07 September 2008
Ironman Uk
DaraSmith 13:41:06
774 th out of 1200
Swim 01:15:00 Swim position 593
Bike 07:06:02 Bike Position 756
Run 05:04:47 857
so i trained for about 6 months for it .
but because i picked up giardia the stomach parasite in india it took me a while to get up to full spead and back to full health
i was aiming for 12 hours at the start and just picked that number becuse it was nice and round
half a day etc and now i realise that number wasnt based in reality at all
i was origionally thinking of doing iron man austria but that was sold out in ten mins so i missed that one
the other two close options were sherbourne uk and nice in france
as i had just cycle thru nice while bike touring last march 07 i remember the hills and said fuck that.
So i picked uk becuse i thought i would be flat .dooh
So the training was tuff but i tried to break it up with other stuff
for me the mai thing was trying to keep it interesting
i tried to change routes and do different stuff and picked a few different races to train up for it
wicklow 200 on the bike and other stuff like that how ever the bigest triathlon i got to do this year before it was an olympic distance .
So i trained up and tapered down and then a few days before i left for england i got sick
however i think this was just nerves
i didnt feelin like eating and had a knotted stomach
once i got to england this improved a bit and then in the lead up to the race i got a few butterflies but it died a bit
The venue its self was great
on old casle beside lake
Theres so much organisation and logistists and i couldnt have done it with out my support crew of mammy daddy and eileen
there were colour coded trasistion bags to be filled and handed in at certain times and bike to be racked and check
food to prepared pack .
so on the thursay before we drove the bike course
which really put the shits up me as i discovered what 2000 meters total elevation actually ment.
The bike course was very similar to the wicklow 200 and only 20k shorter.
a mixture of long rolling hills and short shrp ones.
I was luck that hill climbing on the bike is probally the only think i,m actually good at and had done enough training on in wicklow and out to brittas etc.
Then on the friday i went for the test swim in the lake at nine in the morning
this was good becuse it was like mentally running thru what race morning would be like.
i did one lap of the swim course slowly about 1.8k and went real slow .
Water was warm and all went well so that helped me relax a bit.
That evening my self and eileen got dressed up and went to the pasta party which was a meal with an introduction and videos of the world championships in kona hawai.
They went thru how many ironman races people had done from the novices to people how had done 36.
weirdos.
Then saturday it was massage and time to check in my red and blue transition bags and bike and helment
they had a helmet check for saftey and took one look and my one an told me to get a new one.
back to the house last meal and off to bed.
DaraSmith
774 th out of 1200
Swim 01:15:00 Swim position 593
Bike 07:06:02 Bike Position 756
Run 05:04:47 857 13:41:06
Race day
race day started and 3 in the morning
for breakfast
porridge and bread and a powerbar shake and a bannan
then back to bed till 4 30
then up again grab the wet suit and googles and head for the race
as i get there and walk up to transition i really start to feel the nerves as i see the changing area .
so i walk around the back of the tent and releave my stomach of some of my breakfast
so i,m changed and ready to go and its about to start.
its still dark and were all in the holding are of transition
lots of nervy people in wet suits theres a big wait here and then fianlly they let us down to the lake
just see eilo and parents as i about to hop in time for some last good luck cheers
and its into the water
its starting to be a bit brighter now but its still weird swimming to the swim start out in the lake in the semi darkness
theres another big wait as appearently they wont start the race till some parked cars are moved off the run course
weird
The swimmers are getiing adjeteted and cheering treeding water waiting
and then the klaxton goes .
Were off.
I just try to keep calm and remember all the oher swim starts i,ve done and all the training get swimming a steady stroke.
Its is still however 1500 people in a lake heading for the one point so things do get a bit squirly but nothing to bad.
The swim was great .
I think my swimming has improved most of all my disiplines and i held my position kept on course and came out of the water 15 mins quicker than i,ve done it in the pool.A good start is all ways good for relaxing you.
thru transition and on to the bike i luckally desicded to go with my leg warmers as it was windy on the bike.
I was a bit pumped up after doing so well in the swim and this is where i made my mistake i took into the bike a bit to quickly.
I did my first bike lap in two hours and was pretty happy with it.
The second and third the wind and hills started to take there toll.
by bike came out at 7 hours and so i was that was grand considering the course
then trough transition and here i made my second mistake
for some stupid reason i didnt streach propperly before i started runnig and with the slow pace and the hill on the run achillies tendon started to get me .
The run course really shock me.
it was half trail run and half road and was really hill after starting in the castle grounds it went through a camping ground and into a forest trail.
it was like the achil island half marathon in terms of incline and then it came back around the lake and into town and back the the castle.
by the start of the second lap i was starting to hurt alot in my ankle but i new i had to keep going.
Hugh carberry had told me to walk true the aid stations and so i did that and only walked to take my gels and drinks.
How the pain was just building slowly and i took a pain killer but i might as well have thown it in the lake.
its not easy to feel sorry for your self when you see older people trotting along infront of you. start of the third lap i knew i just 9 more miles to go and then i was home. and i heard there was free curry at the end so i picked up a bit.
it was a great buzz finishing it and there was a big roar of people in the finishing shoot all going bannanas.
Fair play to the paddys tho they were the best supporters shouting and waiving and cheering everyone on with more tri colours on the course than anything else
and some really sound lads from carrick on suir tri club in the race too.
My mammy and eileen could probally be heard roaring from the other end of the bike course dad looked after all my technical gear as the offical team mechanic .
race over i got my medal time to go back to the house for some spuds n sleep.
lots of sleep
11 September 2007
INDIA Bike tour 07
INDIA
09 Nov 2007
Mumbai to goa
So India?
Relaxed spacious and slow and easy like Brittas on Sunday morning.
Any way so one the first full day I was there I ended up as an extra on a bollywood ad.
An extra ! the cheek Do you know who the fuck I am. No. oh , right so.
That was pretty weird and hilarious experience . the ad was even weirder .
New Orleans/ Bollywood setting, with a small midget jumping onto one of the top Bully wood actors legs, apparently he’s married to miss world.
So Mumbai is pretty Crazy as was trying to get out of the dam thing. Its a jungle out there filled with noise and people staring and shouting a nd waveing.So I stared to work my way south down the coast towards goa .
Everyday my face is sore from smiling and shouting hello my friend and waving at people. The bike despite my efforts to make it look shittier by adding black tape to it , is like going around in a Ferrari and parking out side the local chipper in Donegal town.
Instant crowd puller.
Indian bike.
No.
From what country.
Ireland.
Ireland bike.
yes.
how much rupees.
I’m not sure.
who much gears.
21 I think.
oooohh.
Repeat one million times
To be fair to the injuns there pretty dam friendly and nice.
Goa how ever is a different country .But more on that later.
I was eating dinner yesterday near the beach and a cow walked thru the restaurant.
Wow
.More rants to come.
I’m off to burn the ears of some westerners who listen
haven’t meet any since I left Mumbai
6 litres of water a day make a jack a sweaty boy
This is a Thaili
I,ve eaten around two hundred and fourty thousand of them since i,ve been here and there all different and all deadly. sorted
23 Nov 2007
Goa to Hampi
So then I got to Goa
It’s was grand but with all those tourist beaches you could be any where in the world .It was exactly like the beaches in Thailand. Poy, dreadlocks, Israelis, spiritual types , same same no different. So I stayed for a day or two and then headed south towards Panjim which is the Capital of Goa which was much more interesting .Its actually quiet relaxed for an Indian city , still some of the Old Portuguese buzz about it . Nice Fish and food in general.
I also tried a "Pan Mithal" here , which tastes like the shop lush would if you could eat the stuff in it. About a mixtures of one hundred flavours and a little touch of soap. It contains the betel nut and gives you red teeth and a addiction to it if over used. Tastes good though.
Then I set of for a place called hampi which is where I am still. Although they forgot to mention that the was a huge Iron mine beside it and the trucks stretch back to back in lots of three or four kilometre chunks. Most of the time they drive two abreast on both sides of the road which makes for laxed cycling against them and crisp clean air to breath. Tasty.
Hampi is a crazy looking place, being both a Hindu Pilgrimage site and a Tourist hangout.
