After my previous post about what an airborne cesspool Delta has become, Ken wrote a comment that I've heard voiced by many. It's about the whole frequent flyer conundrum, particularly the hope to be able to cash in with a big trip someday. Because I worked as president of a large company and traveled all over for years (in frequent flyer miles-producing first class), both domestically and internationally, I've acquired over a million miles-- and with all the carriers. And the bad news: Delta miles are the closest to worthless of any.

The Independent Traveler has done 2 interesting articles on how useless frequent flyer miles can be. "'I've had a Delta credit card for 10 years, and have never once been able to use the miles to travel,' says Misa Greenwood, who flies approximately once a month. 'They tell me I need to book six months in advance, or that a Saturday night stay is required, or that there are no seats left.' Even for upgrades, Greenwood has been stymied. 'I bought a ticket online, then called Delta to inquire about an upgrade,' she recalls. 'They told me the ticket was not eligible for an upgrade. No free flights, no upgrades; what's the point?'"

I've spent hours and hours and hours on the phone trying to book off-the-beaten path vacations with my Delta Miles. (Damn you, American Express!). I mean look at this blog; I'll go anywhere. And, more often than not-- like by a margin of 10 to 1 or 20 to 1 or more, there is nothing available. And I always plan months and months in advance; and, being retired and without a care in the world, I'm flexible as can be. Once I was on with a Delta agent for at least 2 hours trying to book a vacation-- total flexibility for leaving and returning and a wide number of places I'd be willing to go: Europe (anywhere), India, Thailand, Senegal. Frustrated and exasperated I finally just said to Ms. Robot on the other end of the line, "OK, I'll go anywhere, any class, any time in January or February for approximately one month. Any city. What's available?" Nothing was available.

So, Ken, Helen, everyone else... don't count on a big Delta SkyMiles score. One radio talk show host who does travel talk once said that over 85% of Delta requests are turned down and that although Delta was the worst, the other big U.S. airlines were nearly as bad. Take a look at Consumer Affairs if you're brave enough to hear the bad news about Delta's SkyMiles program. The stories are pretty miserable and when you experience them in real time, they're worse than miserable. And they are standard Delta fare. Flyer Talk ran an interesting piece on the 2005 "evolution" of Delta's SkyMiles program entitled "Are Delta's Frequent Flyer Changes Their Death Knell?"


The most recent Zagat's Guide airline surveyjust came out and it does not paint a pretty picture. The bullet points: "Ratings and Reviews Worst Since Survey Began in 1990; Mid-size and International Carriers Fare Best With Traveling Public; Continental Best Among Disappointing Major U.S. Carriers, JetBlue Up and Coming." They call it "an industry in steep decline" and point out that the U.S. airlines' "relations with customers are so poor, they're fortunate that passengers have few other places to turn."

Perhaps you'd like to see the Full Text of Class-Action Complaint Filed Against Delta class action suit passengers took out against Delta? Even if all the legalese makes your eyes glaze over, the constant stream of Delta flyers' complaints that you can find online always gives the best taste of what you can expect from these not very friendly skies.

Add Adidas to the growing list of sports apparel companies that are entering the GPS fitness watch market. Yesterday the new device was unveiled at a technology conference in San Francisco where the watch's specs showed that it will be packing some serious technology when it hits store shelves on November 1.

As you would probably expect, the watch will have integrated GPS for tracking speed, movement, change in altitude, etc. It also has a built-in heart rate monitor and can create a custom workout program based on performance, displaying prompts on its large, bright and colorful touch screen to indicate what is expected of the person wearing it. It also sports onboard storage for carrying a workout playlist of music and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to pair it with wireless headphones to listen to your tunes while on a run. The device will also be able to provide audio cues to the wearer over those same headphones, serving up information on their performance as they go. The Bluetooth functionality will not allow the watch to connect with a smartphone however and all fitness apps will be baked into the device itself.

The new sports watch, which apparently doesn't have a name yet, also has on board WiFi, allowing it to share your workout data with Adidas' miCoach fitness cloud. As you would expect, it is also water resistant and built to withstand plenty of punishment that comes along with regular exercise.

Battery life is said to vary by activity and features that are turned on. With GPS activated and streaming music it'll last approximately 8 hours, but in "watch mode" it'll last about a week. That's about standard for a watch like this one however and not all that surprising.

As mentioned, the watch is due out November 1 and will carry a price tag of $399. I'm looking forward to hearing more about this entry into the fitness watch line-up. It seems we're going to see a lot of these devices over the next few years and it'll be interesting to watch them evolve.

Alan has published several briefs on his Everest 2007 page to help keep us up to date on what's happening over there.

On the North Side, Alex Abramov's 7 Summits Club has arrived in Kathmandu and have met with Russel Brice's Himex team to discuss fixing ropes up the mountain. As reported, the Himex Sherpa's will go up the mountain to put down the fixed ropes for the other teams, with every climber putting $100 into Brice's coffers. Himex will also, as is the norm, set the climbing schedule for the other teams using their ropes.

