Type Ireland into trip adviser and the most popular attraction is The Cliffs of Moher and let me just start by saying they are probably one of my favorite places. Now, I'm going to be completely honest and say that this actually kind of annoys me.. I always like to think of myself as an adventurous being who loves to find hidden gems and discover places for myself. Its that feeling that you get when you discover a 'secret' place and its like you are the only person that gets to experience it - honestly its magical. But I always find it so hard to get that same feeling visiting places swarming with tourist! And yes it is extremely ironic, a tourist complaining about tourists - but its true. Places that used to be so special and exclusive are now being capitalized and exploited to the stage where there magic is stripped from them. However despite the fact that I had to pay a fee to see this natural wonder, somehow I was still able to feel a special kind of magic. Actually Ireland seems to have an amazing way of retaining the raw beauty of places with out completely destroying them! Maybe its because I was there in the shoulder season and missed the rush of tourists? Or maybe its because I didn't really stick to the barriers..? But what ever the case this place really does have something special and it is 100% must do when you visit Ireland!
Side note - I may have jumped the fence and walked along the edge of the cliff, however in my defense I just wanted to experience the rawness of this place and it wasn't THAT windy.. also check out these epic shots! (I do not encourage this to any one and will not be held responsible for any silly business on the edge on the cliff!).
From the moment I walked up to the first viewpoint I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It just seemed unreal, these giant jaw dropping cliffs were right there in front of me and they looked just like they did on my Iphone when I found this place. There is a part of the track where the barrier ends and a sign informs you that from this point on, it is no longer part of the protected area and you may continue at your own risk. This was the point when I felt I could really take it all in and it finally became real, its when the comfort blanket is taken away and its just you and your surroundings. I finally felt like I was no longer just looking at the picture I had already seen, now I was in the moment! You are in touch with all your senses and it's in your hands to decided where your path leads you. Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea, it's not some skinny little tight rope you are walking on, its actually a decent 5 meter wide area at thinnest and in fact some areas there is a whole paddock! And its not about standing right on the edge and toying with gravity, just being able to not feel as if you are at the zoo!
It may be the inner adrenaline junkie in me talking when I say that pushing the limits is when I feel the most alive and if I could feel just one feeling for the rest of my life, it would be this!
