Old Head, Kinsale and County Cork - Ireland Roadtrip Part 3

Saying goodbye to our cosy airbnb apartment in Dublin, we set out to begin the road trip proper. After driving for awhile we set about having morning tea in a sudden downpour of rain and furious beach side winds! We stayed in the car...

Doesn't quite capture the ferocity of the waves and wind

After a few more hours of interesting Irish road, we stopped at Midleton for lunch and then decided to do the Jameson Irish Whiskey Tour.

Pre-tour at Jameson: the best selling whiskey in the world

Hanging out at Jameson

I did not know much at all about whiskey so I learnt a lot on the tour. Jameson Irish whiskey is distilled thrice (most scotch is distilled twice) and does not usually use peat in the malting process. This is meant to create a smoother whiskey. Rob was selected for a special tasting to compare different whiskey's. All the tasters were asked which was the best at the end and most guests gave the expected (read: required) answer: Irish! Rob found that it was a loaded question, really its all about the flavour you are after, isn't it?

The buildings at the distillery were rather beautiful and I was glad to see them after having just taken up residency next to the birthplace of Jameson whiskey in Dublin. Our tour guide had an in-depth knowledge on Jameson and whiskey and she could answer any question thrown at her. I suppose I was probably most interested in hearing about the history of the distillery and the challenges and competition Jameson faced over the years. Despite the damage that prohibition in the U.S.A did for whiskey sales, it is now Jameson's largest market.

Largest pot still in the world

Beautiful building at Jameson

Rob comparing whiskey's

We also hadn't known much about Midleton and realised we were standing in a town that we didn't know how to say. (The singular 'd' confused us!) Rob took up Mum's challenge to ask some town folk how to pronounce Midleton. (It is pronounced 'Middle-ton). Thanks Mum for raising another $20 for UNICEF's "Nepal Earthquake Children's Appeal".

Leaving Midleton we drove through a few coastal towns enjoying the colourful houses. We later realised colourful houses is a theme all through Ireland and it seems like no one town can lay claim to it. Driving towards Cobh, a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, I almost drove into the sea when I saw the dramatic St Colman's Cathedral hovering over us. It is apparently one of the tallest building in Ireland which did not really surprise me. 

Found out later that driving into the sea is more than likely in Ireland!

Seaport houses in Cobh

In the late afternoon we arrived at Kinsale and then followed very specific directions to "Old Head" where our Airbnb host lived. It was most exciting driving around the area looking our for an old farmhouse, feeling like we might fall off the edge of the world at any moment! (Refer to map below!) We were also pretty tired and ready to relax a bit. Upon our arrival our host, Liz, was having a cocktail with her friend and invited us to join her. She was keen to tell us about the area and a bit about herself. She had grown up in the USA with an Irish family tree and previously lived in Berlin before the Wall came down. 

Liz's house had views of the water on both sides, and a particularly spectacular view from the kitchen; it was amazingly snug given how exposed to the elements the Old Head is:

We almost fell off!

Wouldn't mind this view out my window every day

"I want you to pat me but only when it suits me of course"

We relaxed into our time at the "farm" and enjoyed meeting the animals of the house: 3 dogs (that needed to be separated down sex lines via a complex system of doors) and 2 cats. 

After a bit of relaxing, reading and skyping, we soon ventured out into the paddocks behind Liz's house. Our aim was to reach the beach. Liz had described the journey through farmland to the beach as a bit like doing an army drill. I pictured rolling under things and doing push-ups whilst avoiding gunfire. She said it less like a warning and more like a proud statement of "this is what I do for exercise when I go to the beach". Though the route wasn't quite as treacherous as she described, we were jumping over fences hoping they were't electric! 

It was definitely rewarding at the cliffs edge. Mum took some time to take in the view whilst Rob and I scrambled down the cliffs (maybe this was the drill) to enjoy the teeny beach at the bottom.

Cliff-side at the Old Head farmhouse

Scaling the cliff to the beach

Our beach!

From Kinsale we drove to the quaint town of Clonakilty to hear some traditional Irish music. An Tach Beag was our venue for the night: a cosy little pub famous for its music. We had a great time enjoying the intimate music session with fiddle, accordion, guitar and banjo. When the musicians found out we were Australian they decided to play Wild Colonial Boy, which Rob was just about to request anyway!

A huge surprise though (it shouldn't have been), the Irish version has a different take on the Wild Colonial Boy. The Australian version makes no mention of emigrating from Ireland, and further glorifies the role of a bushranger in our shared history (and changes his name from Duggan to Doolan). Interestingly, when previously travelling in United States, Rob had heard heard their version too. For more about the differences, read on here.