Over on the South side, the report is that the Sherpas have been building tent platforms for all the teams that will be arriving soon at Base Camp. Alan also explains the politics of BC a bit, with teams sending their Sherpas in early to mark out a preferred spot. He notes that some teams like to be close to the Khumbu Icefalls to shorten their climb some, while others prefer to be further away to prevent traffic from going through their camp.

Also, check out the short introduction to the "Teahouses" in the area that act as hostels for the climbers trekking up the Khumbu Valley to BC. It's a nice read and offers insights into the climbing exerpience that you don't always find somewhere else. Great stuf Alan!

I think the first time I figured out that, generally speaking, renting a place was better than staying in a hotel was 1970. I rented a house for a couple of months on the beach in Goa. Once I figured out the function of the herd of pigs on the property, everything was smooth as silk and I settled in for a nice leisurely stay in my very first post-college home-of-my-own. It took me about 3 days to convince myself that I was actually a Goan and start, relatively speaking, integrating myself into the pulse of the community. I don't recall ever seeing a hotel in Goa although I'd hear from the hippies and other travelers who came to our beach-- the one that was 30 steps from my front door-- that there were hotels.

When you're staying in a place for less than a month, renting a place is tough. After my 10th trip to Thailand I finally figured out that a secluded villa on Phuket was way more what I was looking for than a berth at even the nicest of hotels. I don't think I ever put on any clothes for weeks at a time. And then a couple years ago I rented a villa overlooking the Ayung River in central Bali. Except to go pick up a friend who was staying at the Ritz, I never even visited the tourist ghetto on the island and, as far as I could tell from my vantage over the Ayung, I was indeed the only non-Balinese on the entire island.

These days, whenever I can, I always rent an apartment or a house rather than stay in a hotel. So, when planning my trip to Argentina a few months ago I was delighted when Lieber, an Argentine waiter at my favorite raw foods restaurant, told me that renting apartments was a very normal thing to do in Buenos Aires for anyone staying at least a week. Perfect! I found what looked like a reputable rental agency that specializes in dealing with foreigners and quickly found an apartment in the part of town (Recoleta) everybody was telling me was the safest and best located.

The apartment was perfect, right on Posadas, across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel-- a light, airy, well-kept one bedroom, with a living room, dining area and kitchenette, fully supplied with everything from sheets and silverware to a free phone for local calls, Wi-FI, a doorman and daily maid service. And the price? Prices vary based on location, size, all that stuff, but generally it costs for a week what you would pay for a night in a comparable hotel.

The agency I used was BytArgentina and I couldn't find anything online about them being unscrupulous or anything like that. My experience with the agents I used on Bali, BaliVillas, was superb and I just assumed-- uh oh-- that BytArgentina would be as good. They weren't-- and I mentioned what went wrong in a story I did a couple weeks ago about safety and scams in Buenos Aires.

In this case, the company (or perhaps the owner of the apartment, more likely), shrewdly not accepting credit cards, only cash, managed to separate me from $500. I had no recourse other than to suck it up. Something similar had happened to me in Tangier decades ago at the El Minzah Hotel (best in town), a $100 travelers check having been removed from the safe behind the reception desk! Left me with a bad taste in my mouth, but, after trying a couple of less grand hotels, I wound up back at the El Minzah a few times since. I know for sure I'd never rent an apartment through BytArgentina again (nor from Graciela Ujaque, the owner of the apartment). Would I rent an apartment in Buenos AIres again? 100% yes. Let me tell you why.

Aside from getting a sense of belonging to a culture that most hotel guests can never experience, there are some tangible reasons I like to get my own place. I don't eat junk food and I take breakfast seriously. Even in NYC, where I do stay in a hotel, I always get one with a kitchenette. That way I can stock up on healthy goodies (fruits, nuts, etc) and on breakfast goods (blueberries, melons, papayas, lemons...) and have a place to store them and prepare them conveniently. It is virtually always much less expensive to rent your own place than to stay in a hotel. And it's far more personal.

Not everyone agrees, of course. One of my friends found my luxurious villa (with 4 servants-- including the best cook on the island of Bali-- and a swimming pool) akin to camping out. She was eager to move to the more... sterile environment of the Ritz. (I talked about that syndrome a little when I discussed the Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires a few weeks ago.) Some people, maybe most, would prefer to be pampered and to have everything done for them, something more likely in a hotel. Me, I like going to the local markets and shopping for day to day stuff. You start to feel the rhythm of the town's life. Last time I stayed in Marrakesh, I gave up on the Mamounia and stayed in a riad instead, sort of halfway between a hotel and an apartment; well, not halfway, but we definitely had the feeling of being part of the neighborhood.