I ended up at a Village wedding on the way here where I got fed and videoed and then all the kids shouted I have a pen at me when I went to get something out of my bag for some reason.
Random.
"we Indians cut iron with iron"
Right then sir.
13 Dec 2007
Mangalore Mash up
This is going to be a long ranty rant ,maybe.
I think its weird that all these bloody social networking websites keep changing I’m aware now that’s its probably passé to use my space but I cant be arsed transferring all my stuff onto face book which seem to have inventive ways of wasting my bloody time. I say we get all meet up in Stephens Green and groom each other like monkeys. Proper social networking . Then we can all take pictures of our selves with our digital cameras and look at them straight away up load them thru our fones and see who’s picking nits of who.
Yes I am loosing the plot.
So I left hampi and fell very dramatically of my bike in the middle of a busy town .To bring my self to a stop I used my hands and elbows as brake pads on the road , which worked a treat. So I instantly have a huge circle of Indian men and children around me and its decided that I should be brought to the doctor who has cotton wool a scissors some antiseptic and not much else.
so we spend about half an hour bandaging me up and taking the road out of my elbow and then he charges me about 50 cent for the whole thing. Like home really. then I cycle for a few days to the Jog waterfalls (highest in India) and get psycadellically sick after eating something or getting some of the river water in my mouth. Where upon I do a good impression of a delirious waterfall of poo and vomit.
Then I went to gokarna, to hang with the hippies on ohm Beach .That’s more like it sir much nicer than Goa. And I meet some friends from hampi who said " have you lost weight" oh dear.v
Its time for pie fest 07.Determined to put it back on I went from one restaurant to another stuffing my face. I’d feel embarrassed ordering too much in one so I’d just go next door after and order another one. I’d just sit there like a white snake after eating a beach ball and digest .Just one more wafer thin mint sir. Bang. etc.
Then from gokarna I headed south to Mangalore where I’m currently in rez.
That’s pretty much the end of my cycling holiday now.
I fly home on the 22 of Jan and I’m just got my confirmation for the Mumbai half marathon on the 20th and I said I was going to shack up some where and do some volunteer work for a month.
So I decide to go and see these mad auroville hippies to see if they’ve got any interesting Building/social programs in Tamil nadu. and if not try and sort something out in Chennai. Then back to Mumbai for the race then home for Guinness and weight gaining.
Think I’m some where in-between 10,000 and 11,000 km (my bike computer died in Japan and I had to get a new one)on the bike at this stage and I only got three punctures and had to replace my pedals once and also my saddle and handle bars are a bit wrecked. still not two bad for about ten and a half months on the bike . Those puncture proof tyres are the dogs bollocks. I also got about 5 ferries and 4 trains and 2 busses and a small circular boat made out of tarp and tar on a wooden frame across a river .
Sometimes I get a bit lonely here in India .Its weird with so many people buzzing around, but its often about a week for me to get from one tourist destination to another here. Ye know yer selves its cool chatting to new and local people about there culture etc but the conversation only go so far and are generally the same .So its great when I meet some westerners and can have a bit of crack with them. Any how moan moan . Fuck it ,I’m still loving it and every day someone or some thing you see make me laugh my head off
Keep it real.
I would murder everyone in the cyber cafe with the mouse for a pint of Guinness
saw one in a film the other day and nearly started crying.
yours "girly pants"
Dara
Chennai
Was in Chennai for about a month editing a promotional video for Aikya.org .
It was kind of cool to settle in one place for a whileliving in a cheap hotel.
I had a few local lads that worked on the street that would give me the nod every day.
Even though Chennai seems a polluted shit hole at the start its nice to get to know a few locals and woman who ran the school Parvathy was really nice and relaxed and we’d just waffle away while working.
The kids were cool as well and one day we all went to the Chennai version of Disneyland. There was a musical fountain show that looked like a techno version of the Fountains in the Ilac centre. RAD. It was a mad day and there were about 10, 000 kids from different schools and charities and there and some Tamil pop stars and a helicopter .And I got a free lunch and ice cream. .
I was really weird how this whole volunteer thing came about.I had typed it into google and all that came up were these really expensive programs that involved me paying lots of money to a middle man or some such jazz so i descided to try contacting the places my self and eventually i got in touch with Aikya and it was perfect they needed and nerd and i,m a nerd. sorted
What are the chances.
Mumbai Again
Yo Yo peace in da middle east yo .
I’m a little bit stunned now, as any one who has ever seen me post race will tell
you even less goes up stairs than usual . The race was a bit of mad affair .
Loads of rich Mumbai middle class and it types in fancy new trainers .
The Nike town rebook and addidas shops were packed last night.
Who buys new runners the day before a race, mentalists.
Lots of serious shaping up at the starting line ,I though most of them were gona come in sub 1:30 the way thinks were looking. then everyone took of like a flash.
two k in the was a quiet a few people walking . Good work.
I was doing ok till nature called and I had to stop twice during the race to visit the water closet. oh well
I had done about 7/8 training sessions for it and was aiming for 2 hours which I managed so I was happy with that. Nothing amazing but it was still a cool experience .Bolly wood techno blasting out over the speakers and the Kenyan lads doing their full marathon only 12 mins slower then i did my half.
So that’s it, trips over now back to the joyous euphoria of love island during February. People from all over the world know that Ireland in January February is an exciting place with everyone displaying radiant smiles on there faces.
Rafter
Dara
09 Nov 2007
Mumbai to goa
So India?
Relaxed spacious and slow and easy like Brittas on Sunday morning.
Any way so one the first full day I was there I ended up as an extra on a bollywood ad.
An extra ! the cheek Do you know who the fuck I am. No. oh , right so.
That was pretty weird and hilarious experience . the ad was even weirder .
New Orleans/ Bollywood setting, with a small midget jumping onto one of the top Bully wood actors legs, apparently he’s married to miss world.
So Mumbai is pretty Crazy as was trying to get out of the dam thing. Its a jungle out there filled with noise and people staring and shouting a nd waveing.So I stared to work my way south down the coast towards goa .
Everyday my face is sore from smiling and shouting hello my friend and waving at people. The bike despite my efforts to make it look shittier by adding black tape to it , is like going around in a Ferrari and parking out side the local chipper in Donegal town.
Instant crowd puller.
Indian bike.
No.
From what country.
Ireland.
Ireland bike.
yes.
how much rupees.
I’m not sure.
who much gears.
21 I think.
oooohh.
 |
| From India Prints |
Repeat one million times
To be fair to the injuns there pretty dam friendly and nice.
Goa how ever is a different country .But more on that later.
I was eating dinner yesterday near the beach and a cow walked thru the restaurant.
Wow
.More rants to come.
I’m off to burn the ears of some westerners who listen
haven’t meet any since I left Mumbai
6 litres of water a day make a jack a sweaty boy
This is a Thaili
I,ve eaten around two hundred and fourty thousand of them since i,ve been here and there all different and all deadly. sorted
23 Nov 2007
Goa to Hampi
So then I got to Goa
It’s was grand but with all those tourist beaches you could be any where in the world .It was exactly like the beaches in Thailand. Poy, dreadlocks, Israelis, spiritual types , same same no different. So I stayed for a day or two and then headed south towards Panjim which is the Capital of Goa which was much more interesting .Its actually quiet relaxed for an Indian city , still some of the Old Portuguese buzz about it . Nice Fish and food in general.
I also tried a "Pan Mithal" here , which tastes like the shop lush would if you could eat the stuff in it. About a mixtures of one hundred flavours and a little touch of soap. It contains the betel nut and gives you red teeth and a addiction to it if over used. Tastes good though.
Then I set of for a place called hampi which is where I am still. Although they forgot to mention that the was a huge Iron mine beside it and the trucks stretch back to back in lots of three or four kilometre chunks. Most of the time they drive two abreast on both sides of the road which makes for laxed cycling against them and crisp clean air to breath. Tasty.
Hampi is a crazy looking place, being both a Hindu Pilgrimage site and a Tourist hangout.
Random.
"we Indians cut iron with iron"
Right then sir.
13 Dec 2007
Mangalore Mash up
This is going to be a long ranty rant ,maybe.
