Just the previous day we were ignorant about this area.  It’s not discussed much in the travel guides or on any blogs we had read.  This is the bonus of chatting with local folk in the pub on a dreary Sunday.  The couple we met the night before gave us all sorts of tips on underdog destinations.  They both ensured us that these cliffs are just as beautiful (if not more so) than the Cliffs of Moher.

Arriving in County Clare on a short ferry we skirted the coastline into the seaside town of Kilkee.  Here is where the Loop Head Drive starts.  We passed Kilkee’s famous horseshoe shaped sand beach and took the road headed south out of town.  A few minutes later it turns towards the edge of the peninsula and the cliffs come into view.

The drop off is a bit scary if you have a fear of heights, especially when the conditions are windy with wet boggy grass.

We parked at the first spot available and crept slowly down the bank as near to the edge as we dared.  The cliffs are magnificent to witness – groups of craggy rock shooting up from the sea meeting the soft green grass.  Isolated sea stacks have water swirling in and out of hidden holes.  Sea mist sprays into the air.  Both of us stood there entranced by the sight for several minutes.  The road continues to follow along the cliffs for about eight kilometers which easily took us an hour to navigate.  This is because we seemed to stop every several hundred feet in awe.

Eventually we shifted away from the coast driving through farmland.  Herds of grazing cows and horses and a large number of wind turbines greeted us.  Several of the hamlets have art studios and I could just imagine how this isolated landscape must inspire others.

The Bridges of Ross were our next stop before the Loop Head Lighthouse.

While there is only one natural bridge left out of three, the plural name still sticks.  Here you can walk a short loop out to the remaining bridge and cross it to a rocky jetty.  There is also a small cove with a beach perfect for kayaking.  We saw several fisherman and a group of older men with serious photo equipment and a collection of binoculars.  They were most likely scouting for the dolphins that frequent this area.

The Loop Head lighthouse is at the southern point of the peninsula, where the River Shannon and the Atlantic Ocean meet.  Unfortunately we got there after it closed, but we could still walk along a short path to the eastern side of the peninsula.  The surf here was crazy, easily flinging sea spray and waves over the edge of the cliffs.  It was mesmerizing to watch the sheer power of the ocean.  Then we trekked to the western side, checking out a nesting area for birds on a sheltered sea stack.

Before we returned to the Bridges of Ross to park for the night we drove up the east side of the peninsula to the little town of Kilbaha.  It has a beautiful sheltered cove and Keating’s Bar is a perfect stop off for a tipple with a view.  Our day was topped off as we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the Atlantic.

The next day we headed to the town of Doolin, a great spot to stay when exploring the Cliffs of Moher.

We set out that afternoon to walk to the famed cliffs. The path takes you through part of Doolin and then heads south of the town, following the cliffs.  There is a bit of a fence in some areas, but you are mostly on the edge the entire time.  The coastline takes you up and down passing sheep, cattle and horses as well as crossing several streams.  It ramps up bit by bit as you get closer to the cliffs.

The Cliffs of Moher are everything I thought they would be and I’m glad we experienced them the way we did.

Since we were approaching from the north it was not nearly as busy as the actual visitor’s center.  We didn’t have to jockey for a view with hundreds of bussed in tourists.  In fact, we were quite alone and it was magical.  Taking selfies with goofy faces and making fools of ourselves because there wasn’t anyone to make fun of us made the experience.  We saw the cliffs, walked along them for a bit enjoying the expansive views and then decided to turn around before we hit the chaos.  It was fantastic.

That night, buoyed by our two days of cliff side walks and little interaction with tour groups we camped out at O’Conners Pub.  Here we got to chat with two Americans who were on quite the package tour.  They balked at how we were traveling while we were thinking we could never travel the way they were.  Buy hey, they were having the time of their lives and so were we.  Different strokes, right?  Plus, hanging out with two ladies from Staten Island made for an entertaining evening.

In the morning we left the cliffs to tackle part of The Burren, an area with erratic limestone karst formations that make it seem otherworldly.

We were driving through farmland and then we were not.  It was like we went over a hill and through some kind of portal to a rocky planet.  There were striated rock formations with wildflowers jutting up in between as far as the eye could see.  Bushes and grasses clung to the small amount of soil in the crevices.  It was gorgeous in a desolate kind of way.  I can’t imagine the beauty of the flowers in the spring when they are in full bloom.  It was just odd to see in the middle of a country with so much green.

One of the big draws to the area is the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a portal tomb from ancient times.  It was fascinating to see and hard to imagine just how people propped these rocks on one another over 5200 years ago.  The tomb itself was excavated in the eighties and found to contain the remains of twenty one people.  Thanks to carbon dating we know how old it is.  Is it crazy that each week in Ireland we see something older than the next?  The area surrounding the tomb also has some of the best examples of the different rock formations in the Burren.  It was fun to explore and the Office of Public Works has a ton of information for the nerd in you.

The Burren Perfumery piqued my interest the first time I heard of it on one of our favorite podcasts.

A boutique perfumery in the middle of nowhere.  One that uses only local herbs and flowers in their scents and line of body products.  Add in an awesome little organic cafe and herb garden.  This was a must do in my opinion and Todd was a sweetheart for agreeing to this little detour.  Several winding one lane roads later we arrived.  The wooded glen is like a haven on the rocky planet that is The Burren.  The perfumery itself was delightful and even showed a movie all about the flora and fauna of the region!  I found a new scent for myself and our lunch at the cafe was delicious.  We left happy and wanting to spread the word of this little gem of a place.

Before we called it a day, we had two more stops.  The ruins of Corcomroe Abbey are another treasure we discovered in The Burren.  We were particularly impressed with the care taken in the upkeep of the graves and the intact arches in the church nave.  Following, we swung by Dungaire Castle which is perched on a small peninsula in Kinvara Bay.  We wish we had planned better as they do nightly medieval banquets in the castle which would have been a treat.

I have wanted to visit Galway since originally coming to Ireland in 1999.

It’s a great city with an intriguing history and a lively nightlife.  Unfortunately, we had crappy weather with torrential downpours and a stinging cold wind.  We made the best of it – enjoying the shelter of several churches and even joining in on a free walking tour in which we learned a lot about the Norman history of the area.  Later that evening we watched live music and warmed ourselves with Irish coffees.  As a bonus we caught up with a friend we met in the Philippines early on in our adventure.  And that was pretty much Galway.  Something tells me we will be back to explore more of the city.

