All posts by pierrev

Posts from the road

My culinary tour of Cusco

3 Comments

(Cusco, Peru)

July 4 was a free day for us in Cusco, so I decided to splurge and take an “optional” (e.g. for an extra fee) culinary tour.  I am wary of optional tours but this one turned out to be well worth  it.  A bonus was that there were only two of us on the tour, although Miguel also brought along an apprentice to observe.

We began the tour by going to a huge traditional market in a “non-touristed” section of Cusco.  Along the way, our guide Miguel pointed out a number of notable local restaurants and street food vendors…and explained some of the economics.

According to Miguel, a typical Peruvian income is barely 800 soles/month (around US$300/month).  Meals are available for between 3 and 5 soles (let’s say US$1.50).  This contrasts with the prices in tourist restaurants, where main courses are many times more expensive.  However, this doesn’t mean that tourists should run to “eat local”, as there are some issues that could make a good deal become very bad.  It mostly has to do with the different bacteria present in North and South America.  It works both ways; I’ll be talking about this and some other health issues in a later post.

Miguel prepares some fruit for tasting (Cusco, Peru)
Miguel prepares some fruit for tasting (Cusco, Peru)

The market itself was logically organized.   Closest to the entrance were the “fast food” stalls, while farther away were sections devoted to cheese (see photo at top), vegetables, fruit, bread, seafood and other specialties.  Miguel had arranged for us to have fresh samples of cheese, chocolate and (especially) fruit.  I’d like to describe them all, but I can only remember the name of the prickly pear.  There was another fruit (see photo above) from which you had to scoop out a glutinous grey jelly with your fingers – it sounds grim but tasted great.  I bought some chocolate that contained salt from the same salt pans I had visited a few days before.

The "toad bucket" - Cusco, Peru
The “toad bucket” – Cusco, Peru

Just before we left, Miguel showed us the “toad bucket”.  Apparently, toad juice is a traditional remedy for certain male afflictions.  There was also a roadside guinea pig vendor:  these were not pets, however, but lunch.

Roadside "cuy" (guinea pig) vendor (Cusco, Peru)
Roadside “cuy” (guinea pig) vendor (Cusco, Peru)

Miguel hailed a local cab to take us to the restaurant where we would prepare our own meal.  Prices are negotiated in advance:  this ride cost 3.50 soles (about US$1.25) for all 4 of us.  It was chaotic and the rules of the road were improvised…but somehow I didn’t feel unsafe.

At the restaurant, we immediately began work on preparing “Lomo Saltado”, a typical Peruvian dish that actually has Japanese roots.  It is essentially a beef stir-fry with soy sauce and vinegar, although I elected to make mine with alpaca instead.  I had alpaca a couple of times earlier in the trip and it is a lot like steak, except that it is more tender and much less fatty.

Raw materials for lomo saltado are ready for cooking
Raw materials for lomo saltado are ready for cooking

I have even more respect for chefs, as a result of my experience.  I did fine with the chopping and marinating, but mixing and tossing the ingredients over the flame proved to be quite a challenge.  It didn’t help that the hood was quite low and forced me to stand at an awkward angle, but I think I would have had trouble even if I could get closer to the flame.  Some well-timed interventions from Miguel helped me complete the task without any problems.

My completed lomo saltado - I ate mine with brown rice, but French fries are often added too.
My completed lomo saltado – I ate mine with brown rice, but French fries are often added too.

It tasted great – definitely the best lomo saltado I had while in Peru.  But we weren’t done yet!  With a lethal-looking assortment of liquors , it was time to mix drinks!  Our main focus was on the famous Pisco Sour, except that we upped the ante by using passion-fruit liquor instead of lime juice.  I counted 3 heaping ounces of alcohol in this concoction, although it may well have been more.  These variations made the Pisco Sour sweeter and even more potent!  We made another strawberry/pisco/ginger drink after that, but for some reason the details aren’t as clear.  I blame the altitude.

I’m really glad that I took the culinary tour.  We gained lots of insight into not only Peruvian cuisine, but also the dual economies that operate in Peru.  I really feel like I experienced Peruvian life today, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

Posts from the road

Machu Picchu – Part II

Leave a comment

(Aguas Calientes, Peru)

After returning from the Sun Gate (see previous post), our group reunited at the entrance to the site and met our Machu Picchu tour guide.