I think its weird that all these bloody social networking websites keep changing I’m aware now that’s its probably passé to use my space but I cant be arsed transferring all my stuff onto face book which seem to have inventive ways of wasting my bloody time. I say we get all meet up in Stephens Green and groom each other like monkeys. Proper social networking . Then we can all take pictures of our selves with our digital cameras and look at them straight away up load them thru our fones and see who’s picking nits of who.
Yes I am loosing the plot.
So I left hampi and fell very dramatically of my bike in the middle of a busy town .To bring my self to a stop I used my hands and elbows as brake pads on the road , which worked a treat. So I instantly have a huge circle of Indian men and children around me and its decided that I should be brought to the doctor who has cotton wool a scissors some antiseptic and not much else.
so we spend about half an hour bandaging me up and taking the road out of my elbow and then he charges me about 50 cent for the whole thing. Like home really. then I cycle for a few days to the Jog waterfalls (highest in India) and get psycadellically sick after eating something or getting some of the river water in my mouth. Where upon I do a good impression of a delirious waterfall of poo and vomit.
Then I went to gokarna, to hang with the hippies on ohm Beach .That’s more like it sir much nicer than Goa. And I meet some friends from hampi who said " have you lost weight" oh dear.v
Its time for pie fest 07.Determined to put it back on I went from one restaurant to another stuffing my face. I’d feel embarrassed ordering too much in one so I’d just go next door after and order another one. I’d just sit there like a white snake after eating a beach ball and digest .Just one more wafer thin mint sir. Bang. etc.
Then from gokarna I headed south to Mangalore where I’m currently in rez.
That’s pretty much the end of my cycling holiday now.
I fly home on the 22 of Jan and I’m just got my confirmation for the Mumbai half marathon on the 20th and I said I was going to shack up some where and do some volunteer work for a month.
So I decide to go and see these mad auroville hippies to see if they’ve got any interesting Building/social programs in Tamil nadu. and if not try and sort something out in Chennai. Then back to Mumbai for the race then home for Guinness and weight gaining.
Think I’m some where in-between 10,000 and 11,000 km (my bike computer died in Japan and I had to get a new one)on the bike at this stage and I only got three punctures and had to replace my pedals once and also my saddle and handle bars are a bit wrecked. still not two bad for about ten and a half months on the bike . Those puncture proof tyres are the dogs bollocks. I also got about 5 ferries and 4 trains and 2 busses and a small circular boat made out of tarp and tar on a wooden frame across a river .
Sometimes I get a bit lonely here in India .Its weird with so many people buzzing around, but its often about a week for me to get from one tourist destination to another here. Ye know yer selves its cool chatting to new and local people about there culture etc but the conversation only go so far and are generally the same .So its great when I meet some westerners and can have a bit of crack with them. Any how moan moan . Fuck it ,I’m still loving it and every day someone or some thing you see make me laugh my head off
Keep it real.
I would murder everyone in the cyber cafe with the mouse for a pint of Guinness
saw one in a film the other day and nearly started crying.
yours "girly pants"
Dara
Chennai
Was in Chennai for about a month editing a promotional video for Aikya.org .
It was kind of cool to settle in one place for a whileliving in a cheap hotel.
I had a few local lads that worked on the street that would give me the nod every day.
Even though Chennai seems a polluted shit hole at the start its nice to get to know a few locals and woman who ran the school Parvathy was really nice and relaxed and we’d just waffle away while working.
The kids were cool as well and one day we all went to the Chennai version of Disneyland. There was a musical fountain show that looked like a techno version of the Fountains in the Ilac centre. RAD. It was a mad day and there were about 10, 000 kids from different schools and charities and there and some Tamil pop stars and a helicopter .And I got a free lunch and ice cream. .
I was really weird how this whole volunteer thing came about.I had typed it into google and all that came up were these really expensive programs that involved me paying lots of money to a middle man or some such jazz so i descided to try contacting the places my self and eventually i got in touch with Aikya and it was perfect they needed and nerd and i,m a nerd. sorted
What are the chances.
Mumbai Again
Yo Yo peace in da middle east yo .
I’m a little bit stunned now, as any one who has ever seen me post race will tell
you even less goes up stairs than usual . The race was a bit of mad affair .
Loads of rich Mumbai middle class and it types in fancy new trainers .
The Nike town rebook and addidas shops were packed last night.
Who buys new runners the day before a race, mentalists.
Lots of serious shaping up at the starting line ,I though most of them were gona come in sub 1:30 the way thinks were looking. then everyone took of like a flash.
two k in the was a quiet a few people walking . Good work.
I was doing ok till nature called and I had to stop twice during the race to visit the water closet. oh well
I had done about 7/8 training sessions for it and was aiming for 2 hours which I managed so I was happy with that. Nothing amazing but it was still a cool experience .Bolly wood techno blasting out over the speakers and the Kenyan lads doing their full marathon only 12 mins slower then i did my half.
 |
| From India Prints |
So that’s it, trips over now back to the joyous euphoria of love island during February. People from all over the world know that Ireland in January February is an exciting place with everyone displaying radiant smiles on there faces.
Rafter
Dara
10 July 2007
kiwi Bike Tour
Aotearoa
In New Zealand and i,m freezin my ass off
I,d forgoten why i used to have special winter cycling gear .
Now i remember. Cause its cold in winter.
Oh yeah.
So i arrived in aukland and bought a second hand hoodie and then headed up over some of the most relentless hill of my trip.
Japan and eurpoe were flat ish around the coast where ass all of new zealand is coved in relentless hill.
I,m only managing about 50 to 70 k a day.
Lazy bastard.
more to come
22 Aug 2007
Short shorts
So then i worked on a farm for abouyt a week which was very cool.
Well actually i was helping with building a green house and generally getting in the way eating alot and saying "whats this" to much.
I got to do many interesting thing like teach at an art class , fillet and eel and chase cows around fields .Then i started the real cyclling and my legs are still not talking to me.
Ive gotten to the furthest noth i,m going and so now its all south .
The kiwis are real friendly and everyone gives me the nod or wave and says sweet as bro
alot.
.Fish and chips are the natioal food and everyone wears shorts and a hoodie and a wool hat even tho its freezing.
There all mad.
Dara
Toku ingoa ko Dara.
Yo yo
This one goes out to snoop dog and dre and 50 cent and all my homies keepin it reel yes.
indeed.
So after that farm i went north for a while which as usual people said was going to be beautifull which always sets of bloody alarm bells .Mountains of bloody mountains later i entered the Kauri Forests of Northland . Holy Shit man these things are big. Check you lord of the forest/ kauri trees on the internet to see some of them. Ps your on the internet now- its like a giant web of computers with lots of crasy asian people killing each other in world of warcraft on it , ameican milaarty bebo net stuff .Any way where was i .
Forests .
Yees
There like some sort of prehistoric lands with giant ferns and strange birds making weird noizes and lots of other weird and wonderfull growing things and one lost sweaty paddy on his fourth steak and cheese pie of the the day eighth bottle of public toilet tap water struggeling thru them.And no piss off before you say it i havent hugged and of the fucking trees .
Any how then i went to some propper hick ass kiwi towns were the dress code is wellingtons and very sort shorts a dirty hoodie and shades for the men .mullet is a spicy optional extra.
Then i did some more woofing on a even wackyer farm. That was powed by a waterwheel made out of washing mashines.
I,m in Rotarua now which is pretty cool.
Themal springs ruff ass town with losts of smelly egg gass pouring out of random spots aroound the city.
I,ve met lots of really cool kiwis .
There actually a pretty likeable bunch. Really chilled out, and a bit ruff and drity and mad as badgers some of them. Propper.
I did white water rafting yesterday which was very cool .
And mountain biking today which i,m now addicted to .
Bloody sports i,m going to force my self to like bridge soon because i need to sit on something thats not a saddle . Maybe flower aganging or oragami
no more saddles.
Saddles Bad infact.
On to Taupo next for a sky dive
Then on to napier of the extreeme adventure activity know as donc rosheen and shea.
i,ll have to get my fitness up to be ready for that one.
Rock on my cozmic brothers and sisters.