The last area we explored on the Wild Atlantic Way was Connemara.

Honestly, we felt we rushed through and want to return to do it more justice.  Todd and I plan to come back to Ireland and finish the northern part of the WAW, so starting out in Connemara makes sense as it’s easily accessible from Galway.  Our one day there solidified what we had heard about the moodiness of the area.  Fog lingers on mountains obscuring them from view for minutes at a time, then suddenly disappears.  The sheep pretty much rule the road – and they are everywhere.  And the lakes are like glass, so still that even the smallest fishing boats have reflections.

We left the main road to drive past Lough Inagh, another suggestion we got from locals.  It is full of scenic pullouts and we made good use of them.  Our next stop was Kylemore Abbey where we ate lunch, basking in the stillness of the lake and the mountains.  Then we checked out Connemara National Park and hiked the middle loop up to Diamond Hill.  It’s a great little hike – once up there you can see to the coast and the surrounding mountains, provided they aren’t covered by clouds.

From here we drove north towards Tully, then followed the coast past several small beaches and around Lough Fee, another moody lake.  Then we skirted Killary Harbor to the town of Leenaun where we celebrated with a pint of Guinness for three successful weeks of campervan bliss on the coast of Ireland.

The western coastline in Ireland is second to none for the amount of scenery, ancient sites and charming villages you encounter.  Three weeks flew by and left us wanting more.  I can only dream of a summer in years to come when we can return and discover the northern part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

The post Wild Atlantic Way, Part 3: Kilkee Cliffs to Connemara appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

The village of Sneem was our first stop south of Kenmare.  We had wanted to visit here ever since we discovered a campervan stop perched on the river in the middle of town.  Sneem is divided into two distinct sections on either side of the Sneem River.  Both areas have a main square with a garden surrounded by quaint restaurants and shops.  Keep an eye out for sculptures scattered about as the town is known for them.  There are also gardens by the river built with money from winning the Tidy Towns contest years ago.  They were pleasant for an evening stroll as the sun waned.  We of course loved all the colorful houses and shops and I couldn’t help but take a ton of photos!

The next morning we started out at Staigue Ring Fort, our first of several on this leg.

Built in the the 3rd or 4th century, it is a feat of engineering in that they use no mortar.  All the stones are placed just so and were obviously chosen with care as it’s still standing.  It was pretty cool to climb on and had great views of the valley around it.  It was totally hidden down a one lane road which was a bit precarious to drive in the van, but we made it!

From here we headed to Patrick O’Connell’s estate, the Derrynane House.

He was a political crusader in Ireland, particularly for the rights of the Catholics back when they were still ruled by England.  His estate is enormous.  We enjoyed walking out over the dunes to the sea area and touring a large garden with plant species from all over the world.  Inside the mansion we watched an educational film about Daniel O’Connell’s life.  All the films we have seen by the Office of Public Works so far are lovely.  They do a wonderful job bringing the Irish history alive for people visiting the heritage sites around the country.

A bit further south we turned off to explore the Skellig Ring at the Southern tip of the Iveragh Peninsula.

Ballinskelligs Beach was a great area for a picnic lunch.  It reminded us of a tropical paradise but with castle ruins at one end.  Skelligs Chocolate Factory is also a great little stop.  You see the workers making the chocolate right on site while tasting a nice variety of samples.  We especially enjoyed the whiskey truffles.  Their hot chocolate looked really good too.

After a few more twists and turns the Skellig Islands came into view.  They are located just off the end of the Iveragh Peninsula, the bigger of which used to have a monastery on it.  Skellig Michael is now famous because part of the new Star Wars was filmed there.  The local towns definitely capitalize on it too – lots of Star Wars memorabilia all over!  Next up, a traffic jam courtesy of a Slovakian tour bus that tried to navigate roads clearly marked ‘no buses’.  And after driving the road they came from a few minutes later we could see why – one lane switchbacks, straight up, then a brief crest near the Kerry Cliffs and it was all downhill again as Valentia Island came into view.

Our friend’s family is from Valentia Island, which made it special for us to explore.

We hiked up Bray Head where her grandparents used to court.  This was another one of those places I had ‘end of the earth’ feelings once reaching the top.  Watching a nasty storm come in from the Atlantic, we counted down the minutes until the sheet of rain approached.  Luckily we found a shelter and managed to stay dry as the epic downpour passed over us.  At this point in our trip we totally understand where all those shades of green come from!  Later we had a wonderful evening out in Knightstown at Bostons Pub, listening to a local trio perform and meeting some of the regulars.

Valentia Island is also known for where the first Tetrapods walked on the earth.  It was pretty neat to check out where major evolution occurred hundreds of millions of years ago!  You can see the imprints on the rocks and just imagine something crawling out of the sea and heading for land for the first time.  Quite the experience.

Heading back over the bridge through Portmagee, we cruised through Cahersiveen and crossed Valentia Bay to see a few more ruins before finishing our loop around the Ring of Kerry.

Cahergall and Leacanabuaille are two ring forts right next to each other that are worth the drive off the main loop.  The views of Ballycarbery Castle and the bay from the forts is exceptional.  It’s also easy to imagine how people lived in these forts since the rooms are still kind of intact.  From there we drove over to Ballycarbery Castle and climbed around the ruins for a bit.  Castle ruins never get old.

The drive back up the northern end of the Ring of Kerry was pretty.  We passed by a lot of pastoral landscapes and some mountain ranges.  For lunch we checked out Ross Behy Beach and watched some brave souls swim in the wind and rain and a lone wind surfer taking advantage of the conditions.  In the right weather this would be an awesome swimming beach as it has some long sandy shores and great breaks.  Unfortunately for us it was a whopping fifty five degrees.

We arrived on the Dingle Peninsula later that day.

It’s much smaller than the Ring of Kerry, but there is still quite a bit to see.  We briefly stopped by Inch Strand.  It’s directly across from Ross Behy where we ate lunch earlier but extends south from the Dingle Peninsula.  We read that people camp on the beach but honestly the sand seemed a bit soft so we moved on, heading toward Minard Castle before the sun went down.  This was a great choice.  The parking lot was small and private with views of the castle ruins from a tiny beach.  We stayed there overnight with a friendly German couple also driving around in their van (and who we happened to run into again and again as we went North).