A lot of people have heard of Machu Picchu and a lot of people have it on their “bucket lists”.   I knew that it was hidden away on the top of a mountain but I certainly didn’t appreciate just how remote it was…or how huge it was.

Some of the agricultural area at Machu Picchu, Peru.
Some of the agricultural area at Machu Picchu, Peru.

It was quite an ordeal just to get to Aguas Calientes, the town from which buses full of tourists depart on a 30-minute climb to the main entrance of the site.  From Aguas Calientes, you absolutely cannot tell that there is a city above you.  You can only see these huge, jagged teeth-like mountains rising up almost vertically on every side.

IMG_3450
Machu Picchu has llamas too!

My first thoughts upon walking into Machu Picchu were “this is unbelievable” and “these people must have had thighs like Olympic speed skaters”.  The entire city is terraced and you need to take very big steps in order to make any upward progress.   It is baffling to contemplate how they moved all of these rocks around without the benefit of the wheel – something that the Inca did not have.  But why did they build such a massive city here?

A nearby little mountain called Huayna Picchu
A nearby little mountain called Huayna Picchu

The exact reasons may never be known, as the Inca had no written language and the Spanish conquistadors never found Machu Picchu (fortunately for us, as their usual practice was to destroy Inca sites).  Machu Picchu was so well-built that 90% of it is still intact, even 500 years after it was built (and even though it was abandoned for 4 centuries).  One thing is clear:  despite the ridiculously remote location, the city was self-sustaining.  The location was picked because there was a source of water; a massive irrigation and watering system is evidence of this.

Some of the agricultural terraces - you can see part of the trail to the Sun Gate in the background near the top
Some of the agricultural terraces – you can see part of the trail to the Sun Gate in the background near the top

Even though the pictures of Machu Picchu are awe-inspiring, the true miracle may be invisible.  It is estimated that between 60-70% of the required engineering is beneath the surface.  The city receives a lot of rain, so both irrigation and drainage were necessary to prevent the city from sliding down the mountain.  The systems still work today.

A "classic" view of Machu Picchu...can't have too many of these!
A “classic” view of Machu Picchu…can’t have too many of these!

The city has managed to withstand earthquakes for all these years – again, the Inca knew what types of construction could withstand such intense stress.  The site has been studied extensively by Japanese engineers in an attempt to improve that country’s ability to withstand earthquakes at the other end of the Ring of Fire.  The Inca knew what inclines and angles would be strongest and how the “energy” of an earthquake could best be diverted from the buildings.

Close-up of Machu Picchu. Even here, the people look small compared to the structures.
Close-up of Machu Picchu. Even here, the people look small compared to the structures.

It is startling to consider that the Inca empire only lasted about 100 years.  It collapsed due to war and disease flowing from the Spanish conquest, but the record of achievement far surpasses most other empires that lasted for centuries or even millennia.  What was so different about it?  Perhaps it was the meritocracy:  talented children were identified at an early age and these children were then groomed to be “the brains behind the operation”.  The child’s parentage was irrelevant.

It goes on and on....
It goes on and on….

I could go on and on about the sheer scale of this city and the unimaginable effort that was involved in its construction.  But I think I will take the easy way out and just say that it is the most impressive historical “ruin” (I use quotes because it really is intact, except for the thatched roofs) I have ever seen.  It truly is something to see and  I hope the pictures capture at least some of its majesty.  On top of it all, the views of the surrounding mountains are great too!

Stay tuned – there’s lots more of Peru still to come!

[E-mail subscribers -for some reason, there was no automatic notification for the previous post.  I hope WordPress has corrected this.]

Posts from the road

Hike to the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu

2 Comments

(Aguas Calientes, Peru)

July 2 was a travel day to Aguas Calientes (the gateway town to Machu Picchu), but I have decided to record my observations of the town in a later blog entry.  Today’s post will focus on the first part of my July 3 visit to Machu Picchu and more particularly the hike to the Sun Gate.

Hiking up to the Sun Gate (Machu Picchu, Peru)
Hiking up to the Sun Gate (Machu Picchu, Peru)

The Inca Trail is a notorious 4-day trek (camping only) from near Ollantaytambo to the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu.  The idea is to reach the Sun Gate at sunrise on the 4th day for the most dramatic first impression of Machu Picchu.  A guide (and permit) is required to hike the Inca Trail and the number of permits is strictly controlled.