I've often mentioned that Delta is the worst of all the awful domestic carriers. I try to avoid flying that airline when there is an alternative going to the same destination. I even stopped using my American Express card and using my Master Card instead, the former hooked up to Delta and the latter to the less venal American. It seems like all the news we get from the airline industry these days is bad news. Earlier in the week I wrote about the heinous, anti-democratic rich-people-to-the-front-of-the-line-please Fly Clear program. And we've all been experiencing how the airlines are nickeling and diming us all to death with fees for everything. I'm certain pay toilets on board are next-- and I'll bet Delta leads the way.

Still, to be fair, Delta is actually leading the way on something awesome for a change-- albeit a new way of squeezing more money out of travelers. According to today's Washington Post wireless Internet starts this fall! Actually it'll only be on 133 MD88/90 planes this fall. The rest of the fleet won't be ready 'til next summer. "The service will be available to customers for a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours."


UPDATE: Meanwhile, JetBlue Is Charging For A Pillow

I just saw a Jet Blue executive, CEO Jeff Barger, making the unique, if twisted, case that his company's decision to start charging $7 for a pillow and a blanket was a great bargain. Apparently those pillows and blankets we've all been using on planes were filthy and germ-ridden and only laundered every few weeks. The $7 ones are fresh and clean and you get to take it with you... if you have room in your costly checked luggage.

The new issue of Time points out that Southwest is the "one major airline that is bucking the trend of increasing fees... [and] still doesn't charge for checked bags (up to two), nonalcoholic drinks, blankets or making a change to your flight." On the other end of the spectrum, USAirways "broke new ground last week by starting to charge for all beverages: $2 for a soft drink (or even a bottle of water); $1 for coffee or tea. Checked bags cost $15 and $25; flight changes are $150."

I needed a quick bite before getting on the plane at Changi T3 today, so I stopped at Itacho again, figuring that I could order a few a la carte pieces without getting too full. They had some special yellowtail menu with a range of toppings including yuzukosho and black truffles, the latter of which was in the foreground (one of the others without a topping was actually dotted with truffle oil). It tasted like one would imagine it would taste: clichéd and nothing to get overly excited about, but at least it was better than what I would have expected of a place that places tubs of powdered wasabi paste on the counter. I think I've been spoiled too much by Sasa, Mitsuya, and Mizutani.

To be honest, I not a big beach person. I'm afraid of sharks, not a huge sunburn fan and I've read so much about sewage being dumped into the oceans, that I tend to prefer a nice saltwater (non-chlorine) swimming pool. HOWEVER, I do make some exceptions-- and the beaches of Sri Lanka (and Phuket) are way high up on that list of exceptions. But after a week or so of relaxing on the south coast beaches of Sri Lanka, we were ready for the cultural heartland. Sri Lanka is a tropical country; it's always hot. We were there in December/January and that's probably slightly cooler-- though not noticeably so-- but it is in the midst of the West and East coasts' dry season. The hill country is always a bit cooler, very pleasantly so and a bit wetter.

I was eager to get to Kandy because I had such fond memories of the place from 1970. But our first stop was Nuwara Eliya in the beautiful, hilly tea-growing area. Basically it is green, green, green-- lush and gorgeous-- kind of manicured jungle-- and you're up in the clouds. We stayed at a grand old colonial hotel, St. Andrew's, which had the ambiance of a lodge or a gentleman's club. The service was impeccable-- and never uptight; just right. And whoever was preparing the food, obviously cared about pleasing, even titillating, the people being fed. And the place was embarrassingly inexpensive, probably because it is so off the beaten path. A little further off the path I saw an ayurvedic "day spa" and decided to avail myself of its services. What a treat; again, the prices were astoundingly low and the service... well, it couldn't possibly be any better. If I was as much of a naturalist health freak then as I am now, I probably would have stayed for a few days. But we pushed on to Kandy.

Kandy is in the center of the island and about 1600 feet above sea level. The setting is beautiful and the vibe is pretty laid back. It was the capital of the country before the Brits took over early in the 19th century and was and is the cultural capital of the Sri Lankans, or at least of the Sinhalese. We stayed at an old (and perhaps once grand) hotel called The Suisse Hotel across the lake, more of less, from the Temple of the Tooth. The hotel was delightful in a charmingly run-down sort of way. I remember big, stately public rooms and wide, shady, comfortable verandahs. The individual accommodations were nothing to write home about except to say that it was so inexpensive that it was mind-boggling. And the food was excellent; they were serious about the service. If you're fussy and anal this might not be the hotel for you-- but in 1997 there probably wasn't a hotel in Kandy for you. I don't know if they've put up a Best Western or Hilton in now, although I would doubt it. With virtually no business and no beach, wealthy Westerners probably aren't as drawn to Kandy as they should be. We didn't do much of anything except live the Kandy life as much as we could, meeting people, hanging around the Temple of the Tooth, that kind of thing. (Steve is on his way to start his new job at Shambhala in Colorado today-- driving across the U.S.-- and I just called him on his cell and asked him what he remembers of our trip, 10 years ago, to Kandy and the Lankan cultural triangle. He didn't remember a lot more than I did but he says we were the only tourists in town. He had a great run-in with an elephant near the Temple of the Tooth and Roland claims to have a copy and I'll try to post it if I can.)

