​Next up on The Wirld tour, was the beautiful Bahamas for a weekend of rest and relaxation. Located just off the Florida coast, the Bahamas is hugely popular with American tourists jetting in for a short trip and the many hundreds of visitors who arrive daily from huge cruise ships in Nassau. Yes, that means it’s pricey central!
 
Friday
 
I made my way to JFK in plenty of time before an 8am flight direct to Nassau. I was lucky enough to be sandwiched between too larger than life ladies, who exclaimed, “These seats are very tight” the second they sat done…needless to say it was a long 2.5 hour flight!
 
Once we landed I was out of my seat as quick as possible and into immigration. Without doubt the Bahamas has the most fun immigration process I’ve come across. There is a full island reggae band playing while you chat to the custom officer. I was through in no time and into cab to take me to the Atlantis resort. Now usually I am not one for resort, but I thought if I’m going to be here for a few days, I might as well splash out. Needless to say after 3 days, I’m still no resort fan.
 
I arrived at the Atlantis within 40 minutes, checked in, dropped the bags and headed out to see what the resort had to offer. The complex itself has pretty much everything you’d want if you’re a family but not sure I’d recommend it for a solo traveller. It stretches about 2 miles long with numerous waterparks, casinos, restaurants and beaches along the way. Pretty family orientated to be honest.
 
After some food and pool time I made my way back to my end of the resort and grabbed some ice cream and water en route back. $22 for a scoop and a bottle! Tourist trap.  After a quick nap, I popped down the pool for an evening swim and then headed over to the main casino floor for the evening. Again, depend what you’re into but not really my scene sitting around people smoking at slots machines. But sure look one night. I managed to end the night up $3.25 on the 5 cents slot machines, but did spend $60 on drinks. So whose the real winner?!  Off to bed for me.
 
 
Saturday
 
The weather took a turn for the worse on Saturday morning so the tanning plans were out the window early. After a quick breakfast in the hotel I made my way across to the waterpark for a couple of hours. Yes I am a 31 year old man going to a waterpark alone. The waterpark has about 10 rides or so, which are decent and definitely cater towards families.
 
I must admit I did feel a little bit out of place in the queue for one ride with about ten 8-year-old kids, who starred at me for 5 minutes straight and couldn’t figure out why this man with a baby face had a hairy chest.
 
The sun peaked its way out for a few hours so I managed to grab a few rays by the pool before the clouds set in and eventually the heavens opened. So I was out of there faster than Mr Bolt himself. I picked up some lunch and then went for an hour in the gym before chilling back in the hotel room. Its tough work being an 8-year-old kid again!
 
With no sun on the horizon, I realized the casino was my only option again for the evening as The Atlantis is on an island all by itself. Took the house to the cleaners again for a good 65 cents.
 
Sunday
 
As I could take no more of the commercial Atlantis any longer, I checked out as early as possible and decided to head into downtown Nassau for the day. Instead of getting a cab I walked my way towards the town over the Sydney Poiter bridge and arrived in about 45 minutes or so….sweating. A cruise ship was just arriving so the town was beginning to fill up and I stopped off at the main market to check out their wares.
 
While in the market I randomly bumped into a couple of Americans I had met at the casino the night before, and we decided to grab a few local Kalik beers by the port which has amazing views of the town. After an hour or so, we began to walk along the coast and make our way past some lovely beaches and eventually to Fishtown?? , which is infamous for its fried fish. Really cool vibe in the area and more authentic than the Atlantis. With my flight fast approaching I had to jump in a cab and make my way towards the airport after a fun last day wandering around Nassau town.
 
Overall The Bahamas is a beautiful place - with the right weather. It is definitely more catered towards families or tourist who are willing to spend obscene amounts on everyday items. But each to their own. I’d recommend staying in a small hotel or Airbnb near Nassau tan to get a real feel for the culture and steer clear on the resorts. Cheers!

Next up on the Wirld trip was a three-day trip to Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Having been very difficult to visit in the past, the government has recently granted a 5-day visa on arrival to all EU members, so there is no better time to visit!
 
Day 1
 
Having left Russia after the World Cup, I needed to arrive in Minsk via a third party country as flights from Russia usually land in a domestic airport where you can’t receive your visa on arrival. With that in mind I flew from Moscow to Vilnius, Lithuania (previous blog here) for 6 hours where I met an old friend for lunch and flew direct to Minsk in the evening.
 
Tourist Visa Process:
 
I arrived at 7pm in the evening after very dodgy landing and proceeded to immigration. As an EU member, the first step to entering Belarus is to purchase insurance in the immigration lounge when you arrive. They do also accept third party insurance but I’m not sure how stringent they are on this. I thought it best to buy the local insurance as it only cost €4 for 3 days. Once I purchased, I made my way to immigration, which was actually very easy. You need to present your passport, insurance and proof of exit within 5 days.
 
Once through I followed signs to the official taxi of the airport, which is located in the terminal building. They charge a flat rate of about $15 to the city centre, which is excellent considering it, is about 40 km away. After an interesting drive through the country fields and eventually into the city I arrived in the main street Nezavisimosti and called my AirBnb host who met me and let me into the place. By far the best place I’ve stayed in Eastern Europe and quite cheap too. If visiting bear in mind locals have very little English and Wi-Fi is only accessible in public if you have a local number or functioning international SIM that can receive texts.
 
I dumped my bags, had a shower and headed out for a gander around the city. I was super impressed how clean and spacious the city is. I had food in a café and then walked up and down the main street and to Lenin Square as the sun set taking in all the impressive architecture from the Soviet era. I was fairly wrecked after a full day of travelling, so made my way to a local 24 hour store which was rammed with locals buying booze and bought some water and headed back to the apartment for an earlyish night. I was also a bit freaked by the fact that the KBG headquarters was located right across the road, but managed to get some rest!
 
Day 2
 
I was up early on Saturday, took a shower and headed out to discover the city in the daytime. The city itself is walkable but do have your feet will be sore after! I began on Independence Street and main roundabout for some pics and took the underpass to Gorky Park, which is a large park in the city centre with amusement rides throughout. I headed up on the Ferris Wheel for a birds eye view of the city, which is cheap too. Once back down, I continued to stroll through the city, and made my way to the Old Town which is absolutely beautiful with lots of live music and impressive churches. It also has abundant restaurants and is the main nightlife area.
 
After 3 hours of walking I stopped in for some lunch at a local burger place. When serving my burger the waiter handed me some latex black gloves and I thought I was done for! I looked around to see the locals eating their burgers with black gloves on, so joined in with the crew! I continued walking around the river and up by Tear Island before grabbing some local beer in the early evening sun in the Old Town while watching some of the World Cup on TV. I googled my way to a local Irish bar but got lost on the way and not one person knew where the place was or didn’t have good English. So I had to admit defeat and return to the ranch.
 