Almost there! (Sun Gate, Machu Picchu, Peru)
Almost there! (Sun Gate, Machu Picchu, Peru)

While it would be an unforgettable experience, my tour dispensed with the Inca Trail and instead transported us by train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calietes and then by bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu itself.   A guided tour of the Machu Picchu is included, but we also had quite a few hours to explore the site on our own.

The other members of my group had done a lot of advance research on Machu Picchu and it was decided that we would hike to the Sun Gate and back before going on the guided tour.  This would allow us to see what the Inca Trail hikers see when they arrive, without some of the discomforts of the 4-day hike.  We also thought that walking to the Sun Gate first thing in the morning might be a better strategy given the intense mid-day sun that often shines over Machu Picchu.

View of Machu Picchu (etc.) from the Sun Gate
View of Machu Picchu (etc.) from the Sun Gate

On paper, it looked like a great plan.  However, our map did not show elevation.  While the guide at the Machu Picchu museum described the Sun Gate trail as “flat”, it was anything but.  The reality is that the hike to the Sun Gate was a demanding slog up a trail that ranged from slightly uphill to nearly vertical steps.  We were still 2800m above sea level, so the altitude also played a role.

Hikers enjoying the view from the Sun Gate
Hikers enjoying the view from the Sun Gate

Nonetheless, upon reaching the Sun Gate, we enjoyed a feeling of tremendous accomplishment.  The views were astounding and we were able to rest and rehydrate in the shade.  We also saw hikers arriving from the Inca Trail.  Interestingly, when we asked them about the hike, they simply said that it was “long” and looked very tired.   Given their reactions, I must admit that I don’t feel sad that I skipped the Inca Trail.  I also wondered how much they would be able to appreciate the site itself after such a demanding hike.  Machu Picchu is not built on flat land and requires a lot of climbing to get around.

Celebrating a successful ascent! (Sun Gate, Machu Picchu, Peru)
Celebrating a successful ascent! (Sun Gate, Machu Picchu, Peru)

After reaching the Sun Gate, it was time to head back to the entrance and take the guided tour.   We had to take the same trail down; the people we passed on the way down looked more exhausted than we did when we were on our way up.  The heat was clearly taking its toll on people.

Even if I were exhausted, however, I still would have been thrilled by Machu Picchu.  Stay tuned for the next instalment of my visit to this incredible place – I’ll explain what it is and why it is so incredible.

Posts from the road

Salt and Agriculture in Moray, Peru

Leave a comment

(Urubamba, Peru)

For the first time ever, I celebrated Canada Day in Moray, Peru.  I don’t think this will be a regular thing…but who knows?

We spent the night in Urubamba and headed out to the Moray archaeological ruins.  Unlike some of the other Inca sites I’ll be seeing in Peru, these ones are exclusively agricultural. The Inca (I’ll use this term even though it may not be strictly accurate) made extensive use of terraces for their agriculture.  Not only did this maximize the use of the mountainous land, it also allowed them to slowly acclimatize crops to different altitudes so that they could be planted elsewhere.  Using the position of the land relative to the sun, this technique created a series of microclimates where you would expect to find only one.

Terraces at Moray, Peru. Notice how small the people are?
Terraces at Moray, Peru. Notice how small the people are?

The Moray site consists of one very large and two smaller-but-still-large concentric and terraced crop areas.  It was fun to wander around the terraces; I had no problem descending down to the bottom but it was still a challenge to climb back up.  I don’t think I have completely adjusted to the altitude yet.

Near the bottom of one of the Moray terraces (Moray, Peru)
Near the bottom of one of the Moray terraces (Moray, Peru)

From the Moray archaeological site, it was a short ride to the Maras salt pans (see overhead view at the top of this post).  It doesn’t sound like a riveting tourist destination but it was a lot more fun than I expected.  Once we got there, that is.  The road to the salt pans was a single lane, gravel road that hugged a cliff edge and had absolutely no guard rail.  I’ve been on some crazy roads this year but this one was the scariest from a structural perspective.  Our driver was more or less prudent here, although he showed some “video game” tendencies the day before when we left Pisac.

