When we told my family we wanted to visit a leper colony, they thought we were crazy, considering Meg tends to contract horrible diseases or injuries on our journeys. We had been pining over taking this tour since we saw it featured in a travel video years ago. We made a special trip to Molokai, Hawaii to see the place. We had read a lot of reviews about people being scared on the mule ride, but I do not think it was nearly as bad as what others stated. We booked online a few months in advance. It was not cheap, but once we took the tour, the cost made sense given all the people, animals, guides, and effort involved.  We flew to Molokai the day before and stayed at a nearby bnb so we could arrive on time. We met up at the office location early the next morning, signed some waivers, then drove to the trail meeting point. We waited almost an hour for the mules to arrive with the mule skinners. We were in a group of 5 guests and two mule skinners. They matched us with a mule, which really looked more like a horse with a short mane, gave us instructions on how to ride, and we took off down the trail with a mule skinner in the middle and the back.

You start at the top of the mountain and ride down the steep trail with around 26 switchbacks. You gotta hold on tight and lean back. The mules were pretty cooperative, but mine liked to eat and did not like to be passed and pushed past another mule on the trail to get back in her place, which thankfully was not on a very narrow part. There are parts of the trail where the mule turns when you feel like you are hanging over a cliff, but most the time it was fine. The trail was wider than I expected, maybe 5 feet across with rocks and stairs built into the mud.  The view was breathtaking. We spotted a mountain goat in the woods, the trees were sprawling, and it opened up to the amazing blue ocean and skies. At the bottom of the trail you ride along a pristine beach to the guide meet-up point. You leave the mule there to rest while a van takes you on a tour of the Kalaupapa leper colony. We heard all about Father Damien, Mother Marianne, and leprosy. There were once 2000 residents, but now only 7 of the former lepers remained. Apparently, after a cure was found, many of them moved to Vegas, because why not?  We stopped by the town bookstore manned by one of the residents. Our tour guide was very friendly and told us lots of tales and sang along with a Ukulele and regaled us with lovely singing to demonstrate the acoustics of the church. One of the songs contained a reference to deer hunting which appears to be a pastime on the island due to population issues.  The guide was an avid hunter and makes belts out of deer hides and sells them.  Chris was disappointed he didn't have any with him for sale.  The Hawaiians are a spiritual people, so if you are put off by any mention of spirituality, Hawaii may be an uncomfortable fit. The guide tried to give a thorough example of the history of Catholicism in the town. I am not spiritual myself, but I appreciated the context and information provided.

A sack lunch was provided for us with a sandwich, chips, granola bar, and water. We ate lunch in a park area overlooking the mountains and ocean with a nice breeze. Bathrooms were available.
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After lunch we returned to the van, checked out the churches and cemetery, and spotted pigs and deer along the trail. Our guide was very enthusiastic. After that we returned to our mules and rode back up, stopping several times to let them rest. It was certainly harder on the mules going up. I could feel Smokey's heart beating beneath me. She would give some neighing protests before going further up the trail. One mule lost her footing and fell to his knees and the rider fell onto the stone pathway, but luckily was uninjured. The mules were sweating by the time we finished. I felt a bit bad for them, but you can see by their size and mass they are clearly large working mules. They know the trail without you needing to direct them at all.
The skinners were great and quick to help along the trail. It was one person's birthday, and the skinners and their children stood in a group with their arms around one another and sang a personal birthday song to her. It was so cute and endearing. Made you feel like family. I hope the land disputes are settled and the tours continue, because it would otherwise be a real loss for Molokai and the public. It was a fantastically unique, and memorable experience. I would highly recommend the trip either by hiking or the mule ride. 

​We finished off our trip to Molokai by heading to the Post-a-nut Post office. We decorated some coconuts with Hawaiian themes and mailed them home to our family. After that we dropped off our rental Mustang Convertible and flew back to Oahu. Stay tuned to hear more adventures.

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In our crazy global travels we stopped off in Scotland for a few days. This has been a much awaited trip for us. Like many others, I was inspired by the melodic tunes of bagpipes and the indelible images from Braveheart (which I, incidentally have seen about 50 times). I knew in our plans that I wanted to visit some of the historical places linked to William Wallace, but I had no idea how close they were to one another. 

We started off our trip visiting the Wallace Monument in Stirling and climbed the hundreds of stone stairs up the narrow winding passageway to the top. It was fascinating to read the history and see the images of famous figures. I was most psyched about seeing Wallace's sword. It was probably taller than me, enclosed in a glass case. I would be frightened of anyone wielding something like that. Those soldiers were hard core. From the top we could look out at the area where the battle of Stirling took place. I could not get over how close all the historical sites were to one another. There was a gift shop at the top and bottom of the monument. They have a cafe with bathrooms at the bottom near the entrance (and gift shop) as well as a tour bus that drives you up the mountain. Our bus driver was kind enough to show Chris how to thread his beard bead.

 We continued our travels to Stirling castle, but first stopping off at the church cemetery nearby once known for royal ceremonies like Mary Queen of Scots baptism.  The church had these beautiful arching stained glass windows. Unfortunately, it was closed so we could not enter. Instead, we headed to the cemetery. Check out our cemetery page for more detailed pics. From the castle, we could see the Wallace Monument up on a mountain.