I headed out for some local food in the old town and a couple more beers (I was at my wits end with beers after the World Cup in Russia) before walking back to the apartment and packing, as my flight was 7am the next morning with a stopover in Ukraine. Very early start! My seamless plan to order an Uber (recommended by locals) once I woke up fell to pieces when the apartment’s Wi-Fi crashed and I had to go out into the street at 4am and haggled with locals (little English) over the 40km drive. I managed to get an OK price from one but, albeit still overpaying, and made it to the airport in plenty of time. I even had to pay him with a mix and match of local currency, Euro and Dollars. But I was on my way!
 
Minsk itself is a very beautiful city with a complex and interesting history. With the current visa on arrival in place it is a great time to take advantage of cheap flights and visit. Also keep in mind it is still quite an autocratic state, so don’t be taking the mickey too much! 

​Next up on The Wirld trip was to the Caribbean to spend 3 days in the Dominican Republic, about a three hour flight from New York, and the resting place of Christopher Columbus himself.
 
Friday
 
I was up super early at 3am and hopped into an Uber and was en route to JFK. After a quick check-in with JetBlu, I headed to the gate and then snoozed for most of the flight. Upon arrival in Santo Domingo, all visitors have to pay $10 for a tourist visa, so try bring some cash if visiting.
 
Once outside I picked up a cab from Jesus himself, which cost about $30 to get to the city centre, which is steep enough considering how cheap living is I  the Dominican Republic. Jesus went straight into the up-sell to get my return business but I told him to politely chill out.
 
Jesus dropped me off at my hostel, Island Life , which is thoroughly recommended. I dumped my bags and decided to head out to go see some of Santo Domingo as the weather was picking up. The main city centre is super accessible on food and you can see the major sites, such as Columbus’ old house, within a few hours. The main plaza itself was packed with students on school tours and I got ropped into a few photos as their weren’t many tourists out and about. After visiting Alcázar de Colón, I stopped in the main square for some lunch before going meandering back to the hostel to check in and pick up my drone for some recording around the city
 
I grabbed an Uber (recommended) and took the short trip to Christoper Columbus’ resting place just outside the city. The building is thoroughly impressive and in the shape of a crucifix, where in the middle is the tomb of the main man himself. After some initial recording, I made my way to the back of the site, but was promptly told by locals to go no further as it is a pretty dangerous area. So word of warning, get there and ensure you have a ride back! With no way to get a secure taxi back, the kind security guard agreed to drive me back to the city centre for $10. Lovely!
 
Once back within the city limits I made my way back to the main square, to visit some more churches and chill in the main square. After dropping my gear back at the hostel, I grabbed a shower and had some beers with other travellers, before heading for some street food with a group of Germans. Delish and cheap! Right across the street are some beautiful church ruins, so we just chilled with some beers as locals played music. A bit tired, I went back to the ranch and spent a couple of hours schooling people in pool and then the owner in darts, which didn’t go down too well. Good craic all the same.
 
Saturday
 
I was up early in the morning to catch the Irish rugby game, which was well worth it! Once the game was finished, I grabbed my beach gear and was just about to leave when the heavens opened, so I ate breakfast instead before heading out to see some more of the city and visiting Chinatown en route. A storm was on its way for the day/night, so my plans for the day were fairly goosed, so I headed back to the hostel for a chill day with beers and food. Didn’t have to twist my arm!
 
Turns out most of the other people in the hostel had the same idea, so a good crew of us played darts and pool for the afternoon before heading out for dinner early enough in one of the local places. After dinner we decided to head to a typical Dominican bar on one of the street corners and played some dominos with the locals, which was great craic. A quick pitstop at the hostel later, we were en route to a salsa night nearby which turned into a very late night and also getting lost on the way home. Got there eventually for some much needed sleep!
 
Sunday
 
I arose with the mother of all hangovers, so crawled my way out to breakfast around midday. The morning’s weather was pretty rubbish again, but was due to clear in the afternoon slightly when the infamous Dominican Carnival was kicking off down by the beach.
 
At around 2pm, I went down to the beach area with an English lad who worked in the hostel to check out what all the fuss was about. The atmosphere was deadly! We picked up a few bottles of local beer and soaked up the Carnival along the route as the rain threatened in the distance. Towards the end of the parade we noticed a number of European looking people walking in the parade while recording some TV show. Seeing our opportunity we hopped the fences and joined the 6 people and pretended we were part of the group. Bullshitting at its finest but we pulled it off. There we were the 2 of us waving at the crowds with a pint each. As we arrived at the finish line the heavens opened again and pandemonium ensued. We legged it for cover and managed to make our way to the local TV stand and stood soaked in the VIP area for 20 minutes or so. As we were leaving, a security guard spotted us and the jig was up!
 
Kicked out, we headed back to the hostel for some beers, before I headed down to Columbus Plaza for some local food and a night stroll around the castle walls. I made my way back to the ranch around 1am for a quick back back and then grabbed an Uber to the airport…wrecked, but still buzzing from the Carnival.
 
Although I only got to spend 3 days in Santo Domingo, and having bad weather, I got a great feel for the Dominican Republic and the locals. Every Dominican I met throughout the 3 days was super friendly and accommodating and I’d thoroughly recommend it for anyone interested in colonial architecture or if you’re a Colobus nerd. The Carnival is also wild. Gracias!

Next up on The Wirld hit list was the beautiful island of Barbados, in the Caribbean, located a 5-hour hop from the Big Apple…sure that’s nothing!
 
Friday
 
Another redeye flight was on the cards for this Boy in Green, so I made my way towards JFK on Thursday night with the crazies on the subway and rocked up around 10pm. As everyone knows, there are 3 guarantees in life: Death, Taxes and a 45-minute security queue at American airports, so I made it to the gate just in time for boarding. With an apparent weight imbalance issue on the plane, JetBlue managed to bribe two people to take the next flight with $500 and we were on our way. I’d imagine if that was back home, and Aer Lingus offered a free pint you’d have about 20 people biting your hand off for it.
 
I landed at 5am and was quick enough through immigration, before killing an hour or two in the airport, as nothing was open until 8am in the city. After enough fluting around, I grabbed a cab and made my way to St Lawrence’s Gap on the south coast for $15USD and about a 20-minute drive from the airport. You can also take the local bus for $1 that is great craic too.
 
I walked around the area before making my way down to Worthing Beach where my AirBnb was. I munched away on a Jamaican patty…Christ they are lovely, before getting an early check in at the AirBnb opposite the beach. Lovely spot! After a quick unpack, I thought a run along the beach would be a good idea….poor call with the heat! So after 30 minutes of huffing and puffing around the town, and pretty red from the midday sun I made my way back.
 
I rustled up some eggs after my shower and then hopped on the next bus down to the Bridgetown racetrack with my drone to grab some aerial shots there and at the George Washington house. I then walked down to the main part of Bridgetown to check it out for 30 minutes, before making my way back up to the beautiful Pebble Beach for some more drone action. Pebble Beach is truly gorgeous, and well known for it’s snorkeling among the shipwrecks and turtles.
 