The next morning was gorgeous!  We hiked around the area a bit before taking off in search of more ruins.  After exploring some beehive huts we enjoyed a great lunch overlooking Fort Dunbeg at the Stonehouse Restaurant.  If you ever travel in Ireland, try the vegetable soup.  There’s something about it especially when paired with homemade soda bread.

The rest of the Slea Head drive was gorgeous, especially the lookout approaching Dunmore Head.

If you are into history, the Blasket Center is wonderful.  It profiles the small community of people who settled on Great Blasket Island and lived there until evacuation in 1953.  The center focuses on the fishing and agriculture practices and also the many writers and artists that grew up there.  You could while away an entire afternoon at this great little museum.  We unfortunately didn’t have time to take the ferry out to the islands themselves – perhaps on the next visit!

We finished the day seeing the Gallarus Oratory, an old stone chapel that looks like an upside down boat.  Then we rewarded all of our historical pursuits with a stop at West Kerry Brewery to try some local beers.  We especially loved the porter and the musical selections playing on an old record player.  The pub’s owner gave us a tip on where to stay the night and we delighted in the free spot at the end of Wine Strand, just a five minute drive from the pub.

We explored Dingle Town the next day.

I should say we did our best rather, as the weather took a turn for the worse.  Torrential downpours followed by short periods of drizzle all day long was par for the course.  We were disappointed the Dingle Distillery was closed but then noticed several other businesses were shuttered.  Turns out the local Irish Football team (Kerry) was playing in the semi-finals against their rivals Mayo.  This is like the NFL playoffs in the states and everyone was watching.  So we toured St. Mary’s church and gardens, window shopped a little and then did what many Irishmen would do on a dreary Sunday.  We went to the pub.  Dick Macks is the place to be in Dingle Town, it’s a special kind of place and a bit hard to describe so if you visit, just check it out.

Later that evening after dinner in the van and a futile attempt to dry out, we ventured to where we heard the best local sessions went on.  Conveniently the Courthouse Bar was only a block from our parking spot.  It’s tiny, but has a delightfully warm atmosphere and some incredible live music.  We posted up on some stools and settled in for the evening, excited to see McGargles IPA on tap.  Here is where we met Charlie and Dave, a really cool couple from Dublin.  They were celebrating their engagement with a roadtrip and were a lively addition to our evening.  We had a great night with them and headed over to The Mighty Session Pub after the music ended.  It was definitely a wild Irish night on the Wild Atlantic Way!

The next morning we crossed over to the north side of the Dingle peninsula and sadly left it behind as we journeyed towards County Clare.  Ahead of us we still had some amazing cliffs, the Burren, Galway and Connemara as we finished up our coastal road trip.

The post Wild Atlantic Way, Part Two: Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

That changed as we walked down an alleyway in Cork with our friends Abby and Josh.  Abby starting chatting with a fella who turned out to be a longtime motorhomer and travel guide.  And he told me and Todd in no uncertain terms to head to Kinsale to start on our journey as it was the official beginning of the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW).  So we did, heading there later that day.

The afternoon was glorious for the short drive.  The sun basked down, the warmest it had been since we arrived in Ireland a week earlier.   As we came over a hillside and saw the ocean framed behind Charles Fort with the town just off in the distance we knew we had made the right decision.  And so began our seventeen day trek on the Wild Atlantic Way.

We loved Kinsale so much we stayed there for three nights, taking time to explore the fort, wander the colorful town and eat fish and chips at the marina.  Desmond Castle has an interesting international wine museum – who knew there was such an Irish connection to winemakers all over the world?  We hit up several of the pubs where we experienced our first taste of live Irish music, particularly enjoying the vibe at The Silent Banjo.  We also learned about the Tidy Towns contest after which were were constantly on the lookout for winning towns on our way up the coast.

From Kinsale we headed towards Mizen Head to see the southernmost point of Ireland.

After visiting the Timoleague Abbey ruins we stopped for lunch in Clonakilty, another Tidy Town winner.  Clonakilty is home to Michael Collins, a famous Irishman who lead in the struggle for independence.  It also has a breathtaking cathedral and a great Main St. full of butchers, curio shops and cafes.

Then we took a quick detour to the Drombeg Stone Circle which dates back to the Bronze Age.  This was the most ancient landmark Todd and I have ever seen and a taste for others we would see along the way.  Let’s say the drive from that circle to where we camped for the night was a challenge.  It was our first experience with just how narrow the coastal roads in Ireland can be and involved some serious maneuvers to bypass other cars in the small town of Glandore.

Arriving in Schull that evening we were thrilled to learn it was their annual regatta weekend.

We enjoyed a live band by the pier and some boat races with the bonus of a fireworks show that night.  We imbibed and made new friends with a hilarious group of ladies away for a women’s weekend.  I laughed that so hard that night and was shocked when I stumbled out of the van late the next morning to find they had already made breakfast, showered and packed up.  We were out of practice!  Rain started that morning but we walked down to the farmer’s market anyway and caught a few more races then drove south to the Mizen Head Signal Station.

Parking at the point that night was spooky with rainy, foggy and windy conditions.

We couldn’t even see where the cliff dropped off into the ocean although we could hear the waves churning below.  Luckily the rain stopped the next morning.  The signal station is gorgeous with views of the Sheep’s Head peninsula to the West.  You feel like you are at the end of the earth.  The visitor’s center has some informative exhibits on lighthouse keepers, local flora and fauna and Marconi’s telegraph.  We took our time taking in the views and watching some harbor seals frolic in the surf below.

The drive back up North was full of wild fuschia and montbretia everywhere.  We got to our parking spot at a nature preserve near Glengariff with time for a short hike.  To finish the day we walked up Lady Bantry’s viewpoint with views of Bantry Bay and the mountains behind.  The scenery in Ireland is always surprising and breathtakingly beautiful.

The next day we headed south again, this time on the Beara Peninsula.

 It is a bit off the beaten track from other spots further along the WAW.  Although we ran into some local tourists, there was a general lack of large buses and tour groups.  We enjoyed chatting with folks who stopped for tea at one of the many waysides.  After taking hours to go fifty km. we came across our first real swimming beach!  Though it was a bit brisk for us to jump in, the locals thought nothing of it.  We watched in our fleece jackets and hats.