After a 3 relaxing, blissful days in mellow, languid, very friendly, very Buddhist Kandy, we headed north to where all the ancient sites are. Somehow we wound up driving down a windy, bumpy dirt road in the middle of nowhere that brought us to our hotel in Dambulla, the Kandalama. This is the kind of place people must helicopter in to and just have their whole holiday in the hotel. It's a "green hotel," meaning at one with the natural environment. And it was sort of carved into the cliffs of a mountain, overlooking a spectacular lake/wildlife preserve. All three of us remember having showers and looking out a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the lake and watching the elephants shower themselves while the monkeys watching us showering ourselves. There is nothing like the Kandalama in Sri Lanka. We kept asking ourselves how it had gotten there. It was incredibly modern and beautiful and pretty much the opposite of funky. The memory of the infinity pool that looked down on the lake was something that I have never gotten out of my mind.

Dambulla and nearby Sigirya were the places we visited from the Kandalama; I remember a lot of climbing around in the hot sun. Dambulla have this huge incredible ancient cave with so many Buddha images it made my head spin. It was really beautiful and well worth the strenuous schlepp up the mountain. Nearby Sigirya is this big flat-topped rock that was transformed into an impregnable fortress over a thousand years ago. What you see now is the ruins of a gigantic citadel. One day isn't enough time, nor is only one day in slightly more further afield Polannaruwa, another place with really impressive ruins. Our last day in the cultural triangle, and the furthest north we ventured in Sri Lanka was Anuradhapura, the largest and the oldest of the ancient towns. And, at least when we were there, the most dangerous. It wasn't crocs or sharks or snakes this time, but Tamil rebels we had to fear. In fact I don't remember much about Anuradhapura because of how uptight all the security was. It was really the only time we were in Sri Lanka-- other than when we passed the wreck of a recently blown-up building in Colombo-- that we could feel we were in the midst of a civil war. I remember visiting the scared bodhi tree and some monk telling us that in the very spot where we were doing some prayers some Tamil rebels has shot and killed a bunch of pilgrims a few days before. I think we saw some remnants of blood. And then we decided to go to Thailand.

We stopped at Negombo first. After the glorious wonders of the southern beaches, this village north of Colombo was a big turn off. It was filled with package tour holidayers from Europe and there wasn't really much charming about it. The hotel sucked. When we went back to Colombo to catch the plane to Thailand we stayed at the big modern hotel, the Hilton. It was pretty luxurious compared to what we had gotten used to-- and still just around $100 for a double. The airport security was a nightmare, but not all that different from what security has turned into in the U.S. lately-- but, of course, they were in a real war, not a war on terror invented by Karl Rove to prop up George Bush's calamitous presidency and to excuse his illegal excesses.

No, I didn't come all of the way to Colorado to get Jamaican food. But the sausage stand that I was trying to get to had just closed for the day, and I needed food. So I walked further down the 16th Street Mall to Stout Street and came across this food cart, and fortunately, they served half orders.

So I got this jerk chicken in the hopes that it would be nice and spicy, but it wasn't. Maybe my perception of this dish is warped by a particularly hot one that I had back in school, but this one was tame. I still ate all of the delicious rice underneath, but I passed on the chicken. I wonder how the rest of their food is though.

The May-June issue of American Express' Departures magazine features the work of photographer Hans Silvester, a German photographer, who documents the extraordinary body painting of the Surma and Mursi peoples of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia.

The Surma and Mursi tribes are body painters. They paint their bodies with natural pigments made from the earth. They paint themselves and each other in a tradition that has remained unchanged for millenia. They use their bodies as canvases, painting their skin with pigments made from powdered volcanic rock and adorning themselves with materials obtained from flowers, leaves, grasses, shells and animal horns.

Hans Silvester was born in Lorrach, Germany, and is now based in southern France. He is recognized for a wide-ranging body of work and a protracted study of his subjects, most frequently nature, animals and the environment.

As the issue of Departures isn't yet on-line, many of the Omo Valley Fashion photographs can be found on The Daily Mail issue of February 2008.

Murrisk Friary is beautifully situated beneath Croagh Patrick, on the southern shores of Clew Bay in Co. Mayo. Today the Friary stands in ruin and a modern graveyard has developed around it. The Friary is thought to have been founded in 1456 and was handed over to the Augustinian Friars. According to historical sources, Hugh O’ Malley (a Sligo friar) built a monastery on land granted to him by the powerful O’Malley family. The O’ Malleys were important land owners in this part of Mayo, and the famous Pirate Queen Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley) was one of their more illustrious descendants.

