Santorini, one of the Greek Islands, is a fantastic volcanic island in the Aegean. Thousands of years ago, the center of the island was destroyed in a massive eruption. The islands that survive today are pieces of the rim of the crater, plus some newly formed islands in the center (the volcano is still active). See map of Santorini…
Boats take you into the enormous crater, because it’s full of the sea now. The main towns on the island, Fira and Oia, are perched at the top of the rim. The whitewashed buildings lining the top of the brown cliffs remind me of snow-capped mountains, but it’s much too hot for that today!
The result of this arrangement is that it’s a loooong way down (almost 600 steps) from the town to the waterfront, or a long way up the other way! The traditional way to do this is by donkey. Being a person who loves to walk, I decided to take the steps on my own two feet down to meet a boat one morning. Sure enough, I met many donkeys on the path, carting tourists up the steps. In fact, you can pretty much find your way to the stairs by following your nose.
Our Greece guide, Susan, warned me about this.
In the morning, it’s OK, but as the day goes by, you’ve got to watch out for more and more steaming, fragrant piles. By late in the day, the local guides call it the giant donkey poo luge.”
The morning walk wasn’t bad, but when I returned that afternoon, I took the new-fangled cable car to the top instead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m in Greece now, checking out some options for a new Greek Islands tour. Santorini is definitely worth a stop, but if you decide to take the stairs to the old port, morning is recommended!
Innisfallen Island (or Inishfallen) is in Killarney National Park, Ireland. There are 3 lakes there — lower, middle and upper. Historic Innisfallen is in the lower lake, known as Lough Leane - Lake of Learning.
During the dark ages, when classical learning was forgotten across most of Europe, isolated Ireland remained a center of scribes and scholarship. It’s quite possible that Ireland’s role during this period saved much of ancient Greek and Roman science, philosophy and the arts from being lost forever. That story is in How the Irish Saved Civilization.
We took a small boat from Ross Castle (fascinating place) out onto the lake. The castle receded, we passed a flock of swans and a few smaller islands, then reached Innisfallen. Asking the boatman to leave us there long enough for picnic lunch & exploration, we stepped ashore.
The 1st monastery here was founded in the 6th or 7th century AD by St. Finian the Leper, and the island was occupied for 700 years. It was ideal for a contemplative monastic life. Eventually, Innisfallen became a major center of learning — Europe’s first University in centuries. Princes were sent from all over Europe to study on this tiny island. This was the A-list school at the time!
On this day, we ate our picnic lunch just outside the ruined walls of Inishfallen Abbey. It’s a beautiful and atmospheric place. Wandering through the ruins of buildings and cloisters, you can imagine monks scratching away at manuscripts day after day, and lads of privilege at their studies. No doubt there was a sense of excitement at the time — everyone knew they were in a special place.
Many centuries later, it’s so quiet we had the island to ourselves.
Echoes still seem to linger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This was part of our Ireland tour for women that just finished up. The Inishfallen visit made me wonder how different my own college years would have been if spent on a little island with monks. (-:
If you ever come to Sedona, take one of the Pink Jeep tours, and be sure to get the “Broken Arrow” tour. It’s hands-down the best.
The tour involves amazing feats of driving up, down, and over the red rocks of Sedona, and you’ll go places that look like they should be impossible! If you’ve got back problems, this isn’t a wise idea, as you WILL get bounced around a lot, and grab for the “oh shit bar” frequently. It’s an exciting ride!
The trail is on national forest land, so although Pink Jeep company has exclusive rights to this trail for commercial operators, any Tom, Dick or Harry who wants to do it on their own can give it a try.
We passed a private vehicle with a family inside, little kid waving out the window at us. A bit later, we almost saw them flip over.
We’d just come down the very steep section shown in the photo, and they were attempting the same thing right behind us. Unfortunately, Driver Dad hadn’t had weeks of training in how to maneuver this course (unlike our driver). He got his wheels in the wrong place, went way up on one side, and came within inches of flipping. He finally realized he had to back up out of that situation, so one imminent disaster was narrowly averted.
I’m sure there were some very worried people inside that vehicle, who would rather get out & walk down the hill at that point. I’d bet there were also some “I told you this wasn’t a good idea” comments flowing, interspersed with a ripe selection of 4-letter words!
After the first near-miss disaster, our jeep driver continued on, so we weren’t able to see the rest of the story. I certainly hope the folks behind us did better on their 2nd attempt, because it was just too scary watching them on the 1st!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We do women’s trips to Sedona a few times a year, and every guest has the option of going on this jeep trip — with a fully-trained professional driver! For anybody who’s feeling the urge to drive it themselves, I’d recommend taking the tour first, and see what you’re up against.
Well, I was walking to the bank the other day. It’s not the most scenic route in the world. In fact, you pass quite a few parking lots. But as I walked, I realized there were some amazing things on the way to the bank!
Next time, I had to take my camera along. I’m sure people were surprised to see me snapping shots in the parking lots, but perhaps it made some of them take a second look. You can find wonder even in a parking lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now tell me, aren’t these worth photographing?
So what exactly IS a vortex anyway? Sedona is famous for its mystical energy vortexes — but what ARE they? What happens when you go to one?