After a bit of messing with the drone, I didn’t notice the battery level going critical, upon which it went AWOL and kept rising. As a full-grown man, it is definitely the closest I’ve come to shiteing my pants on the spot. I managed to get it to come back towards where I was before grabbing it out of the air and getting thoroughly soaked in the process too. So with wet socks in toe, I made my way back to the apartment for a quick change before going down to Rockley Beach nearby for a quick dip. Lovely!
 
Once cleaned up with a lick and a promise I went for some dinner in Mojo’s beside the apartment and a few Banks beers, which are absolutely delish. Friday is well known for its party in Oistins, so I grabbed a bus and headed across for an hour for a fish sambo and a few beers in the street. It was a bit touristy, so I scarpered after a while for a well-earned kip.
 

Saturday
 
I came out of my 10-hour sleep coma around 10am and headed down Worthing Beach for a Hiit workout, which got the day in full swing. Sweating like a director in Hollywood, I had a quick dip and jogged back to the apartment for some very smelly scrambled eggs. After a quick shower and change, I was on the road up the west coast towards Speightstown on the bus to meet a friend. The trip up takes around 45 minutes but it’s a lovely drive through some typical Bajan towns. I was surprised to see a rake of Guinness bars spotted around the island. The Bajan lads love the black stuff!

And it no surprise they do either. Not many people know but Barbados has a lot of Irish history that can be traced back as far as 1620s, when the British forcibly moved up to 12,000 Irish to Barbados and made them indentured servants. This terms has courted a lot of controversy as some claim the Irish were moved there are slaves, while others say the Irish benefited from the real slavery of African people. You can see cool phots of modern day Irish-Bajans here.

That afternoon I met up with my friend on the beach at the Sandpiper hotel, which is located in Holetown. We chilled on the beach with a few beers and tunes before swimming out to a float to get some rays in for the day. One thing that I found pretty amazing is the Bajan accent. It’s a mixture of English, Welsh and Irish. A few words, you’d swear your chatting to someone from Kerry.
 
We headed to the local gas station for some more Jamaican patties (obsessed) and with some other friends went back to their place in the mid part of the island for some beers by the pool as the sun set. Beauts! A few Banks’ beer turned into local rum and a late night belting out Westlife. Seems like they made it in Barbados too!
 
Sunday
 
I awoke with a very heavy head late on Sunday and went straight to the beach beside the fancy Sandy Lane on the West Coast for a morning dip and the cure…a Jamaican patty and a couple of beers. Sandy Lane is supposedly the hot spot for celebs, but unfortunately not a sign of RiRi. It was without doubt the most stressful beach trip with a combination of crazy tourists and a bad hangover so it didn’t last too long. After a couple of hours I ended up heading back to the house to chill for the late afternoon as sun burn threatened! Wise choice!
 
I had heard rave reviews about the broasted chicken at Cheffette from locals so that was on the cards for late lunch. Absolutely delish! I also had a chicken and potato roti, which was a carbs bomb but decent. A nap was on the cards after a truckload of food, so I went back to the apartment for a late afternoon chill and a new layer of after sun! A quick shower later I was out and en route to St Lawrence Gap for some food at IRISH BAR, along with a quick Guinness, which wasn’t too bad at all. I had one more in Hals car park bar, which was good craic and then made my way back to the ranch for a big bar of Dairy Milk…getting old!
 
Monday
 
I was up bright and early for another run down the boardwalk, which was much better in the early morning heat. A quick shower later, I was on the bus to Pebble Beach for some snorkeling…or so I thought. Turns out you can only buy the snorkel gear, and not rent, so it was just a paddle for myself and some stung eyes while trying to see the ship wreck. With some red eyes, I grabbed a famous flying fish sandwich at Cutz on the beach and made my way back to the flat.
 
I dropped my gear and then went to Worthing Beach for some drone action, without the drama of the previous time. I managed to soak up another hour or so worth of sun, before going to pack back at the ranch. With an hour or so to kill, I went to Coast bar on the beach for some lunch and a few more Banks to end the trip, before hopping on the jam packed bus and arriving at the airport 30 minutes later.
 
Without a doubt Barbados is one of the most beautiful islands I’ve been to. Gorgeous beaches, super friendly people, safe and lovely beer, its no wonder its so popular. It can be a little pricey in the main tourist areas but great craic nonetheless. Defo be back! RiRi!

Costa Rica, and the home of Pura Vida, was next up on the Wirld list. Located in Central America and bordered by both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Costa Rica is well known for its diverse landscape, climate, culture and biodiversity. Add to these, the Costa Rican love of life and you've got yourself the perfect destination for an Irishman!

Wednesday

I was up as bright and early for a milk run as possible, and jumped in a taxi en route to LaGuardia at 4am to check in and sneak a bag onto the Spirit flight. For anyone who hasn't flown with Spirit before, it's like Ryanair in the early 2000s, but 3 times the price. So be prepared to play by the rules or pay the price. The flight itself was as smooth as a baby's arse, and after a quick stop off in Florida we landed in San Jose in no time. The view when landing is pretty impressive so try get a window seat if possible.

Passport control took a couple of minutes, which was surprise and once through I picked up a SIM card, as I'd be getting seriously lost on the road without GPS. The Costa Rican accent is essentially like what the Cork accent is to English, so I suggest you brush up before visiting. Spanish that is, not Cork talk. Well Baaaaiiiiyyy!

The rent-a-car pick up was a bit of shambles and we were shipped into a van and driven about 5km away to finally get a car. I made the mistake of choosing Enterprise via Priceline, which I wouldn't recommend as you end up paying through the nose for extras and they also don't accept any of the insurance you bought directly on the site. Avoid! After giving the fella a piece of my mind in Spanish, I was presented with the a horrific looking Fiat, but it drove nicely.
​
My first night was going to in La Fortuna, located just outside the Arenal Volcano, 150km north of San Jose. So I hit the road with the aim to be there before sunset. The initial part of the 2.5 hour drive was easy enough, apart from rolling down the window when trying to change gears. But once I ascended into the mountains things got a little dodgy as the fog set in.  After a couple of iffy moments, I made it down, grabbed a snack and powered through to La Fortuna soaking in some gorgeous views en route accompanied with some Latin tunes.
​
I rocked into the Arenal Backpackers Resort, parked and settled into my tent bed. The complex itself is perfect for a short stay in the town, with a swimming pool, outdoor gym and restaurant. After a quick shower I headed out for a bite to eat and realised half way through that it must have been the local gay bar. Good tunes though! So I made my way back to the hostel for some reading and planning for the next day…absolutely wrecked! 

Thursday

I was up at 8am after a lovely sleep and straight out for a workout in the outdoor gym, after which I had some breakfast in the hostel. A quick change of clothes later I was in the Fiat and en route to the La Fortuna Waterfall. After 10 minutes driving or so I left the car, paid about $15 to enter and hiked for 20 minutes to get to the base of the waterfall. The weather was pretty rubbish so I was the only person there which made it kind of cool. The waterfall itself is pretty impressive and whats cool is that you're able to swim beside it too. So after tiptoeing in and risking my manhood, I was paddling around as happy as Larry. Once out I attempted to dry off which was pretty tough with no towel and the heavens open, so ran back in almost the nip passed some very well clothed and protected tourists. 