Shift change at the Moray Salt Pans (Moray, Peru)
Shift change at the Moray Salt Pans (Moray, Peru)

The salt pans are located just below an underground spring that generates salt water.  As the water flows down to the bottom of the valley, a series of “pans” traps the salt and it is then harvested by hand.  The scale is vast and the collection of salt has been ongoing for hundreds of years.  We were allowed to walk all over the salt pans even though harvesting was taking place.  As a very practical souvenir, I picked up a couple of varieties of Maras salt to take home.  I was able to sample some before buying and it tasted very good on dried plantain.

Harvesting salt at the Maras salt pans (Maras, Peru)
Harvesting salt at the Maras salt pans (Maras, Peru)

By now, we were quite hungry and it was time for another traditional Andean feast.  This time, we were having pachamanca, which is traditionally made by burying the food in the earth along with some extremely hot stones.  However, as this was in a restaurant, a substitute method of simmering all foods together in large clay pots (like a tagine pot on steroids) was used instead.

The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)
The pachamanca, just before we helped ourselves (Urubamba, Peru)

We had some interesting appetizers before the main course, including alpaca carpaccio.   The pachamanca itself contained various unusual potatoes (including oca), tamales, chicken, lamb, pineapple, lima beans (in the pod) and plantain.  There were also a couple of misleading sauces.  One looked like liquid mustard but was actually a mild sauce made from yellow peppers.  Another looked almost like liquid pesto but was made from local herbs (and no garlic).  I cleaned up all of my plates:  it was very heavy food but also delicious.  I’ll be looking for the purple/red flesh potatoes when I get home.

My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)
My pachamanca main course (Urubamba, Peru)

The rest of the day was enjoyed at a more leisurely pace.  We knew that we had to be up very early on July 2 for our trip to Aguas Calientes, so it wasn’t a late night either.  We are slowly getting closer to Machu Picchu!

Posts from the road

Journey to the Sacred Valley

Leave a comment

(Urubamba, Peru)

June 30 was an exhausting day…but well worth it.

The alarm was set for 4:00 a.m. so that we could be at the airport in time for a 7:15 a.m. flight to Cusco.  Cusco is located in the Andes at an elevation of 3500 metres above sea level, so it will come as no surprise that the approach to the runway was very interesting.

Lima is essentially at sea level and was about 20’C when we left.  We disembarked to a temperature of 4’C in Cusco although we didn’t feel any altitude-related symptoms.  That would come later!

Hiking above Pisac, Peru
Hiking above Pisac, Peru

I have been skiing at elevations up to 3800m, so I thought I would be OK in Cusco.  However, when we began climbing at the Incan ruins above Pisac, the effects of the altitude kicked in loud and clear.  Each step was an effort – my legs just didn’t want to leave the ground.  There were some steep steps that I normally would be able to sprint up.  Here, though, I had to stop after every four steps.  I also felt vaguely dizzy and felt a headache coming on; most of the classic altitude symptoms were there.

The key difference is that I usually have several days to acclimatize to the extreme altitude while skiing.  One hour is simply not enough time to adapt to the much thinner oxygen.   Nonetheless, I explored the Pisac ruins to the extent I could and really enjoyed being up in the mountains.  The scale is much larger than I had expected, even though Pisac is one of the smaller sites that we’ll be visiting.

Terraces and ruins above Pisac, Peru
Terraces and ruins above Pisac, Peru

Lunch was a communal Andean feast.  I took pictures of nearly every dish and almost everything was spectacular.  The coastal cuisine in Peru is understandably seafood-oriented but the Andean cuisine seems more to my taste.  From quinoa to purple corn beverages, it was all very colourful and very tasty.   I’m looking forward to trying more of this cuisine during my time in the mountains.

Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo
Some very hot peppers/tamales at Huchuy Qosqo

After lunch, we journeyed to the Incan ruins above Ollantaytambo (shown at the top of this post).  This was even more impressive than the ruins  above Pisac.  The scale is astonishing, but I think the engineering and the Incan insight into the sun, the earth, etc. are even more surprising part.   When they carved faces into the mountains, they also positioned them so that they would be illuminated on June 21 of each year.   Even without the wheel, they managed to get huge rocks on top of mountains.  They also built their structures to withstand earthquakes, using techniques that are still being used today.