21 Sep 2007
Shea
So Taupo was a good laff . Did the required skydive which was as fun as you,d imagine jumping out of a plane to be . It was deadly crack.Then on to Taurangi with me to do the tongiriro crossing which was amazing. Proabally one of the best things i,ve done so far. mt Doom from lord of the rings on one side and lots of other bloddy big mountains all around . There was snow on the pass which made it interesting in some section with me in my runners.There was my self a guy from chile and calini from france germany and japan. I,m like so totally international.Ya. Photos are up on ringo .
Then i went back to Tauop and began the 2 day cycle to napie to see Donc and rosheen and shea. So after the long hilly section section that i could have sworn the map said was flat the real climbin began. What idiot descide to but a mountain range there anyway. How rude!
So Now i,m here in Hoamona ( new Ireland) near Napier with His lordship Shea and his Staff. Hes propper smiley and well behaved witch is chillin.
Rosheens cookin up as storm as usual and i,m staying with There other irish friends Paul and Paul in there man shed.
I got up at seven to watch The BOD and co get whipped . Like totally sooo emabarasing like. They,ll never be able to show there face in kylies in Donnybrook again.Tote.
yesterday i went climbing with donc and then we ate three steaks each.
For real
Thats all for now folk,s .
Sweet as bro.
Dara
11 Oct 2007
Morepork
I,m down at the Franz Joseph glacier in the south island now .Hope fully tommorow i,ll be falling on my arse on alarge lump of ice, and making tastlesess jokes to a group of people who wish they booked with the other company so they would,nt have to listen to some ranting irishman ,whos probally been camping/cycling on his own for a bit to long for his own good.Anyway i realise while haning out with donk and rosheen that i was a bit behind time and descided to take a bus. Yes Ruthy i know thats cheating and i,m a big girl and i know if richie or art etc were doing it THEY wount have to get one but fuck it i,ve said it now. I took a bus. (here comes the justificcation) I skipped the boring bit between Napier and wellington and passed Bye Parmerston north ( "The only reason to come to parmerston north is to kill your self" John Clease.)Wellinton is actually a cool city Nice chillin buzz and losts of "alternative and interesting stuff to do and see .An a cool huge free museam.Yes i,m 27 and i just put the words Cool and museam in the one sentance. So i dropped in my Passport to get my india visa fell off my bike in the rain in the process and then fecked about for a few days .
Ferry across to the south Isalnd was pretty cool .Then i Stayed in a Backpacers in Picton where i met an 2 welsh and a scot and go so drunk on wine i Hissed at them like a snake from the ground for a while where upon my self and the scots man who was the same height as me punched each other with boxing gloves till he neary knowed me out and i hut his finger/lip. Next day i got up and cycled the wrong direction for about 60 k in the rain .Dam Kiwi signs / Hangover. I actually wasnt my fault . The sign said Nelson ,but what it failed to that it was nelson via Limerick and i could have gone a shorter scenic route. Cheers Sign well done. Then i went camping in the sounds for a day or two which was sweat .Then on to neson to pic up my passport and hang out in a hostel that was so full of Hangers i thought i was in san Fransisco again. Colourfull characters to say the least. Ha Ha The all blacks are out of the World cup.
Did you hear they have Viagra in Eye drops nowIt makes you look Hard
Booom Booom
Neson _Frans josephAsorted eating cycling cakes finally some flat cycling camping fishn chips rainforest
The Pig hunting Magaine over here is called "MorePork"Go on the Kiwis.
In New Zealand and i,m freezin my ass off
I,d forgoten why i used to have special winter cycling gear .
Now i remember. Cause its cold in winter.
Oh yeah.
So i arrived in aukland and bought a second hand hoodie and then headed up over some of the most relentless hill of my trip.
Japan and eurpoe were flat ish around the coast where ass all of new zealand is coved in relentless hill.
I,m only managing about 50 to 70 k a day.
Lazy bastard.
more to come
22 Aug 2007
Short shorts
So then i worked on a farm for abouyt a week which was very cool.
Well actually i was helping with building a green house and generally getting in the way eating alot and saying "whats this" to much.
I got to do many interesting thing like teach at an art class , fillet and eel and chase cows around fields .Then i started the real cyclling and my legs are still not talking to me.
Ive gotten to the furthest noth i,m going and so now its all south .
The kiwis are real friendly and everyone gives me the nod or wave and says sweet as bro
alot.
.Fish and chips are the natioal food and everyone wears shorts and a hoodie and a wool hat even tho its freezing.
There all mad.
Dara
Toku ingoa ko Dara.
Yo yo
This one goes out to snoop dog and dre and 50 cent and all my homies keepin it reel yes.
indeed.
So after that farm i went north for a while which as usual people said was going to be beautifull which always sets of bloody alarm bells .Mountains of bloody mountains later i entered the Kauri Forests of Northland . Holy Shit man these things are big. Check you lord of the forest/ kauri trees on the internet to see some of them. Ps your on the internet now- its like a giant web of computers with lots of crasy asian people killing each other in world of warcraft on it , ameican milaarty bebo net stuff .Any way where was i .
Forests .
Yees
There like some sort of prehistoric lands with giant ferns and strange birds making weird noizes and lots of other weird and wonderfull growing things and one lost sweaty paddy on his fourth steak and cheese pie of the the day eighth bottle of public toilet tap water struggeling thru them.And no piss off before you say it i havent hugged and of the fucking trees .
Any how then i went to some propper hick ass kiwi towns were the dress code is wellingtons and very sort shorts a dirty hoodie and shades for the men .mullet is a spicy optional extra.
Then i did some more woofing on a even wackyer farm. That was powed by a waterwheel made out of washing mashines.
I,m in Rotarua now which is pretty cool.
Themal springs ruff ass town with losts of smelly egg gass pouring out of random spots aroound the city.
I,ve met lots of really cool kiwis .
There actually a pretty likeable bunch. Really chilled out, and a bit ruff and drity and mad as badgers some of them. Propper.
I did white water rafting yesterday which was very cool .
And mountain biking today which i,m now addicted to .
Bloody sports i,m going to force my self to like bridge soon because i need to sit on something thats not a saddle . Maybe flower aganging or oragami
no more saddles.
Saddles Bad infact.
On to Taupo next for a sky dive
Then on to napier of the extreeme adventure activity know as donc rosheen and shea.
i,ll have to get my fitness up to be ready for that one.
Rock on my cozmic brothers and sisters.
21 Sep 2007
Shea
So Taupo was a good laff . Did the required skydive which was as fun as you,d imagine jumping out of a plane to be . It was deadly crack.Then on to Taurangi with me to do the tongiriro crossing which was amazing. Proabally one of the best things i,ve done so far. mt Doom from lord of the rings on one side and lots of other bloddy big mountains all around . There was snow on the pass which made it interesting in some section with me in my runners.There was my self a guy from chile and calini from france germany and japan. I,m like so totally international.Ya. Photos are up on ringo .
Then i went back to Tauop and began the 2 day cycle to napie to see Donc and rosheen and shea. So after the long hilly section section that i could have sworn the map said was flat the real climbin began. What idiot descide to but a mountain range there anyway. How rude!
So Now i,m here in Hoamona ( new Ireland) near Napier with His lordship Shea and his Staff. Hes propper smiley and well behaved witch is chillin.
Rosheens cookin up as storm as usual and i,m staying with There other irish friends Paul and Paul in there man shed.
I got up at seven to watch The BOD and co get whipped . Like totally sooo emabarasing like. They,ll never be able to show there face in kylies in Donnybrook again.Tote.
yesterday i went climbing with donc and then we ate three steaks each.
For real
Thats all for now folk,s .
Sweet as bro.