It is thought that the lands were leased in 1578, during the reign of Elizabeth I, to James Garvey. We do not know if the monks remained at Murrisk after this time, however, it is likely that they retained a presence at the friary. A foundation like Murrisk, which, was in an isolated location, away from the eyes of government, may well have escaped the full effects of the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the Reformation. 

The Friary also appears in a poem by a Fr. William Bourke in 1730 which describes “lovely Murrisk, so tranquil and mild …” 
[see the bottom of this article for the full poem].

The East Window

Murrisk next appears when the Archbishop of Tuam notes that there was one Friar living in Murrisk in 1801. It seems that the site was abandoned by the mid-nineteenth century and is today maintained by the Office of Public Works.

The main part of the visible remains today appear to date to the fifteenth century. You can see the remains of the church, with some domestic buildings to the north giving the site a distinctive 'L' shape. One of the notable features of the site is the east window, beautifully sculpted in the flamboyant Irish Gothic style. 

The crenellations or battlements, crowning the building are thought to be of a later date. There are carved faces on the southern and eastern walls of the friary. It is unknown who these faces represent, but it was quite common in the medieval period to display depictions of wealthy patrons of the church on the walls of the building. The domestic buildings of the monastery would have been situated around the simple church at right angles to it. The remains of the sacristy and the chapter house are all that survives of these buildings today. The chapter house was one of the most important structures in the Friary as it was the place where the monks met to discuss the day to day running of the abbey and where the Rules of the Order were read to the community of monks working, living and praying in the Friary. There are no above ground traces of other domestic buildings associated with medieval religious houses such as the Refectory (kitchen) or the Dormitories where the monks would have slept. 

Early medieval shrines like Shrine of St. Patrick's Tooth and the Black Bell of St. Patrick may have been stored and venerated at the friary at Murrisk as it is a stopping point on the pilgrimage up the holy mountain. Indeed Murrisk Friary itself was dedicated to St. Patrick shortly after its foundation. The Viscount Mayo Chalice is also associated with Murrisk as the inscription incised into the 17th century chalice reads: “Pray for the souls of Theobald, Lord Viscount Mayo, and his wife, Maud O’ Connor, who caused me to be made for the monastery of Murrisk, 1635” It is thought that this chalice continued to be used until the 18th century. 

The site at Murrisk is a very interesting example of a later medieval religious house. The site is made even more spectacular by its incredible setting at the foot of Croagh Patrick – the Holy Mountain of Ireland – and on the shores of Clew Bay. It is well worth a visit if you are over in the west. To get to Murrisk, make your way west from Westport towards Lecanvey and Louisburgh. The site is located down a narrow lane to the right of the main road, on the opposite side of the car park for Croagh Patrick, close to The National Famine Monument. 


The Friar’s Farewell to Murrisk,
Fr. William Bourke, 1730.

Farewell to you lovely Murrisk,
So tranquil and mild,
And to the fine lordly mountains,
That rise up on all sides,
As I walked on the strand there,
The curlew’s refrain,
Was sweeter than all the music,
On this side of the plain.

I promised to obey,
The friars placed over me,
And to submit my desires,
To those of the community,
This is what has left me,
Condemned here to long craving,
For I would never have left Murrisk,
And its beautiful havens.

If I can hold out,
Until the cuckoo’s call beguiles,
I will then go to Murrisk,
And rest there a while.
The folk here are not,
The pleasant wise company I knew,
But are like idols of oak,
With an axe rough hewn.

From: The Story of Mayo. 2003. Mayo County Council. 

While reading Alan Arnette's Everest 2007 Page earlier, I came across an interesting, but disturbing, story. It seems that the IMG Team had to come to the rescue of woman who was in trouble just below the Balcony as they were making their descent following a successful summit. It seems the woman, who is described as a Nepalese climber, but non-Sherpani, was "abandoned" by her team on the way up the mountain. It seems the IMG Team found her in what is described as "bad shape" and helped her down to Camp 3 where she was turned over to the Extreme Everest Team which consists mostly of doctors doing high altitude research.

At this time, that is about all we know of the story, but just a year removed from the David Sharp incident, you have to think that this will raise some serioius questions about the ethics on the mountain. It seems that this woman was left behind by her team as they were in the midst of their summit push, and no one bothered to make sure that she could safely get back down the mountain. Considering the out cry from the climbing community last season, it seems so strange that we would have a similar incident this so soon afterwards. Thank goodness the IMG Team were on their way down and were still strong enough, and caring enough, to make sure she reached medical care.

I'm sure we'll hear much more about this story in the days ahead, and I don't want to jump to too many conclusions until we've heard it all, but honestly, it smells like another controversy preparing to boil over. I can see the headlines now: "Climber Abandonded At 27,500 Feet" It'll be interesting to see which team she was a part of. One thing is for sure though, Russel Brice wasn't involved in any way shape or form with this one.

So this was actually the sausage stand that I had tried to get to earlier but failed. And even though I already had some jerk chicken to settle my stomach, I somehow still couldn't bear the thought of coming all the way to Denver without having tried anything from Biker Jim's. So I walked up to their main restaurant instead, as that outlet was still open well into the evening (2148 Larimer Street, 746-9355).