I drove back soaked to the hostel for a quick shower and then a work phone call. Must say its the first conference call I've done in a rainforest, but there you go. Once finished, I was back in the Fiat Beast and arrived at Arenal Volcano about 8km away. What should have taken me 10 minutes to drive took about 30 minutes as the roads leading to the car park are some of the worst I've ever driven in my life, so had to zip zag my way for about 3km. Definitely invest in a 4x4!

Once parked, I paid $15 and started the 1.5 hour hike. After meandering through some beautiful wildlife and fauna, I made it to the look out point with dried lava flow from the volcano's last eruption in the 80s. Just then the sun came out, so it made for a nice break at the peak.  I decided to hike a different route back, via a famous Tarzan-eque tree. I also made the schoolboy error of not wearing socks so spent the last 30 minutes cursing loudly while random animals ran all around. I'd like to think, if not in pain I would have appreciated it more.  As my feet were like a young Padre Pio, I drove to the last lookout barefoot and then zig zagged my way back to the main road, where a vulture was tucking into some animal on the path. Delish!
​
Within the La Fortuna area there are many natural thermal spas which can be quite pricey. There is one free spa however, located where an old hotel shut down within the last 10 years. You can recognise it by the local lads helping you park for a tip. So I parked on the edge of a cliff and made my way down to the natural spa, trying my best to dance around the Chinese tourists ahead of me. The water is full of rocks so if for some reason you have Crocs, it is finally acceptable to wear them in public. After 30 minutes chilling, I hobbled out and back to the car, where I burned the hell out of the wheels and gear box to get off the cliff edge.

On a whim, I decided to drive 45km to New Arenal, another town, to see the sunset across Lake Arenal. The drive offers amazing views of the lake, but I'd recommend going half way, checking out the sunset and then heading back. The view for sunset is breath taking and well worth the drive out. Some of the radio stations in the Arenal area are absolutely awful. One in particular had a tarot card reader, tell his listeners to come visit his office which is located above a barbers and another bible basher telling everyone they will be grand if they just read a few chapters. I'd say the Catholic Church only wish they could get away with that back home now.

After getting back to the ranch, I showered, chilled for a bit and then headed out for dinner at the local pizzeria. Everyone and their mother from the local town was there! It took ages but was pretty delish in the end! It was a long day so after a beer in the local I decided to head back to the hostel to crash for a much needed rest.
 
Friday

I was up early again at 7.30 and had a super quick workout before hitting the road to Jaco, which is located about 3.5 hours away (200km) on the Pacific coast of the country. Without doubt this was one of the most amazing drives of my life. After initially starting on decent roads, Google Maps sent me to small towns on cliff edges with awful winding roads, but the scenery was out of this world. I managed to build in a number of pee and photo pit stops, along with a much needed food stop, after I lost concentration at one stage singing Fairytale of New York and almost careering off a cliff. Focus Iain.

I rocked into Jaco at about 1pm and checked in to the hotel on the main strip. I'd heard very mixed reviews about the town and quickly realised the main theme of those were true. It was a bloody hooker town with all old white men. There was a bar literally beside the hotel with white gringos, two of which were in zimmer frames, yes really, talking to young Costa Rican women.

So I decided to hightail it to Playa Hermosa, which is well known for its surfing. After a quick chill on the beach I stopped off in a Beach Bar which had good food and amazing views of the coast. I was back on the road after and en route to Playa Blanca, which is a secret beach about 10km outside of Jaco. Twenty minutes of zigzagging the awful roads later, I was on the beach. It was absolutely beautiful and secluded, that was until I realised on the way back and the attendant told me that I'd totally missed Playa Blanca and was in fact on its uglier sister Playa Manta. Oh well.
​
Afterwards I made my way back to the ranch to check out Jaco beach itself. The town has a really strange vibe and I wouldn't really recommend it to solo travellers, as its a seedy as it gets. There were lots of ladies of the night (day in this case) approaching me and even a few lads hitting on me in the street too. "Ah would ya ever feck off!"

So I retreated back to my hotel for some beers before finally working up the courage to go out on the street and managed to find a small plaza with modern restaurants and normal people. After eating a burger, the Venezuelan bar man, told me to head out with him and his crew so after a few beers we all went to Swell bar which is the nearest thing to a normal bar in the town. From there we went to Orange across the road which had some serious tunes raging until the early morning.
 
Saturday

Given the late night before, I had a well deserved lie in and arose with a seriously heavy head. My original plans of going surfing were out the window, so I stopped by the beach for a quick dip to brush the cobwebs off, checked out and then was on the road to San Jose. After multiple wrong turns and paying a ridiculous amount of tolls, I made it back to Enterprise in San Jose and dropped the Fiat off before grabbing an Uber to the Radisson in downtown San Jose. One thing I found out later is that Uber is technically illegal in Costa Rica, so don't be alarmed if your driver asks you to sit in the front seat when you get in.

Once checked in by late afternoon, I decided to head down the pool for some hungover chill for a bit, before wandering down to San Jose old town. The city centre itself is pretty small and can be discovered in an hour or so. The most impressive building to see if the Teatro Nacional, and if you can catch a show is a must. I was a tad peckish so grabbed some gallo pinto for dinner and walk around the city some more to reach Barrio La California, to grab a couple of beers as the night got started. My batteries only lasted another hour or so before I had to retreat to the hotel for a much needed sleep. Drink is the devil. 

One Irish person to do some research on when visiting San Jose is Susannah Beamish-Strachan, a Cork native who founded not only the first female only university in the city during the 1920s, but also a number of hospitals and libraries over the following years too. Ledge!
 
Sunday

After a lovely rest I was up at 7am to get breakfast, hit the gym and then the steam room. Back to normal! Once showered I headed across town to meet up with a friend from travelling in the afternoon, for some lunch and a couple of scoops in Bario Escolante which is a nice neighbourhood with cool bars and a chill vibe.  After a few too many Imperials, I decided I wanted to see a local football game, so jumped in an Uber and headed to the town or Heredia which is about 10km outside of San Jose. The match itself was the semi finals of the Costa Rican championship between two teams in the city, but the stadium reminded me of Dalymount Park in the early 90s. After haggling a ticket for $10 in the street I headed in, to be the only gringo and watch a pretty poor game of football. The atmosphere saved the event along with the greasy empanadas too.

