Day 9-Tralee, County Kerry

Day 9 and we are still in Tralee, County Kerry, at Ballyseede Castle.

Today, we will be going to Skellig Michael, a formidably beautiful island off the coast, and a World Heritage Site. It's roughly 7 miles from shore, and the only way to get there is a small fishing boat. By small, I mean it can fit MAYBE 8 people, including the captain and skipper. My parents and I had QUITE the ride out, and visit, to Skellig Michael in 2012. It was truly incredible though, for lack of a better word!

Skellig Michael was a very early Christian monastic site from about 6-8AD until 12AD, when it could not withstand continued Viking assaults. It was inhabited on and off since then, although today only scientists are the human inhabitants. Once you make it to the top, after an at times near-80 degree climb, you can see the beehive huts that the monks and later inhabitants called home. They're surprisingly warm, even with the wind whipping.

Skellig Michael and the nearby Little Skellig are homes to the world's largest population of the seagoing gannet birds, and are heavy populated with puffins. I love puffins, but they can make a trip to Skellig pretty treacherous! The island has hand-hewn, uneven rock steps that are slick, and are a steep climb upwards at times; it's not uncommon to see people climbing or descending on hands and knees. There are NO guard rails nor hand rails, so you have to lean on the rock wall or risk blowing over the cliff to the rocks below. It's both exhilarating and nerve wracking at the same time! You are doing all this while adorable puffins are clammering in front of you, making it difficult to walk anywhere; or they jump out and startle you. They're still pretty adorable though, even when they almost kill you.

Gannets at Little Skellig