As many of us prepare for a sunny Easter break this week-end, it will be far from home soil that Declan Coyle from Garrison, will continue to enjoy a trip of a lifetime on board the first ever bus service from Ireland to Australia.
Internet connections are now becoming more sporadic for Declan as the OzBus makes it way across the intrepid surroundings of Iran.
In his latest blog ahead of losing online touch, Declan shares his experiences of viewing Turkey and its environs. He talks of the pending cultural shocks of Iran, important dress codes and the unfortunate lack of a good old western-style toilet: "I'm in the centre of Turkey ơn a place called Göreme," he explains.
"Turkey has definitely been my favourite country so far. We started in Istanbul and it's a fantastic city. We weren't too sure what to expect with it being the first Muslim city that we visited but it's an extremely laid back place with a great atmosphere.
"The city is dominated by huge Mosques which are very interesting to visit and also there is a huge market called the Grand Bazaar in which we got to practice our bargaining skills. We also managed to find a few bars as well!"
Since Istanbul, Declan said his travels had been very cultural.
"We visited the sight of Gallipolli World War One landings and the Ancient cities of Troy and Ephesus. After a few long days travelling we got to Göreme which is remarkable as a lot of the buildings are carved into the surrounding mountains. We got to see it from hot air balloon which was absolutely fantastic.
"Next, we have three days of long travel which will bring us to the Iran border which will be a real culture shock especially for the ladies as they have to be careful as to how they dress and they can't go out in public unless accompanied by a man.
"Western style toilets are becoming more of a rarity and they are basically holes in the ground. The weather has got really cold, one night it was -10 and Iran will probably be more of the same. Spirits are high though especially after the stunning balloon ride."
