Chris Duff has always been a man more comfortable in the water as it was from. He was with the U.S. Navy at Holy Loch, Scotland in the job in 1982, ended when he was hired. Given the difficult decision to recover or less, he decided to return to civilian life. Soon the dream of an Irish tour was born.
Chris tried several jobs, at one point he worked in New York as an assistant to a butcher of an old couple from Ireland. When asked if the old man wasHe was told of the Aran Islands. For those of us who love Ireland, which brings visions of beautiful stone houses and late night music sessions in our heads. The couple have a picture book from the shelf and opened it a few evocative image of the Aran Islands and its people - the sea is rough, steep cliffs, stone houses, boats covered with skin called currachs and strong wind worn faces. Our man was Chris island surrounded by sea wild enthusiasm, which was nice, and a seedplanted in his brain that are growing and would give birth to life changing adventure Celtic fourteen years later.
Chris decided to kayak in Ireland was not the first trip, as for him. He embodies the spirit of adventure that many of us can only dream of. 12 months and 8,000 miles - that had all the kayak the United States and Canada. He had circumnavigated the UK - five and a half months and 3,000 miles. Ireland, however, with its stormy seas and the west coast exposed, with powerfulWaves of the first session landfall in Europe would be a completely different story.
The starting point is the famous River Liffey in Dublin June 1st 1996. The sacred vessel of the trip, eighteen meters sea kayak with € 100 of food, water and camping gear loaded, wrapped in plastic to keep a diary and a map of the Irish coast carefully guarded spray at the top. Chris began his travels as he shares with us his blessing - ten years had enabled him to carpentryto save enough to take away this precious time for this adventure, to "take the time and only for a few months of rest." Few of us ever know that luxury, but worked hard for this and appreciate it, lucky for us that shares all the time so we can enjoy indirectly through its words.
What most struck me about 'Chris is writing the mystery and wonder with which regards the beauty of nature around him, especially on the west coast of Ireland, where Stark cliffssuggested by a wild sea and strong wind whip. Sometimes, kayaking in sea caves along the coast and paddle in semi-darkness and feels his admiration for what caused the nature of our landscape.
Irish coast is just great with birds, particularly the islands off the coast. At one point, a large winged Fulmar looked at him curiously, hovering in the air, looking into her eyes. Chris tells him: "You're so beautiful, my friend, what you saw and where you were.?. Today, "There is a timelessness in his eyes like a bird that has made us feel our insignificance in the face of Mother Nature can visit Chris islands rich in colonies of birds - cormorants, puffins, cormorants, fulmars, gulls, guillemots, gannets , razorbills -. thousands of you are all very tolerant to accept his presence and simple, instead of him flying into a frenzy at his approach than you might think, is a paradise for bird watchers ..
Along the trip, the visits of many ChrisIslands - some with familiar names that sound like Skellig Michael Clare and Iceland, some are small points, the ocean views. In case of bad weather, sits the wind and waves, looked out from his tent on the storm out there, waiting for a break in time. He takes us with him when he sleeps in a beehive hut or a canoe to take us under a waterfall near Dingle Bay in a cold shower or go swimming even religious pub-hopping from session to session in the pubs of the city workersDingle.
It should be noted that, unlike many of Irish descent, Chris Duff came to Ireland in search of his past. He wanted to kayak and enjoy a challenging journey alone with the wind and waves. The strong force of the Irish landscape and Irish people, however, leaves its mark on him. He began not only a sense of belonging, but a feeling of wonder and feel the loss. When walking through maze island of wild flowers in a desert, he encounters ruinsStone houses and churches and the history of the site flows to trap him, like so many others did. Mirrors:
Across the river two narrow stone houses of the sun was wet ruins of the last rays. The island, gleaming in the twilight, it seemed as if it were the country was a fairy tale magic. Shades of stone walls, meadows green uniform, and the cap rock, smashed the top of the island looked like a place where you could dance ... "
IIt 'been a pleasure to travel within the reach of the Emerald Isle with a philosophy of "American canoeist." His courage in the face of wild waves on the west coast is crazy, a line of authentic earth like me. At one point landing safely on a remote beach houses by a team of local emergency was looking for him. Someone had found him "fight" between the waves and the thought was in difficulties. In the meantime, he was happy with the time of his life in combatWaves!
The names of the landmarks of his journey as a launch ring with famous actor appeared in a blockbuster film - Mizen Head, Head Dursey, Skellig, Dingle Bay, the Blasket, the River Shannon, Galway Bay, the Cliffs of Moher , Aran Iceland, Iceland Chiara - and more! The list goes on. It 's really a remarkable cast of characters and continues to guess, the next stop on the distance.
When you visit the Blasket Islands, which were abandoned only reluctantly byThe villagers in 1950, says Chris, sitting in a kayak, the paddler always in the direction of travel. In traditional Irish currach However, given the rowers back and looked at the boat wake. This point of view of their last inhabitants of the island have been very painful for him as he rowed farther and farther away from the old home of their relatives.
The people on the way are uniquely Irish. Whenever Chris emerges from the sea, seemingly from nowhere, he is met with commentsof disbelief. "You have come from Dublin, where?, I think y'er crazy." The Kindness of Strangers has always been the hallmark of Irish hospitality, thousands of years ago was actually commissioned by the Brehon laws of the country. It seems that only second nature a generous people. The fishermen, who happens to hand him some snaps or clean any fish you eat, with the advice of his journey. The housewife who makes the dinner and asked him to join the family through the fire for a nightnarrative. The couple, the increase in the twilight, he for the next leg of his journey. The canoeists and gentlemen of Galway, which helps him a place to stay and relax after a period of bad weather and heavy wear his kayak through the crowded streets of the city. It 's just sad, in the north of Ireland, where the problems were still going to knock on a door is met with suspicion and fear rather than a smile and a warm welcome from the fire.
Ireland is a revelation for our kayakFriend. He is struck by the natural beauty of the windswept islands and coastal cliffs fringed been established, friendly people, with the huge amount of history is humiliated by the bursting of the landscape and mysterious sanctity feels confused. He has a gift for storytelling, for the description of a scene until the last rays of the sun, which can be used as evidence of his Irish roots.
For those who are faint of heart, there are scenes in this book that are truly shocking. Chris paddles onWaves, which are scare-Jaysus out of you and me would be bypassed and submerged rocks that could puncture his early kayak and drowned him. But, frankly, ended his journey in safety. As the old proverb says, he "lived to tell the story." So enjoy all the beauty and hair-raising seconds!
Copyright 2010 Janet McGrane Bennett
No comments:
Post a Comment