From the beach we started an amazing loop hike near the Allihies Copper mines.  It took us along the coast and through herds of cows.  Turning inland, we walked the rest of the way among sheep and babbling brooks.  Sometimes we could hear the water but not spot the source.  We could also hear and see local horse races taking place in the distance.  It seems that every village in Ireland has a festival in the summer and we happened to catch the tail end of this village’s festivities.

After our hike we drove up the west side of the Beara peninsula.

At one point a woman in the road flagged us down and honestly it was perfect timing.  Floored by the incredible beauty of the scene, Todd was happy to pull over to enjoy it more.  She was a German expat and delighted to chat with some of her countrymen.  Honest mistake – with the Deutschland plates on the campervan we get that a lot!  We checked out the super tidy town of Eyries, commonly used as a movie set.  Further along we stopped for a pint and some craic at The Village Inn in Ardgroom before heading to one of our sketchiest parking spots to date.

The ‘Windy Pier’ as we refer to it seemed a good choice – private, flat and off the main thoroughfare.

Unfortunately being parked at the water’s edge on a tiny cement pier for the night was not a great idea.  We endured 30 mph winds and the tide creeping up to us.  The van was a rockin’ all night long.  I slept approximately three hours, spending the wee hours of the night googling how strong wind had to be to tip over a campervan.  Not the most restful evening.

We finished our drive up the Beara peninsula the next morning.  Our first segment of the WAW ended in the lovely town of Kenmare, gateway to the Ring of Kerry.  Here we did a little souvenir shopping, purchasing a much needed wool sweater for Mairin.  Oh the fickle Irish summer!

Completing our first week on the Wild Atlantic Way was incredible yet surreal.  It felt like we had barely scratched the surface….we had oodles of ring forts, monastic ruins, coastal hikes and more incredible views to look forward to.

The post Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Part One: Kinsale to Kenmare appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

It is a huge part of the culture and many people visit them on a regular basis for relaxation, a variety of ailments or simply social interaction.  You will find at least one in every town with varying degrees of fanciness but at its most basic a jimjilbang will have an area for baths, one for saunas and some relaxing rooms.  The catch, for foreigners anyway, is that you must bare it all in order to indulge in the steaming hot water.

I have done my fair share of skinny dipping…usually at night, mostly when I was a tad younger and loads perkier in some areas.

I try to be positive about my body as I get older but it’s not easy all the time.  Getting totally naked in front of strangers is out of my comfort zone.  After traveling for seven months I was at my heaviest in years and out of shape.  Even with my fears I thought I would be missing out on a wonderful experience of the culture by not going at least once.  Not to mention what I had read about getting a full body scrub.  On our last day in Korea, Todd and I gathered our courage and boldly headed to the highly recommended Spa Land in Busan.  This place is supposed to be the king of the jimjilbangs in the country and we figured why not start with the best?

We opted to head there in the middle of the afternoon, hoping to avoid the after work crowds and overcome our shyness a little.  Once we arrived we grabbed our locker keys and brown cotton PJs then split up into the segregated areas.  The baths and steam saunas in jimjilbangs are separated by sex although the rest of the complex is co-ed.  We agreed to give ourselves an hour and a half then meet back up.  And with that we entered the naked zone.

I derobed in the locker room and headed to look for the showers.

Unfortunately I couldn’t locate them.  I didn’t realize they were in the same room as the baths and not the locker area.  Walking around I tried to find someone who spoke English and could point me in the right direction.  I ended up using charades with an understanding older woman.  Embarrassing!  Once I finally got to the correct area I showered then turned to inspect the baths – they had easily ten to choose from in varying temperatures, design and types of jets.  Some were even outside.  Making a choice was overwhelming especially surrounded by women who clearly had a regular routine down.  I scurried to the closest pool and plunged in, immediately relishing in the steamy water.

I should note that going in the afternoon meant that I was with mostly older women.  Watching these ladies strut around from bath to bath without a care in the world I felt less apprehensive.  No one was staring unlike in my anxiety ridden visions.  After a few minutes I hardly even noticed I was naked.  I was shocked at how much I wasn’t bothered.  After building it up in my head so much I was just enjoying the water and the jets without a care in the world.

I definitely took advantage of all the options, switching from warm to searing baths and no jets to a personal tub full of jets.  Then I jumped in the cold bath to refresh.  Outside was super relaxing as they integrate real stones and waterfalls into the layout.

Then it was time for my scrub!

In a side room were a bunch of ladies rocking what can best be described as black lingerie and large scrubby mittens.  I walked in, pointed to a time on the clock to negotiate thirty minutes and lay down on a clean table.  I closed my eyes and experienced the most vigourous body scrub of my life.  It was a little painful in spots, but mostly felt amazing.  And afterwards my skin was glowing and as soft as a delicate flower.

After the sublime experience in the bathing area we met back up.

Our first stop in the extravaganza that was the sauna section of Spa Land was the reflexology foot bath.  You can sit and soak your feet or walk on reflexology pebbled paths.  It’s outside which made for a great atmosphere.  Then onto the saunas themselves.  This being Spa Land and not Spa Town there were more than we could have possibly visited without melting.  We enjoyed the Salt Room, the Body Sound Room and the Roman Sauna the best, finishing in the Ice Room.  The detail in each room was incredible and it would be easy to relax so much that you might fall asleep.

Upstairs is a relaxation area with recliners where you could sit and watch a personal TV or take a nap.  It had been over three hours at this point and the evening crowd of younger couples, friends and businessmen were arriving.  We headed back to our locker rooms after rehydrating and cooling down further.  Then after changing back into street clothes we met up front to pay the bill.

It is surprisingly cheap.

  It only cost us thirty dollars for the whole afternoon.  My scrub was extra but well worth the additional moolah.  Smaller local joints can be as little as $8 to enter.  Some places you can even stay the night in the sleeping rooms, an option if you are hard up for a cheap place to crash.

Lesson learned?  Go with the flow.

