Dublin is completely different from Edinburgh, Scotland. I never imagined it to be so different, but it was. I always thought that Scotland and Ireland were very similar, but obviously I was proven wrong this past weekend when I visited Dublin city with my flat mate. We stayed fro three nights and four full days. While it was super exciting it was a bit too much for me to handle. It was such an urban city compared to Edinburgh and even Glasgow. It reminded me of Philadelphia almost. I saw trash on the streets. I noticed that the streets were just as old as the ones in Edinburgh, but not as nice surprisingly. Dublin was a very industrial city. It also differed from Edinburgh with the amount of immigrants. Edinburgh and Scotland in general is a very white country. You really do not see enough diversity in Scotland. I assumed it was the same for Ireland. I was very wrong in that assumption as well. People of every color and nationality surrounded the corners and blocks of Dublin. It was a refreshing sight to say nonetheless.
The main difference between Dublin and Edinburgh was Dublin, unlike Edinburgh, is not a college town. People who were around twenty-five or older dominated the streets and pubs. I felt a little out of place to be honest. I wanted to be back in Edinburgh where young people dominated and mingled. Older people dominated the pubs, but it was not just a problem for nighttime. It was a problem during the day too. There was not enough to do during the day except drink. While that is a very Irish thing, I presume, I did not like it. The museums were sparse and not free like in Scotland. I liked the few museums I could afford to go into though. We visited a couple of sites that discussed the Easter Risings in depth. That was the coolest part of Dublin, learning the history of Ireland’s fight for independence from Great Britain. The story was much more complex than I expected.
Other than that, shops and café was the thing to visit during the day. I appreciated all the music and street entertainment I saw though during the day. Tap dancers, guitar players, and psychics filled the alleyways and filled the air with a bit of unique Irish culture. Dublin was a well worth trip nonetheless.
