Cliffs of Moher - Ireland

After we trespassed on private land to shoot the Cliffs of Moher away from the mass of tourists and paid parkings, we arrived right at the edge and went all the way down to the ocean. It was a very windy and stormy weather, it felt quite creepy to be there, alone.

The Cliffs of Moher (Aillte an Mhothair in Irish) are located on the west coast of Ireland, south of the Burren and around the area of Doolin (which is a very charming little town).
These vertiginous cliffs have a maximum height of 214 meters (702 feet) above sea level. It is often a very  rainy area with strong winds coming from the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a very impressive place to visit but I'd suggest to avoid the touristic area and go wander around to find a spot to sneak in and really appreciate the power of Nature concentrated on that area.

Of course, be careful not to get too close!

Wadi Nakhr canyon

The Sultanate of Oman is truly a splendid country with a variety of landscapes from white sandy beaches, flat rocky deserts, to high mountains and even the famous Salalah, an area almost as green as Ireland.

Rising about 3050m above sea level, Jabal Shams (Mount of the Sun), part of the Jabal al Akhdar (the Green Mountain) range of mountains is one of the jewels of the country.

Located only 2 hours drive away from the capital Muscat, this impressive 600km stretch of mountains is home to some exciting activities like canyoning in the Snake Gorge (yes it is called Snake gorge because there are many snakes on land and in the water), trekking in the wadis or climbing up to the highest peak only to be greeted by the most beautiful canyon in the Arabian Gulf region: Wadi Nakhr (also known as the Grand Canyon of the Middle-East).
The area is only reachable after a long sinuous road and a trek up the mountain. This actually prevents it from being overcrowded with tourists. It is also a good opportunity to meet some local shepherds living in small villages vertiginously hanging on the cliffs.

Oman remains my favorite country in the Arabian Gulf region.

Hungry in Ireland?

While driving along the West coast of Ireland, near Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher, I stumbled upon this sign in the middle of NOWHERE! That was really odd. There was nothing on the horizon on either side of the road.
I actually was hungry and thinking of having a meal.. Is that what they call visualization?

Irish people really have a great sense of humor!

In case you are very curious, the sign was actually followed by another one "Need Rest?" a few kilometers further which pointed to a hostel near the cliffs.

I'm gonna go grab a bite now...

Trespassing in Ireland

There is something about Monochrome HDR photos that makes it so special..

I went to Ireland in summer 2008 for my 30th birthday (Ireland + Iceland.. Best Bday ever so far). I found it  such a beautiful and magical island, so green, it's no exaggeration!
We hired a car to explore the west coast as much as we can in a short time (9 days) from Kilorglin's Puck Fair up to Sligo.
One of the most famous places on our way was the Cliffs of Moher, near the little town of Doolin!

An incredible place, but very very touristic... People actually had to pay to park and visit the cliffs!
No way!

We ended up driving through small villages trying to find a hidden path until we arrived at a locked gate. There was a huge empty land for sale surrounded by a fence and a small rocky wall with a big note : <>

Nobody was around to check so.. we climbed the gate, went through the muddy fields all the way down to the windy cliffs to take the shots away from tourists.
We also got to visit an abandoned medieval watchtower closed to the public (Not O'Brian tower).

I took this shot just before jumping the gate. I loved the gloomy and dramatic effect the HDR gave to it and  the clouds turned out excellent!

Well... if we didn't trespass.. We would have missed all the fun and the great shots!

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun" 

~ Katherine Hepburn ~

(The Photo of the day is posted earlier than usual today because I am going on a visa run to Malaysia so I won't be able to post anything tonight here in Thailand.. Cheers!).