In a culture where going to naked bathhouses is a national pastime, no one is going to stare at you.  They will not make you feel uncomfortable.  You will get to indulge yourself for an afternoon on a small amount of cash and feel amazing afterwards.  We slept like babies that night which was good because we had an early flight the next morning.  Both of us were incredibly happy that we enjoyed the experience so much.  Flying to Japan the next day we made plans to visit Hakone.  The town is known for their hot mineral baths, or onsens, with a similar dress code.  But that’s another story.

The post Baring it all in a Korean Jimjilbang appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

  Vanlife has had its ups and downs for sure, but overall has been a positive experience and one we would not trade for the world.  What have we learned?  Lots!  Do we still make mistakes?  Every day!  Here are a few nuggets of wisdom we have learned, either the easy way or the hard way.

Don’t wait too long to plug in!

We were enjoying a leisurely cup of tea gazing out over the amazing view of the Loop Head peninsula in Ireland.  I walked to the kitchen to start breakfast and nearly had a panic attack.  Our fridge was not on.  Oh shit!  We had just stocked up with proteins for the next few meals the day before.  This was not the time for the fridge to fail.  I checked the power and the red light was blinking.  What?  How the hell did that happen?  We counted back and realized we hadn’t plugged in in nine days.  Oops.  I don’t know how that slipped our minds.  So instead of enjoying our view, we had to pack up and hightail it to a campground where we could recharge.  Thankfully our meat seemed ok, but going forward we never went more than six days just in case.

Tolls and the state of roads vary from country to country.

Austria, Czechia, and Slovenia have what they call vignettes – stickers you pre-purchase before entering the country so you can drive on their major highways.  This is in lieu of toll roads based on distance and pretty convenient to purchase near the borders.  Whereas Germany has no tolls and amazing roads (highway fees are incorporated into their tax system), France’s highway network is privately owned.  So there is no rhyme or reason to the price of tolls or the quality of the roads.  Do yourself a favor and set the GPS to “no toll roads” in France.  You will see more countryside that way anyway.

Round and round she goes…

Get used to roundabouts on a European road trip because they adore them here.  Large ones, small ones, oval ones.  Some have seven exits, some have one exit (the point??).  I can’t tell you how many times we have ridden around in circles because we missed the correct exit.  Once Todd just did it so I could get a better picture of a rainbow from the van.  Now that was fun!  WEEEEEEE!!!

Look into low emission zones (LEZ) before entering each country.

We got a huge fine in London by accidentally entering the Low Emission Zone.  Our van actually passes the emissions regulations.  But because it does not have UK plates you have to pre-register it with the city ten days before entering which is what we did not do.  We learned after the London fine to make sure our research was in depth.  Most countries have LEZs in place for major cities and more congested areas and are easy to avoid.  There are many helpful websites out there with interactive maps so once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.  Too bad we hit London early on in the trip!

Privacy basically goes out the window…

Vanlife is not going to be for everyone.  You have to be VERY comfortable with your partner in such small quarters.  We thought since we had been sharing hotel rooms for the better part of a year we were used to small spaces, which is true.  However, not having a door for the bathroom is a little different.  All those secret habits you like to hide?  Good luck with that!

That being said, we thought it was going to be a lot harder than it is to work around no bathroom.  Public bathrooms are pretty common in Europe and are usually very clean, so there’s that.  But if you can’t do the heavy stuff in a public place, vanlife is basically out for you.

We have more freedom than if we didn’t have the van.

We knew this going in, but it’s worth being said.  There are places we would have never made it to without Art Vandalay.  There are amazing spots we have free camped overlooking some stunning scenery.  If we feel like staying somewhere one more day we do.  No cancelling of train or bus rides or rescheduling hotel rooms.  Or if we decide we don’t like where we are, we move.  Simple as that.  We have been on quite a rapid pace the last month so when we got to this campsite on the island of Pag in Croatia we decided to stay three nights, then five, then a whole week.  Because we can.  We also enjoy being ‘settled down’ as in we don’t have to schlep our backpacks around and pack up every few days.  The van feels like a home.  On the down side, since we free camp quite often we don’t have access to wifi which means backing up photos, researching the next places to go and keeping up with the blog fall behind.  And we have to put out the bed every night and pack it up every morning.  Our next van will have a dedicated bedroom!

Embrace the funk.

Todd and I are clean people…on a budget.  Which means we aren’t typically paying for a campsite if we can avoid it.  Which means a real shower once every 5-6 days.  Baby wipes become your best friend.    Ditto for a strong breeze to air out the van and the bedding.  Because let’s face it, laundry is only happening once every few weeks.  Bouts of rain make things damp which is unfortunate but unavoidable.  However I think we both would take the Irish summer over sleeping in a van in 100 degree heat.

We are saving a boatload of money.

Our budget of $100 a day (total, not per person) in Asia was easy to accomplish and we were often under budget.  In Europe it would be a nightmare.  Even hostel beds go for upwards of twenty euros a night in most places.  Then add in three meals a day and any excursions and travel costs.  With the van we have transportation, room and board all rolled into one.  After not cooking for eight months I really enjoy preparing meals for us again.  Of course we do eat out occasionally and enjoy the local food, but we keep it to maybe one dinner a week and a lunch or two, tops.

Surviving one lane roads in the UK and Ireland.

Small islands, smaller roads!  Narrow roads edged with ancient stone walls and even older trees.  One lane tracks hugging cliffs or meandering through the countryside.  Sheep!  Sometimes it’s like a game of chicken except that the locals always win.  You stop with your heart in your chest, they cruise by you doing 100 km/hr. and give you the thumbs up.

In the spirit of saving money, some shopping tips.

Lidl and Aldi are lifesavers.  They are pretty much found in every country and in all but the smallest of towns.  Stock up on necessities at these places and when I say necessities I mean 3 euro bottles of wine, butter biscuits and peanuts.  We also try to get fresh meat, cheese, bread and veggies at local purveyors when we can.  We have enjoyed soda bread in Ireland, dark rye and fresh pretzels in Germany and most recently something we refer to as Ciapita in Croatia (cross of ciabatta and pita – yum!).  Cheeses such as Stilton and Double Gloucester in the UK, Edam in the Netherlands, Irish cheddar and Camembert from Normandy have graced our lunch spreads.

