TravelStream™ news feed for member eddieroq on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/eddieroq en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 30 May 2008 04:46:56 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211877600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211877600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211877600/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 04:46:56 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Cork, County Cork, Ireland

I'm back. Thanks to all the loyal pod fans...there has been nearly 2000 hits on the site, most probably from me since i've been home...reminiscing...ahhh well, time to harden the fuck up as Chopper would say and get on with it...looking forward to jobhunting, sitting in traffic looking at rain and paying taxes...Game Over
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211307840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211307840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211307840/tpod.html Tue, 27 May 2008 16:47:41 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Poprad, Presov, Slovakia

Been in Slovakia for a week to attend a wedding. Spent a few days lazing about drinking heavy spirits for breakfast...ahh, bechorovka, fernet and slivovica...beats the shit out of cornflakes. The wedding was good craic, fairly different to Ireland, the thing took place in a town hall with the lord mayor reading a poem and witnesse's signing the paperwork...the cameraman knocked over a potted tree behind the altar at the crucial moment in the ceremony by accident, broke the awkwardness nicely, people were pissing themselves...headed down the village then to go for grub and scoops, started at about 2pm and finished at about 3am, long day and night, couldn't communicate with most people, not because i couldn't speak slovak but because i was pissed, didn't put my hand in my pocket once, the tables were lined with spirits and wine, the food was savage, the choons were dodgy...one thing that was very different to Irish weddings was at the end of the night people helped the staff out with the clean-up, but the main reason was to get all the bottles that were remaining on the table.Went clubbing the next night in Poprad...80s tracks all the way, and take note...for any horndogs reading this, i can't remember seeing one man on the dancefloor, the place was packed with honey.The next day we got a train into the Tatry mountains on the Polish border, the fresh air did the trick for the hangover...the place looked like something out of LOTR. Went to Bratislava the next day and met a few old friends...met their daugther who studies Irish dancing in Slovakia...it seems to be all the rage...headed out that night into Bratislava to an Irish bar (the dubliner)...the town looks like a mini Prague, complete with a few english tools walking around on a stag...having said that i wouldn't mind heading back to Bratislava. In Summary, Slovakia is well worth a visit...savage prices, good weather and nice nice scenary...if you know what i mean.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211220360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211220360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211220360/tpod.html Tue, 27 May 2008 14:09:25 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Back home for 24hrs.. delayed flight from HK to London drove me gaga, flight to Cork was delayed too... but a free fridge at home was worth the trouble...ahhh, taytos and crusty bread...time to put that weight back on for the beach season
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Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

This place is mental. People in every corner. High density all the way...don't have much time here...walked around today and saw a load of police cars shooting at a guy in a gas mask on a bridge with a rifle...i started filming it from behind a wall...after a while i realised they were making a film when fake blood started to spurt from yer man after the fake gunshots.Got to the hostel  late after a delayed flight...took 12 hours in total to get here..the area i was staying in was basically a slum...couldn't find the hostel...stayed in another gaf...the Hong Kong people seem to be clean freaks when they're out of the slums...they sterilise buttons on lifts and traffic lights etc.. every 2 hours...some lad comes along and sprays em...coming into the airport i had to pass through a thermal imaging camera to check my body temp for sars, i nearly failed it with the heat.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211020320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211020320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1211020320/tpod.html Sun, 18 May 2008 07:18:22 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