With the home team losing 1-0, I decided to make a break for it and left to hail down a cab back to San Jose. I was back out in no time to meet friends in a bar not too far from the hotel. The bar was pretty wild and cheap as chips. After asking friends why it was so cheap, they told me it was Ladies Night, after which I noticed there were about 90% men in the bar. Hardly a success. After midnight I decided to call it a day and walked home via a few local barrios, probably not the best call but made home in one piece.
​
Monday

To try and feel as normal as possible on the flight back I was up at 9am for some brekkie and gym/steam room. The sun decided to pop out so just afterwards so I spent the remainder of the morning chilling by the pool. After a shower I met my friend for some afternoon tea and lunch before packing my bags and heading back to the airport, upon which there was a bizarre scene of an 80 year old rich man in an Adidas tracksuit confessing his love to a 20 something year old sugarbaby. Ah young love!

Costa Rica is an absolute gem in Central America with amazing landscapes and biodiversity in its rainforests. Although I only scratched the surface, I will definitely be back soon to see more, especially the beautiful Nicoya Peninsula and Atlantic Coast. I'd recommend at least 2 weeks if you want to fit the best bits in and spend as little as time as possible in San Juan. Pura vida baby!

First up on the Wirld list since the big move Stateside was the lovely island of Puerto Rico, situated a 3 hour flight from New York. Known for beautiful old town, nice beaches and most recently the location for the Despacito video, it has a mountain of things to see and do.

Thursday

​As this was my first long weekend away from NYC I was up extra early to head to subway and make my way to JFK. Upon arriving at the station I was treated to the glorious site of a rat the size of bichon frize tucking into a dead pigeon on the platform. Needless to say I skipped breakfast!

I arrived well on time in JFK after the 1 hour trip, checked in and was away in no time. The flight with Delta as smooth as a baby's arse, although the lady beside me kept popping open her bible for the odd pray during landing which had me on edge. Added to this was the round of applause that began once we landed, which always makes me wonder about people's mental state. 

Once through passport control, I just straight in a cab and got the Español moving again which was nice. I was dropped off in the middle of Old San Juan, in O'Donnell Street of all places. Classic. The city of San Juan is split into two main tourist areas, Old San Juan, which is the Spanish colonial town and Condado, which is where plush tourists spend their days on the beach and could really be anywhere in the world. My recommendation...stay in the Old Town for a proper Puerto rican experience.

After a quick check in at my local guesthouse, which was an old colonial style building, I popped out for some food in La Guerita that serves amazing Mexican food. They owners even gave me some tips on what to see in the town too. With that in mind  I headed on foot around Old Town which is an incredible walled city with 2 main forts, both of which are accessible by foot. The good news is that most of the sites can be seen in a day if you get your skates on.

First I made my way down to the Cathedral San Juan and mozied around the amazing Spanish colonial buildings and streets nearby, which are extremely colourful and well preserved. I then moved down to la Capilla del Cristo, Puerta de San Juan where the Spanish used to let sailors into the city (impressive), and then through the streets up to el Castillo San Felipe del Morro. This is the symbol of Puerto Rico and a stunning castle built to protect the island back in the day. It has a very impressive open space leading up to it, built with defence in mind and the resting ground of thousands of English, Dutch and Spanish fighters.  There is also a famous graveyard beside too which is impressive.

After taking the view in, I walked down the northern part of the Old town Peninsula through the infamous La Perla, an old working class town, which is now infamous with the Despacito song. A local had recommended not going in alone, but feck it, it was for Justin Bieber! Needles to say I was only in there 30 seconds and was offered every drug under the sun! "Estoy bien, gracias!"

Finally I headed down to the Castilo San Cristol, the second fort in the town for a gander and then rocked back to the hotel for a couple of beers and chill! My poor legs can't handle it anymore. After a coupe of hours and shower I was rut for some dinner in the local Italian..as you do! I made friends with the barmen who were all big McGregor fans! They recommend a famous bar called La Factoria which I told was amazing but quite empty so I went back to the ranch around 12 as I was wrecked!  All in all a productive first day.

Friday

I was up nice and early and out for a run along Paseo de la Princesa which goes around the main fort. The run gives amazing views of the old city, but I wouldn’t recommend in 35 degree heat! At one stage I thought I was giving birth and probably sounded like it too! I meandered my way up to the castle and to then the supermarket for a sambo, with beads of sweat following down me. After a quick shower in the hotel, I jumped in an Uber to Condado beach where all the gringos stay and managed to get sunburnt in 37 minutes. The beach itself is pretty nice and ocean water warm too, so worth a visit.
 
I walked down the main strip which is similar to Marbella, with lots of franchise fast food places to appease visiting tourists. I found a cool burger place and once finished continued down to Ocean Beach which is larger that Condado and a bit nicer too. After a quick dip I grabbed some ice cream and made my way back to the hotel courtesy of the friendliest Uber driver I’ve ever met. Full of the chats and the nearest thing you’ll get to a Latino Dublin taxi driver!
 
A quick siesta was on the cards before I popped down for a quick dinner in a local restaurant in the main square and then decided to check out a few local bars nearby, before making my way to La Factoria with the barmen from the bar the night before. Good craic and home late enough having improved my salsa skills substantially.
 
Saturday
 
I rose on Saturday with a cloudy head to say the least and decided to run to a nearby beach, opposite government buildings for a wake up. I found a hidden beach about 10 minutes from the hotel, dropped the gear, took a quick dip and then preceded to burn my arse off while drying up on the rocks.
 
After running back, I showered, and headed to another Mexican restaurant to catch the United game. Cue the Mexican barman hitting on me again and proceeding to give me his daily workout routine in full detail. All I could say was: “I’m going to have to stop you there”. “Why so?” …”No reason. I’m just going to have to stop you”. So I inhaled the tacos and headed back to the hotel to catch up on a bit of work.
 
At about 2pm, I ubered across town to La Placita, which is a famous market square where local Puerto Ricans dance the night away to salsa. I had obviously rocked up pretty early, but still had a few scoops in the square while munching on some local empanadillas. As the McGregor boxing match was later that night I made my way back across to the Old Town for a small bite and a shower. I managed to find a really old traditional bar showing the boxing match. After a few Medalla and jelly shots with the locals, I realised they wouldn’t have the PPV so an alternative plan was made to head to the Hilton in Condado. Absolute pandemonium in there with tons of Americans and no Irish. San Juan was hit by a big thunderstorm during the fight so we lost coverage about 8 times throughout the fight which was madness, but not bad at all in hindsight to the hurricane that hit a week after. Decent fight by McGregor.

Once finished I headed out to the main strip to be greeted by the lashings of rain, so hid under a bus shelter for 20 minutes before managing to get a cab to La Placita to meet up with a friend of a Venezuelan friend I made in Caracas years ago. We had some good craic bar hopping and they dropped me home at 4am, absolutely wrecked! La Placita is a must if in town.
 
 
Sunday
 
Sunday was to be a chill day, but I managed to get up for a run mid morning only for the Old Town to be attacked by a huge rainstorm after about 60 seconds, so had to spend the next 30 minutes crowded under a tree with an old lady. Some craic! I made it back to the hotel during a rain break and took it as a sign of God not to exercise more that day. After a quick bite to eat I made my way to Condado for a local street festival as the sun came out. There was a seriously good vibe in the town as bands played musics, chefs served up local cuisine and most importantly bars dished out some beers. After an hour or so, I headed back to San Juan for a bit of a chill as the past few nights were catching up on me.
 