Dara
11 Oct 2007
Morepork
I,m down at the Franz Joseph glacier in the south island now .Hope fully tommorow i,ll be falling on my arse on alarge lump of ice, and making tastlesess jokes to a group of people who wish they booked with the other company so they would,nt have to listen to some ranting irishman ,whos probally been camping/cycling on his own for a bit to long for his own good.Anyway i realise while haning out with donk and rosheen that i was a bit behind time and descided to take a bus. Yes Ruthy i know thats cheating and i,m a big girl and i know if richie or art etc were doing it THEY wount have to get one but fuck it i,ve said it now. I took a bus. (here comes the justificcation) I skipped the boring bit between Napier and wellington and passed Bye Parmerston north ( "The only reason to come to parmerston north is to kill your self" John Clease.)Wellinton is actually a cool city Nice chillin buzz and losts of "alternative and interesting stuff to do and see .An a cool huge free museam.Yes i,m 27 and i just put the words Cool and museam in the one sentance. So i dropped in my Passport to get my india visa fell off my bike in the rain in the process and then fecked about for a few days .
Ferry across to the south Isalnd was pretty cool .Then i Stayed in a Backpacers in Picton where i met an 2 welsh and a scot and go so drunk on wine i Hissed at them like a snake from the ground for a while where upon my self and the scots man who was the same height as me punched each other with boxing gloves till he neary knowed me out and i hut his finger/lip. Next day i got up and cycled the wrong direction for about 60 k in the rain .Dam Kiwi signs / Hangover. I actually wasnt my fault . The sign said Nelson ,but what it failed to that it was nelson via Limerick and i could have gone a shorter scenic route. Cheers Sign well done. Then i went camping in the sounds for a day or two which was sweat .Then on to neson to pic up my passport and hang out in a hostel that was so full of Hangers i thought i was in san Fransisco again. Colourfull characters to say the least. Ha Ha The all blacks are out of the World cup.
Did you hear they have Viagra in Eye drops nowIt makes you look Hard
Booom Booom
Neson _Frans josephAsorted eating cycling cakes finally some flat cycling camping fishn chips rainforest
The Pig hunting Magaine over here is called "MorePork"Go on the Kiwis.
18 June 2007
Japan CycleTouring
18 Jun 2007
7:53 PM - Laterns
7:22 PM - Konichwa Dara San
Yo Yo
Welcome to japan .
Weathers crackin so far .
While its not cheap its not to bad probally same same as
home.
I had a big ass bowl of really good for you noodle soup
of 4 euro
could barely finish it. well i wasn,t feeling the best after
two hours sleep becuase
hilarys brother and one for his mates kept the bar open
till it got bright.
Checked out of the hotel my mammy kindly booked me
into for the first two days
and went to sleep it of in the park like a propper classy
paddy.
Hilarys brother Biran owns a pub in narita and has the
devils glint in his eye, sound lad he then put me up in his
nice gaff last night .
On to toyko today so well see how cycling into that
works out..
Lots of stuff is crazy here, but it feels really safe and so
that helps, cause even tho its eazy to get lost or confused
you still never feel under threat.
Maybe it helps that i,m actually twice the hight of some
people .or else the fact that i lost my earing and now
have a chopstick going thru my ear.
Later amigos
Dara
29 Jun 2007
7:20 PM - Bad Man Killer Sound Bwoy JAPAN
japan log stardate 2007
i was a bit nervous about heading into to toyko on the
bike from what every one japaneese had told me dont go get the train glood luck are you madetcbut it was acutally fine, well reasonable only got a bit
lost once .its sign posted all the way in englishits a big city alright with lots of little cities in it then i called my friend Rina a realy nice japaneese girl
who i met in italy.She and her fella were just moving out of there
apparment in Shinjinku which is a really cool area and
they said i could stay with them for the week.Sound. so for about a week i cycled around toyko on
the bike and went to the public onsen in the evening . tuff
life. Went to see the crazy fish market and loads of other
stuff. I also lost my bike for a day . I went to see electric
city and just hoped of and locked it to a railing. long
story short i got so lost i couldnt find it again . Talo. I had
to get Rina to go back with me and decode the map
which i had been looking at sideways all the time . any
way man and machine loving reunited i sheepish cycled it
back to rinas and she got the train . Then i bought a
compass.After Toyko i went south to fuji and cycle up to the fifth
station with all my panniers on when i then realised i
could have left them at the bottom.Unfortuantly the furthest i could go was to the 7th station
as the road was clsoed due to icy snow from there on .
just to rub it in at that point i was sitting down for a
second to aclimatize to the altitude when a 40 year old
japoneese man with a fancy ass mountain bike and shork
skis on his back comes DOWN the mountain.How he got up there i dont know. I think you can get up
ther in a jeep maybe .Dam Him.Also it was so cloudy i never even saw the top. Fuji Talo.So i,m now in Matsimoto in the middle and loving it .Its Rains a bit tho .Rainy Season .Strange That.
Any how you can check out some of my snaps on ringo
just type in dara smith into find friend and they should be
the latest onesAlso check out this bad boy i shot this in Toyko Hes just some lad basically working in jananeese
spcesavers and hes saying something like half price
glasses get you shade,s in this shop/Watch out Bounty Killer Dis Boy be a bad man.
Japaneese buskers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDjSbBVLaxk
Keeping it Tall.
Dara
08 Jul 2007
3:59 AM - Kyoto
In kyoto at the Moment
Its amazing
i rove you Japan
o to ringo and enter dara smith into friends
Yo
i went on the piss last night and ended up dringing
whiskey by the river with lots of Gaijin and Nihon Jin
(foreiners and Japaneese)
there were two lads one playing the cahon (if thats how
it spelled ) and was doing break beats with it and the
other lad was singing old japaoneese trad songs over it
then i ended up in a propped dancell club randomly and
the a few other places i cant remember
suntory whisky is good for your health
happy fun times yes
hai hai hai
people stare at me alot
it takes a bit of getting used to
19 Jul 2007
2:19 AM - Invalid subject line canto leave blank i hate
windows vista , hiroshima
Well i,m now in Hiroshima .
I think i saw a bit about the earth quake on the telly in
cafe but other than that i dont really have a clue whats
going on as per usual.
Although i,m a citizen of the world man , and speak the
common tounge of love peace and under standing when
people talk to me other the the small hand full of words i
know i usually just stand there with my mouth open and
try and nod when they look at me like its time for a nod..
People are very friendly .
This old codger woke me up at one in the morning when i
was asleep in the park and proceeded to have a great
old chat with me totally in japaneese. i got thru the first
few questions and then he totally lost me and proceeded
to chat away happy as larry and then told me good luck
and trotted of with him self. not a bother boss..
I stayed in my friend "rinas" friends "ens" studio in Osaka
It was cool and old port building that had been
abondened and was being used by artists and the like
and had two cool bars and lots of different heads about.
So i stayed ther while waiting out the typoon which was
about as stong as a curry fart when it hit osaka .
So i then started moving down the coast which is quite
nice once you get away from the big roads.
The sea still looks a bit dubious and i,m not sure about
swiming in it yet.
Oh yeah .Japans national pastime is actually wrapping
things in plastic.
Most food i buy gooes like this . After you open all
thirtten hundred layers of plastic there is a small
individualy wraped piece of what ever it is . and i usually
have go go up and order another one cause its so small.
It wouldnt supprise me if they started individaually
wraping the rice.
I order two dinners now at the start.
.
Ranted out
Slan
New pics on ring
DARASMITHJAPAN all one word is the tag
06 Aug 2007
5:13 AM - Moshi Moshi
Ja a nae nihon.
Well thats it i,m in Narita airport now about to board the
plane to New Meatpie Central Zealand.
So what was japan like i wonder to my self.
Clean effieient safe relaxed friendly happy smile .
So strange the feeling of safety.
Not have to worry every time you get on the bus is some
knacker gona start some crap. To be able to fall asleep
andwhere and not the mugged or the crap knock out of
you.
To be able to leave stuff and not for it to be robbed.
There seem to be no junkies that i say and most of the
homeless people that i shared the park,s with were
cleaner than i was .
Takes ages to get used to .This probally makes me sound
like i,m a paranoid freak at home. But i,ve found in dublin
and most other places i,ve been thats its allway help full
to have some idea of whats going on around you .
I japan you can just wander around at night and know
one says boo to you.
Maybe its the fact that i drag two dead japoneese
people around on a piece of rope behine me.
Who knows.
On to new zealand next.
Looking forward.
Meat pies.
Ruthy roped me and richie into doing the ironman in June
2008.
Any one willing to join mail me traing partners allways
welcome.