We did a women’s trip to Sedona recently, and I got to join our group on the vortex tour. Now I can’t tell everything, because our unwritten rule is “what happens at the vortex, stays at the vortex”. (I guess now it’s a written rule!) But without giving too much away, I can tell you a bit about it.
Vortexes are places on the earth where there’s an especially strong electromagnetic field, and there are quite a few of them in the Sedona area. Some of the sites are described as having upward energy, some inwards, some a balanced combination. Other times you’ll hear these described as male or female energies. Native Americans have used these sites for centuries, and recognize their spiritual power.
So what happens at a Sedona vortex? Some people have miraculous healings or visions. Some people feel nothing at all. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. We visit with a wonderful vortex guide who provides insights, and performs special ceremonies to help us get in touch with the energies of the land and ourselves. I’ve been on quite a few vortex tours, and I always feel something. I never know what to expect, though — every time is different.
On this beautiful blue-sky afternoon, we visited Boynton Canyon, guarded by Kachina woman (an important rock formation at this vortex site), then found a private spot near the creek for our medicine wheel ceremony. By the end of the afternoon, we’d made discoveries about our aura energies, life situations and issues we were facing, and insights on our connections with the earth, ancestors, and animal spirits.
At the end, we each received a black velvet bag with a peacock feather, and some items that were meaningful to each of us. When I saw the message in mine, I was astounded. It was so “on target ” it was spooky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We do Sedona tours for women several times a year, and each guest has an option to go on a Sedona vortex tour. I can’t tell you what to expect, since each time is different. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself!
We arrived in historic Savannah, Georgia, last night. What a change from Atlanta! Savannah is a charming city with a lively and lovely historic downtown. It felt good to walk around, with lots of people out and about enjoying a pleasant evening. Atlanta is… totally different.
Today we went to Bonaventure cemetery. Why? The place is famous from the book and movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Midnight, voodoo and cemeteries… The “garden” was here in Bonaventure.
It was a spooky sort of day for it, with a bit of overcast adding atmosphere, and the wind blowing the moss that hangs heavily from the trees. Unlike many manicured cemeteries, this former plantation is a wild and beautiful place, with beautiful statuary scattered among large trees draped with moss.
John Muir (famed naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club) was taken with Bonaventure, spending 5 days and nights here. 5 nights in a cemetery? He said
The grand old forest graveyard, so impressive that almost any sensible person would choose to dwell here with the dead rather than with the lazy, disorderly living.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No matter what John Muir said, I’m thinking that for our women’s trip we’ll pass on the graveyard, and stay in a hotel instead.
We’re in central Belize, in a region of dense tropical jungle, full of ancient Mayan ruins. We’re swimming into the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave (commonly known as the ATM cave). It’s full of ancient relics and sacrificial skeletons.
Getting to the cave is no small task. It’s about an hours drive from San Ignacio (a town in central Belize), over some rough dirt road. We got a free unplanned extension to our adventure when our bus had a flat. Standing on the side of this hot, dusty road while they fixed the tire, we got a close-up look at how women here still carry heavy loads (in this case large buckets of oranges) on their heads. Eventually we arrived at the parking lot, where we were fitted out with hard hats and lunches. 2 important basics!
From there, it’s a 45-minute hike through the jungle, with 3 crossings of the Roaring River (fortunately not roaring much right now)! After all of this, we arrive at the entrance of the ATM cave, and that’s when things get even more fun.
It starts by swimming through deep water into the cave. We go 1/2 mile into the cave, wading through water sometimes chest-high, scrambling up and down rocks, and squeezing through tight spaces. The helmets come in VERY handy!
Eventually we reach the area used by the ancient Mayans to communicate to their gods, beseeching them for rain. They believed that caves were the entrance to the underworld, Xibalba (pronounced shee-ball-ba). These were sacred sites, used by priests and elites (and their victims)…
Many caves in Belize have some Mayan remains, but the ATM cave is exceptional, with hundreds of relics still there, left as they were. The floor is marked with tape so that visitors don’t accidentally step on a 1300 year old pot, or even a human skull. Human sacrifices were done here, at least 14 of them — babies, children, men and women.
It’s a very spooky place, especially when you imagine it lit by flickering torchlight, the way the ancients would have seen it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is one of the most amazing adventures I’ve had — certainly one I’ll remember the rest of my life. National Geographic featured this cave on their Journey Through the Underworld. We’ll be announcing our women’s trip to Belize soon, and will keep you posted!
The result of this arrangement is that it’s a loooong way down (almost 600 steps) from the town to the waterfront, or a long way up the other way! The traditional way to do this is by donkey. Being a person who loves to walk, I decided to take the steps on my own two feet down to meet a boat one morning. Sure enough, I met many donkeys on the path, carting tourists up the steps. In fact, you can pretty much find your way to the stairs by following your nose.
We took a small boat from Ross Castle (fascinating place) out onto the lake. The castle receded, we passed a flock of swans and a few smaller islands, then reached Innisfallen. Asking the boatman to leave us there long enough for picnic lunch & exploration, we stepped ashore.