In lieu of generic souvenirs we tend to buy local products that we can enjoy and cook with.  Currently we have a Hungarian hot sauce, salt from the Hallein Salt Mine tour near Salzburg, jam from The Apple Farm in Ireland and three types of mustard (small fridge but we do have standards!).  Drinking the local hooch will save you money as well – so go for the Irish whiskey, that French wine or a malty German or Czech beer.  Imports will always be more money.

After only three months we almost feel like pros! 

Just kidding.  We still get lost, argue over parking placement, freak out over old van quirks, and probably should have taken a crash course in basic van conversions before we attempted this.  But it’s a memorable experience and something we would definitely do again.  We are glad we took the leap into the unknown and can’t wait to see what the next three months have to offer.

The post On the road in Europe: three months into our campervan experiment appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

We arrived at the station in Sukhothai and booked VIP tickets.  They sounded so fancy and came with a food voucher, something we had not experienced yet in our travels.  Apparently our expectations were a bit high.  A really nice bus pulled into the station and parked at the gate next to ours.  Then came our clunker, tipping so far to the side as it turned the corner I thought it was going to fall over.  The bus appeared to have not been updated since the seventies.  It was an interesting ride. Our VIP ticket came with a can of coke, a small bottle of water and a pack of ‘crackers’ which were really butter cookies.  The bus swayed back and forth so much the ride felt like being on a boat in rough seas.

 And the kicker was that there wasn’t even a bus station in Ayutthaya.

They dropped us off on the side of a highway where we were at the mercy of a cab driver to get into the city.  Trust us that is not a great situation to be in!  You pay through the nose (we were fairly certain the bus line was in cahoots with the cabbies).  Even with the rough start our day turned around with an icebox cold room, a splurge on pizza next door and some live music that evening.

Ayutthaya is different from Sukhothai in that the ruins are randomly scattered in and around the modern city.

They are not as old as it was the capital of Siam in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  However they are in worse shape due to the brutal Burmese invasion that burned a lot of the temples to the ground.  In a surreal twist a lot of the Buddhas are headless.  We only witnessed this at one temple in Sukhothai so the amount of destruction here took us by surprise.  Some of the heads are lying several feet from the bodies, still in the same location as when they were hacked off hundreds of years ago.  It’s eerie except in the case of one head that landed next to a tree which grew up around it.  Now the head is part of the tree in Wat Mahathat – although one of the most popular sites in Ayutthaya, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The next morning we simply walked down the main tourist drag then crossed a street and were in a set a ruins.  We concentrated on several that are clustered in a city park.  It’s walkable, although by the end of the day I wished we had rented a bike purely to get between the temples quicker.  The Reclining Buddha at Wat Lokkayasutharam was one of our favorites.  We also enjoyed the white stupas at Wat Si Sanphet which are great for photo ops in the waning sun.  We actually ended up there both days.  Wat Phra Ran has several pagodas to scramble up if you like a bit of a climb.  The park itself is also nice.  There are several smaller ruins to wander by, grey heron to watch in a pond and a few bridges with ruins framed perfectly for pictures.

Our second day we decided to rent bikes from our hotel to explore some of the ruins that are a bit farther out.

We needed to negotiate a small water taxi to cross the river as the main area of town is on an island.  Hauling our bikes down to a small dock (pretty certain we went through someone’s back yard) we waved to a woman across the river.  She drove her boat right over to pick us up.  It was 20 baht total for us and the bikes, quite a deal.  That was a first!

Across the river, we briefly toured the modern Chinese Buddhist temple of Wat Phanan Choeng.  The large golden Buddha is definitely worth a look.  The temple will be busy as it’s a huge pilgrimage spot.  But squeeze in anyway and watch the ceremony in the chamber with the golden Buddha.  Many people travel here to pray for guidance and then offer up new robes.  Since it is so tall, monks have to stand on ladders to add the robes to the statue.  It’s amazing to see in person.

Then we headed to Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, an older ruin down the road.  We climbed to the top of the main chedi for some views of the complex where we saw some monks taking selfies, another first!  Another cool sight there was the endless line of sitting Buddhas that make a perfect square around the maid complex.  There were lots of little offerings in their laps or near their feet.  We added a few baht to the piles, picking Buddhas that spoke to each of us.

Back on the bikes, we grabbed a bite to eat and then we rode through town to the other end to see Wat Chaiwatthanaram.

This ended up being our favorite complex.  Maybe it was the afternoon light or the lack of people.  Maybe the lone monk with the look of absolute wonder on his face as he saw the ruins.  It was also enough intact to envision what it looked like in it’s heyday.  And the symmetry of the entire complex was fascinating.  All four corners of the complex have covered halls with untouched Buddhas.  We spent quite a while at this site, enjoying the sculpture work and the gorgeousness of the brick swathed in golden light.

After all of our adventures we checked out the Ayutthaya night market for dinner and had a few Chang beers.  This was one of the best night markets we have come across in almost two months in Thailand.  The sheer variety of food on offer was amazing.  From sushi to curries, fried goodness, soups, salads, and fruit juices; so much grilled pork and even more sweets.  Almost too many options!  We ate until we were stuffed then grabbed some food to eat for breakfast the next day.  Yum.  If you get to Ayutthaya do not miss this market located right across the street from Wat Mahathat.  You will not regret it.

Some people may have been ‘ruined out’ by the end of this six day journey to both Sukhothai and Ayutthaya.

We were actually bummed we didn’t have time to visit Lopburi or Kanchanaburi.  Next trip perhaps?  Even if we don’t make it back, these ruins will certainly stick in our minds for a long time.  The sheer awesomeness of both cities and the history will be hard to forget.

The post Ayutthaya: temple ruins, a large golden Buddha and a killer night market appeared first on Okennas Odyssey.

After a pleasant six hour bus ride from Chiang Mai we arrived in New Sukhothai, our headquarters for the next few days.  We booked a bungalow at the Ban Thai Guesthouse, a lovely little place on the cheaper side that had AC and included breakfast.  I don’t think we stayed anywhere more charming for the price in almost two months in Thailand!  That evening we explored the area.  There is a good deal of street food available and we happily ate up some tasty meat on a stick!  There were also a smattering of other restaurants and several bars to relax at – we had drinks at one right on the main strip and people watched, always a fun evening activity.

