Bovinephobia & Stranded in Cong

(The cows) Not really these were painted cows in NYC, i took a photo of them for Sara, not as good as shepperton!!
(The Gods of Neale in the old river bed the cows are behind it)


Well I've had an adventuous weekend in the tiny village of Cong. Cong is a small town in Co. Mayo, between two large lakes, it's really pretty here green, stone fences everywhere, I love it.

I arrived in Cong late Saturday night after a minor breakdown with the bus. In true irish sprit the first thing you do is search out the local pub. What a hoot. It was the first installment of the international match, and for the first time since arriving in Dublin not another Aussie in sight, so I had no back up support. The Aussies kicked a 3 pointer I got up and cheered, and the whole pub went silent (the only one cheering in a crowd of over 60 irish kind of made me stand out) They thought it was an absolute craic that I was an Australian, not many tourists come to Cong. However it's suffices to say I did not have to buy another drink for the whole night!. I was getting quite cockey when the aussies were up till the last 30 seconds. So then I stayed, drank, and got merry with the locals, it was exactly what I imagined Ireland to be. Brilliant.

On Sunday I decided to check out some of the many sights around the town. I walked to a place called Neale to see an ancient stone carving called the Gods of Neale. It was a 5km walk to Neale from Cong, and I ran into another local who knew a whole bunch of history about his town. It was great like my own personal tour guide. He told me how to find the Gods of Neale and uttered the words Carmen Thomson never wants to hear "der may be a wee few cows in de paddock, but dey wont not harm ye". I was not walking 5km up the road to see nothing and walk back. So I went. Bravely I entered the paddock, tripping over all the cow holes in the ground searching for this stupid monument, cows staring at me, and then the cows started running, all of them, at once, like a good 30 cattle moving towards the poor girl petrified of all cattle. So so did I ...... mud everywhere, slippery wet mud all the way up my legs, over my boots, never run so fast before in my life. I came across an old building ruin, which I hoped the cows could not enter. But then I discovered I was stuck. The cows had surrounded the building, just waiting for me, I stood frozen for like 20 min with no idea of what to do stranded in a building ruin surrounded by cows. Lucky I could see the funny side of it, but I was not risking my life by leaving my safe haven. Eventually the cows moved...... to the gate, the only exit in the paddock and the cows were at it, I think these animals are much smarter then we give them credit for. I saw an old riverbed covered with trees, down the hill where the cows could not see me. I ran, ran down the hill between the trees over rocks, mud, puddles, through thorn bushes and there there in the riverbed was the Gods of Neale, I found it! Hurrah my adventure was not all of a waste. Then the cows found me, mooing and running towards me again I just bolted. I found a wall/fence (most of the paddock fences a stone walls) Climbed it and I was free! Bloodied, hot sweaty, muddy heart beating so fast but I was free. Hurrah, never been so happy to see a road in my life.

This day I also tried Falconry. It was amazing I had a harris hawk on my arm called Wexford, and I could get it to fly away, come back, and swoop right to me, it was just fantastic. Those animals are really smart, and a lot safer then cows. (I think a bird of prey is safer then a cow, must be the only one in the history of the world).

Monday I got up early to travel back to Dublin (6.30am) I walked into Cong with my massive pack, waiting for the bus that never showed. At 9 am I called the bus company only to find out no busses were going to Galway from Cong due to the bank holiday. Oh my lord realisation set in 'I'm stranded in Cong!!!'. I asked some people around the hostel if they were going to Galway, no luck. I called the bus company back and found out I could catch a bus from another town 10km away. Cong, a town smaller then Beaufort has it's own taxi service, Perhaps a entrenperneer in Beaufort could look into this? So myself and some other stranded girls from europe caught a taxi to Ballinrobe and I finally got out of Cong.

An adventurous weekend and a jolly good laugh, I wonder what my next adventure will bring me.

For those of you who have not caught the latest news I'm going to have a white christmas I'm so excited. For one week during christmas I'm going snowboarding in the french alps. Gonna be a fabulous time I'm sure!!!!

Keep in touch everyone, hope to hear from you soon, please tell me some gossip as I'm having withdrawls, surely something exciting is happening in your dreery dull lives, unless all the excitement in your lives is in Ireland????

Luv yas
Carmen