Snapshot of Slea Head Drive - Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

There are so many pockets of the world that I have yet to explore and while I try to discover new places on each adventure, I can’t help but be drawn to Ireland time and time again. I have been fortunate enough to make five journeys to the Emerald Isle and for me a visit is not complete without spending time in the Dingle Peninsula, my favorite corner of the world.

The jewel of the Dingle Peninsula is Slea Head Drive, one of the most magical coastal drives I have traversed. The circular drive around Slea Head begins and ends in Dingle Town; a fantastic fishing village that should be your home base while exploring the area. To properly soak up the magnificent beauty of the awe-inspiring windswept beaches and the startling rolling green hills dotted with sheep and low meandering stone fences, you will need at least a half a day to do it justice. If you are lucky enough to visit during the off-season, you are likely to have the narrow country lane to yourself with various stray sheep as your traffic. Driving alongside ancient beehive huts, farmhouses, secluded beaches, and breathtaking views of the Blasket Islands, one can’t help but feel as though they have stumbled onto something mystical. And to me it is something mystical. Maybe I am biased. But I have a sneaking suspicion that you too will feel the same way.

Monkey Mayhem - Hua Hin, Thailand

 

I’ll let you in on a little secret; I have a few irrational fears. Two in particular are clowns and monkeys. I know they are ridiculous things to be scared of, but I guess that is the irrational part of it all. Throughout the years, friends and family have taken great pleasure in tormenting me with clowns of all shapes and sizes. However, it wasn’t until a recent trip to Thailand that I realized that I was equally terrified of monkeys. One or two monkeys I can handle, it was the gaggle of monkeys that did me in.

On a recent Christmas vacation, I made my way to Thailand to visit my dear friends Nat, Hendo, and Patrick, who were living in Bangkok for the year. After a few days in Bangkok, Hendo drove us the 200km to the Gulf of Thailand and the Royal resort town of Hua Hin for Christmas. After a few days of lolling around in the sun and playing in the pool, we decided to venture out and check out Hua Hin. The agenda for the day was to explore the Khao Takiab area south of Hua Hin.

As we drove up the steep winding mountain road to the temple, Wat Khao Lad, I was a bit apprehensive because this area is known for its monkeys. In fact, the temple is often called Monkey Temple or Monkey Mountain. And the name certainly delivered. There were monkeys everywhere.

Perfect Day Out and About in Inverness, Scotland

Armed with two nights and one full day in Inverness, the six of us (four Americans and two Brits) set out on an early summer day to explore what the area had to offer.

Loch Ness

First stop of the day was a boat tour of Loch Ness. After seeing the giant purple sculpture of Nessie outside the gift shop, where the boat docks, I was weary that the excursion was going to be a little too commercialized for my taste. Happily, my fears subsided once I was sailing along the dank murky waters of Loch Ness.

The scenery is quite simply breathtaking; the beautiful ruins of Urquhart Castle sit forlornly on the shore of Loch Ness and the majestic mountains shimmer on the glassy surface of this famous deep watered lake.

China Through A Lens

For my last post on China, I thought I would do a visual recap of the highlights. Enjoy!

 Hong Kong