7:53 PM - Laterns
7:22 PM - Konichwa Dara San
Yo Yo
Welcome to japan .
Weathers crackin so far .
While its not cheap its not to bad probally same same as
home.
I had a big ass bowl of really good for you noodle soup
of 4 euro
could barely finish it. well i wasn,t feeling the best after
two hours sleep becuase
hilarys brother and one for his mates kept the bar open
till it got bright.
Checked out of the hotel my mammy kindly booked me
into for the first two days
and went to sleep it of in the park like a propper classy
paddy.
Hilarys brother Biran owns a pub in narita and has the
devils glint in his eye, sound lad he then put me up in his
nice gaff last night .
On to toyko today so well see how cycling into that
works out..
Lots of stuff is crazy here, but it feels really safe and so
that helps, cause even tho its eazy to get lost or confused
you still never feel under threat.
Maybe it helps that i,m actually twice the hight of some
people .or else the fact that i lost my earing and now
have a chopstick going thru my ear.
Later amigos
Dara
29 Jun 2007
7:20 PM - Bad Man Killer Sound Bwoy JAPAN
japan log stardate 2007
i was a bit nervous about heading into to toyko on the
bike from what every one japaneese had told me dont go get the train glood luck are you madetcbut it was acutally fine, well reasonable only got a bit
lost once .its sign posted all the way in englishits a big city alright with lots of little cities in it then i called my friend Rina a realy nice japaneese girl
who i met in italy.She and her fella were just moving out of there
apparment in Shinjinku which is a really cool area and
they said i could stay with them for the week.Sound. so for about a week i cycled around toyko on
the bike and went to the public onsen in the evening . tuff
life. Went to see the crazy fish market and loads of other
stuff. I also lost my bike for a day . I went to see electric
city and just hoped of and locked it to a railing. long
story short i got so lost i couldnt find it again . Talo. I had
to get Rina to go back with me and decode the map
which i had been looking at sideways all the time . any
way man and machine loving reunited i sheepish cycled it
back to rinas and she got the train . Then i bought a
compass.After Toyko i went south to fuji and cycle up to the fifth
station with all my panniers on when i then realised i
could have left them at the bottom.Unfortuantly the furthest i could go was to the 7th station
as the road was clsoed due to icy snow from there on .
just to rub it in at that point i was sitting down for a
second to aclimatize to the altitude when a 40 year old
japoneese man with a fancy ass mountain bike and shork
skis on his back comes DOWN the mountain.How he got up there i dont know. I think you can get up
ther in a jeep maybe .Dam Him.Also it was so cloudy i never even saw the top. Fuji Talo.So i,m now in Matsimoto in the middle and loving it .Its Rains a bit tho .Rainy Season .Strange That.
Any how you can check out some of my snaps on ringo
just type in dara smith into find friend and they should be
the latest onesAlso check out this bad boy i shot this in Toyko Hes just some lad basically working in jananeese
spcesavers and hes saying something like half price
glasses get you shade,s in this shop/Watch out Bounty Killer Dis Boy be a bad man.
Japaneese buskers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDjSbBVLaxk
Keeping it Tall.
Dara
08 Jul 2007
3:59 AM - Kyoto
In kyoto at the Moment
Its amazing
i rove you Japan
o to ringo and enter dara smith into friends
Yo
i went on the piss last night and ended up dringing
whiskey by the river with lots of Gaijin and Nihon Jin
(foreiners and Japaneese)
there were two lads one playing the cahon (if thats how
it spelled ) and was doing break beats with it and the
other lad was singing old japaoneese trad songs over it
then i ended up in a propped dancell club randomly and
the a few other places i cant remember
suntory whisky is good for your health
happy fun times yes
hai hai hai
people stare at me alot
it takes a bit of getting used to
19 Jul 2007
2:19 AM - Invalid subject line canto leave blank i hate
windows vista , hiroshima
Well i,m now in Hiroshima .
I think i saw a bit about the earth quake on the telly in
cafe but other than that i dont really have a clue whats
going on as per usual.
Although i,m a citizen of the world man , and speak the
common tounge of love peace and under standing when
people talk to me other the the small hand full of words i
know i usually just stand there with my mouth open and
try and nod when they look at me like its time for a nod..
People are very friendly .
This old codger woke me up at one in the morning when i
was asleep in the park and proceeded to have a great
old chat with me totally in japaneese. i got thru the first
few questions and then he totally lost me and proceeded
to chat away happy as larry and then told me good luck
and trotted of with him self. not a bother boss..
I stayed in my friend "rinas" friends "ens" studio in Osaka
It was cool and old port building that had been
abondened and was being used by artists and the like
and had two cool bars and lots of different heads about.
So i stayed ther while waiting out the typoon which was
about as stong as a curry fart when it hit osaka .
So i then started moving down the coast which is quite
nice once you get away from the big roads.
The sea still looks a bit dubious and i,m not sure about
swiming in it yet.
Oh yeah .Japans national pastime is actually wrapping
things in plastic.
Most food i buy gooes like this . After you open all
thirtten hundred layers of plastic there is a small
individualy wraped piece of what ever it is . and i usually
have go go up and order another one cause its so small.
It wouldnt supprise me if they started individaually
wraping the rice.
I order two dinners now at the start.
.
Ranted out
Slan
New pics on ring
DARASMITHJAPAN all one word is the tag
06 Aug 2007
5:13 AM - Moshi Moshi
Ja a nae nihon.
Well thats it i,m in Narita airport now about to board the
plane to New Meatpie Central Zealand.
So what was japan like i wonder to my self.
Clean effieient safe relaxed friendly happy smile .
So strange the feeling of safety.
Not have to worry every time you get on the bus is some
knacker gona start some crap. To be able to fall asleep
andwhere and not the mugged or the crap knock out of
you.
To be able to leave stuff and not for it to be robbed.
There seem to be no junkies that i say and most of the
homeless people that i shared the park,s with were
cleaner than i was .
Takes ages to get used to .This probally makes me sound
like i,m a paranoid freak at home. But i,ve found in dublin
and most other places i,ve been thats its allway help full
to have some idea of whats going on around you .
I japan you can just wander around at night and know
one says boo to you.
Maybe its the fact that i drag two dead japoneese
people around on a piece of rope behine me.
Who knows.
On to new zealand next.
Looking forward.
Meat pies.
Ruthy roped me and richie into doing the ironman in June
2008.
Any one willing to join mail me traing partners allways
welcome.
11 June 2007
Wicklow 200 Bike Race
Wicklow 200
this was my best time ever at 7 hours 20 mins
it was after being away cycle touring around europe with panniers on a mountainbike with road tires so when i got up on the tri bike with the aero bars it felt like being on a rocket.
Art Ailsa eilo and the mammy came out to support me by eating a picnic in the sun.
yeah hoo
its still hurt afterwards.
I had bonked hard by the end and was barely able to talk only muttering small sounds to my self to remember i was still alive.
Maddzer did it as well and was found asleep under a bush in ucd afterwards .
Good man.
This young man i met on the day and had been in a altercation with a polish
grey wolf while shotting a documentary in poland. he took some of her hair and wore it on is own chest as a token of his victory.
The back rings under my eyes are from the documentary maker showing me how he beat the wolf. i wont ask again.
this was my best time ever at 7 hours 20 mins
it was after being away cycle touring around europe with panniers on a mountainbike with road tires so when i got up on the tri bike with the aero bars it felt like being on a rocket.
Art Ailsa eilo and the mammy came out to support me by eating a picnic in the sun.
yeah hoo
its still hurt afterwards.
I had bonked hard by the end and was barely able to talk only muttering small sounds to my self to remember i was still alive.
Maddzer did it as well and was found asleep under a bush in ucd afterwards .
Good man.
This young man i met on the day and had been in a altercation with a polish
grey wolf while shotting a documentary in poland. he took some of her hair and wore it on is own chest as a token of his victory.
The back rings under my eyes are from the documentary maker showing me how he beat the wolf. i wont ask again.
02 February 2007
Europe Bike Tour 07
This is the first day of my year long bike tour on my own and as we got the taxi into Seville i realised what i was doing. So here it is the full year in a rant.
