Hey Hey,
After a year in Ireland my time here is coming to a close. While here I developed some truly great friendships (Simon, Ben, Caley and Fiona, you rock!!), I fell in love (and not just with the Guinness and Bulmers, although they’re high on that list), and sadly, I am leaving some and great times and people behind me (you guys and gals in the Salsa crowd are a big part of that, thanx! And when I come back from South America I’ll show you how to really dance – no offence Josh J), lastly but least I worked with some fantastic people in the most sociable office I’m ever likely to come across (Cheers Guys). Right I think I licked enough asses, so lets move on.
Now you may think that because of my lack of emails that the last 8 months has been all work, Guinness and salsa for me, well you’d be wrong! So let me fill you in on what I’ve been up to.
Early February went snowboarding in Austria (back to where I worked the season) with some Aussie mates Stiffy and Rohan. Neither had really boarded before, and while Stiffy picked it up pretty quick, Rohan went to the bar and tried to drink the country dry. 10 great days.
Then for Easter, teamed up with Stiffy again, this time to conquer Iceland. Not a place to recommend if you’re on a budget. I reckon I spent at least €1000 in 5 days. But ignoring, that the place is beautiful, desolate and friggin cold!!! Swam in geothermic pools of the Blue Lagoon, jumping out occasionally to roll in the snow and back to the warm water and cover yourself in the therapeutic mud. Other places of interest were the golden waterfalls, the powerful Geysers and the sinking valley where the American and European Tectonic Plates are pulling apart 10cm a year. One weird thing is that everyone owns monster trucks and 4x4’s, to cope with the deep snow I guess.
My younger brother Michael came over mid - April. So I went to London for 4 days to pick him up from Heathrow and chill with some mates. Within 48hrs of him landing we were doing a 3-day Paddy Wagon tour of Southern Ireland with 4 of my Dublin mates(Simon, Ben, Caley and Fiona). Saw plenty of castles like The Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny and Blarney, where we got the gift of the gab by kissing the Blarney Stone. Of course, plenty of Guinness was consumed the most enjoyable of which was free at the end of the Brewery Tour at 10:30am in the Skybar over looking Dublin. Also, caught a ferry across the Shannon – Irelands longest river, stood on the Cliffs of Moher, and checked out the surf on the west coast – but decided against going in this time as I didn’t have a wetsuit and wasn’t too keen on hypothermia.
Michael settled into our new flat quickly, then he got a job in the Jameson Whiskey Distillery, 30 meters from our front door!! My work on the other hand decided to move from the city centre to out in suburbia – just as I was beginning to think the Irish weren’t that illogical…
Had a Salsa Festival weekend in Dublin, and was taught by the world champions (you have never seen an ass wiggle so quick n sexy - Shakeria eat you heart out!!!)
Then in May/June went partying in the Greek Island of Ios with Simon to visit Caley and Fiona who were working there. It certainly wasn't a travelling experience as much as a typical british holiday, which really goes against the grain for me. But, I figure I deserve it since I haven't been on an extended trip for over a year. I thought I was killing my liver in Ireland, but jeeesus You never saw anything like it in Ios. 10 days of drunken dabotuary and dancing at night and by day hanging out by the pool or down the beach ridding myself of my "english tan". Great fun … at least the bits I remember.
Here we are now all caught up, for the past 2 weeks or so I’ve been buzzing about like a blue assed fly organising travel visas for me and me little bro’ Michael. That’s right I’m about to hit the road again … Yay!!! So, where is it this time for our intrepid traveller? I hear you ask. OK, maybe you didn’t ask, but I’m gunna tell you any ways… Eastern Europe my friends! That’s right I loved it that much 2 years ago that I’m taking my brother.
Now some of you may be sceptical as to my true intentions, whether my plan is to introduce my younger (and thus far morally incorrupt) brother to some real culture and history in places that have hardly change in the last 80 years or more, where you can still say that the villages, towns and cities have a magic, that old world charm. Or more superficially I could be talking him on a tour of countries that have most of the most beautiful women in the world (all thinking that you could be their ticket outa there ;) ). Well, in all honesty what’s wrong with a bit of both?
The trip goes something like this:
- 6 day North Ireland Tour to take in some of the places we missed while we were here.
- 9th Sept Fly to Paris for 3 days where we meet up with an Aussie mate, Rohan.
- Berlin 3 days
- Gdansk a port city in north Poland, where I meet up with my girlfriend, Kim who is currently in Estonia.
- 2 weeks each in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungry
- 3-4 weeks in Romania
- We should be getting to Bulgaria in early December for a week or 2 of snowboarding, then a week travelling.
- Spend Christmas and New Year in Greece.
- Early in the New year fly back to London to send Mike back to Australia
- Then my girlfriend and I spend 3 weeks travelling around Scotland
- Fly to Ecuador in South America to learn Spanish for a month
- Then 4 weeks each travelling in Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia
- By that time we should have totally run out of cash, sick of travelling and be ready to head back to this side of the globe to earn some more dosh.
All I can add is BRING IT ON, You bloody ripper!!!!