Climbing the ruins at Ollantaytambo, Peru
Climbing the ruins at Ollantaytambo, Peru

I also learned that calling them “Inca” is not entirely correct.  The word “inca” means “king”, but our guide said that it is probably more accurate to call them “Quechua” (after the language that all of the people spoke).  After all, there were only a handful of kings.

Some of the practices are hard to understand from a modern perspective.  For example, when a king died, his servants would have to die too so that they could accompany the king to the next world.

Edge of a cliff above Ollantaytambo, Peru
Edge of a cliff above Ollantaytambo, Peru

I noticed a slight improvement in my altitude situation at Ollantaytambo.  I still was badly winded after climbing the steep steps, but the other symptoms had disappeared.  I should be acclimatized well for Machu Picchu in a couple of days’ time.  Tomorrow, we are going to visit a couple of places near Urubamba and have another Andean feast!

Posts from the road

I’m in Peru!

2 Comments

(Lima, Peru)

I never thought that I would be blogging from Peru, but here I am!

It’s my first time in South America as well as my first time south of the Equator.  My lengthy stopover in Miami was also my first time in Florida, although I only stepped outside the airport for a couple of minutes.

The stopover in Miami turned out to be fun.  I arrived in the main terminal just as the World Cup knockout match between Chile and Brazil entered the 85th minute.  Along with about a hundred other soccer fans, I watched the extra time and then the penalty kicks that were necessary to decide the match.  Then, before my flight to Lima departed, I watched most of the Colombia-Uruguay knockout match…with another hundred or so soccer fans.  I don’t know if there is an especially large Colombian community in Miami, but I saw Colombian soccer jerseys everywhere there.  They are passionate (and well-behaved) fans – I wonder if their team can eliminate Brazil in their next game?

Happy Brazilian fans at Miami International Airport celebrate their team's victory (in penalty kicks) over Chile
Happy Brazilian fans at Miami International Airport celebrate their team’s victory (in penalty kicks) over Chile

Soccer is clearly a big deal in Peru too.  I had no problem finding the Netherlands-Mexico game on television (Hup Holland!), nor will I have a problem finding the Greece-Costa Rica game later today.  I might watch that one at a restaurant.

As it is winter in Peru, I don’t think I’ll have too many problems with the heat.  The daytime temperature shouldn’t exceed 20’C here or in the mountains.  In fact, the nighttime temperatures in the mountains will drop close to the 0’C mark.  There is a lot of humidity, however, even in this so-called “dry” season!

View from my hotel room of the rooftops and backstreets of Miraflores
View from my hotel room of the rooftops and backstreets of Miraflores

I arrived in Lima very late last night so I haven’t really seen much of the city yet.  The outskirts felt a little chaotic, with road markings being “guidelines” rather than something to be strictly observed.   This afternoon, I went for a walk near my hotel in the district of Miraflores.  It is a relatively affluent area along the ocean; the old centre of Lima is a few miles inland.

This is apparently the "Parque del Amor" in Miraflores (Lima, Peru)
This is apparently the “Parque del Amor” in Miraflores (Lima, Peru)

I walked mainly along the cliff-top park where Miraflores overlooks the coast.  There were a lot of surfers and even paragliders; it looks like a very popular place to take the family too.  I couldn’t help noticing that Miraflores has a very strong police/security presence.  In addition to a lot of police on the streets, there are a lot of private security employees at the various businesses and apartment complexes.

The group tour still hasn’t started but I’ll be meeting the other group tour participants this evening.  I don’t think it will be a long meeting:  we *leave* the hotel at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning for our trip to the Andes!

 

Posts from Base Camp

A New Kind of Travel (and some final clues)

2 Comments

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In two days, I will be arriving at a new destination.  It’s special in many respects:  not only is it a new country for me, it is also a new continent.  Even so, I find myself thinking most about the format:  for the first time in my life, I’m going on a group tour for (almost) the entire trip.

Splendid ski lunch with friends - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Splendid ski lunch with friends – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

I grew up visiting Europe every few years with my parents.  By the time I was old enough to make my own travel arrangements, I had the confidence to deal with travelling in (European) countries with different food and where different languages were spoken.   After being directly immersed in Europe so many times, taking a group tour there would have felt limiting…maybe even a step backwards.