10:27 AM - Aguilas Fiesta
Having a ball in espana .
Just chilling out up till now
was in a natural park "cambo de gata" there for a while
and at a big carnival in aguilas last night.
Were all going to this next year by the way.
I think i was one of five tourist i saw in the whole city the rest were lunatic spanished all dressed up .
Tired now, going for a nap
pics a propper up date to follow
Tuff day at the office and all that
Dara
28 Feb 2007
4:58 AM - barcelona
So i,m sauntering around barcleona like a dirty snake with the bould art and who do i see opposite me only her royal self jullie dillon
Much dri9nking followed and we ended up dinking cans on an abonded couch in a side street no i dea why font changed
hang over big i go now
01 Mar 2007
2:25 AM - ye have to go thru the midlands to get to the west!
i,m in barcelona as you might have guesed at the moment and lovin it.
arts leaving tommorw so i,ll finally be able to do some propper cycling
the poor young boy finds it hard to keep up .
so fars its been really great fun .
it took a while at the start to find a pace that suited me and for me to rerlax a bit
so the bottom of spain is quite interesting once you stay away from little brittan.
Altough twice i,ve been fed and watered by the blue rince brigade when i,m in camp sites.
old englisgh and german folk who obovously think i could do with a bit of food
have give me food and drink." ya, you look like a gypsy,s dog ,eat up"
right so give us all ye got.
The citys are really cool at this time cuase there are no tourists about
the few that are here are in campsites in there capervans .
We,ve cycled though some resort towns that are just so weirds there all empty
so youre just cycling thur these ghost towns at dusk and theres only youself and
sone stray dogs.and you can shout and hear your echo thru the town..
the fiestas are amazing the one in aguilas i went to was something.
The spanish are so into there partying.
the hole city is out from grannies to kids to the young trendies and everyone is dressed up and going for it.
no agro no shit just fun. good work.
i was one of the only tourists i saw in a city the size of galway .
i,ll put some pictures up on my space and ringo when i get a chance .
the food is great most of my cycling is fueled by bocadillios of bread cheeze and
jamon . and then in the evening i,ll have a meal or some tapas .tapas are great and its funny even the spanish version of a greazy irish truck stop where
you can only get a fry and a mars bar seves really tasty food and pretty reasonable to.
i,m not sure if there truckers now what to make of the pale skeleton in lycra that comes in and eats the pace clean .
the spanish are so into there cycling .every where you go theres lads flying around on cancy carbon bikes and full winter training gear .today it 23
degrees,s
my self and art got passed by a squaderon of chech lads out training so we steped it up and satyed on the back of there pelethon for a wind break till
they turned of.i think they were amused by the to pale apdys with panniers abd plastic bags and baguettes keeping up with them thru the mountasins .
When they turned of the road i had to ring out my t shirt .
Nice.
Feeling great after getting back in a nine in the moring .
miss you all
rafter
the long fella
15 Mar 2007
3:24 PM - ants pants France rants
YoYo
Tote
I;ve found my spiritual home my new kandihar
St Tropez
its like it tote blelong there
When i cruse by all the coco channel heads in the sea front resturants
with my zebra like pikey tan and my bike loaded with crap and plastic bags of food
all the heads turn.
Derelict Ya;
Frace is rocking more now;
Eating a ridiculas ammount of food and still hungry;
the french call camping outdoors and not in a campsite "camping sauvage"
dramatic gits.
I;m up loading some shots of spain; conections can be slow so i,m just uploading one i glued together ;
I swear i did,nt photo shop my hair
it actually looks that good;
if life seems crap Remember my new moto
"ye have to go through the midlands to get to the west"
Tote
25 Mar 2007
GENOA
6:33 AM - Sono italiano
Grand Job
Trotted along the south of france tuff life .
Hanging out by the sea eating cheeze chatting away to my self .
Its good to traveling with some one as sound as my self i,m just hilarious and sound and we always want to do the same thing.Any how meet some hot
south american bird in nice and hung out with her for a while ( its ok me and eileen talked about it and its cool now)
Then it was of to monaco and monti carlow where i took great pleasue in parading around in my tightest pants and generaly being a smelly nuaceance.
On the way into italy i was passed by this really sound guy in a wheel chair / recumberent bike hybrid thing and so the two of us burned the ears of each
other for a while about heat rates and cadence and marathons and other such drivel while i was strugeling to keep up with him.Then we stopped for a
coffe after which i had to be shot with tranquilisers to return to earth.
Then i went on to some where past san remo and stayed in a botanic gardens of an old italian villa .
I was born to be surrounded by palm trees
all i was missing was the nymphs feeding me grapes and a lycra toga .
Then it was on to one of the nicest places i,ve stayed so far finale ligure .
Stayed in a hostal there which was in a casle at the top of a hill.
I,m all about the italian riveria these days .
ment out for a beer last night and saw an italian post rock group and an italian band that sing in american greenday engilish wow.Then sat watching the
moran young lads take over the hippy bongo session and piss all over then
Go moroco.
Now its down to la cinque tere and then on toward rome for matters of the empire
.
Stay evil.
Dara
i Talked and ranted to this canidian guy after beening a few days solo i think i scared the shit out of him.
05 Apr 2007
10:45 AM - Old Women Ask Me to Get Things off high shelves in supermarkets and show me to there friends
Dear my corperate western friends .Can,t remember when the last time i wrote was because i now run by mother natures clock ,dude. Pedeled on down there to La chinque terre where i got the trots which was fun.There Small origionally fishing villages that now sell locally produced goods like heiniken and HB icecream.The villages them selves are cool but the area around them is amazing i,ve noticed on this trip that beautifull scenery and amazing views actually translates into english as" 2 hours sweating on "hills" that would kill a mountain goat"Rested up there for a day or two and discused politics and farting with some sound greman lad who kind of looked like Nicel.Then i was sitting in a cafe eating my 39506th ham and cheese sambo when red flash went by.Realisisng it was cycle tourists ihope on the bike and hunted them down.So i speed along with them for a while and we camped that evening in a playground in of some high rises.The thought of safty never entered my mind as one of these bavarian carpenters hands was the size of my head ( and thats big).So we sped into pisa lap of honour of the auld leanin tower and then off again like a well oiled german something.Art you,ll be delighted to know that i forced them to do a bit of faffing when i couldnt find the keys that i locked all our bikes togetherand got a good 15 mins forced faffing out of them.So the next day after another blistering 130 k cycle i said my good buys to Hanz and Fritz and headed off for some enjoying myself on my holiday on the island of Elba.Found a deserted beach like you see in the films and stayed there for two nights contemplating the demize of western culture and eating cakes which i bought in the local version of Tesco with my my credit Card.The first morning i opened my tent there a looked out two sea and saw two small empty boats going backwards in circles .HmmmmSo after checking the ingedients of last night italian beer i looked again and saw the the fishermen were hanging off the back looking into the water with big buckets with glass bottoms in them .Still havent figured out what sort of fish is caught in this manner but if you know answers on a post card to "what the fuck are they at -Competition "RTE Donnybrook Dublin 4
Some where above Rome at the moment getting my hair and nails done and making plans for my next evil.PS this is the longest thing i will ever write, e-mail is cheap in this town. my report from japan will sayJAPAN=GOOD
Dara or
"Wind" Which is my new Earth Name
11 May 2007
6:35 AM - aksfhasjdfh
cant remember when my last self praising rant was
any how went to rome then up to venice to meet claudia by train and stopped in a cool town called ferra.
then back to rome and down to naples which is nuts the across to matera for some passion of the christ action and cross the sea to serbia/ montenegro
and now i,m in zagreb
see yaa soon
pints etc
typing is suck
bllallalbbakfjasd ffh
Dara
Spain
Seville
Started my one year bike trip today after being quite nervous
just spent a 5 days in Seville with eilo getting stuff ready
unpacking my bike and buying stuff in decathlon
as she got in the taxi for the airport and i waved goodbye i could almost hear the soppy loves cene music playing in the background.
As i headed of for my first day on the road i dropped my sleeping bag on the ground and did,nt notice until some cool business dude came sprinting after me with it. good start.