Beautiful Clonakilty

A photo that couldn't capture the atmosphere

Important message at the bar

During the rest of our time staying at Old Head we explored the coastal area and checked out Kinsale town. A highlight for me was taking part in a ghost tour. After our experience at the leprechaun museum I did a better job of assessing the reviews for the Kinsale Ghost Tour and we weren't disappointed. The guides/actors were very funny and informative, incorporating the history of the town with amusing anecdotes. We are all still laughing when we see particular roadsigns. My favourite was when he pointed up at a 'children's crossing' road sign which read "WARNING CHILDREN" and, as he passed, he said "Catholic sex education right there!" It always sounded off the cuff and his timing was impeccable, again proving to me the importance of delivery in comedy. (Shout out to comedians that don't laugh at their own jokes at the wrong moment!)

Grave robber

Was there a ghost in Kinsale after all?

A boat atop someones gate

Kinsale harbour

Charles Fort

Kinsale town

Spread-out cow meeting at Old Head

Mongolian Tour: Khövsgöl Lake

A highlight of our time in Mongolia was climbing to the hill beside Khövsgöl Lake. Not just because of its beauty but because it reinforced how important perspective can be. From the ground Khövsgöl was nice enough but given it was one of the number one natural attractions in Mongolia, I had initially wondered what all the fuss was about. Seeing it from a height really made all the difference.

Lake Khövsgöl from above

Enjoying the view

Where the sky meets the lake

There are lots of activities around Khövsgöl  water sports, swimming, horse riding or even shopping. Some women did some ger-to-ger selling from their motorbikes. Sarah and Tasha bought some beautiful scarves from them. Aside from that we were all just happy to soak up the atmosphere, go for walks and hang out near the water. Oh and wash our clothes of course.

Journal time

Refreshing!

Rock throwing: What Rob's do on their private time

Washing day!

The horses around the lake were self-directed and it was interesting watching them choosing where to go next. I also got much enjoyment from seeing sheep on a beach (almost). The image of sheep on a beach is something I think about if I feel like laughing. Rob once found a postcard of the very image! 

Time to walk this way

Horses in the trees

And off he goes!

Sheep (and yaks) on a beach (almost)

Lake Khövsgöl at dusk

Relaxation and regeneration at a ryokan

Arriving in Takayama we were both excited and a bit nervous about our first foray into Japanese bathing. We had read up on etiquette for the unique experience (for example see this tourism bureau site) and felt at least somewhat prepared to bathe naked with strangers! 

A number of friends recommend we visit a ryokan during our stay in Japan both for the bathing, meals and service. In fact, it made it into our list of travel dreams. A ryokan is a traditional style of accommodation that originates from the Edo period- a time of peace that meant travel was safe. A ryokan usually makes use of Japan's geothermal energy by way of an onsen (hot spring).

We chose Oyada Yamakyu which came highly recommended by our friends, Scott and Bianca. After hearing their descriptions, I was especially keen to try some of the local food.

A complimentary ryokan shuttle from the train station brought us up the hill to Oyada Yamakyu where we were shown to our room for a tea. After enjoying our tea and small snack, I wanted to get into my yukata and then the baths as soon as possible. 

Despite our pre-reading efforts I still was not one hundred per cent sure on the procedure. I was however certain that I would not try and balance my towel on my head (the traditional way) because I would likely drop it in the water. This would make it unclean and is definitely frowned upon. Rob and I went our separate ways, wishing each other an enjoyable bath! 

In our gear

It is important to shower before entering the water and before getting there I was a bit unclear on where the showers were located in relation to the baths. Luckily everything was very self-explanatory when I got there. The first area, a changing room, was well equipped with an amusing cartoon explaining the "do's and don't's". Finally mustering up the courage to take off my yakuta, I stepped into the shower and bathing area to find...absolutely noone! 

Not the actual cartoon from the ryokan but the general idea
Source: Travel Japan

Rob and I found each of our three baths a very peaceful and relaxing experience. Possibly me more than him because I always seemed to get the baths to myself! Although, it must be pointed out that it was Rob that apparently had an uncontrollable urge to sleep after his first bath. It wasn't long before he was knocked out on the tatami mats!

Hard work those baths

Both the men's bathing space and the women's had a large indoor bath and a smaller outdoor tub. As each space was different from the other, they swapped the men's and women's and midnight so you could experience both. The baths were lovely but too hot to last in there very long. 

Post-nap walk to the ryokan's garden in our outdoor coats

A highlight of our stay, as promised, was the amazing food. I enjoyed trying so many different foods and was surprised that I liked almost everything I was given. Rob did well to sample things he perhaps would not usually even look at. We were a bit slack with the photos but I did capture Rob enjoying dinner mid-meal at dinner and breakfast. The sake was also fantastic.