Walking away from the Giant's Causeway (Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)
Walking away from the Giant’s Causeway (Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)

However, when I started to think seriously about visiting my next destination, I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the prospect of doing it myself.  I wanted to have a safety net in case something went wrong.  Frankly, I also felt that I could use a break from planning every detail of every trip.  Between trips, I am generally planning ahead several months and taking care of details so that I can make the most of each trip (and keep my costs down).  I thought it would be nice to “coast” a little and just savour the moment.

Part of my discomfort was likely the result of negative media portrayals of this country in the not-too-distant past.  It hasn’t always been economically healthy either.  As it turns out, however, its economic indicators are stronger than at least one of the European countries I have already visited (alone) this year.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated here in 1914...World War I followed in due course (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated from this spot in 1914…World War I followed in due course (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)

While my apprehension may have been misplaced, I still think it will be useful to view travel through the lens of a group tourist at least once…and maybe determine if there is a future destination that would be best visited with a group.  If nothing else, I am sure that I will meet some interesting fellow travellers.

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that I have kept this destination a secret.  In addition to the clues in my previous post, I can say this:

(1) The country is soccer-crazy but is not competing in this year’s World Cup.  I have no doubt that I will be able to follow the progress of “my” Dutch and Swiss teams.

(2)  It’s winter there!

(3)  German will be essentially useless and English won’t be nearly as widespread as it has been in my travels to date.

Ducks on Collins Bay (Kingston, Ontario) - April 2014.
Canada Geese on Collins Bay (Kingston, Ontario) – April 2014.

I may not be able to blog in real time on this trip, as I may not have WiFi access.  However, even if I do have access, I don’t know if I will have the time to blog.  The itinerary is packed with activities as we are only spending 8 days together (including arrival and departure days).   At the very least, I hope to post the occasional update on Facebook and blog about the trip extensively upon my return to Canada.

One final clue:  I think the photographs from this trip will be spectacular!

Posts from Base Camp

A Farewell to Ireland and a Hello to….?

2 Comments

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Since returning to Kingston, a number of friends have commented on the fact that I really seemed to enjoy my trip to Ireland. It’s true – and one reason is the fact that I didn’t have months and months to plan for it. The spontaneous approach paid big dividends, as I didn’t feel like I had already visited Ireland before I had arrived there. Overplanning can be a very real problem.

My rental bicycle on one of the many Inis Mór beaches, just east of Kilronan
My rental bicycle on one of the many Inis Mór beaches, just east of Kilronan

I don’t recommend a complete absence of planning, however. The time of year, the weather, local holidays and a host of other factors should still be considered when “being spontaneous”.  It also would have been nice to avoid Saturday travel in Ireland, so that I could have caught a live hurling or Gaelic football match.  In any case, I’ve enjoyed my Gaelic football DVD and I am sure that I will return to Ireland in the not-too-distant future!

You can't have too many pictures of the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)
You can’t have too many pictures of the Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

My visit to Ireland also helped me focus on what I want to do in the rest of my travel year.   While I won’t be returning to Ireland this year, I now have a pretty good idea about a trip that will likely take place in late November or early December.  It’s nothing that I anticipated at the start of my odyssey but it also won’t be a surprise to people who know me well.   It will definitely be a change from the sightseeing that has characterized most of my travel so far this year.

View of Dunluce Castle, from the outer fortification (Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland)
View of Dunluce Castle, from the outer fortification (Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland)

There is a lot happening between now and November, however.  I had a brief visit with some former work colleagues yesterday and I must admit that I’m really enjoying the element of suspense concerning my next destination (whether they share my enthusiasm for the mystery is less certain!).   I’m heading out on June 27 for a very different kind of trip and here’s what I’ve been telling people:

1)  I’m visiting a different continent this time:  it won’t be Europe or North America.

2)  I’m going there on my own but most of my visit will be as part of an organized tour.  It will take a total of 10 days, including travel.

3)  I’ve never visited this country before.

4)  I underwent a series of travel vaccinations over the past month, something that I haven’t done for travel since 1996.

As with Ireland, the decision to go on this trip was also relatively spontaneous.  I didn’t plan it until quite recently and I don’t think I identified it as a serious possibility when I first decided to take a year off for travel.   Perhaps as a result, I am really excited about it and am holding off on any more post-summer travel planning until I return.  I need to determine whether it is a type of travel that I want to explore further.

