Ireland The Travel Show

Now on BBC News it's the Travel Show.

This time, I do recommend ducking!

Hello and welcome to the Travel Show.

This week, we're meeting the predators taking to the skies

above the west coast of Ireland.

Also coming up: We're in South Africa on the trail of one

artist who's helping to change the face of Pretoria's

repressed past.

Our thirsty explorer is on the hunt for a special

masala tea in north India.

And we're climbing the world's highest peaks with our Global Guide.

Near the west coast of Ireland, just to the south of Galway,

is an area known as the Burren.

A striking expanse of rugged cast hills that makes up Ireland's

smallest national park.

It's a landscape that remained largely unchanged for the past

3000 years, but there is a key difference.

If you look up, you will see there are far fewer big,

beautiful birds of prey in the sky.

And while Ireland is perhaps not the first place people think

of when it comes to international bird hotspots, it does

have a lot to offer.

It was once the native habitat of several birds of

prey known as raptors, including the golden eagle

and the white-tailed sea eagle.

But hundreds of years of hunting and habitat loss devastated

the raptors' numbers, and around the turn of the 20th

century, these birds of prey were completely

eradicated from Ireland.

Originally it would have been the latter-day aristocracy

in Ireland would have killed them because they believed

they were taking their game fowl and their rabbits,

and they were persecuted to extinction.

It is only now we are slowly starting to reintroduce them.

Shane O'Neill is part of the Golden Eagle Trust,

a conservation body that in 2007 started a project to bring some

of these lost birds back to Ireland.

The programmes have seen mixed results so far,

but it seems the white-tailed sea eagles have made

a particularly triumphant return to their traditional patch.

The white-tails haven't stayed in Kerry.

They've spread throughout the country from north

to south, east to west.

I guess they are doing what they are supposed to do?

Yes, exactly.

They have seemed to have taken it quite well, to be honest.

The white-tailed sea eagle is the largest bird of prey

in the British Isles, with a wingspan up to

a massive eight feet.

It's also a firm crowd favourite here at the Aillwee Caves,

a tourism and education centre situated in the middle

of the Burren's rocky landscape.

In captivity, hopefully she will live into

her late teens, 20s.

Here, tourists can have a close look at many different species

of raptors, both those native to Ireland and those

from across the world.

She's hunting now effectively.

She knows she can beat me.

Seeker weighs five kilos.

Not surprisingly, Seeker, the white-tailed sea eagle,

is the show's biggest hit.

She's going to fly this time really, really low over your head.

This time I do recommend ducking.

She does appear quite fearsome when she is coming

at you over the crowd.

Could she do you some damage if she really wanted to?

She definitely could do you some damage.

She can fly into you.

If she comes down with a bit of speed, she can definitely

knock you over.

If she beats out her wings, she can probably break your nose.

She can do a little bit of damage, but it's usually your own fault.

So who do we have here?

This is Juan.

He's a Harris hawk, a species found in the southern US states

all the way through Central America into Peru, Chile

and Argentina.

Hola, Juan.

He's got a fierce beak, doesn't he?

Your elbow comes tucked into to your hip, and then your

wrist slightly higher.

You will always walk to the highest point that is safe.

I would like to say you are going to bond, but you are

somewhere for him to sit.

And as long as you are a good perch, he is going to be quite content.

I am going to pop him on.

Are you ready?

Be gentle with me.

Just like this.

Hello!

Please don't peck my eyes out!

The centre conducts guided hawk walks, where tourists can explore

the surrounding woodlands in the company of a feathered friend.

What we will do is walk on a little further, and then we

will let him off to fly and get him to fly to you.

How do we make sure that he comes back to us

and doesn't go flying off?

He is trained, so that helps, but there is no guarantee.

He could hunt up here, there are furry things running

around and distractions.

He is opportunistic, he will take any

opportunity he can of food.

So if it's us, he'll return, but if he can find his own,

he'll do that, so there's no guarantee, really.

In addition to providing a rather thrilling chance to see

these birds up close, the walk is one of the activities

designed to augment bird conservation efforts.

Our goals really are absolutely to raise awareness.

I think it is critical.

We also help with monitoring birds of prey here in Ireland

and raising awareness about the reintroduction programmes.

And just the fact that you can have this so close

to a member of the public, whether it is a schoolchild

or yourselves during your visit here, it inspires, I think,

and it raises awareness about what they are.

So do I get to send him off?

I'm going to pop him onto your fist right now.

Hold him just as you were before, so your elbow down.

