Day 16: From Kenmare to Killarney and Shannon

Date	Aug 29, 2022 (Minday)
Today's Distance:	11 miles / 18 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total Ireland:	136 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1755 miles
Lodging:	Treacys Oakwood @ $ 86
Total Lodging:	$ 1061
Buses / Trains:	$ 20
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 265
Food:	$ 30
Total Food:	$ 374

Meaningful Moments

Crazy finish!

Missed my turn for Galway's Bridge and added five freaking miles to the hike.

Planned to be done by noon. Finished after 2:00 p.m.

Called for a cab. Dispatcher said 15 minutes. But I wasn't at the pickup point yet. So I promised I'd be there. I ran over 10 minutes to get to the pickup point. That was after 11 miles of mountains and rocky terrain.

Random Thought of the Day

I've already mentioned that I missed my turning point and added extensive mileage to the day.

As the mileage continued adding up, and climbing yet another unplanned mountain, I had my first serious meltdown on this hiking trip.

As I was exploring various combinations of expletives to call this mountain, I looked up to see a younger couple enjoying a peaceful moment on the trail.

Of course I had to apologize profusely several times. They laughed and I smiled and I moved on.

***

Checked into the hotel in Shannon around 7:30 p.m.

Mentioned to the check-in person that Travelocity says the hotel is 1,400 ft from Town center, but it looks to me like I'm in the suburbs.

Check in person says that Shannon is a really small town. There's a shopping mall about 5 minutes away and that is the center of the town.

When I asked if there's something I could do around here, he suggested I could go to the movie theater.

I checked the listings and it's showing "Orphan, first kill".

After all these days of beautiful seas and bays and oceans and mountains and hills and forests and pastures and woodlands and wonderlands, I seriously doubt the first movie I'm going to see is something called "Orphan, first kill".

So at this point, I don't have any pictures of Shannon.

But I am sitting at a pub down the street having a glass of Guinness.

And when I'm done, I'll walk back past the McDonald's and probably get something to eat.

Oh well, I'm really here for the airport anyway.

On the Road / Notable memories

Another Camino all wrapped up.

Even though this doesn't count as an official Camino, for me it was a time of some personal thought and reflection while simultaneously enjoying the wonderful couple company of Carlos and Adriana.

Their presence for the first 7 days made this is special time.

***

4:00 p.m. leaving Killarney

6:00 p.m. arrive Limerick

6:30 p.m. leave Limerick

7:10 p.m. arrive Shannon

***

The water is washing over me as I lay here.

After 15 days of constant sensory stimulation from the head to the feet, especially the feet, I need to be deprived.

The water is hot and it's holding me up.

I try to sink deeper into it, but I stay on top.

The hot water tap continues to run and the water level continues to rise, taking me with it.

As I lay there, eyes closed, mouth closed, breathing through my nose, shallowly, slowly, deliberately, I'm slowly achieving a form of sensory deprivation.

For the first time in a long time, sights and sounds and smells and taste and touches are not forcing themselves on me with every step.

For the first time in 15 days, I am close to feeling nothing.

And I am relishing the experience.

I don't want to leave where I am right now at this moment.

	Even professional hikers sometimes have something going wrong. Don't know what brought on the blister or the swelling. It got better 4 days ago, but it didn't get well.

	Last panorama shot of the Iveragh, looking back at Kenmare Bay from the top of the mountains.

	I haven't done the final arithmetic, but it's about 130 mi around the Iveragh peninsula completed.
	At this point I'm kind of glad I missed the turn off for Galway's Bridge, because I got to hike some really tough terrain for another 5 mi and a couple of hours.
	All done, oh finally done!