Intrigued?  Stay tuned – I leave in less than a week!

Farewell from Séamus the Irish Seal!
Farewell from Séamus the Irish Seal!

 

Posts from the road

The North Side of Dublin

Leave a comment

(Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)

Maybe, just maybe, the north side of Dublin wasn’t going to be as squalid as “The Commitments” made it out to be.  It certainly started out fine:  O’Connell Street is a very wide boulevard with fast food outlets and souvenir shops similar to those that you’d find in any other European capital.

The O'Connell Bridge, leading to the north side of Dublin
The O’Connell Bridge, leading to the north side of Dublin

My travel schedule and the Gaelic football and hurling schedules seemed to be working at cross-purposes, so I didn’t make it to a live match.  To compensate, I ventured deep (by tourist standards) into the north end of Dublin to visit the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum.  The Museum is located at Croke Park (a stadium with a capacity of 82,300 spectators that is devoted to these uniquely Irish sports – see top photo), so I would at least get to see the premier Irish sporting venue.  Even better, the Museum advertised an extensive interactive section that would allow me to try these sports for myself!

Ireland is enthusiastic about its language, music and sports.  Irish schoolchildren are presented with ample opportunities to explore each of these elements of their culture…which, in this case, meant that I had to dodge rampaging groups of schoolchildren at the Museum.  Fortunately for me, they didn’t linger too long in any one place.  While they were commandeering the interactive area, I was learning how integral these Irish sports were to the national identity…and how they also provided an excellent “cover” for discussions of independence when Ireland was still completely controlled by the U.K.

The more conventional part of the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum in Dublin
A more conventional part of the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum in Dublin

While I carefully studied the history and the artefacts in the Museum, deep inside I really wanted to kick a Gaelic football and to “hurl” something,   Finally, after much dodging, I had the interactive hurling and football zones to myself.  First up was Gaelic football and an accuracy test.

A Gaelic football is like a soccer ball that has been crossbred with a volleyball.  My soccer teammates will be amused to hear that I had some trouble with the accuracy test.  Kicking the ball from my hands (as a soccer goalkeeper would do) turns out to be much harder than kicking the ball from the ground, at least as far as accuracy is concerned.  We’ll skip my specific results.

Suitably humbled, I moved on to hurling.  Hurling is like a cross between lacrosse and field hockey:  the stick is similar to field hockey but the ball is in the air a lot more and players must wear helmets and cages due to the wildly swinging sticks and rocketing shots.  The ball looks like a stitched leather tennis ball that doesn’t keep its shape very well.

Future hurling stars at the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum in Dublin
Future hurling stars at the Gaelic Athletic Association Museum in Dublin

Luckily for me, the hurling test was strictly for speed:  a radar gun had been set up to measure the velocity of your “hurl”.  I am sure that my technique was terrible; I acquired callouses after only a few swings.  However, my golf/baseball/ice hockey-influenced technique yielded some decent results…including a 94 km/h effort that I photographed for posterity (not that I’m competitive or anything).  Sadly, I don’t think a hurling career is in the works for me:  the short stick would undoubtedly leave me with serious back problems if I were to devote any time to the sport.

The pinnacle - and end - of my hurling career (GAA Museum in Dublin, Ireland)
The pinnacle – and end – of my hurling career (GAA Museum in Dublin, Ireland)

After leaving the museum, I stopped by the stadium’s sport shop and picked up a neat souvenir:  a DVD of the national Gaelic Football championship match.  My initial impressions:  these guys are crazy!  They must get concussions every other game.  Never mind my lack of kicking accuracy; the intense collisions (like rugby, they don’t wear any padding of significance) would stop my career in very short order.

I spent more time at the GAA Museum than I had expected; I really enjoyed the opportunity to do something a little more strenuous that walking or cycling.  While I took a quick look at some other North Dublin attractions, I wanted to make sure that I made it back to the National Museum of Archaeology before it closed.  I did, and now I can say I have seen the ancient bog bodies as well as the Cong Cross and the Tara Brooch.  The bog bodies were kind of creepy: these are 2000-year-old bodies that were preserved (more or less) in bogs until their discovery in recent years.   They are not for the squeamish!