Huge variety at our ryokan dinner

Breakfast times

The Japanese are exceptional at utilising small spaces both efficiently and in an aesthetically pleasing manner! It is not often I rave about bathroom doors (and toilets for that matter!) but this was something special. We are really enjoying the often simplistic but beautiful designs inside Japanese rooms. Not long after dinner our "tea room" was converted into our bedroom, all ready for us after our second bath for the day. 

Tatami mats are our new best friends

The ryokan had great little touches like this laptop booth!

We had a great stay at Oyada Yamakyu and found it excellent value. It was certainly a unique and relaxing experience that left us feeling like the cleanest we had ever been!

A coffee and coconut on the Mekong

Relaxing boat ride and we got hats!

We decided to visit Mekong Delta on our way from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh. A short minibus to Vinh Long, a ferry and motorbike to our homestay left us with an afternoon to explore An Binh island. Explore is probably not quite the right word here as we were too hot to get very far. In actuality we took a short stroll to the waters edge, accidentally trespassed on to an angry man’s land, had a Vietnamese coffee at a tiny café and committed ourselves to our hammocks. Our friends at the island café were amused by us and took great pride in explaining how we were to drink our tea and coffee.(Reminding me a little bit of our "THIS is your breakfast" lad from Chitwan.)

Getting the ferry across to An Binh island from Vinh Long

Our homestay (Ngoc Phuong) was peaceful and had possibly the best internet of our trip so far. (Not bad for a silt island in the middle of nowhere.) The kids that lived at the homestay were fun. The little girl decided I looked good with a sieve on my head and that someone else’s glasses were hers to play with. This was after the four year old had run into my room with a giant pair of scissors and threatened to cut my headphone cord! 

Reading "Watership Down" together on hammocks

  

Homes built on silt buildup at the mouth of the Mekong

Dinner was both impressive and tasty…as long as we all sat in the right places. I have found in Vietnam that great pride is taken in how the table is set and everything must be 'just so'. Trying to help create space on a table is often fruitless as you will inevitably just move something to the incorrect spot!

Nothing wrong with taking pride in appearance

On our second day at An Binh we took a boat trip to a floating market. It was rather small and not super busy. Perhaps it was a quiet day of the week. We jumped aboard a fruit boat where the enthusiastic vendor proceeded to cut up every fruit in sight for us to try. She didn’t really have to try hard to sell us her goods. Rob left the boat sipping on a coffee, we each had a coconut to drink from and then eat. For later we had some mango and dragon fruit.

FBI Agent in the fruit boat

Petrol station on the Mekong

Exploring

It was incredible seeing how they transported masses of rice and other items on large boats. They didn’t seem to mind if they lost some along the way. All the boats have the same design on them. Apparently it is of dragon eyes and there to scare of sea monsters. We spent a long time on the boat which was so peaceful that I kept nodding off. Eventually we made it to a few other stops which I believe are routine on such Mekong tours: candy, popcorn and rice wine factory and honey bee farm. At the factory I found a coconut candy that I had tasted before and fell in love with once more. It is a dangerous addiction as they are sold in large packets and I cannot stop!

Transportation, hammocks and clothesline all in one

 

Dragon eyes

Making coconut candy

After some more relaxing at An Binh we again found ourselves on the ferry to Vinh Long. Here, two ladies got great pleasure at the size of my bag. Then I pointed at Rob’s and how they chuckled! Before we knew it the lady was pretending to be backpack and Rob had her up in the air!

Rob's new backpack!

A bumpy bus ride from Vin Long took us to Chau Dac, a town on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. A walk along the river led us to spontaneously organise a late afternoon boat ride around the fishing villages of the area.  It was interesting to see how they kept the fish and prepared them for sale, though definitely coming toward the end of the day.

We visited a Cham village that largely consisted of people whose ancestors had immigrated from Malaysia/Borneo some 800 years ago.  They have maintained their culture and religion despite being spread across Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand making up the bulk of Islamic people in these areas.  There wasn’t really much to see on our visit except the refurbishment of the local mosque. The highlight was children playing but I suppose it often is!

High jumper highlight

From Chau Dac we took a speedboat to Phnom Penh to begin our adventures in Cambodia.

A FEW TIPS FOR A DIY MEKONG TRIP:
* Many people take packaged trips from Ho Chi Minh. Though this is convenient, we found it simple enough to organise ourselves. If you value the flexibility then we'd recommend it.

* Going from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh via the Mekong was a great way to break up the travel. Mixing boats and buses also helped.

* To organise a homestay you will need to call places directly as they often do not have websites or use email. If you can, have a Vietnamese speaker to help make arrangements.