That evening I met up with some friends made in La Factoria and drove out to Pinones, further up the coast to try some local food or fritura. I have to say it was absolutely delish! We then popped next door for some Medallas at a traditional merengue club, before making our way back to the Old Town and calling it a night. Again Piñones is definitely worth a visit if you have access to a car!
 
 
Monday
 
I was up bright and early on Monday morning with ZERO, yes 0, hangover and made my way to the main square to grab an Uber to the car rental zone just outside the airport. The Uber ride was the most gas thing I’ve experienced in a while, as it began with the female driver rubbing my leg and telling me I’m lovely and then when she realised I was travelling alone, just coming straight out with it and saying “Are you gay?”. We both had a good laugh when I gave her a negative on that front.
 
Once I arrived at the rental depot, it was pretty smooth sailing to get the car, but it did take me a few minutes to get used to not only the left hand drive, but also the super sensitive brakes. I’d say their eyes were lighting up with $$$ when they saw me chug my way out of the garage! As Puerto Rico is a US territory, my US phone worked fine so came in handy for GPS. My first stoop was to El Yunque National Rainforest which was simply spectacular. It is only about a 45 minute drive from San Juan and is a huge reserve that dips in an out of lashing rain and bright sunshine.

The whole drive is a steep ascent so I took my time to stop off at a few different viewing spots en route. I first stopped at waterfalls before walking up to the first tower, which offered great panoramic views to the coast and not too many tourist. Plus its free! I then continued up in the lashings of rains for a few more KM with the pop tunes blaring. I had a quick dip at Mina Falls and made my way to the peak, parked and hiked 2km in the rain to Matton Tower. Matton Tower is essentially located in the middle of a cloud. So when I first entered it was lashing raining all around me and then as the cloud passed, I could see a breathtaking view of the full Rainforest below. I hiked back down and had some empanadillas for brunch in the lashing rain with some locals.

One thing I noticed during my driving was that some of the radio stations are absolutely hilarious and you can essentially say anything you want on phone in shows. The local host would pose a question: “Where would you like to live apart from Puerto Rico?”, and the locals would call in like made to tell them where and why. No prizes or anything. Some of the opinions were super controversial too that had me in fits. “Barcelona? No I couldn’t, full of Muslims”, to which the host asked, “ Have you ever been?”…”Never!”.

I then made a 30 minute drive to Loquillo beach which is truly gorgeous, with very few people on the beach too. After a quick dip and some lying on the beach I was back on the road for a longer drive to Fajardo Old Town and made my way up to the famous lighthouse, which turned out to be closed. Great! So instead I grabbed a tea and chilled by the beach looking at the famous islands of Culebra and Viques. I call that my pensive stance. In Fajardo you can also kayak in the bioluminescent bay, where the water lights up with plankton movement during sunset and night! 

After all my driving I was pretty wrecked so I grabbed some cheap Chinese food, as you do when in Puerto Rico, popped in some petrol and made my way back to San Juan t drop off the shaggin wagon. I ubered it back to the Old Town just in time to head over to the Castillo for an epic sunset. Once dark, I walked back to the casa for a shower and down to the local pizzeria for a final Margarita. Out of nowhere it started lashing rain and power went so we were plunged into darkness. So with nothing else to do I started chatting with two locals and ended up going to La Factoria with them for an hour or so. They were rocking the salsa so I made my Irish exit absolutely bollixed.  

Tuesday
 
On my last day I was up pretty early and did some work in the hotel for an hour or so before heading for one last run to the beach for a small workout and to burn my arse cheeks off one last time. I’d definitely recommend to shake of the cobwebs…the dip that is.
 
I jogged back to the hotel, showered and checked out of the Fortaleza Guesthouse (great spot), and picked up a few souvenirs nearby. As the tummy was rumbling I headed for tacos (new place I must add) and then took a few photos along the coast for a new ecommerce I am running called Vesuvius. I topped it all off with a milkshake, and as the rain clouds set in, I jumped in a taxi and made my way back to the airport.
 
All in all, Puerto Rico is a great place to visit. It has great weather, an amazing history and super friendly people. It’s also pretty cheap too. The best idea is to rent a car once you’ve completed San Juan and get around the island, and visit some smaller islands especially. El Yunque was absolutely fascinating and a great rainforest to explore. One thing I would recommend is avoiding hotels along the gringo trap that is Condado, as its not representative of the Puerto Rican culture or people.  And also get to work on the salsa moves!

Next up on The Wirld trip was a 5-day trip in the Balkan countries of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo.  Thinking Easter would be a great weekend to visit it turned out everyone had headed off to the country with their family so I had the cities to myself!
 
Day 1 – Bulgaria
 
I had an early 8.30am flight from Dublin to Sofia so was up at the craic of dawn and at the airport with plenty of time.  After a smooth flight and seeing the two girls beside me chat each other up, I landed at around 2pm local time and made my way to the metro station.  My Bulgarian alphabet isn’t the may west so I managed to find the right train and was on the way to my AirBnb.
 
Arriving a tad early I grabbed a quick sambo and chilled in the sun before checking in just after 4pm. The apartment was located just outside the main city centre and beside the large Borisova Gradina park. I left my bags and decided to make my way across town to sort out bus tickets to Macedonia in 2 days time.  After some wandering I eventually found the bus station and got the tickets in some broken English/Bulgarian. Tickets in hand I walked into the main city centre and towards the famous St Alexander Nevski cathedral just before sunset. Pretty Unreal!
 
I was in the mood to taste some typical Bulgarian food so popped in the best Indian restaurant the city has to offer, “Taj Mahal” and ordered a Chicken Madras. The waitress looked at me in shock as she thought it would be too spicy. Needless to say they aren’t fan of a curry in Sofia then.
 
I was pretty wrecked from the early flight and having been out the night before in Dublin so just headed back to the apartment and watch the Man United match with a few cans before crashing.
 
Day 2
 
I was up bright and early and feeling a little more normal the following day. After a quick banana I headed out for a run through the main park, which was a little like going back in time.  It’s a very soviet style park with a few run down stadiums but still pretty cool, with the main football stadium located at the end.  There were even some locals continuing the party from the night before with a few cans in the park. Session!
 
I got a little lost on the way back and ended up in the woods for a bit before finding my way home. After a quick shower I headed to the city centre for a free walking tour that locals had recommended. It lasted 2 hours and gave some great insight in the history of Sofia through its main eras of Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian State. Sofia was almost named the capital of the Roman Empire at one stage.
 
One particularly cool area was what the locals call the Square of Tolerance. Within a 1km radius you can see a Catholic church, an orthodox church, a mosque and a synagogue.  Another cool fact was that even though Bulgaria was part of the Axis of Evil for WWII, their president managed that no Jews were sent to concentration camps during the entirety of the war, even with pressure from Hitler.
 