And were off. yeeaoooooooooohhh
Seville
Started my one year bike trip today after being quite nervous
just spent a 5 days in Seville with eilo getting stuff ready
unpacking my bike and buying stuff in decathlon
as she got in the taxi for the airport and i waved goodbye i could almost hear the soppy loves cene music playing in the background.
As i headed of for my first day on the road i dropped my sleeping bag on the ground and did,nt notice until some cool business dude came sprinting after me with it. good start.
And were off. yeeaoooooooooohhh
10:27 AM - Aguilas Fiesta
Having a ball in espana .
Just chilling out up till now
was in a natural park "cambo de gata" there for a while
and at a big carnival in aguilas last night.
Were all going to this next year by the way.
I think i was one of five tourist i saw in the whole city the rest were lunatic spanished all dressed up .
Tired now, going for a nap
pics a propper up date to follow
Tuff day at the office and all that
Dara
28 Feb 2007
4:58 AM - barcelona
So i,m sauntering around barcleona like a dirty snake with the bould art and who do i see opposite me only her royal self jullie dillon
Much dri9nking followed and we ended up dinking cans on an abonded couch in a side street no i dea why font changed
hang over big i go now
01 Mar 2007
2:25 AM - ye have to go thru the midlands to get to the west!
i,m in barcelona as you might have guesed at the moment and lovin it.
arts leaving tommorw so i,ll finally be able to do some propper cycling
the poor young boy finds it hard to keep up .
so fars its been really great fun .
it took a while at the start to find a pace that suited me and for me to rerlax a bit
so the bottom of spain is quite interesting once you stay away from little brittan.
Altough twice i,ve been fed and watered by the blue rince brigade when i,m in camp sites.
old englisgh and german folk who obovously think i could do with a bit of food
have give me food and drink." ya, you look like a gypsy,s dog ,eat up"
right so give us all ye got.
The citys are really cool at this time cuase there are no tourists about
the few that are here are in campsites in there capervans .
We,ve cycled though some resort towns that are just so weirds there all empty
so youre just cycling thur these ghost towns at dusk and theres only youself and
sone stray dogs.and you can shout and hear your echo thru the town..
the fiestas are amazing the one in aguilas i went to was something.
The spanish are so into there partying.
the hole city is out from grannies to kids to the young trendies and everyone is dressed up and going for it.
no agro no shit just fun. good work.
i was one of the only tourists i saw in a city the size of galway .
i,ll put some pictures up on my space and ringo when i get a chance .
the food is great most of my cycling is fueled by bocadillios of bread cheeze and
jamon . and then in the evening i,ll have a meal or some tapas .tapas are great and its funny even the spanish version of a greazy irish truck stop where
you can only get a fry and a mars bar seves really tasty food and pretty reasonable to.
i,m not sure if there truckers now what to make of the pale skeleton in lycra that comes in and eats the pace clean .
the spanish are so into there cycling .every where you go theres lads flying around on cancy carbon bikes and full winter training gear .today it 23
degrees,s
my self and art got passed by a squaderon of chech lads out training so we steped it up and satyed on the back of there pelethon for a wind break till
they turned of.i think they were amused by the to pale apdys with panniers abd plastic bags and baguettes keeping up with them thru the mountasins .
When they turned of the road i had to ring out my t shirt .
Nice.
Feeling great after getting back in a nine in the moring .
miss you all
rafter
the long fella
15 Mar 2007
3:24 PM - ants pants France rants
YoYo
Tote
I;ve found my spiritual home my new kandihar
St Tropez
its like it tote blelong there
When i cruse by all the coco channel heads in the sea front resturants
with my zebra like pikey tan and my bike loaded with crap and plastic bags of food
all the heads turn.
Derelict Ya;
Frace is rocking more now;
Eating a ridiculas ammount of food and still hungry;
the french call camping outdoors and not in a campsite "camping sauvage"
dramatic gits.
I;m up loading some shots of spain; conections can be slow so i,m just uploading one i glued together ;
I swear i did,nt photo shop my hair
it actually looks that good;
if life seems crap Remember my new moto
"ye have to go through the midlands to get to the west"
Tote
25 Mar 2007
GENOA
6:33 AM - Sono italiano
Grand Job
Trotted along the south of france tuff life .
Hanging out by the sea eating cheeze chatting away to my self .
Its good to traveling with some one as sound as my self i,m just hilarious and sound and we always want to do the same thing.Any how meet some hot
south american bird in nice and hung out with her for a while ( its ok me and eileen talked about it and its cool now)
Then it was of to monaco and monti carlow where i took great pleasue in parading around in my tightest pants and generaly being a smelly nuaceance.
On the way into italy i was passed by this really sound guy in a wheel chair / recumberent bike hybrid thing and so the two of us burned the ears of each
other for a while about heat rates and cadence and marathons and other such drivel while i was strugeling to keep up with him.Then we stopped for a
coffe after which i had to be shot with tranquilisers to return to earth.
Then i went on to some where past san remo and stayed in a botanic gardens of an old italian villa .
I was born to be surrounded by palm trees
all i was missing was the nymphs feeding me grapes and a lycra toga .
Then it was on to one of the nicest places i,ve stayed so far finale ligure .
Stayed in a hostal there which was in a casle at the top of a hill.
I,m all about the italian riveria these days .
ment out for a beer last night and saw an italian post rock group and an italian band that sing in american greenday engilish wow.Then sat watching the
moran young lads take over the hippy bongo session and piss all over then
Go moroco.
Now its down to la cinque tere and then on toward rome for matters of the empire
.
Stay evil.
Dara
i Talked and ranted to this canidian guy after beening a few days solo i think i scared the shit out of him.
05 Apr 2007
10:45 AM - Old Women Ask Me to Get Things off high shelves in supermarkets and show me to there friends
Dear my corperate western friends .Can,t remember when the last time i wrote was because i now run by mother natures clock ,dude. Pedeled on down there to La chinque terre where i got the trots which was fun.There Small origionally fishing villages that now sell locally produced goods like heiniken and HB icecream.The villages them selves are cool but the area around them is amazing i,ve noticed on this trip that beautifull scenery and amazing views actually translates into english as" 2 hours sweating on "hills" that would kill a mountain goat"Rested up there for a day or two and discused politics and farting with some sound greman lad who kind of looked like Nicel.Then i was sitting in a cafe eating my 39506th ham and cheese sambo when red flash went by.Realisisng it was cycle tourists ihope on the bike and hunted them down.So i speed along with them for a while and we camped that evening in a playground in of some high rises.The thought of safty never entered my mind as one of these bavarian carpenters hands was the size of my head ( and thats big).So we sped into pisa lap of honour of the auld leanin tower and then off again like a well oiled german something.Art you,ll be delighted to know that i forced them to do a bit of faffing when i couldnt find the keys that i locked all our bikes togetherand got a good 15 mins forced faffing out of them.So the next day after another blistering 130 k cycle i said my good buys to Hanz and Fritz and headed off for some enjoying myself on my holiday on the island of Elba.Found a deserted beach like you see in the films and stayed there for two nights contemplating the demize of western culture and eating cakes which i bought in the local version of Tesco with my my credit Card.The first morning i opened my tent there a looked out two sea and saw two small empty boats going backwards in circles .HmmmmSo after checking the ingedients of last night italian beer i looked again and saw the the fishermen were hanging off the back looking into the water with big buckets with glass bottoms in them .Still havent figured out what sort of fish is caught in this manner but if you know answers on a post card to "what the fuck are they at -Competition "RTE Donnybrook Dublin 4
Some where above Rome at the moment getting my hair and nails done and making plans for my next evil.PS this is the longest thing i will ever write, e-mail is cheap in this town. my report from japan will sayJAPAN=GOOD
Dara or
"Wind" Which is my new Earth Name
11 May 2007
6:35 AM - aksfhasjdfh
cant remember when my last self praising rant was
any how went to rome then up to venice to meet claudia by train and stopped in a cool town called ferra.
then back to rome and down to naples which is nuts the across to matera for some passion of the christ action and cross the sea to serbia/ montenegro
and now i,m in zagreb
see yaa soon
pints etc
typing is suck
bllallalbbakfjasd ffh
Dara
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