'I've been kind of doing it on and off for the last eight years'
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.Tomás Mac an t-Saoir beside the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai. Image: X/@tomasworldcycle"I've been kind of doing it on and off for the last eight years."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."Mr Mac an t-Saoir said the outbreak of COVID-19 changed his plans a bit.Mr Mac a t'Saoir said Botswana was a bit of an eye-opener."It's just a gigantic national park and the local people there have essentially learned to live with the animals.Tomás Mac an t-Saoir in India.
"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.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".Mr Mac a t'Saoir said he drew big crowds when he was in Afghanistan.