The tour finished at the Ayah Sofia, the first church in Sofia and where the name of the city originates. Once finished I popped into the main cathedral again and watched the locals as they got their Easter rituals on. They have one particular ritual that involves kissing a table and then getting on your hands and knees to crawl under. Couldn’t imagine that flying in the local parish!
 
As I was starving I headed into Boom Burger which was a bit underwhelming and then crossed the road to Sense rooftop bar for panoramic views of the city. En route home I grabbed one more beer on the main Vitosha street and people watched, before getting the metro back to the apartment. A quick rest later I kept up the ritual of visiting an Irish bar in every city I’ve been and popped into JJ Murphy’s. It was pretty empty until I met a few locals there and headed on for a few more scoops across town, calling it a night around 3am. Seriously cheap night out!
 
 
Day 3 – Macedonia
 
I was up after 4 hours sleep or so to check out and head straight to the bus station. I jumped on and managed to sleep all the way to the border crossing that went fine and arrived into Skopje a little weary at 2pm. The weather was scorching and it took me a little while to get my bearings. A local lad was super friendly and pointed me in the right direction to the city centre. I walked along the Vardar river all the way to the main square before grabbing a bite to eat and relaxed in the sun.  Which chilling there, I randomly met an Ozzie lad who was also in the city by myself so we grabbed a scoop and agreed to meet up later in the night.
 
I checked in to the AirBnb, which was located on the main square and headed out to see some of the city. The main city centre is pretty beautiful, however its all part of a project called Skopje 2014 that aimed to make the city seem more historical than it actually is. But it bloody works. The main statue is of Alexander the Great, who came from Skopje, which dominates the skyline. I made my way across the Stone Bridge and up to the Old Town, passing the famous Mustafa Prasha mosque and climbing the castle walls on top of the mountain. The views were pretty incredible. That said I could see a mean looking rainstorm in the distance and legged it down the mountain before the heavens opened. It was like the end of the world for about an hour. Madness!
 
I met up with the Ozzie lad who was with an English guy and we grabbed some food and drinks before dropping into Patrick’s Irish bar. Classic! Skopje was pretty empty also due to Easter but the bar scene seemed pretty cool. We met with some Spanish people who were living in the city and were out again until about 3am. There was one mad moment when a little girl who must have been only 9 approached us, high on a kite on drugs and then began spitting at us. Sad scenes all together.
 
Day 4 – Kosovo
 
I somehow managed to fall asleep on the couch the night before so woke up at 9am in a lot of pain, but had to soldier onto the bus station to make it to Kosovo. I bought my ticket and then a sambo before making my way to the bus. As I got on I realized the whole thing was packed and that the one inside has over sold the tickets. The driver insisted I get off, but I told him to shag off and just stood there for the 2-hour drive to the border munching away on my sambo. The drive was very slow and border crossing pretty tedious. The Kosovan guards were not happy he had an additional 4 passengers standing. Once across the bus got a puncture so we had a good hour wait at the side of the road while the most useless driver in Eastern Europe tried to change. At one stage he even nearly ran over my foot when reverse. Grade A plonker!
 
We eventually made it to Pristina later than expect so I only had about 4 hours to wander around before heading back to Skopje.  I walked a fair distance from the bus station to the main street and down to the city centre. Kosovo uses euros, which was pretty handy. The main street, called Bill Clinton Boulevard, was nice and had lots of locals and nice restaurants dotted along.  After some food and a local beer (no Irish bar in town), I continued wandering to a few churches before chilling in the park and getting some rays.
 
At about 5pm I hopped in a local cab that took me back to the station and was en route back to Skopje…with a seat! I made it home just in time for the United – Chelsea match before heading out for some dinner with some locals we’d met the night before. I was dead though and was back in the leaba by 10pm off to the land of nod.
 
 
Day 5 – Macedonia
 
I woke up at around 9am and similar to Sofia, decided to go out for a run to see some more of the city. I started in the main square and headed up the river, past the national stadium, where the European Super Cup will take place this year, and all the way to an outdoor gym, to catch my breath as the drinking had taken its toll.  I pathetically jogged back to the apartment, showered and checked out and had a small wander on the other side of the city.
 
I headed to the Mother Theresa house, another famous Macedonian, but couldn’t help myself picturing Fr Ted dressed as her for Halloween. “Ah wasn’t she brilliant!”. I had some lunch on the main square and had to wait 45 minute for a spag bol! I’d do it in half myself. The waiter also gave me a painted egg for Easter, which is a Macedonian tradition. Nice touch.
 
I decided to end the afternoon in the old bazaar located in the Old Town which is mainly Islamic and felt like being in a different city altogether during prayer time.  Some lad harassed me for 10 minutes to buy his sunglasses so I bought them from his mate just to spite him. Might have been a great combo tactic!
 
At around 5pm I made my way to the bus station, along the Vardar river and dozed on the 4-hour journey back to Sofia. We arrived just after 9.30pm and as the heavens opened. As I was leaving in the morning, I had booked a hostel for the night which I thought would have been fine until some fat Spanish lad spent the whole night snoring his brains out. Pinche pendejo. So I woke p at 4am a little delirious, grabbed a cab and to airport to head home. Zombie central!
 
Five days wasn’t near enough to see all that Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo have to offer, but was just enough for 3 city breaks.  The locals are sound, food and drink cheap, and the weather is class (apart from the 2 hour monsoons).  With cheap flights to Sofia from around Europe there’s no excuse not to tick it off the list!

As its carnival season the world over we thought it would be a good idea to highlight why its great to have Brazilians on our Emerald Isle. Over the last 10 years, Ireland has seen a large influx of Brazilian students and workers, and frankly they've been a feckin' great addition to the country! Here are the top 11 reasons why:

Author: Iain McNamara

Next up on the Wirld hit list was Slovakia and it's capital Bratislava. Situated only 45 monutes from Vienna, lots of people use the airport for cheaper access to Austria or Hungary, but Slovakia's capital is well worth a visit and can be seen in under 2 days.

Day 1

I was up bright on early on Friday morning to get to the airport on time for the 8.30am flight and was up and away in no time. I was nicely squeezed in between two big Slovak guys for the flight which made it extra cozy. We landed just after 12pm and I randomly bumped into a friend who was on her way to Vienna with her family for the Chrismtas markets. Small world.

Once through the airport I headed outside into the freezing day to get the local bus into town and arrived in at the Central Station in the early afternoon a tad lost. I got the general gist of directions in the city and meandered my way into town which was pretty quiet and got a bite to eat in the Old Town. I was mightly hungover from the night before so I was pretty impressed with my progress during the day so far. After a quick bite to eat I popped by the local market which was pretty sweet and then headed to the famous Manderela Apartments where I was staying for a couple of nights. After meeting the owner Vlad, I dropped my stuff, grabbed a shower and chilled for a little bit as I was completely wrecked.

