep ever comes near you again I’ll make sure he won’t be able to put his face back together. He won’t walk and he certainly won’t talk to anyone else, especially you, like that again.” Phil snarled, before switching his gaze to Dan, his face visibly relaxing.

Dan knew how kind Phil was after hanging out for the past couple of hours. Phil was sweet and probably couldn’t hurt a fly, but the way he looked at Richard and by the tone of his voice, Dan could tell that he was serious when promising to protect Dan, even if that did cause physical action. Dan had only known this man for a few hours which felt like years. Damn… Dan had to admit. He was falling for Phil.

Phil wrestled with the armrest and after a couple minutes, was able to push it out of the way and give Dan a real hug. Dan fell into the embrace and could feel himself relaxing, letting the tension in his body flow out as he melted into Phil’s arms. This hug was probably the best hug he had ever had and he loved every second of it. They didn’t let go of each other for a while, neither boy wanted to break this bond that had formed.

After a few minutes, they slid out of each other’s arms and sat in comfortable silence. Dan’s eyes slowly started feeling heavy and he could feel himself losing consciousness.

“Thanks Phil.” Dan yawned his head starting to loll to the side. Phil turned to look at his state of drowsiness and chuckled.

“For what?”

“Well, you’re just a very kind person and you’re cute and you were going to defend my honor which is nice and you spent time talking to me and stuff… Shiba Inu’s are nice too. I think they’re fluffy…”

Phil blushed a little at the ‘cute’ comment before noticing that Dan was spewing random thoughts due to his exhaustion and chuckled again.

“Goodnight Dan.”

“‘Night Phil”

--------

“We have landed in Manchester. Please check the overhead compartment for carry-on items. Thank you for flying with us.”

Dan woke up to the sound of people opening and closing the overhead compartments and bodies walking up and down the aisles. Surprisingly his neck wasn’t hurting like it usually does when he sleeps at odd angles. Suddenly, Dan realized his head was not lolled to the side of the head rest, but was laying on something firm and soft, slowly rising and falling. Dan opened his eyes and looked up to see the blue eyes of Phil smiling down at him. Shit.

Dan had fallen asleep with his head on Phil’s shoulder. Dan’s face burst into hot embarrassed flames while he gasped and sat up straight, almost smacking Phil in the chin with his head.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. That must have been really annoying and like those weirdos who invade your personal space and I-”

“Dan,” Phil cut him off laughing, “I’m not offended or annoyed. I don’t mind having cute boys sleep on my shoulder. It was kinda cute.” Phil had a small smirk, looking down at Dan admiringly.

Dan blushed an even worse shade of red and he looked away quickly. How could Phil think he was cute. Yes, he wore pastels and was smaller than most people, but that didn’t make Dan cute. He glanced over to Phil wondering if Phil really meant what he had said. Phil was still smiling at him with a faint blush on his pale cheeks.

“Okay. I’m gonna get my luggage down now.” Dan quickly got out of his seat, stretching his arms and standing on his tiptoes to grab the handle of his bag. A tattooed hand appeared next to Dan’s and dragged the bag down to Dan. He looked over to Phil, who was standing next to him now (still towering over him, but it wasn’t intimidating; actually he looked pretty hot) holding out the floral bag to Dan.

“Here ya go, Shorty.” Phil grinned and passed the bag to Dan. Dan pouted playfully at the nickname making fun of his size before letting a small smirk appear on his face accentuating his dimple.

“Thank you, Mr. giraffe. How’s the weather up there, telephone pole.” Dan laughed and reached up shoving Phil’s shoulder playfully. Phil smiled and ruffled Dan’s hair making him frown and re-fix his fringe.

They both traipsed down the aisle together, talking about random things and walking towards the open space of the airport. Both subtly keeping themselves close to each other, occasionally brushing shoulders and hands. Phil quickly went to pick up his bag from baggage claim, saying he’d be right back.

A few minutes passed while he waited for Phil. Suddenly, a hand gripped his elbow with a steel grasp before spinning him around. The swift motion made him stumble, before looking into the grey eyes of Richard. Richard (like most people) was towering over Dan, but unlike Phil, it was menacing. Richard’s eyes flicked over Dan hungrily. Where is Phil Dan thought worriedly.

