Travelling Lore

When it comes to South America one of the first countries that tends to pop up in conversation is Peru and its breathtaking 15th century Inca site, Machu Picchu. Though I have yet to visit it (hopefully one day!), I trust it’s as amazing in person as I read about. However, I feel its majesty tends to overshadow the existence of many other pre-Hispanic sites spread over the continent. One such site is Tiwanaku , a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is pre-Inca and nearly a millennium older than Machu Picchu. Located near Lake Titicaca on Bolivia’s Altiplano at an altitude of 3850 m (12,631 ft), Tiwanaku flourished into a city between 400 A.D. and 900 A.D. in what is now the Province of Ingavi, Department of La Paz. Much of the ancient city, which was built from adobe, is overlain by the modern town. Fortunately, the stone buildings from the ceremonial center have been preserved in archaeological zones. What remains of the city still spans over a great deal of land an...

Once we'd visited Arenal Volcano National Park and had a leisurely lunch, we finally arrived at Tabacon Hot Springs .  Only a 15-minute drive away from the park, Tabacon hot springs was the first hot springs resort to open to the public in the Arenal Volcano region and remains the most acclaimed luxury hot springs and resort in Costa Rica. Tabacon Hot Springs are completely natural in that the water flows by gravity through the property and forms pools and waterfalls throughout the resort.  In comparison, there are a fair amount of hot springs that are man made by drilling into an underground well and using pumps to circulate the water.  Additionally, they're an eco-friendly and carbon neutral resort and emphasize creating a closer experience with nature for their guests. Beneath the resort flows the Tabacon River, which is heated by Arenal Volcano. There are five different springs throughout the property with temperatures that range from 77 to 122 degrees...

Several years ago in 2012--way before I conceived the idea of starting a travel blog--I visited Costa Rica for the first time with a friend.  Unfortunately, back then I didn't keep a journal of what I did each day, so I've lost a lot of detailed memories about my trip.  Fortunately, though, I did take lots of pictures, so at least I have these to jog my memory! One of the first things I did when I visited was take a bus to Volcán Arenal, or Arenal Volcano .  Along the way from Heredia, where I stayed, to the volcano were plenty of colorful shops against Costa Rica's wonderfully lush landscape. The 5,357-foot Arenal Volcano is located in Arenal Volcano National Park , a 29,692-acre swatch of land within the expansive 504,094 acres of the Arenal Conservation Area.  The conservation area protects 16 reserves between the Tilarán and Guanacaste mountain ranges where there's a an incredible amount of biodiversity.  The national park also encompas...

Our very last stop in Northern Ireland (before returning to Dublin to fly to Norway) was Dunluce Castle.  On the way there from Giant's Causeway, we saw telltale signs of the Giro D'Italia 2014 that had happened a day or two prior, hence the giant bicycle art in the grass. Dunluce Castle is also located in County Antrim and is a short 10-15 minute drive away from Giant's Causeway.  It was built into the cliffs of north Antrim around 1500 by the MacQuillan family, though the earliest mention of it in written records was in 1513.  In the 1550s the MacDonnell clan seized the castle under the famous warrior chieftan Sorely Boy MacDonnell.  This occurred during a period of violence and rebellion when Sorely Boy sought to consolidate MacDonnell territories in Scotland and Ireland. By the 17th century Dunluce had become the seat of the earls of Antrim.  A small town had established itself by 1608 and can be seen by visitors exploring findings from arc...

Giant's Causeway  was the main attraction and biggest reason I wanted to visit Northern Ireland. As you've read already, Ireland and Northern Ireland have many spectacular places to see. But Giant's Causeway, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a geologist's dream. As someone who works in the geoscience field it was breathtaking to see such an expanse of basalt columns and their beautiful symmetry lined up along the Antrim Coast.  If there's one thing in Northern Ireland that you can't miss, this would be it. The Giant's Causeway Visitors Center opened its doors in 1986.  Like the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge , this site is part of the National Trust , a conservation organization in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (Scotland has an independent National Trust).  Its aim is to preserve and protect historic places for everyone to enjoy for the years to come. The Chimney Stacks Though the Visitors Center has only been open for about 30 yea...

Another fantastic Northern Ireland site is the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede .  Located near Ballintoy in County Antrim, this bridge was first erected by fishermen about 350 years ago.  It spans over a 23-meter deep and 20-meter wide chasm and was traditionally used by the fishermen so that they could check their salmon nets.  Today fishermen no longer work in the area due to a diminished availability of salmon.  In the 1960's fishermen caught approximately 300 salmon per day, but by 2002 only 300 salmon were caught in a single season. The original rope bridge consisted of a single rope hand rail that was replaced with a two hand railed bridge by the National Trust .  So suffice it to say it's much safer now than I'm sure it was 350+ years ago!  For those afraid of heights, crossing is definitely a thrill since the rope bridge undulates as everyone walks across it.  However, the staff has safety in mind as only a maximum amount of individual...