Unfortunately, they weren't selling any of that rattlesnake sausage today (the sign said something about their snake handler getting injured), so instead I settled for this southwest buffalo dog without any of their special topping packages. Now, admittedly, you couldn't really taste the buffalo given how spiced up the dog was, but nonetheless it had a good casing and texture. Hopefully next time I can finally try the elk or rattlesnake.

Apa, a Sherpa from Nepal, who scaled Everest for a record 17th time, has definitely hit the big time. There is a feature article about him on ESPN.com, a site that covers major sporting events, such as football, baseball, and basketball, but rarely touches on something like mountaineerning.

Apa was of course a member of the Super Sherpas who topped out on Everest earlier today. The article notes that Apa first summitted back in in 1989 and has had 16 more summits since then. Definitely an amazing feat, and at the age of 46, he very well may continue to climb.

This story is amazing for several reasons. Of course, Apa adding to the record he already held is a great story in and of itself, and the Super Sherpa's charity climb to raise money for schools for the children of the Sherpas is a great cause. But it's also amazing that ESPN bothered to even put this up on their website. As I said, this is not the kind of story that gets mainstream buzz. As I write this, the story is actually on the ESPN.com front page. It's great to see the sport get some recognition from the mainstream media. It is certainly well deserved.

Thanks for the heads up on this one Carl!

Check out this amazing video of Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile. An amazing area of Patagonia that may be the site of my next adventure. Enjoy!




Thanks to The Piton for this one!

Normally, I'm not a big fan of the Soup Spoon, but when I saw a sign today advertising three different soups from Bhutan, I got curious. My first bowl wasn't very encouraging, as the most interesting thing about the beef stew for me was the daikon...which says a lot about the rest of the bowl.

But I was much happier with the vegetable bowl above, which featured three different kinds of cheeses. It wasn't anywhere as thick as it sounded, but it was rich and spicy, all with the unique twist of having some toasted red rice in there. Maybe a holiday in Bhutan is worth considering.

Rathmore Church is situated off the road outside the town of Athboy in rolling Meath pastureland. This wonderful site featured in the news a couple of weeks ago when a medieval carved font was stolen from the church. Thankfully the font was returned after a public campaign was initiated. The font has been moved to a more secure location but this church and graveyard is still well worth a visit. 

The Scene of the Crime! This pedestal marks the place where the font once stood

The church at Rathmore was founded in the 15th century by the Plunkett family and was dedicated to St. Lawrence. The Plunketts resided at Rathmore Castle which is in one of the adjacent fields to the church but now very little remains above ground of the castle. The castle and church were held by the Plunketts for generations until the 17th century when it passed to the Bligh family. There are records of Rectors present at the church until the late 17th century when the church became united with Athboy. The church probably began to fall into ruin after that time.

The church is surrounded by a built up graveyard. Within the graveyard is the remains of a decorated cross. This cross was probably erected for Sir Christopher Plunkett and his wife Catherine in the early 16th century. The figures on the shaft of the cross have been identified as St. Patrick grappling with a snake, St. Lawrence and an abbess or female saint, it is thought that this might be a representation of St. Brigid.
Within the church there are more fantastic medieval carvings. There is a beautiful carving of a labyrinth on the wall of the church. This carving most likely dates to the 15th century and is a motif that is common across Europe. The labyrinth design is a maze, the carved lines lead to the centre. 

The church has an L shape plan and there is a small room to the left of the chancel as you are looking east. This was the sacristy. Steps lead up to a room above the darkened sacristy and this was once the living room of the sacristan or resident priest. There is a fireplace in the wall and steps lead up to another floor, which is now gone. This would have been the bedroom. The sacristy on the ground floor contains a tomb and effigy of Thomas Plunkett and his wife – Marion Cruise. The carving has been defaced and it is difficult to make her out, but the carving of Sir Thomas is in a better state of preservation. He has been carved in full armour and even has his loyal dog at his feet. This tomb originally stood in the church but was moved to the sacristy to protect it from the elements. 

The altar, which stands at the top of the chancel has a range of figures carved onto its surface. This probably dates to the middle or later 15th century and has many saints and ecclesiastic carved on its surface. It also has carvings of the Plunkett coat of arms but it is difficult to make out some of the carvings. At the end of the nave is another doorway which leads you into what would have been the belfry. There are now no floors within this part of the church, but the exterior of the belfry of bell tower is quite well preserved.
 
Another beautiful feature of this site is the east window. It is a wonderful example of stonecraftsmanship and probably dates to the 15th century. On the external wall of the church, there are three stone carved heads around this window. They are depicting quite jolly looking people: a king, queen and ecclesiastic. A similar carving depicting another ecclesiastic is on the western external wall at the opposite end of the church. 