After we spent time enjoying the peace of the cemetery and contemplating its history, we continued on to the castle. We marveled over the architecture  with ornate sculptures, gothic looking doors, and ambient, glowing passageways. It was fun to see how they used technology to educate people with games. 

I also really enjoyed seeing the furnished bedrooms with lavish tapestries, elegant beds, and glowing fireplaces, Home renovation inspiration anyone?

The  Inside decor matched out outer decor.

Not only was the castle gorgeous, but so was the rest of the city. Everything looked straight out of the 16th century. Giant stone walls, cobblestone paths, just like stepping into a timewarp. We stopped by a local restaurant for one of the best meals on our trip at Hermann’s Restaurant.

On our way out of Stirling back to Edinburgh we passed through Falkirk and has to checkout the Kelpies, the beautiful legendary horse statues that can be seen from afar and are lit up in an array of changing lights at night. One of our friends commented that this is what her nightmares were made of. You can spot them from the highway, and if you follow the signs you can find the expansive park on which they reside. You really cannot miss them. It is a nice, gentle stroll to get to admire them up close.

As any good tourist would, we spent the night in a Scottish castle, Dalhousie Castle. It was set into the countryside just out of Edinburgh.  It had a classic feel with lots of maroon coloring and wood accents, stone, and knights in armor statues. We ate breakfast on the patio overlooking the grounds of trees and grass. The breakfast was weird. I never had an omelette without cheese, and hope never to again. Since the place had no elevator, lugging our giant suitcases upstairs was awful. However, I was ecstatic to find a cat that lives on a nearby farm comes over daily to be fed at the castle gate. He is sometimes let in and aids in the reception process.  Who cares about the bill when there's an adorable cat lounging in your seat!

The next day we explored another nearby cemetery before heading off to Edinburgh. Once again, the sites were gorgeous. They somehow even managed to make signs about dog poo seem fancy.

Once again, we were astonished by the ancient beauty of a Scottish city.  We spent the day exploring the Royal Mile, a street that looks like castles filled with shops and pubs nearby Edinburgh Castle. It was a bustling part of town. We ventured into the Scottish National gallery and took is some amazing art. There was one portrait that I stared at for 15 minutes. We were hurried along by a tour on our tales, but they allowed a perfect photo op.

After that, we ate lunch at a pub where Chris had fish n chips and I had a weird dessert made of grapes with a pastry crumble on top, kind of like apple cobbler, only with sour grapes. I was not a fan.

We found a place to buy tickets for a haunted tour of the  city underground vaults.  No one we talked to knew where they were, but the lady at the tourism depot had loads of information for us and she was super friendly and patient with us and our many questions.

We stopped and watched some street musicians play, including a bagpiper. Checked out a few shops of Scottish fashions, and Chris found himself a new pair of Doc Martens. I am still trying to locate the blue sparkly pair I saw in there in my size in the States. We wandered down the street to a nearby park and hiked up a hill to find some Romanesque Columns. We don't know what they were or why they were there, but they sure looked pretty. As we strolled, we consorted with owls on the street and made a donation to show we gave a hoot! Parking was atrocious, but from the looks of it, a bike might not be such a great idea either.

 The clerks at the Doc Martens store highly recommended visiting Arthur's seat.  We did not even know this place existed, yet it became the highlight of our visit. We hiked up Arthur’s Seat to find the crumbling skeleton of a church once used as a refuge for “people with skin problems,” which I suspect translates to Leprosy. We reached the summit just as the sun was setting and it gave us this amazing view of Edinburgh lit up at night...the twinkling lights contrasting with brilliant blue sky. Absolutely amazing!  

Unfortunately I lost the tickets I bought earlier, so we hung our heads in shame as we walked back to the tourist office  to get a copy of our tickets. Thankfully, they had them. So, it was now onto our ghostly tour of the underground vaults and cemetery with Mercat tours.  Meeting up with people you don't know in front of a cathedral at night was a new experience for us.  Our tour guide, Astrid, was knowledgeable about local history and somewhat believable when discussing the various spirits that allegedly inhabit the vaults (cynic that I am).  I suspended my disbelief as much as I could and managed to be moderately creeped out a few times.  Mostly, I just imagined what hell it must have been to live or even to engage in illicit practices down there, as we were told was common.  We heard about hangings, grave robbings, human waste disposal, and many other facets of Edinburgh's history.  The cemetery just off the main drag that we visited at the end was gothic and fabulous.  Especially since the tour was very affordable, I would say it was well worth the money.  We tried to do more adventuring, but to our surprise, pretty much everything was closed by 10 pm. A local bartender told us "it's embarrassing, but everything closes really early here." So, we took our cue and rode back to our castle.

So, next time someone asks what you can do in 3 days in Scotland in winter, the answer is: A LOT! There is something here for everybody. I really can't believe this isn't people's number one travel destination. It may be Europe's best kept secret. Wear comfortable shoes and have your camera ready! 

Join us next time to hear more traveling tales and inspire your own journey! Leave a comment or a like if you enjoy the pics or the post.