ZOO!

 Our misadventure to the Fota wildlife Park...

Our day began after Michelle turned in her paper... we were looking for a bus that would take us to Fota with no luck, Finally I called Ciara and she said we should just take the train--it would drop us off right next to the park! (wish I had known that hours ago).

We get to the station in Cork and buy our tickets at the machines...we get tickets for Carrigtwohill because that is where Google Maps said Fota was. Sadly,we hadn't checked to see if there were tickets specifically for Fota. That would have saved a lot of time in the long run...

So we wait on the platform for our train, Michelle takes a few pictures of/next to the train that was there for her boyfriend's brother who likes trains... little did we know that we watched the train we needed leave the station.

The trains break off into two branches. One goes to Carrigtwohill and Midleton, the other? to Fota...and eventually to Cobh. Yup.We would figure this out all to late.

At least the train ride was fun. I am used to the Chicago trains. This one was just...quaint.

 So we stopped in Carrigtwohill...and there was NOTHING. A train platform,a small parking-lot, and nothing. We walk a ways down the only road to ask a jogger passing by where we go to get to Fota. She told it was little over half an hour by foot,so we should take the train. Well then. We go back to the platform and buy new tickets to Fota.

 Not 10 minutes later did another train leave the station going back the way we had come from--little did we know we had to get on that train...

And now we wait... We sang, a lot. We played sticks and ninja and all manner of games we played in marching band while waiting for gigs.

 So we waited some more...

 ...and waited...

 "Sir? I've sent 3 letters to my sister and have gotten no reply. She's being anti-social. What action do you suggest?"

 Our train took us tot he end of the line, to Midleton. The nice man we sat next to on the train told us we were on the wrong train...again.

 So the train started taking us back to the junction where the branches split...

 And we would go down the other branch to Fota, not 10 minutes away.

 After doing our fair share of waiting again, of course.

Huzzah! We were there!

 We could tell by the leopard print fence if nothing else.

 In fota, the animals can just about walk around wherever they like. There are upsides and downsides to this...

Tee hee, Saki :)

Miss you baby! <3

pretty birds

We thought it funny how the sign shows a (not terribly brilliant) individual giving candy to a crocodile/alligator, neither of which are at the park.

" Me, and you, and Zabumafoo! "

This one just sat in the middle of the path, content to stare at passers by...

This adorable thing is called a Mara.

Here is what got me--it's a bit difficult to see in this picture,but there is a section of rocks and then an exposed electric fence. Yes, there was usually another (wooden) fence beyond the electric one and people, but in many sections there was NOTHING--I saw two young boys walking over the rocks and I thought, "If ye boys fall now you're all but two inches away from death! Where the bloody hell are your parents?!" but apparently I was the only one who thought so...

 Maybe it's just me, but I am not used to folks walking up to kangaroos to take selfies...

 On another note, here is a cute penguin!

 I like the little guy on the front, he was just lying there as if to say, "yup, I'm done for the day."

Overall, it was an interesting day. I now know how to get there (in under 4 hours) and will be revisiting soon to see the gardens and other sites nearby!

Thanks Michelle and Francis for the fun day! (and tacos!)