We visited Rathmore last Sunday and found it to be a fantastic place to spend an hour or two with some wonderful examples of medieval stone craftsmanship. To get to Rathmore, travel on the N51 towards Athboy. Take the first left hand turn after the village of Rathmore and park on the verge. The church and graveyard are located in fields on the right hand side of the road. The site is on private land so please make sure to close all the gates behind you.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. Our latest guide is to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase 
All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

Yep - that's the special at Yomenya Goemon right now...an odd combination of chicken egg, fish eggs, and slices of fresh ginger. They weren't exactly the most harmonious of ingredients, but ultimately I still ate it all.

Ugh - that was kinda nasty. We came here because I remembered them being across the street from Super Eggroll, and figured that maybe it would be worth a try (5499 Snell Avenue, 365-2042). But I didn't like it. The broth was mildly sweet and didn't have much body to it, while skin on those egg rolls was too thick to be enjoyable.

So yes, we should have just gone across the street to Super Eggroll, or maybe that new shop that has opened up over at Alamden Plaza. I'll admit that I might come back here for one more thing though: they had some kind of a sate noodle at the end of their super long menu, and I can't help but wonder if it's anything like TK's #2.

If you’d like to keep up with daily images and information about Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites please consider following our company Abarta Audioguides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Old Kenmare Road is truly one of the most scenic trails in Ireland. It crosses through the Esknamucky Glen, a narrow pass between Cromaglan Mountain and Stumpacommeen high in the mountains above Killarney in County Kerry.

The Old Kenmare Road was described by Charles Smith in the 1750s as a Grand Jury Road known as the Glanerought Road, built by subscription in order to link Killarney to the sea. As well as being beautifully scenic, the road has some fascinating historical tales to tell.

As you pass down the road, you can see graffiti etched into the rock by passing soldiers who were serving in the British Army in 1815. Though much of the graffiti has eroded away over time, one inscription still stands strong from the rock: ’James Neill Tippy Rgt [Tipperary Regiment] 1815’ . This immediately had us wondering whether James and his fellow soldiers had fought in the era defining Battle of Waterloo that was fought in June 1815 between the British Army and their allies under Wellington, against the French Army of Napoleon. Military preparations for the battle led to intense military activity throughout Ireland. It is estimated that over 90,000 Irishmen had joined the British army since 1800, and between April and June 1815, dozens of ships left from ports all around Ireland carrying troops to Belgium.  

Was James Neill amongst them?  The “Tippy Regt “ was most likely the 99th (Prince of Wales's Tipperary) Regiment of Foot. It was raised in Clonmel in 1804 in response to the renewal of the war with France in 1803. It subsequently served in Bermuda and saw action on the Niagara Frontier in the North American War of 1812–1815.

It is not listed among the Irish regiments (those with formal links to Ireland at any rate) that took part in the Battle of Waterloo. In 1815 there were the ten Irish infantry regiments in the British army but only one participated in the Battle of Waterloo, the 1st Battalion, 27th (Inniskilling) Foot. This is largely due to the majority of experienced British Army regiments being sent to America and Canada following the cessation of hostilities between Britain and France in 1814. Little did Wellington know at the time that Napoleon would escape from exile in Elba to wage war again just months later, he must have deeply regretted the absence of his experienced veterans like James Neill and the Tipperary Regiment.

So what was James Neill doing in Esknamucky Glen in 1815? A possibility is that he had returned from America with his regiment and was on holidays in Killarney. The evidence for this comes in a letter written by another soldier. Major Edwin Griffith, a Hussar, was based in Clonmel when he wrote home to say that he was on the march to Cork for embarkation to Waterloo. The mobilisation had interrupted his plans to travel to Killarney. “Dalrymple & I’ he wrote ‘ had intended to make our first visit to Killarney in May; but this Belgium party will rather interfere.’ And it sadly did. Edwin Griffith was killed in action on 18 June 1815.

By the time that James Neill and his comrades etched their names in the rock, the road had become little more than a neglected bridle path. Despite its neglect, it was still the only road between Killarney and Kenmare. The road was bypassed in the 1820s when an engineer called Griffith built nearly 250 miles of road (including the N71) following the Whiteboy insurrection of 1821, when the security forces were baffled by the lack of roads in Kerry. 

The townlands along the road were emptied of people over the next forty years, through a combination of famine, emigration and efforts by the landowner to clear the glens in order to create a deer forest. By the 1860s the Old Kenmare Road would have look pretty much like it is now, a rough track through an upland wilderness, a truly scenic and evocative route where you can walk in the footsteps of James Neill and his fellow soldiers, who passed along it some 200 years before.