Well here i am in Bali...on the final road home now...it's been a good...well worth blowing the life's savings for...I'm staying in an area called Kuta...the 'Ibiza' of south asia....some parts of Bali are meant to be stunning...but that's not really Kuta...tis like a mini bangkok. Walking down the street would drive you bananas...there're boys everywhere trying to sell ya anything from shades to kidneys...they enjoy crossing the road shouting 'alrite mate, how ya going' in the shittiest aussie accent you're ever likely to hear...they'd follow ya for a good 100m before getting the message...the place is dirt cheap...i had a steak, egg and bacon breakfast this morning for 30000rupiah (2euro)...one of the nicest steaks i've had in a long while...i went into one shop (well i was dragged) and bought 15t-shirts and 5 shorts for about 30euro...probably well ripped off...in fact i was ripped off...when i got back to the room and checked the bag, half the gear was missing...i went back to the shop raging...the t-shirts were even back up on display...i had a shouting match with yer man for a bit, then i raised my fist to the prick...i got the shirts but agreed to buy him a few red bulls...seems to be the way they do business....when i Rome i bose.You'll have a blast with the nightlife here, some might call it explosive (Jesus, that's an awful pun)...but in all honesty, Bali is the fecking bomb (whoops, there i go again)...the bombed nightclub that killed 300 tourists in 2002 is across the road from where i'm staying...they still haven't done anything with the decor since the bombing, if it was in Ireland there would still probably be a queue outside it...even though it is just a hole in the ground. Most of the bars and clubs are located in the same area...Club M and the Bounty club seem to be the busiest at this time of year...they start filling up at 1am and go onto the early hours...well worth a visit for anyone out this way.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210647720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210647720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210647720/tpod.html Tue, 13 May 2008 23:39:24 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Stayed here for a day and night...what is the story with the weather here....it hasn't been this hot and humid since Suva in Fiji....it's swealtering. Arrived in the hostel late last night, got robbed with the taxi from the airport, but to be fair, the cabbie told a few good inpolitically correct jokes to keep me entertained. Got to the hostel and security threw me a key.I had to go find the room meself...it was room 13. After 30minutes walking around i came to the conclusion that the room didn't exist...and i was right, they didn't bother marking the room with the 13, superstitious bastards...after spending half an hour trying the key on all the unmarked doors for broom closets etc...i found the room. Fecking hot and tiny. Got out of there early. Saw the biggest bat in the world while i was strolling around last night, wingspan of 1m easily....i get the feeling this place isn't meant to be lived in.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210474560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210474560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1210474560/tpod.html Tue, 13 May 2008 23:31:27 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Back to Gilligans...what a shitbox. Some aussie lad came into the dorm hammered one night and tried to wake everyone up. I had a few words with bollx...it has to be said though, Cairns is a great spot...one of the highlights...danceing on the tables until 5am in the woolshed bar was a nightly activity...remember the dirty dancing tune Jamie???....i...had....the time of my life...and i owe it all to..............(the 2 4 1 happy hour)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209963780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209963780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209963780/tpod.html Wed, 07 May 2008 01:38:44 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia

Stayed here for 4 nights to get away from the Cairns madness. Tis like a little rich man's yacht racing town. Spent many hours playing darts and pool in the hostel...the dorm room i'm in is like a hospital ward...the lad from chile underneath me hobbled in yesterday in crutches, Willy across the way is suffering from what can only be described as the early stages of Aids. Probably caught it off the mattress, certainly not off an member of the opposite sex.Other than that it's a grand little spot. Good vibes.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209102840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209102840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209102840/tpod.html Wed, 07 May 2008 01:02:39 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Cairns, Australia

The journey's coming to an end. We spent about 10 days in Gilligan's, a well known hostel in Cairns...the place is more like Ballymun in the sun than a hostel, tis basically a high rise concrete slab with balconys and drinking areas all over the place, like something designed by an alcoholic architect, probably one of Willy's creations.Cairns is a sweet enough city. Loads of bars, clubs etc. The lagoon here is class. We went on a party bus thing one night...twas basically an open top bus with music pumping from it that drives around the place, letting people out at bars. They were shite bars but the bus ride was worth it.The most famous bar here is the woolshed. Danceing on tables is encouraged. There are even drink counters to rest the pints about 10ft off the ground, just so you don't spill the pint whilst jigging on the table.Most evenings we head to a place called the rhino bar where they dish out free food. The place is like a soup kitchen for backpackers...please sir can i have some more.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209030060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209030060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/eddieroq/el_vino/1209030060/tpod.html Sun, 04 May 2008 03:50:48 -0400 El Vino did flow

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Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia

Spent one night in Mission beach. Myself and Fox stayed the night in a place called the sanctuary, in the middle of the rainforest. It took us a gruelling 15 minute walk through the rainforest to get ot the place, up in the hills, totally isolated. We basically stayed in a big mosquito net high up in the rainforest, above the trees and foilage. Weird animal noises were to be heard all night. On a few occasions a giant gecko (lizard), stick insect or beetle would land on me. Had a savage dinner in the bar which hangs above the rainforest. Spent the day down at the beach. The water was warm, stayed in it for ages until a local woman came over and warned us that it was full of crocodiles, sharks and poisonous stingers. She also warned us about a weird aggressive bird in the area, bigger than an ostrich, and with a horn on it's head, only a few left in the world and they're all in queensland, she told us they like to attack. We went back to the sanctuary and stayed inside.The next day Padraig came to collect us in the car. He informed me that he booked a skydive for 1pm. I wasn't sure if he had booked something for me or not, since there was no reception in the rainforest but as soon as he told me it was booked i was gagging to jump out of the plane. We hung around the flight centre for a good long while watching skydive dvds until the instructors came back from the previous dive. The long wait only made it worse. We got our instructions, did our bit for the cameras, got on the plane and got up to 14000ft...then the door was flung open. The noise was deafening, Padraig went out first, he was gone in the blink of an eye. I edged my way forward, you could see the curvature of the earth and a bit of black at the top where space began, we were well fucking high..there is nothing more frightening than having your legs dangle out over the edge a few seconds before the fall...then whhhooooosssshhh.....
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