“Hey, Babe. I didn’t see you much on the flight. How about we make up for lost time?” Cold anxiety rushed through Dan as Richard started to pull him down the lobby, before a second arm grabbed his other elbow. The new arm was gentle, but just as strong; it was covered in tattoos.

Dan snapped his head up to see Phil looking angry and his jaw set. Dan would be afraid of him if he was on the receiving end of that glare.

“Let. Him. Go.” Phil spat at Richard. The arm that wasn’t holding on to Dan was clenched in a fist at his side.

“Why should I do that? The little slut was practically asking for it.”

Phil took a step forward, towering a good couple inches over Richard who took a step back.

“If you dare say that about Dan again I will make sure that you won’t speak again. Your body will be so disfigured that people won’t be able to determine if you’re human or a radiation experiment gone wrong. I will also personally see to your trial in hell. Step away from Dan now, bastard.”

Dan had never seen Phil so angry and his heart melted a little at the way Phil was protecting him.

“Of course I’ll step away.” He leaned down into Dan’s ear to whisper, “Go on slut, might as well suck his dick in the middle of this airport, bitch.”

Richard roughly flung Dan towards Phil. He grabbed Dan gently, pushing Dan behind himself and stepping towards Richard again. The flower on his neck practically pulsing with his anger.

“What did you say to him?”

“I told that slut that he might as well suck your dick in the middle of this airp-”

Before Richard could finish, Phil’s fist connected with Richard’s nose. A loud crunch came from the impact and he crumpled to the floor grasping at his nose. Phil crouched down next to Richard.

“If you say that to him again, you nose won’t be the only thing that will be broken, dick.”

Phil stood up and walked toward Dan, his face immediately transforming from one of anger to one of relief and worry. He grabbed his hand gently and lead him out of the airport into the crisp Manchester air.

Phil knelt in front of Dan, trying to make their sizes equal, looking into his eyes.

“Are you ok?” Phil’s eyes darted all over Dan, checking for any sign that he was hurt or damaged. He looked down fiddling with the sleeves of his jumper, pulling them over his fists.

“Yeah… I’ll be fine. Thank you by the way, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Are you kidding?!” Phil sounded appalled at Dan’s statement, “Of course I would do that. No one should talk to you that way, and if I have to constantly be your body-guard to keep that from happening, I will.” Phil stood up to his full height and stuck out his chest a little, trying to look buff, before he and Dan fell into a fit of giggles.

Dan suddenly looked up to see Phil gazing down at him. Without any thought or planning, Dan stood on his tiptoes leaning up, while Phil simultaneously bent down and their lips met. The kiss was quick and soft, but full of emotion. Dan pulled away, looking down at his white converse to hide his blush. Phil slipped a finger under Dan’s chin, lifting his face to meet his sparkling blue eyes and giving him a small smile.

“That was nice.” Dan giggle a little, looking up into Phil’s eyes. “Yeah, we should do that again sometime.” Phil smiled at him with a dusting of pink gracing his cheeks. The moment was sweet and soft and everything Dan could hope for, but there was still the problem of going home. “I have to get back to my University…” He didn’t want to ruin this moment they had just shared, but he needed to get back. Phil looked down sadly at him for a second before a smile overtook his face.

“I live right down the street from Manchester Uni, I can come visit you! We could hang out and stuff too somewhere around campus too, but only if you want and if you actually want to hang out with me.” Phil looked hopefully at Dan.

“Of course I want to hang out with you more, you spork!” Dan laughed at the way Phil jumped up and down excitedly. “I have to go catch a cab now, so… I guess this is goodbye.”

Phil’s eyes widened. “Wait! I can drive you home!”

“Why?” Dan asked incredulously.

“Because I think you’re a pretty cool guy and I’ll be jealous of the cab driver that gets to take a cutie like you home. Plus I wanna make sure that you make it home in one piece.”

“Fine, you soppy shit.” Dan laughed as Phil smacked him lightly on the arm. The two walked to the carpark, hands brushing every now and then, blushing cheeks and comfortable conversation filling the space between them. When they reached Phil’s mode of transportation, Dan’s mouth dropped open.

