A Kerryman who cycled from India to the United Arab Emirates has said he's lucky to be here after a close encounter with a lion.
Tomás Mac an t-Saoir most recently cycled 4,000 kms through the Middle East, but that was just one leg of his journey.
He told The Hard Shoulder from his home in Kerry this has been ongoing for the last eight years.
Tomás Mac an t-Saoir beside the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai. Image: X/@tomasworldcycle"The latest trip took me from India through the Middle East to Dubai," he said.
"I've been kind of doing it on and off for the last eight years.
"I cycled across the United States - west to east - that was in 2016.
"2018, 2019 I cycled Africa top to bottom - so from Cairo down to Cape Town.
"Then in 2020, which is technically still the trip I'm on today, I flew to New Zealand to cycle home."
Tomás Mac an t-Saoir on his most recent trip. Image: X/@tomasworldcycleMr Mac an t-Saoir said the outbreak of COVID-19 changed his plans a bit.
"I've been kind of coming and going from that trip for the past couple of years as well," he said.
Mr Mac a t'Saoir said Botswana was a bit of an eye-opener.
"It's the same size as France, I think, but with a population of two million people," he said.
"It's just a gigantic national park and the local people there have essentially learned to live with the animals.
"The animals just roam freely; I cycled a stretch about 300km, it was called Elephant Highway."
Tomás Mac an t-Saoir in India. Image: X/@tomasworldcycleMr Mac a t'Saoir said it was an incredible sight.
"It took a few days to cycle and just every day I was seeing elephants crossing the road, elephants in front of me, elephants behind me," he said.
"Coming from a small village in Co Kerry, it's quite an incredible sight."
He also recalled a very close encounter with nature.
"I was camping another night there and I'd quite a close call with a lion," he said.
"I set up the tent, I was with two other guys at this stage who were also cycling through Botswana.
"It was about 9.30pm, pitch dark and you could hear the roar of the lion not even 20 or 30 feet away from us.
"We bolted into one of the tents and we hid inside there for the night because the lion would see the tent as it would see a building and can't get access to.
"Even though if it started clawing at it it would gain easy access and have three lads to maul on."
Asking if it is true that lions see tents as buildings, he replied: "I wouldn't be here to tell the tale if it hadn't been fact".
Tomás Mac an t-Saoir on the road. Image: X/@tomasworldcycleMr Mac a t'Saoir said he drew big crowds when he was in Afghanistan.
"As soon as you'd stop in a village or town, there was always people standing around," the said.
"The longer I'd stay there the bigger the crowd would form; it could be 20 people then 30 seconds later it'd be 50 or 100.
"They're all just curious and of course most of them couldn't speak English.
"They haven't seen foreigners there in a long time and the foreigners they did see were either US soldiers, NATO soldiers or Soviet soldiers back in the '70s and '80s.
"They're just curious and start asking questions, just looking at the bike," he added.
Mr Mac a t'Saoir has previously been through Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia.
