Northern Ireland

belfast city hall
Belfast was an interesting place to visit. The city was dead after 7 in the evening (legacy of the troubles??) Took a black cab tour of the divided catholic and protestant communities and Phan and I went back later and wandered the catholic area and looked at some murals the tour didn’t go past and I got a haircut on Falls Road. Seeing the “peace wall” with the houses along it with plastic windows and explosive deflecting cages was disturbing. So was seeing the cage windowed pre-school of the next generation who will grow up with this physical seperation from their neighbors which will only reinforce the differences and hatred surely.
We spent 2 days looking around Belfast and one day driving up to the giants causeway and visiting Derry.
The northern coastline was pretty and we could see Scotland from one point.
Phan and I had a good night listening to some musicians playing in a small pub with only a few locals to talk to. It was over towards the west so you had to buzz the door and barman would let you in. The next night we went to another pub which had some rowdy singers outside with 
protestant muralss
a guitar. After a local mistook me for a movie star (don’t ask) we were dragged out to join the singing.

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freedom wall
house protected by cage, high fence to discourage throwing missiles
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the fish
catholic mural
north coast
cishing bridge
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giants causeway
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castle on a cliff
Derry
prtotestant block-Derry
housing estate of 500 protestants surrounded by 70,000 catholics
Derry housing estate
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Belfast- friendly local
belfast
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