“Nope nopety nope nope nope. There is no way in hell that I am riding on that.”

“What’s wrong with my motorcycle?” Phil asked defensively. If Dan was being honest, there was nothing wrong with Phil’s motorcycle. In fact, Dan probably should’ve guessed that Phil would ride a motorcycle considering his style. It was black with blue and silver trimming, stickers miscellaneously strewn across the metal. The motorcycle definitely screamed Phil; there was even a small gengar plushie tied to one of the handle-bars, swinging back and forth as if it was excited for it to be driven anywhere.

“I can’t ride on that! I’ll fall off and die considering how much of a fail I am. With my luck, we’ll be hit by a bus or I’ll somehow find a way to be the only one to be hit by said bus, leaving you to clean up my pathetic pastel mess on the road!”

“Dan,” Phil interrupted calmly, “I’m not gonna let you fall off. I have an extra helmet and I personally think I’m a great driver. You’re not gonna die. Plus, would you rather ride in a dingy cab with a driver who smells like cheese or with a hot punk on a motorcycle?” Phil ended his statement with a wink and a hand on his hip looking smugly at Dan.

“Whatever. You’re paying for my medical bill if I fall, Phil Lester.” Dan grudgingly took the helmet that he was offered and climbed onto the motorcycle behind Phil, wrapping his arms securely around his leather-clad waist.

“Ready?” Phil asked before kick-starting the engine and gunning out of the carpark. Dan squealed and squeezed his arms even tighter around the punk, causing Phil to laugh. After several minutes of driving, Dan had to admit, this was way better than a cab home.

---------------

The two pulled up outside of Dan’s building and Phil walked him to his dorm room where he fumbled to unlock the door. When the door was unlocked and open, Dan stood in the doorway looking at Phil, both preparing to say goodbye and both not ready to say it yet.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Wasn’t it fun?” Phil questioned with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Whatever… Fine it was fun, goodbye I hate you.” Dan turned around sassily to walk inside, but was quickly grabbed and spun around to look up at the tall punk. Phil leaned down and looked as if he was about to kiss Dan. They’re faces millimeters apart and breathe washing over each others faces before- “You forgot to give me your number.” Phil stated.

“You’re such a tease, Phil!” Dan laughed, softly socking him in the arm. He dashed inside to grab a pen off the coffee table before sprinting back out and scrawling the string of numbers messily across a bare patch of skin on Phil’s hand where no tattoos could overpower the numbers.

Phil plucked the pen from his hand and wrote his own number on Dan’s arm with a little smiley face next to it. “There, you’re first tattoo.” Phil chuckled at his joke before meeting Dan’s eyes. Neither wanted to leave each other yet, but they had to at some point; they were just prolonging the inevitable.

Dan pressed a quick kiss to Phil’s cheek. “Goodbye, Phil. I’ll see you soon, alright? Call me.”

“I will. Goodbye, Dan.” Phil smiled.

Another kiss was shared by the pastel and the punk before the door was shut and the two were alone.

-----------

1 Year Later…

Dan balled the ends of his soft yellow jumper in his hands, anxiously awaiting the engines of the airplane to roar and the feeling of terrifying weightlessness in his stomach as the metal box of death would be launched into the sky with him locked inside. A tattooed hand suddenly appeared covering his own, prying his fingers off the material and lifting them up to pierced lips.

Dan looked into those calming blue eyes and smiled. Phil squeezed his hand and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before gazing out of the window at the runway. Dan leaned his head onto Phil’s comfy shoulder and smiled. His free-hand started to calmly weave through Dan’s locks of curly brown hair, relaxing Dan and causing the anxiety in his chest wash away. Dan would be alright as long as he had his best friend, his boyfriend, Phil.

And as the plane took off, soaring into the air, Dan didn’t feel any fear. The only thing on his mind was of a punk boy that made flying easier, life happier, and love a fairy tale. The punk that saved him and the man that had a storybook of ink on his body. The punk who had the softest eyes and the kindest heart.

#phan #dan howell #phil lester #pastel!dan #punk!phil #almostbutnotquiteamolesternamedrichard #airplane #short!dan

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