Offday/travel day 2: Dublin

Today was quite an eventful day. We had to cross the border again, which meant an early wake-up. Despite the lack of sleep I, along with Kathrine and Emily, were prepared with all our paperwork. We crossed the border by boat, and I managed to book myself a cozy cabin for £20, which was a lifesaver after waking up at 7 AM. That extra rest in the cabin was much needed.

Upon arrival, things took an unexpected turn when border control singled us out. Their first question was, "Is there any American?" We had none in our group, so that was an odd start. Everyone had to disembark and stand in line while they x-rayed the tour bus using a van. Then, a drug-sniffing dog was brought in to check everyone, but nothing was found.

However, when we mentioned we had quite a bit of merch cash on the bus, they conducted a more thorough search. The dog went into the bus, and, after a while, they found a pouch. Of course, no one claimed it. After some investigation, we found out that it belonged to the bus driver, who had stashed some cannabis onboard—completely unprofessional since it put the band at risk. The driver received a fine for it, but thankfully, after we counted the cash, everything was in order.

Next, they checked three suitcases before clearing us. But the ordeal wasn’t over yet; we still had to deal with the carnet. It turned out the bus company had incorrectly booked us as tourists, which caused further delays. Fortunately, there were no questions about the merchandise. When they asked to open the trailer, I was nervous, but since they didn’t ask directly about the merch, we didn't volunteer the information—better to avoid extra taxes.

After finally arriving at the hotel just in time for check-in, I had a much-needed rest and went out for a bit of shopping. The others started a pub crawl, and I joined them later for some pub food and cider. Before we knew it, the night had gotten late, and everyone was feeling tipsy from all the ciders and Guinness.Read more