Cascading Alleviation

         There’s a place higher up, secluded from the valley… Simply hire a Tuk-Tuk to make your way there(TripAdvisor).

         On the way tourists might find themselves passing natives dressed in traditional garb hawking their wares. Genuine! they might yell from across the road. Handcrafted! the shout might prevail. Pushed right up in tourists’ faces old women with determined barks might wave their goods. Some people will eat it up with their eyes, swiveling heads to take it all in. Perhaps I’ll buy this, perhaps I’ll buy that. A hustle and bustle here and there, getting drawn in with the plea for their purchase. Others might try to shrink back from the grasping hands and insistive voices; Hurrying through the colors and knick-knacks with a determined shoulder past.

         The adventure has just begun though; this is after all, only the road to the sweet spot.

         Included in the entrance fee is the chance to visit the sanctuary on the way to the falls(TripAdvisor).

         Past the hullaballoo at last the ascent continues. Perhaps take a breath before taking in the sight, for it might just steal it right back.

         Carefully stepping across the slick rocks in sturdy shoes is likely something to be held in cherished memory for quite some time to come. Traipsing through the greenery offers rich air let into gasping lungs; filling both body and soul with its natural glory. Precision and excitement; tumbling over each other in a smile. It feels like a real adventure; yet carefree and unoppressive. There is just light all around and a desire to climb and reach the top to see a sight never to be forgotten.

         Water cascades down in a raw type of splendor. Spilling down in a magnificent terrace, like an elaborate ballroom staircase. In other spots, pools of water ripple enticingly, setting a tranquil, yet alive, ambiance. With trees all around, they are offering green shade, and waters beckon, lending the location is a quite enjoyable ambiance. It is also a lovely spot for a picnic; a place to unwind, ready for people to lose some time frittering away in relaxation or exploration. (Visit Laos)

    Feeling hot from the day? Perhaps a swim in the refreshing pools will get the sluggish blood flowing again. Swimming is not restricted, instead the waters wiggle excitedly, offering itself freely to those who make the effort to visit. Little wooden huts are even skirting the area for a changing place. Slip into bathing suits inside the small hut and jump into the water for a happy time.

    Though time seems as if it could be changeable as the waters, stretching into a blissful year, or merely a few sparse carefree moments, the sun will eventually set, and away from the gorgeous location one must go. Slipping downhill with gravity, hearing and feeling the echo of a delectable afternoon.

References:

"Well worth a Look - Review of Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang, Laos - TripAdvisor." Trip Advisor. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g295415-d555731-r331408955-Kuang_Si_Falls-Luang_Prabang_Luang_Prabang_Province.html#REVIEWS>.

"Kuang Si Falls - One of the Most Popular Sites in Luang Prabang Luang Prabang, Laos." Laos-Guide-999. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.laos-guide-999.com/Kuang-si-falls.html>.

"Kuang Si Waterfall near Luang Prabang - Luang Prabang Attractions." Visit-laos.com. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.visit-laos.com/luang-prabang/kuang-si-waterfall.htm>.

Brisk Plunge

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         Finding yourself in a cocky mood? Or more appropriately, an Irish mood? Well, there’s a place filled with grins and room for highly entertaining shocked faces to watch. Whether from the bitter cold water for the first few minutes, or on the potential chance that you caught the sight of a man going swimming like the good ol’ days when it was merely a men’s bathing area. (If it’s the latter and you’re not too keen on human mooning, averted eyes would be a good route to take.)

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         Historically, the location was a gentlemen's bathing location, where they could be free from prying eyes. Nowadays though women and children come join in the sweet swimming location.

         Down one side are old looking handrails. Feeling unsure one can steady themselves down some to the water; easing in for a slow acclimation to the coolness, until it begins to not feel unbearably cold and instead turns considerably tolerable.

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         For the people who prefer to bear risks and take an off chance, or slippery slope approach, an outcropping of rocks at high tide beckons. A worn sign warns of the danger of diving into the pool-like area, but plenty of people give a careless shrug or shift and take it head on, making the dive regardless.

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         The Forty Foot seems to be a place of smug faces ready to enjoy the view and brave the frigid water. Its charm does not fade during the winter, though logic would seem to suggest otherwise. In a self-satisfied defiance however, the Forty Foot has managed to convince hundreds of swimmers to join it for a Christmas morning swim.

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         Though many people call those who dare the deep winter water such things as crazy, or insane, scoffing at the tradition; there seems to be an underlying sense of pride for Dubliners. It’s like most people can’t stop grinning when their friend says they’re going to do something rather stupid but relatively harmless. It’s a duty to berate, after all “I wouldn’t do that.” Still, you’ll probably cave later and ask with a twinkle in your eyes how it went.