He's ready to go now whenever.

While it will take considerable time and effort before

Ireland's raptors return in strong numbers...

It's so cool.

I never get bored of seeing him do this stuff.

Nice and straight.

Are you ready?

He's watching you, so he's going to return.

..hopefully, with conservation and awareness campaigns taking place

in regions like this, these skies will one

day be full of graceful birds of prey once again.

And it's not just here in Ireland where conservationists are making

strides to keep birds of prey from disappearing forever.

And it's not just here in Ireland where conservationists are making

strides to keep birds of prey from disappearing forever.

Some species globally are starting to make a comeback

from near extinction.

Here is the Travel Show's pick of some of them.

The national bird of America, the bald eagle, was almost wiped out

back in the 1950s when only 400 nesting pairs were recorded

across the whole of the country.

Things thankfully changed with the introduction of the bald

eagle protection act, which banned trapping

and killing the birds.

Now there are an estimated 70,000 bald eagles in

the whole of North America.

The peregrine falcon was removed from the endangered

species list back in 1989.

Peregrines have suffered illegal killing from gamekeepers

and landowners, and have been a target for egg collectors.

But better protection and control of pesticides which indirectly

poisoned birds have helped the population to recover.

The strongholds of the breeding birds in the UK are the uplands

of the north and west, and rocky sea coasts.

The California condor is a new world vulture, the largest

North American land bird.

They almost became extinct in the wild in 1987,

but the species has been reintroduced to northern

Arizona and southern Utah.

The species is still listed as critically endangered,

but thanks to conservation, the numbers are slowly on the rise.

Next, we catch up with our thirsty explorer.

This week, he visits northern India in search of the best chai,

which is a special masala tea that locals just can't do without.

During the British Raj, tea plantations are India supplied

supplied the leaves needed for for UK's classic afternoon ritual.

But it wasn't long before Indians made tea their own,

adding extra milk, more sugar and often spices,

creating what is now known the world over as chai.

Proper chai may have started in British-founded plantations,

but it takes work to turn the leaves into the drink that is the centre

of virtually any social activity and important discussion.

For an authentic cup, I took the train to Varanasi,

one of the oldest cities on earth, and the holiest for Hindus,

where virtually every aspect of making chai is done

in the traditional way.

I am more scared of them than they are of me.

That feels like real milk.

Ginger.

Gritty.

Good one.

Good one, no?

Yes.

Still to come on the Travel Show: We're in South Africa,

where art is being used to dress the streets of Pretoria as it

becomes fast known as the capital of sculptures.

And we're checking out retro modes of transport in our Global Guide.

The Travel Show, your essential guide wherever you're heading.

Hello.

I'm Michelle Jana Chan, your Global Guide with top tips

on the world's best events in the coming months.

The London to Brighton veteran car run happens November 6th,

beginning in Hyde Park.

This 60-mile journey is about properly old autos

built before 1905.

Astonishingly, 500 cars take part, revving their engines at sunrise

before travelling down to Brighton on the south coast.

They will hope to arrive late morning, but there may be

stragglers, given the age of these beasts.

The event marks a change in the law at the end of the 19th century,

increasing the speed limit from four miles per hour to 14 mph.

It will be a different pace in Queensland, Australia,

for the world's biggest triathlon on October the 30th.

The Noosa Triathlon begins with a 1500m swim at Laguna Bay off

Noosa Main Beach, followed by a 40km bike ride along

the Noosa Cooroy Road, and then it's the final gruelling

10km run through Noosa Sound to the finish line party.

It's in fact a five-day event, the Multi-sport Festival,

which begins on October the 26th with a mix of fun runs

and charity events.

In the USA, the Festival of the Dead plays in Salem,

Massachusetts, through October.

There will be seances, a dinner with the dead held in total

silence, and a Witch's Halloween Ball.

In New York City, the Village Halloween Parade happens

in Manhattan, kicking off at 7.00pm on October the 31st.

Tens of thousands join the costumed parade through Greenwich Village,

starting at 6th Avenue by Canal Street and leading up

to 16th Street.

And down in Louisiana, the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience

takes place in City Park in New Orleans over

the Halloween weekend.

October the 28th through 30th.

Music ranges from R to electronic dance to rock, and the line-up

this year includes Tool, Arcade Fire and the Weekend.

Between concerts, there will also be Creole food and carnival rides.

The red carpet will be rolled out in the Italian capital.

From October the 13th to the 23rd it's the Rome Film Fest,

with screenings, master classes, tributes and retrospectives.

