"It was illegal to take this photo-but I... " a Belfast Travel Page by feline01

I spent 3 months way back in 1990 in Belfast living with some very good Irish-Catholic friends and just having a fantastic time- drinking, sightseeing, drinking, going to cultural events, drinking and hanging out. Belfast and Northern Ireland are well worth the visit. Hardly any tourists and much to see and do. The political situation adds another element to any visit but not necessarily bad. Plus, politics change all the time so you're just as likely to visit during a cease-fire. Just as I would watch my back when visiting The Bronx in NYC because of the crime, I would watch my back in Northern Ireland and any other region where politics impact on everyday society. Act like an idiot and one will be treated like an idiot. I would recommend leaving the politics to the locals. This photo was taken looking out the window of my friend's flat near Queen's University. It was a random RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulory AKA British soldiers) checkpoint. The soldiers just ask for identification and as long as you're Protestant or a Catholic who is not wanted for terrorism, you're allowed to pass quickly.

The scariest event that happened to me during my stay in Northern Ireland occured when I was staying with a friend in a wee village called Draperstown. We went out with him, and 2 of his sisters to a nightclub in a larger village several miles away. We're coming home at around 2am and all of a sudden, bright spotlights are shining into the car from both sides. It was a RUC checkpoint in the middle of a country road in the middle of the night. Machine guns were pointing in both windows. The officers asked for identification. My friend, Rory says, "Oh, she's American." The soldier on my side points the gun into the back seat and asks me if I like machine guns. I say no. I had been quite drunk still before this stop but believe me, I sobered up quickly. Rory and his sisters didn't seem bothered at all since they grew up with this type of thing. The soldiers asked his sister for her driver's license, they checked it and we were on our way. Very scary at first but overall, not unlike the local New Jersey police DWI checkpoints though NJ police don't bother with machine guns.

Check out my travelogues for pics of places around Northern Ireland.