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         The view stretches across the water pleasantly, and feet are not hemmed in by brushing a surface underneath. Instead coolness yawns deeper and deeper down, and feet paddle to stay afloat for the most part.

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         So if this Christmas you happen to find yourself in the area, you might want to take a moment to wonder if you’re the type of person ready to join a mad rush of people stepping and diving into a December sea, just because of tradition and spunk. Who knows? Perhaps it’s the next plunge for your life…

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References:

"Outdoor Swimming Ireland." Outdoor Swimming Ireland. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.outdoorswimming.ie/Co/Dublin/40_foot.html>.

I used these other sites to read some comments here and there from people who’ve actually been there. The mood and tone of my paper borrows some of the general feeling I gathered from these snippets:

"The 40 Foot - South Inner City - Dublin, Republic of Ireland." Yelp. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-40-foot-dublin>.

"The Forty Foot - Glenageary - Dublin, Republic of Ireland." Yelp. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-forty-foot-dublin>.

"The Forty Foot (Dublin, Ireland): Address, Phone Number, Body of Water Reviews - TripAdvisor." The Forty Foot (Dublin, Ireland): Address, Phone Number, Body of Water Reviews - TripAdvisor. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d216538-Reviews-The_Forty_Foot-Dublin_County_Dublin.html>.

Swinging on the Edge

         Oxygen grows thin as mountain tops find themselves tucked in clouds. People’s heads seem to grow dizzy with a sense of reckless abandon as they breathe the thin air. It feels like they’re on top of the world. They’re invincible. It’s almost like they could scoop up their childhood fantasies rushing back in vivid clarity, take a step, and fly.

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         Someone in Ecuador decided to bring youthful imagination to a reality. After all, when you’re on top of the world, who’s to tell you otherwise? The invention hangs from Casa del Arbol, or “The Treehouse” (Atlas Obscura). The endearing structure is perched in the boughs of a tree ‘living on the edge’. It holds onto the mountain with deeply embedded roots, daring the wind to shake it even in the slightest.

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         Simple ropes clutch at a protruding pole, drifting down plainly to provide a board attached for a seat. It invites with a gentle sway. Take a seat, it says. One sits, hands clutching the rope, and the swing continues its lull, a gentle shush, a rock and a tip; breathing calm air into hungry lungs.

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         Dangling feet begin dancing kicks, impatience rising, beckoning movement, seeking motion. Fingers begin to hold the cord with more vigor as the swing begins to move, slowly at first, then faster as legs unfurl and begin to pump in eager excitement. Within minutes, moments, the fussy rock and turned into a sailboat on a frolicking ocean. It jumps about with liveliness.

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         Held suspended, with whitening hands, two life lines on a simple plank, the bumpy start is over and you realize you’re flying,... and it’s like you’ve reached the end of the world. It’s a fluid motion of in and out; a pulse, a throb you’ll feel long after you’re gone. Feet glide over tousled grass, and sweep out above a drop. It feels like one of those square globes, as if you could let go and fall in a thrilling leap. Heading down, down, down, just to pop back up into the vast blue sky.

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         The location has a simple charm.

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         Clumpy green grass hugs the mountainside, sticking up like restless hair on the crown of a person with their head in the clouds. Across the drop, billowing clouds kiss the top of the volcanic mountain, sliding the kisses down his face with the slinking fog. It is a gentle caress, diffusing the idea of dangerous heat into misty wisps. The sky is a soft blanket of blue cotton, tucking fussy children safely into a place where dreams take flight.

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         The experience encapsulated in a few words would be:

         Exhilarating,

         Thrilling,

         Boundless.

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         Finally, feet touch reality again, head spinning with wonder. All the cares in the world have taken flight and flown away while sitting on the swing at the edge of the world.

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References:

"Swing at the End of the World." Atlas Obscura. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. <http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/swing-at-the-end-of-the-world>.

I read these others to get a feel for the place, but can’t really cite them specifically. They’re here for credit though as they were still very helpful:

Morton, Ella. "The Swing at the End of the World." Web. 9 Dec. 2015. <http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/11/27/the_swing_at_the_end_of_the_world.html>.

"The Crazy Swing at Casa Del Arbol in Ecuador | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities." Oddity Central Collecting Oddities. 4 July 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2015. <http://www.odditycentral.com/travel/riding-a-swing-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff-in-ecuador.html>.

"The Swing at the End of the World." EMORFES. 14 Sept. 2013. Web. 9 Dec. 2015. <http://emorfes.com/2013/09/14/the-swing-at-the-end-of-the-world/>.

"A Thrilling Swing That Sits At The 'End' Of The World." A Thrilling Swing That Sits At The 'End' Of The World. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://designtaxi.com/news/359055/A-Thrilling-Swing-That-Sits-At-The-End-Of-The-World/>.