Monthly Archives: November 2017

Cleaved Cliff at the Entrance to Dingle Bay

Navigation was difficult in the pre-radio/satellite age. Landmarks were critical – at least the ones that didn’t move. Luckily, and I didn’t know this until I visited the area a few years ago, the small entrance to (what is now-a-days called) Dingle Bay has a distinctive cleaved cliff on its western side.

Cleaved Cliff Face

Cleave Cliff Face at entrance to Dingle Bay

In the second book in The Crossover Series, “Contact,”, my characters travel to southern Ireland in the year 1076 CE (“common era,” aka AD). This broken cliff face provided a distinctive landmark for Larry and his crew when they returned on their second trip. (Which, for those who haven’t read “Contact” yet, didn’t go so well…).

Here’s an overview of Dingle and the surrounding terrain (Ros was the headman back in 1076 CE):

Dingle Bay area

Dingle Bay showing the town of Dingle, the cleaved cliff, and Ros’s farmstead.

Here is a dramatic (but, unfortunately, out-of-focus) image showing the gap between the mainland and the cleaved cliff edge.

Cleaved Cliff Face

Fuzzy view of the cleaved cliff face

On our recent visit to southern Ireland, my wife and I walked from the town of Dingle (at the north end of the bay) to the entrance at the south end:

View of entrance to Dingle Bay from footpath

Path to entrance of Dingle Bay

The cleaved cliff is just to the right of the tower as seen from this perspective. Note: the tower was built several centuries after the time from of my book. Here’s a view with more detail:

Entrnace to Dingle Bay

View of entrance to Dingle Bay

It was a pleasant walk from Dingle to the bay’s entrance. Except for the land mines:

Yes, we had to clean off the bottom of our shoes…in spite of our care.

 

 

 

Location of “Collapse,” the third book in The Crossover Series

 

The third book in The Crossover Series, “Collapse,” has a location: the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. Time is about 1088 CE.

Location of "Collapse," the third book in The Crossover Series

Location of “Collapse,” the third book in The Crossover Series

Isla Cerritos is the location of a trading island administered by the rulers of Chichen Itza. It is the initial contact point between the characters of the Crossover series with the Maya people.

The Maya Civilization is in decline in this century, but it’s still going strong in the north of the Yucatan. Initial contact between the characters of “Collapse” and the Maya people will occur on what is now known as Isla Cerritos, a small island off the north coast of the Yucatan.

Isla Cerritos (a post-conquest name) was a trading center connected to Chichen Itza. Archaeological excavations reveal a largely artificial island with docks, storage buildings, and a pronounced seawall.

It should be interesting developing the setting given all the data/archaeological evidence presently available!

Not available is the name given to Isla Cerritos by the Maya people back in the 11th century. Any suggestions out there?