Sneak previews include American Pastoral by Ewan McGregor,

7 Minuti by Michele Placido, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep

in Audience, and Oliver Stone discussing US politics.

It happens in the Auditorium Parco Della Musica just north

of the Centro Historico, as well as other venues

across the city.

From bright lights to night skies, in Canada,

the Jasper Dark Sky Festival lasts through October the 23rd.

Offering stargazing experiences on the shores of Lake Annette.

Watch out for the mobile planetarium and rocket launchers.

Back in Australia, Sydney's Bondi is not only about the boho

lifestyle, there is another reason to come here.

Sculpture by the Sea, an outdoor art exhibition on the two

kilometres trail from Bondi to Tamarama Beach, sweeping around

the stunning sandstone cliffs.

It will be live from October the 20th to November the 6th,

with over 100 sculptures by artists from Australia and beyond.

Finally, back in the UK, from November the 17th to 20th,

the Kendal Mountain Festival in the Lake District is

a celebration of outdoor adventure.

There will be international screenings, film-makers' talks,

literary events as well as climbers and adventurers on the podium.

Plus a forum for young film-makers to share their wildest adventures.

That's my Global Guide this month.

Let me know what's happening in the place where you live

or where you love.

We're on e-mail and across social media.

Until next time, happy travelling.

And to end this week, we're in South Africa to meet

an artist who's aiming to change the face of Pretoria

with his decorative and eye-catching sculptures.

There is even room for locals to join in.

I sort of find myself in an interesting situation

as a third-generation sculptor.

I knew how to mix plaster of Paris by the time I was three.

Some of my early childhood memories are art galleries and art

exhibition openings.

Studying sculpture was just the logical thing for me to do.

A lot of my work ends up being something that was a style

of work that was very popular in the '70s,

direct metal sculpture.

We literally just work directly in the steel and you are guided

by the steel as you're working, by the process.

It gives the work a lovely sort of spontaneity and immediateness.

This is my PPC Cool Capital public bench project.

And being a public sculpture, it has taken a little bit of a knock

in the last two years.

Its leg has come under.

So I need to get it fixed up and get it back to town.

I took my inspiration from Snor Stad or Moustache City,

which is sort of a derogatory nickname for Pretoria from years

past, where government workers had moustaches,

and the more senior you were, the bigger your moustache was,

so there was this whole stereotype of the Snor City.

In 2010 at the Venice biennale, a friend of ours, or a friend

of Pretoria we should probably say at this stage,

Peter Matthews, an architect, drew at the American Pavilion

the poster that said that one should claim your spaces,

and the American Pavilion was all about that.

It was all about small interventions, it was all

about the idea of people owning their space.

And he decided to put a biennale together in Pretoria,

and then ran straight into the bureaucracy.

And then a bunch of people came up with the idea of why,

why do you need the permission?

The whole concept was for people to own their own spaces.

And that was the birth of the Cool Capital biennale,

the first DIY guerilla biennale in the world.

I remember the original meetings, the first meetings, people

would come to the meeting and say, but what can I do?

What must I do?

And every time, the answer would just be, you can

do whatever you want.

Try not to break the law, try to be reasonable within health

and safety parameters.

There ended up being so many activities and events and film

festivals and music showings on the top of buildings and film

festivals in the basements of derelict mid-city buildings.

Slowly but surely, there is a new phenomenon that has stepped

in where Pretoria has always had a lot of nationalist sculpture,

as all countries that were under some form of a fascist

or nationalist government, and I think what the Cool Capital

project also did, it with us claiming Pretoria as a sculpture

city, and to show that you could have public sculpture

that is not necessarily ideological, but that is aspirational.

Aspirational public sculpture, and public sculpture coming back

into the fore again, and people are willing to put money

into it, and I think that is a very exciting era that Pretoria

specifically is moving into.

Pretoria is becoming in itself a really beautiful, vibrant,

artistic, creative destination for people to stay and to visit

and to see and experience.

It kind of makes me proud to be in Pretoria

and as a sculptor in Pretoria.

That's it for this week's show.

Coming up next week: Henry's in Singapore trying out top-notch

food at market store prices, and discovering why its famous

hawker centres are once again thriving following a

shortage of young chefs.

We're a well-oiled machine here, but I'm feeling the pressure.

So, do join us then if you can, and let us know about your travels,

and keep up with what we're doing on our social media feeds.

Details are on the screen now.

But for now from me, Christa Larwood, and the rest

of the Travel Show team here in Ireland, it's goodbye.