I had a nice final dinner in a Dun Laoghaire Chinese restaurant.   I went for an appetizer of “Salt Chilli Crispy Shredded Chicken” and a main course of Lemon Chicken.  As in Cashel, the Lemon Chicken was almost Schnitzelesque in its quality.  This time, however, I have a photo to prove it.

Lemon Chicken at Yung's Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)
Lemon Chicken at Yung’s Chinese Restaurant (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)

While still very much present, my cold didn’t really inhibit my final day in Dublin.   I’m happy with what I accomplished and at the same time am also ready to return to Canada.  My next post will reflect on my Irish trip and also drop some hints about my exciting next destination!

Posts from the road

The South Side of Dublin

Leave a comment

(Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland)

Part of my preparation for this trip was to watch “The Commitments”, a 1991 movie that captured the grimness of the north side of Dublin prior to the years of the Celtic Tiger.  In short:  the north end of Dublin is rougher than the south.  Incidentally, even if you disregard the rest of the movie, the climactic performance of “Try a Little Tenderness” is one of the most powerful musical moments I’ve ever seen on film.

My initial impression of Dublin on this trip was the main bus station: it is (barely) in the north end and I didn’t feel very comfortable there when I arrived.  Particularly given my viral situation, I thought it might be better to start off by visiting the “softer” south side on my first full day in Dublin.

An understated bar at the edge of the Temple Bar district in Dublin
An understated bar at the edge of the Temple Bar district in Dublin

Accordingly, I set a modest goal of commuting into Dublin and experiencing two things:  a tour of Trinity College (University of Dublin) and a visit to the National Museum (Archaeology).  Just in case, I also took note of the address of a favourably reviewed used record store.  These were all within walking distance of each on the south side of the River Liffey.

"The Temple Bar" in the "Temple Bar", Dublin: some of these people may be tourists
“The Temple Bar” in the “Temple Bar”, Dublin: some of these people may be tourists

Trinity College reminded me somewhat of the Ivy League schools in the U.S…and, of course, my alma mater Queen’s University in Kingston!  Despite being in the middle of the city, it was relatively quiet, green and filled with old stone buildings.  Our tour was led by a current student who had returned to Trinity to complete his doctorate.  Trinity has quite a history of architectural corruption and incompetence…with much of the corruption on the part of the school!  It also was the site of a late 18th century murder, in which the accused students were acquitted because it was just a “student prank gone wrong”.

It was great to get some personal insights into the school and to learn about some of its famous alumni.  In the field of literature alone, its alumni include Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker (“Dracula”).

The Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin
The Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin

However, the prize at the end of the tour was seeing the Book of Kells in the college’s Old Library.  This is a remarkable book from Europe’s darkest days when literacy was just barely alive and there was extremely little in the way of artistic expression.  It was prepared in about 800 A.D. by monks and consists of four gospels… but it is the presentation that is most remarkable.  It contains an astonishing and whimsical (crossing a “t” with fish?) assortment of calligraphy and vibrant illustrations.  To get an idea, do a Google search for “images” of the “Book of Kells”, or just check out this link: Work | Book of Kells. IE TCD MS 58 | ID: hm50tr726 | Digital Collections

You will be amazed by what was created during such a grim time.

Interestingly, I found the preliminary displays to be more vibrant than the Book of Kells itself.  Because it is more than 1,200 years old, it is necessary to keep the book in a highly controlled environment with minimal light.  This understandably lessens the impact of the colours.  Two folios (consisting of two pages each) are available for viewing at any given time, but they are under glass and you cannot touch anything.  Of course, everybody else wants to see the Book too…with the result that you have only a few seconds to look at the pages before either the “marshal” tells you to move along or the crush of people forces you aside.

The Long Room of the Old Library (Trinity College, Dublin)
The Long Room of the Old Library (Trinity College, Dublin)

Upstairs from the Book of Kells is the “Long Room”.  It is, as you might expect, a very long room with a lot of very old books.  However, it also contains the “Brian Boru Harp”:  the oldest known harp in Ireland and the model of the harp that appears on everything in Ireland from government documents to bottles of Guinness beer.

I also visited the National Museum of Archaeology later in the day but somehow missed out on several of the most important exhibits.  Fortunately, I had some very successful record-buying therapy in not one but three separate used vinyl record shops.  I may have to devote a post to this once I am back in Canada.

I resolve to visit the north side of Dublin tomorrow and also rectify my oversight at the Archaeology Museum.