The first thought that I had was that I was going to an island in the Caribbean... The next place I imagined myself in/at was the cold Russian winters. Never this close to the equator.
San Andres y Providencia is close to Nicaragua and their has been many conflicts over the territory between Nicaragua and Colombia. Within the last 30 years it was officially claimed by Colombia. Since the 1600s San Andres y (and) Providencia were taken by the English Puritans and they established slave-worked plantations but shortly after Spain overpowered the people on the island by brute force. Buccaneers (a specific type of pirate found in Hispaniola in the 17th century) and Henry Morgan, representing the British, reclaimed the territory. Up until the claim by Colombia there has been disputes over these two relatively small islands. The demographics is afro-Caribbean and Colombian. Most money generated from island is purely tourist money.
San Andres y Providencia are two separate islands that are close together.
I thought we were only going to San Andres but it turns out we were going to both and La Providencia was are first destination. La Providencia is different in the retrospect that it is extremely poor and not as big as a tourist attraction as San Andres. There is seriously like two roads. Both islands are extremely beautiful with a hot tropical feel.
At Providencia we stayed at a hotel called Sol Caribe Providencia and it was luxurious in the fact that it had air conditioning, free dinners, running water (but not safe to drink) and finally a toilet. The water in the shower was absolutely freezing that I would just splash water over me. Well I will add more to this blog but I have to go out again... Phew, I am so tired.
Forget all you have heard about Colombia; the cocaina (cocaine), drug cartels,
governmental corruption, FARC, and kidnapping of the innocent and dignified. Forget all that
media has portrayed and look at the progress and the actuality of Colombia. Yes, Colombia has
problems... but every country has problems. Learn about Colombia through my experiences.
The Start of My Journal:
I am finally in Bogota (the capital), Colombia. The city is a clash between ultra modern to dilapidated buildings with chipped exteriors. Although I immediately saw many differences
between the my country/culture and Colombia's there was many parallels that I could draw.
The plane ride was short except the 3 hour layover I had in the George W. Bush airport. On the
flight to Bogota I made a Colombian friend named Ximena (pronounced like Samina) she new
people in Hernando's graduating class at Gimnasio Moderno and she was once modeling.
Ximena clued me in on Colombia culture and made me feel more at ease.
Meeting Hernando's parents was nothing less then frightening but once I entered through their
big wooden door and I heard the word "Bienvenidos!" I knew everything would be OK.
Hernando asked his parents Maria Luisa (mother) and she said she liked me. His father's name
is Hernando as well.
Sister= Ana Maria
Brother=Julian
There will be more updates soon (San Andres y Providencia, getting sick, dancing salsa,
My days are numbered : ( I don't like the feeling. When I see the O' Mathuna's or look at the River Liffey I think it will be the last time for a while. The Guinness Storehouse houses the museum of the brewery at Saint James Gate, the original location of the factory. Tourists and locals can come to the Guinness Storehouse and have a self-guided tour. It was important that I visit the Guinness Storehouse because of its huge impact on the Irish society. It hard to imagine that beer and its owners could have such a huge influence over Ireland but it's true. Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) grew up on the lands of the Archbishop of Cashel helping his father brew beer for the tenants. From a very young age Arthur Guinness was interested in the making of beer. In the 1750s Arthur went to establish a brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare, with his brother. After a few years he let his brother take control of the brewery and left for Dublin. In Dublin he signed a lease at the Saint James Gate Brewery for 9,000 years at 45 pounds a year. The amount of the land is massive! I can't imagine that their still leasing it for that amount. Arthur wanted to create a beer that diverted the Irish from drinking whiskey. Whiskey is bad for the liver and increases the chance of getting cancer in the head or neck. From the start his intentions were good. To reverse this long accepted habit Arthur needed to make something unique and available for all classes. In 1759 Arthur Guinness founded his own brewery at the already existing Saint James Gate Brewery. He first started brewing ale but had heard of a new type of beer called 'porter' in London. After learning of its success he started brewing porter in the 1770s. Arthur was the first person to bring porter to Ireland. The response to the porter from Irish was incredible and by 1799 he had stopped brewing ale altogether. Four years later he died leaving behind a thriving business and 21 kids (10 survived to adulthood). Since Arthur Guinness died it has become the largest brewery at 60 acres, a family business for 6 generations and sold in 150 different countries. The Guinness family and brewery has left its footprint all over Ireland and has brought wealth to the 'emerald island'. For about a year now I have wanted to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is living history of the devotion and talents that ancient Irish monks had. The incredible amount of dedication to create this ancient scripture must have been immense. I have complete respect for the four unknown monks who created this piece art. The History The Book of Kells (called so after being found in a town called Kells) was created in 800 by 4 (maybe) monks off the coast of Scotland on a island called Iona. Today it has a huge population of 125. During the 8th century perhaps 25 Christian monks inhabited a monastery on the island of Iona. The island was a reputable oasis and had been the home of Columcille