The Old Kenmare Road is part of the Kerry Way and is well signposted. It covers a mix of terrain, mostly track but also some rough ground. Caution is advised. The easiest way to access the graffiti is to start at Torc Waterfall upper carpark. Take on The N71 Killarney to Molls Gap road, pass the main entrance Muckross House and take a minor road 300 metres on the left. This takes you to Cloghereen Upper, above Torc Waterfall. Leave the car in the carpark and proceed to the left on foot (no bikes allowed) to the entrance to Killarney National Park, pass Old Torc Bridge and follow the old cobbled road through the gap between Torc and Mangerton mountains, following the line of the Owengarriff River into open peatland at Ferta. Continue along the track for approximately 3.5 kilometres or, roughly, 40 minutes. The route takes you over a low hill, descends to the Crinnagh river and continues across a flat area roughly 400 metres wide. After this the track rises and enters a wooded gorge. The graffiti is on a distinctive slab of rock on the right.   

Return the way you came or, continue on to Galway’s Bridge but you will need transport to return to your car from Galway’s Bridge.

Another option is to park at the main Torc Waterfall carpark on the N71 and climb 90 metres through deciduous forest to the upper carpark. 

  

More info at:

Route: http://www.kerryway.com/trail-description/torc-waterfall-galways-bridge.php

Map: http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/images/parkmap.jpg

Photography and text by Ciarán Walsh:

Ciarán is a post-graduate researcher in the Anthropology Department of Maynooth University, who worked with Abarta Audio Guides on an Irish Research Council funded Employment Based Postgraduate Research Programme.

Fancy exploring some of Ireland’s fantastic heritage sites this weekend? Please check out the rest of our blog http://timetravelireland.blogspot.ie where we have more suggestions for great places to visit. You can also download audioguides from our website www.abartaheritage.ie, where we have 25 guides that tell the story of Irish heritage and the majority are absolutely free to download. 

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Known as Ireland’s Alcatraz, Spike Island has a long and varied history. The island is quite large at around 103 acres, it lies off the lovely harbour town of Cobh in County Cork. The first recorded habitation of Spike Island comes from the Early Medieval period. Saint Mochuda (also known as Saint Carthage), is said to have founded a monastic site on Spike in 635 AD. Spike next appears in the records when King Henry II claimed the island for the Anglo-Normans in 1176, however no traces of this earlier activity has been discovered by archaeologists on the island.

View of Cobh through one of the machine gun slits in a pillbox

It is thought that after his campaign in Ireland in the middle of the seventeenth century, Oliver Cromwell used Spike Island as a holding area for Irish Catholics who were being transported to work as indentured labourers on British plantations in the West Indies. This would not be the only time Spike Island served as a prison in its history. The island was also thought to be a popular spot for smugglers who were trying to evade the strict taxes of the time.

There is a wonderful variety of seabirds present on the island, including this Shag who seemed happy to pose for this picture

As the eighteenth century progressed, war between the increasingly ambitious European powers seemed inevitable. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, relations between Britain and France

had completely broken down following the French Revolution.

 Cork Harbour was of huge economic and strategic importance, so the British fortified Spike Island with batteries of cannons and a fort to deny entrance into the harbour to any hostile French shipping. A map of 1821 shows a large star-shaped fort, a hospital on the western side of the island, engineers yards, and a number of ancillary buildings, many of which are visible on the island today.

The fort is protected by a deep ditch covered by machine gun positions in the bunkers

In 1847 Spike Island again was used as a holding area for convicts before transportation to Australia and Tasmania. The convicts had a harsh life, and were used as forced labour to carry out numerous building programmes on the island, and by constructing the docks and forts on the neighbouring Haulbowline Island. Conditions on the island were said to have been very poor and arduous for the prisoners.

A number of political prisoners were held on Spike Island following the 1848 Rebellion. John Mitchell was probably the best known of these prisoners, Mitchell was an Irish nationalist and journalist was held on Spike Island before his transportation to Tasmania. Mitchell managed to escape the hellish life on Tasmania, and settled in America, where he became a prominent pro-slavery voice of the Confederate side during the American Civil War.

By 1883 all prisoners had been removed from the island and it reverted to being used as a military base.

One of the massive 6" guns on the island

During the First World War, Spike Island became an important base of operations against the German submarine fleet. During the War of Independence, hundreds of political prisoners and Republicans were interred at Spike Island. Under the Anglo-Irish agreement, Spike remained a British military base until 1938 when it was handed over to the Irish government. The Irish army and navy occupied the island, many living their with their families until 1985. The island served as a prison again, this time for young offenders, who remained on the island until 2004.
 

Block C Mitchell Hall

The island is an utterly fascinating place to visit and it really does have something for everyone to enjoy. History buffs like me, nature lovers and bird watchers, and people who just love a good walk in a beautiful and unique setting will all have a brilliant day out on this wonderfully atmospheric island. You can find out more about Spike Island, including how to get there and ferry times from Cobh from their website at http://www.spikeislandcork.ie.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. If you enjoy stories of the turbulent medieval period in Ireland try our guide to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase  or the free audioguide to the wonderful heritage town of Kells in County Meath

All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

Something for everyone on the island, nature lovers, birdwatchers, history buffs and ramblers will all enjoy a trip