The next morning we got an early start and followed the directions from our guesthouse to find the public bus going to Old Sukhothai, where the ruins are located.  It takes about twenty five minutes and costs 30 Baht/person one way.  The bus drops you off right in front of the Central Zone of the ruins.  There are a couple of bike rental places across from the bus stop costing 30 Baht/day and this is the easiest way to explore the ruins yourself.  The four zones encompass seventy square kilometers so if you want to get to them all it is highly recommended to bike.  And we were off!

We started out at Wat Mahathat.

This is the largest and also the main temple area for the whole city in its’ heyday.  It is the most crowded spot as the tour buses can park near here but stunning and totally worth exploring.  Be prepared for huge standing buddhas all in different poses.  There are quite a few smaller buddhas and pagodas as well and the detail work is phenomenal.  We were blessed with a clear blue sky which made for fabulous photos.  Although buses travel to this Wat, once you bike out of it we found we had most of the ruins to ourselves or with only a few others.  Riding on bikes was super fun (albeit HOT!).  The grounds in the Central Zone are well taken care of and stress free because of the lack of cars and motorbikes.  There is also plenty of shade to take some breaks in between exploring.  We biked our way around the rest of the Central Zone before taking a break for lunch.  Wat Sa Sawai was our favorite – a smaller temple with a definite Hindu vibe to it.  Wat Sa Si was also neat; it’s located on a small island surrounded by waterways representing purity.

After lunch we tackled the Northern Zone.

It doesn’t have as many large ruins, but Wat Si Chum, the sitting Buddha, makes it worth going there.  We also liked the smaller Wat Sorakan on the way with huge elephant sculptures on the base.  To see some slightly creepier ruins check out Wat Phra Phai Luang and the many beheaded buddhas.  We were pretty beat after this and returned our bikes ready to head back to the AC in our bungalow!

The topper of the day was the comical bus ride home.  About a third of the way back we stopped by a high school that was just letting out and about 30 students, all in matching purple uniforms crammed onto the bus with us.  They were laughing pretty hard at having to share with a bunch of farangs!  Low point?  Fire ants bit me while leaning against one of the ruin walls.  My thigh swelled so much I couldn’t even wear shorts the next day.  But the Thai grandma at our guesthouse saw my pain and gave me a local salve which really helped.  This only made me love Ban Thai Guesthouse more.

Our second day we got to Old Sukhothai a bit earlier to try to avoid some of the heat.

We headed directly for the Western Zone, the furthest away of the four.  Our sweat equity was worth it.  We saw less than ten people all morning and had most of the sites we explored to ourselves.  The roads there were a little rougher, but we plowed along.  Most of the Western sites included a small walk up a hill after parking the bikes.  We trekked through dry crackly leaves that made it feel like Autumn back home.  Except for the 95 degree heat that is!  Wat Saphan Hin has gorgeous views of the rest of Old Sukhothai and is worth the climb.  And to see an interesting structure that looks like an ancient outhouse trek up the hill to Wat Khao Phra Bat Noi.  We both agreed this area was our favorite because of the lack of crowds, the winding roads and the smaller wats littered here and there on the roadside begging you to jump off your bike for another photo op.

After our hard work in the sun during the morning, we opted to skip the Southern zone.

Instead we cooled off in the National Museum in the afternoon.  Surprisingly we only ran into 3 other people.  The exhibits were super interesting and had artifacts dating back to the 5th century!  It explained a lot of the history of the rulers as well as the development of the artistic styles of different periods.  For me, I liked seeing the Buddhas slowly change in their looks and styles from older to newer.  It’s much more obvious when they are side by side.  There was even an exhibit featuring old toilet seats, which made us laugh after spotting the “outhouse” earlier.  After the artifacts and other exhibits, you head outside where they have constructed models of household items from the Sukhothai period.  To end the day, we stopped at one last modern Wat to see the Buddha’s footprint.  And that was a wrap on Sukhothai.

We definitely recommend staying two full days so you don’t have to rush through – it’s a sensational city of ruins and deserves the time to explore the off the beaten path side of it.

As a tip, plan to arrive early in the morning to avoid the heat and the crowds.  The main Wat Mahathat seemed less crowded closer to closing so perhaps save that until the end of the day when exploring the Central Zone.  And bring a sarong with you so you can take a little rest in the shade.  There are plenty of secluded spots to have a quiet moment and reflect on the impressive capital city that once was.

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Not only was she a wonderful guide for the afternoon, but we became friends and got some great advice on places to see and things to eat elsewhere in the country.  We had a very open itinerary but knew we wanted to check out the beautiful beaches somewhere between Dalat and Hoi An.

We had ruled out Nha Trang because everything we read basically described it as kind of the Miami of Vietnam.  Young beautiful people tanned and plucked heading out to clubs for all hours of the night after eating at fancy restaurants, then lying on a beach in a string bikini nursing a hangover the next day.  Not much culture to speak of and probably not a good glimpse into the Vietnamese way of life.  And entirely not our scene.  I’m not knocking the city if that’s what you’re into, but it’s just not for us.

Mui Ne was another option and this is what we told Elise.  She says, “Oh don’t go there, you want to go to Phan Rang.”  We had never heard of it which piqued our curiosity.  She told us a story of riding over a large sand dune to the most beautiful beach she had ever seen and of meals of fresh whole fish, killed to order.  We were almost sold.  Then she mentioned that you can drive a motorbike up and down the coast with panoramic views of the ocean and wineries.  Well, that sealed the deal.  We were going to Phan Rang.

Going off the beaten path takes some perseverance.

Our notion that no one would speak English was almost correct.  Our first hurdle was the bus there.  We booked a local bus ride that would drop us at our hotel.  Arriving at the bus station we asked again to be sure, showing a map of where the hotel was located.   I was assured with a “Yes, Ma’am”.  We smiled – this wasn’t going to be so hard.  We smiled up until the bus pulled into the station and the driver just looked at us and said “finished”.  Meaning it was the last stop.  Of course we were nowhere near the hotel and the taxi ride out to Ninh Chu Beach (a mere 10 minutes) cost the same as our four hour bus tickets.  Yay.