hat amount. Arthur wanted to create a beer that diverted the Irish from drinking whiskey. Whiskey is bad for the liver and increases the chance of getting cancer in the head or neck. From the start his intentions were good. To reverse this long accepted habit Arthur needed to make something unique and available for all classes. In 1759 Arthur Guinness founded his own brewery at the already existing Saint James Gate Brewery. He first started brewing ale but had heard of a new type of beer called 'porter' in London. After learning of its success he started brewing porter in the 1770s. Arthur was the first person to bring porter to Ireland. The response to the porter from Irish was incredible and by 1799 he had stopped brewing ale altogether. Four years later he died leaving behind a thriving business and 21 kids (10 survived to adulthood). Since Arthur Guinness died it has become the largest brewery at 60 acres, a family business for 6 generations and sold in 150 different countries. The Guinness family and brewery has left its footprint all over Ireland and has brought wealth to the 'emerald island'. For about a year now I have wanted to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is living history of the devotion and talents that ancient Irish monks had. The incredible amount of dedication to create this ancient scripture must have been immense. I have complete respect for the four unknown monks who created this piece art. The History The Book of Kells (called so after being found in a town called Kells) was created in 800 by 4 (maybe) monks off the coast of Scotland on an island called Iona. Today it has a huge population of 125. During the 8th century perhaps 25 Christian monks inhabited a monastery on the island of Iona. The island was a reputable oasis and had been the home of Columcille [I have known it this way, the old Irish way. Others call him Saint Columba.], the man who brought Christianity to Scotland. The secluded little island of Iona was invaded by the Vikings shortly after the monks started making the Book of Kells. Monks were killed and their churches were pillaged. The creators of the Book of Kells fled to Kells, County Meath, Ireland for refuge. The Book of Kells took many years to make. The parchment was vellum, researchers guess that 125 calves skins were used in the making. I also saw the oldest harp in Ireland at the Long Room in Trinity College. The harp has long been a symbol of Ireland and also Guinness.
Cheri took me to the Hill of Tara today. The Hill of Tara is a series of earthworks in county Meath. Created by the Pagans as a residence and a place of worship when Ireland was split into kingdoms. The Hill of Tara is where the king of all kings and lands was. The site could use some more attention. Right now protesters have set of camp in petition about a new motorway called the M3. The M3 has been a highly controversial motorway that comes close to many ancient sites. The government didn't have to excavate the area where the M3 is going to be placed but they hired a large team of professional archaeologists to excavate the entire area. The archaeological project took a total of three years. That is the longest excavation project I have ever known for a motorway! Giving the location it did not surprise me that they found some amazing artifacts. Check them out. The protesters set up tepees. One of them chained themselves underground and had to 'rescued' by Garda.
Not the greatest day. Would of had a amazing day if my digital camera had not broke. Just 3 days ago my Titanium Macbook Pro stopped working. This picture was taken before I broke my camera (dropped my bag and it was in there...)
Pronounced brew-nah-boyne-yah. The ultimate reason why decided to have my 4th Quarter Walkabout in Ireland was because of the many Mesolithic archaeological sites still standing. More then 300 passage tombs, 2/3 of the worlds Megaliths, earthworks (mounds and other structures made from soil), dolmens, castles, abbeys, monasteries and stone/wood circles decorate the landscape. One of the best examples of Neolithic passage tombs is in the world is the Brú na Bóinne complex in county Meath. I've known about this site for two years now and always wanted to go. Laura decided to take me to the Brú na Bóinne complex on my way back to Dunboyne. I packed up my belongings and made my way to the archaeological wonder. Brú na Bóinne is a complex meaning there is a series of interconnected sites that are inside of the complex. Knowth, Dowth and the popular Newgrange are the complex. The sites interconnect by the fact that all three were inhabited by the Boyne Valley people. Dowth is currently under construction or excavation and cannot be accessed. We bought are tickets and waited for the bus to take us to the complexes. Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange are not clustered in one area. First stop was the less famous but equally incredible Knowth. Knowths is a series of earthworks built 5,000 years ago and was only excavated in 1961. "Knowth has the largest collection of megalithic art in from neolithic western Europe, and accounts for some 50% of the total engraved megalithic stones in Ireland." says researcher Martin Byrne. It is remarkable that Knowth alone has nearly the greatest collection of megalithic art, overshadowing more than 13 countries. Archaeology Terms Passage Tombs/Graves: A passage leading through a mound to a taller and bigger chamber. Sometimes the chamber will have side chambers or a corbelled roof. Kerbstones: Stones that outline an earthwork(s) or structure. Megalith: A large stone used in a structure. Our tour guide informed us that he was going to talk slow. He also said that he had a Dublin accent. I still can't differentiate a Dublin accent from suburb accent. The Belfast boys were making fun of Peter and calling him D4 (Dublin area 4). They mocked the Dublin accent. Entering the grounds of Knowth we see the West Passage (passage inside mound) surrounded with satellites. Satellites are the smaller mounds containing tombs that encircle or are scattered around the main mound. The Western Passage has 127 kerbstones, also megaliths, around its perimeter. Only a few megaliths don't have artwork on them. There is one particular megalith that shows astroarchgaeological importance. The stone has half-moons in a variation of sizes. It is very likely that the Boyne Valley people figured out the the lunar phases and had etched it into the stone. The Boyne Valley people were not Christian 5,000 years ago but Pagan. Paganism places utmost value on nature including the Sun, Moon and Earth. The reoccurring artwork and structures in Knowth seem to be worshiping and aligned with the Moon. The East and West Passages were aligned with the Spring and Summer equinoxes. During these equinoxes there would have been festivities, rituals and maybe feasts at Knowth. Knowth was originally a sacred and ceremonial place for the Boyne Valley people in the Neolithic archaeological period. During the Iron Age (1000 BC - 400 AD) and the Christian period (400 AD-???) the spiritual center of Knowth was abandoned by the creators for unknown reasons. Instead it became a permanent settlement and the mounds were greatly leveled to some extent. That way the houses and cattle could be on a stable land. Because the mounds were desecrated they no longer line up with the equinoxes. The Western Passage has the longest Megalithic passage in Western Europe, being at 40 meters long. The passage is in a cruciform (almost a cross) shape meaning that it has side chambers. At the end of the passage is the chamber with the corbelled roof at 7 meters high. Around the mound is white quartz (silicone dioxide) and kerbstones. It is not prohibited to go in the passage because two orthostats (standing megaliths, lithos meaning rock in ancient Greek) have partially fallen and people would have to crawl. To fix the orthostats would mean dismantling the corbelled ceiling and unearthing part of the mound. I have already typed too much... Next stop Newgrange! Newgrange is a behemoth of a mound at 80 meters across and 12 meters high. Around the base is 97 kerbstones with some decorated. Newgrange pales in comparison to Knowth when it comes to the amount and quality of megalithic art. Newgrange's claim to fame is that it is the oldest standing structure in the world (3200 BC). Older then the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. Newgrange underwent a massive restoration under the direction of Micheal J. O' Kelley and because of that looks incredible. I am a little unsure on the accuracy of the structure. It looks grand and I wonder if that was Micheal's intentions. The walls in the front of the passage tomb are lined with white quartzite. During the Winter Solstice the dawn light shines through the 'roof-box' and illuminates 20 meters into the passage. The girl tour guide splits us into two groups, the orange and yellow. The yellow group gets to go first into Newgrange and that meant me. As the group of 20 people walk through the passage they have to duck, except for me. The passage is about a meter across. As we enter the chamber we see to side chambers and a small alter like alcove at the top. Looking up there is a corbelled roof. The corbelled roof architecture is so efficient that water has never leaked through for the since constructed (5000 years ago). To create the Winter Solstice effect the lights were shut off within Newgrange. After everyone was instructed to be packed against the stone wall and arranged by hight. It was pitch black. Winter Solstice light crept in slowly. It did not illuminate the entire chamber but just a single line from where it shone through the roof-box. I did not know the tour included this. The Boyne Valley people were very sophisticated indeed.
My wonderful chauffer and tour guide, Laura O’ Mathuna, drove me to the Round Tower in Clones. Initially the Round Tower was built from limestone in 9th century for storage purposes. The Vikings invaded in 795 and raided monastic establishments like Clones. At the time of the Viking pillaging the Round Tower was used as place of defence and refuge for the monks. The Round Tower stands at 75 feet tall but was originally 90 feet until conical cap collapsed. North of the tower is a graveyard dating back to the 1700s. Famous for the sarcophagus of Saint Tighearnach that is carved from stone is the shape of a house.
Later I went to Maire and Paul’s house to use the internet. Paul told me about the Martin Cahill heist of O’Connor Jewellers. Martin Cahill is the notorious Irish gangster who specializes in robbery. Cahill’s claim to fame is when he robbed the major manufacturer O’Connor Jewellers. I was surprised to know that Eamonn’s wife is the daughter of the O’Connor. Cahill and his minions, dressed as a football team, walked out of O’Connor’s Jewellers with $3,000,000 worth of jewellery. One hundred people had to be laid off because insufficient funding. The O’Connor’s apparently don’t like talking about the heist. It was an embarrassment to the family. Martin Cahill was shot and killed while getting into his car by the IRA in 1994. Four years after his death movie producers already had plans of creating a film on Martin Cahill. The producers went to the O’Connor Jewellery owner to ask if they could film part of their movie, ‘The General’, at the store. Mr. O’Connor replied “If you can repay the amount of money the jewellery went for then you can film in my store.” The directors replied ‘No’.