After an hour or so, I decided to head out to see a bit of the city before sunset and rambled around most of the Old Town and down to the river before making my way back up to the main square to sample some of the Christmas Market for the night. The market was beautiful and all nicely squeezed into the main square in Bratislava, where the old towns peopl used to come to the first running water fountain over 150 years ago. The market had local food and mulled wine which significantly helped the horrific hangover that was now subsiding. While rambling around, I met some locals and had more wine with them as the market closed around 11pm. I was pretty wrecked so I grabbed a burger and made my way back to the ranch for some much needed sleep.

Day 2
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I managed to come out of my sleep coma at around 10am the next day and decided to get out and see the city and went on a run all around the town which was pretty beautiful. On the way back I stopped off at the local Lidl for some breakfast and after 30 minutes in the queue I was back at the apartment. Turns out queues aren't too bad in Dublin after all! I had some scrambled eggs, showered and then went out and about to see the city. I started off by crossing the Danube and making my way towards UFO tower which offers amazing views of Bratislava and as far as Hungary. 

I then decided to grab the bus to Devin which has an ancient castle alongside the river. After waiting 45 minutes at the bus station like a prat I realised the bus didn't run on Saturdays much to my annoyance and a load of other tourists. Madness! Instead I first made my way up to Bratislava Castle and then hiked up north to the famous Slavín monument, which was well worth the 45 minute uphill walk. The monument commemorates fallen Soviet soldiers in WWII and offers amazing views of the city. After catching my breath I made my way back down to the old town for some lunch in the market. I tried some local food, a chicken burger with onions (alright) and a nutella crepe for dessert (not so typical).

I headed to the nearest Irish bar to watch the Classico and the bar was packed with locals and tourists. While watching I made friends with a group of Argentinians who were in town for a week or so and had a few beers watching the game. As the scoops flowed we all headed for some food after and more drinks. Someone then floated the idea of karaoke which went down a treat! The karaoke bar was packed and I reckon I'm the first Irishman ever to get a standing ovation in Slovakia for singing both roles in Shaggy - It Wasn't Me. After a mini bar crawl I made my way back to the ranch pretty wrecked and slightly inebriated.

Day 3

I was up early the next morning to try get as much time in the city as possible. I grabbed some breakfast in the Old Town before popping into the main Solvakian History Mueseum in the square. I was back at the ranch to pack my stuff away at 11am and get on the road to the airport. I headed towards the Central Station and after a bit of guess work was on the way to the airport. I was a bit clueless which bus to get until I spotted two ginger parents and a freckly little kid jumping onto one...bingo! And I was on my way back to the Emerald Isle!

Bratislava is a small town but with plenty to see in 48 hours. It's cheap and the locals are very welcoming. The Christmas market was also a highlight, so I'd thorughly recommend it as a budget option for visiting Chritmas Markets on the continent in 2017. Cheers!

Shiraz - Day 6

We were up at 9am the next morning for breakfast and to check out. We knew there was a bus at 10.30am to Shiraz, but arrived a couple of minutes late. As we arrived a bus driver told us we could make it, made us buy the ticket and then told us it was for the 12.30 bus....hustler! It actually worked out well in the end as it meant we had 2 hours to kill in Yazd so we made our way across to the Tower of Silence which is a burial pit at the top of a hill in which they used to hold funerals in the past. We climbed it and had unreal views of the desert city. Sweating profusely we made our way back to the bus station and were on the way to Shiraz!

We rocked into Shiraz pretty late at around 7pm having seen some amazing views on the way. We checked into our hostel, got a pretty nice room and asked for the best kebab shop in town. Up there with the best of my life! They even organised a taxi to the nearest pool hall after. After a few games we decided to have an early night and walked back, bumping into the huge religious festival that was just kicking off. It was like the Iranian version of St Patrick's Day! We headed back to the hostel, had some kicks with the owner's son and then went to the room. I needed my leaba!

Day 7
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We were up early at 8am to change rooms and have some delish breakfast. Once in the bedroom, we headed outside and jumped in a taxi to bring us to the infamous Persepolis, which was an ancient kingdom burnt to the ground by Alexander the Great 1500 years ago. The taxi man was bang on and knew Robbie Keane and had a decent knowledge of Irish geography too! Persepolis itself was incredible to see and one of those untouched tourist sites you can get right up and close to! Some of the buildings were incredible given how old they were and the fact Alexander was a bollox trying to burn it all! After a couple of hours wandering through in the roasting heat we hooped back in the cab and made our way back to Shiraz in the late afternoon. We went to the first kebab place we could find. After 20 minutes or so, a homeless guy wandered in and the owners sat him down and served him a slap up meal. Sound out!

We were pretty wrecked after such an exhausting day so just decided to chill in the courtyard for a few hours reading, watch the owners have a pray and downed a few cups of cha! After a quick shower we went out for some shopping in the bazaar and then out for another majestic kebab. Full to the brim our mate Ali sorted a taxi for us to the pool hall for another couple of hours of playing. All pooled out we walked back to the hostel and spent some time watching the religious festival, now in its second day. The Iranians know how to honour a lad!

Day 8

On our last full day in Iran we were up early enough as there were still a good few things we wanted to check our in Shiraz. After checking out we headed out to the main mosque in the city just around the corner. On the way we met a huge group on students who treated us like celebs and wanted to know everything possible about where we were from. Their teachers them joined the melee and were super sound and even gave us a religious gift for the martyr lad. Top lads!

The mosque itself was unreal, although security was pretty tight for the first time of the trip. The didn't like the look of Sam. We managed to sneak into the main part of the mosque for about 30 seconds before being kicked politely out. Afterwards we went for a stroll around the Old Town and visited the Vakil Bazaar where we finally purchased things! Next door was the impressive Vakil mosque and the city's amazing fort was just around the corner. We decided we had one more mosque left in us after 7 days of non stop mosques so made our way across town to the Nasir Mosque which had an amazingly beautiful courtyard. We had a flight to Tehran later that evening so headed back to the hostel to pick up our stuff, with a quick stop off for one last kebab. One of the cheapest but potentially best of the trip! Once we grabbed our bags, we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the airport. The airport itself was great craic and must be the first time I've ever got a handshake and fist pump from the security guards. "Robbie Keane!"
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We were a tad nervous about the flight as the planes were pretty old but it was as smooth as a baby's arse and we landed in Tehran at 8pm. We taxied it across town to the same hostel (Seven's Hostel) from our first few days an dropped our bags off. After some food and chilling in the courtyard, my bed was calling me as I had to be up at 4am for my flight back home. A few hours later I was at the airport (with pretty impressive queues) and en route back to the Emerald Isle!

Iran was without doubt the friendliest country I've ever visited. The locals are so hospitable and eager to learn more about your home country. They also want to ensure you have the best experience possible during your stay in Iran as a lot of what is reported in Western media is bull. The country still doesn't have a huge tourism industry which makes it the best time to go visit some of the most amazing mosques and historical sites on the planet. The kebabs aren't too bad either!