When we arrived at the hotel, the English speaking owner wasn’t there, but his mom was.  She was sweet and tried to communicate through google translate which lead to some funny translations.  Ah technology!  Then she showed us to our room which was supposed to have a king bed, AC and a refrigerator.   It had none of those things.  We eventually learned that another customer who was renting the room we booked decided to stay longer.  They let him keep the room and just didn’t inform us.  No amount of back and forth could convince the owner that this is not good customer service.  He kept telling us our room was bigger.  Maybe, but it wasn’t what we wanted and also had a broken AC.  The AC never got fixed but they did move a fridge in – compromise I guess?  Todd and I slept like a married couple in the 50’s, each in our own little bed.

So it wasn’t the most fortuitous start I suppose.

But we walked right to Ninh Chu beach from our room and immediately relaxed.  The beach was pretty and had great views of the local fisherman in their coracles. They are little boats that look like teacups and are adorable as far as boats go.  We invoked quite a few stares being some of the only white people and had the usual group of giggling tweens come up to say hello to us.  This almost made up for the earlier hassles.  The day ended with some succulent grilled squid for dinner.  It was nice to be back on the coast, having missed it after two months inland.

The next day we went back to Phan Rang to get a local chicken dish I read about on a couple of Vietnamese blogs.  We found the recommended restaurant and the grounds were gorgeous with small ponds full of lotus flowers and open air pavilions to eat in.  And the chicken…..well, it was chewy.  And plain.  It was described as slowly poached in an herbal broth, but it seemed that they boiled it in a pot of water with no seasoning at all.  It didn’t come with any herbs or sauces.  Very strange.  It’s priced by the pound so it wasn’t cheap either.  This has now become the #chewychicken incident.  Every time we have a miss on food, we just laugh and say, “Well at least it’s not chewy chicken!”

After exploring some Chap ruins we went back to the beach area.  We discovered the Ninh Chu Bay Beach Club, owned by an American expat.   The sand at this beach is some of the finest we have come across and the sunset views were fantastic.  Add in Sangria on HH, free cabanas if you buy a drink or some food (they had a great Western/Mexican menu!) and we were happy as clams.  It felt like a private beach since we were the only people there for the afternoon.  There are a few expats in town working on making Ninh Chu more of a tourist destination, kind of a kite-boarding focused, laid back alternative to Nha Trang.  I imagine in ten years the town will look really different and I’m glad to have experienced it now while it still has the fisherman village charm.  The men we met also gave us some tips on where to get street food, which was helpful in addition to the list in Vietnamese our friend Elise had provided.

The next day we drove north on the highway to Vinh Hy, another small fishing village in a lovely cove with bright blue water and even brighter painted boats.  The ride takes you through salt flats, shrimp farms and then the promised vineyards and stays along the coast most of the way.  There are no resorts and the most traffic you will see comes in the form of cows and goats.  We stopped off in the village for coffee and then a bit later to watch some kite boarders.  We never saw an actual winery however so we were a bit bummed we didn’t get to sample the local wine. Really the drive is all about the views – if you like winding roads on the coast this drive is for you.

For breakfast the next morning we hopped across the street and tried some quail eggs with green onion in a rice flour batter.  Those suckers are tasty with some chili sauce and very budget friendly.  We got sixteen pieces for under $2!  Afterwards we headed south to find the magical beach beyond the sand dunes.  After about thirty kilometers the landscape changed to more of a desert atmosphere.  At the top of a hill there were a series of huts selling refreshments.  We spotted a sign pointing to the left that said “Mui Dinh Bay”.  We had arrived.  Parking the bike, we decided to walk over the dunes.

Sometimes we make decisions that are just so wrong.  This was one of those times.  About 200 meters into the dunes my feet were already burning from the sand. We were standing there trying to figure out what to do when a tractor with a Vietnamese family pulled up, waved us over and offered us a ride.  We were confused since the seats were full.  Then the driver lowered the shovel and spread out cardboard from empty cases of beer over the searing hot metal.  So we climbed in, got lifted up and away we went! Riding in the shovel of a tractor was a first and probably won’t happen again so it was pretty exciting.

Then the water came into view.

The sheltered cove was surrounded by huge boulders and the aquamarine water was crystal clear.  There were a few shacks and two small restaurants, but that was it.  No one else was at the beach except a lone mountain goat jumping from boulder to boulder.  We have noticed the Vietnamese despise the sun – they go to the beach when it’s cloudy or just before sundown.  Once someone described the rainy weather as a “preferable beach day”!  We stayed for a couple of hours, floating in the water and exploring the rocks while moving from one small patch of shade to another. When it was time to move on we trudged to one of the restaurants.  Through some charades we got a ride back on the tractor.  This time we had real seats although I really preferred the shovel ride!

Hungry, we hopped back on the bikes to head another thirty kilometers south to Ca Na.  This stretch of road was the prettiest we had seen yet.  It was all winding cliffs hugging the coastline with views of the ocean the entire way.  The contrasting desert landscape as a backdrop was surreal, like being in a Dali painting.  The amount of cows and goats on the road on this stretch was a bit comical. They will not move out of your way, you have to drive around them.  As we approached Ca Na it leveled out and we passed some more salt flats.  It’s really interesting to watch them rake and rearrange the salt as it dries.  Unfortunately the price of salt has gone down quite a bit in the area recently.  Many of the flats had huge piles just waiting to be sold.

We got lost in the town straightaway looking for gas and food, neither of which we could find.  As a rule, it seems when Todd and I are stuffed we will pass amazing looking food stalls one after another.  When we are starving we are somehow in food deserts.  Driving down another alley we passed by a couple of small tables and chairs – always a good sign!  A woman beckoned us to come over.  She pointed to some big pots of some type of soup.  I was on the verge of hangry at this point so we had her dish some up.  It was the best pork porridge I have ever had.  The pork slid right off the bone, the broth had great depth of flavor and the bowl was topped with green onions, dried garlic and chiles.  It was like a hug in a bowl and we devoured it.  Todd showed them our empty gas tank and the lady’s husband drove our bike (with Todd on the back) to the gas station. Thank goodness because we wouldn’t have located it ourselves. The kindness of this family really made our day.  With full bellies we headed back to Phan Rang, enjoying the coastal vistas again.

All in all we are glad we took the road less traveled.

We had some bumps for sure.  But we met cool folks, got help from locals several times, and got to ride in the shovel of a freaking tractor!  Would this have happened in a more developed area?  I think not.  The next day our journey continued about an hour north to the Binh Lap peninsula.  This experience is a whole other story…..

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