I'm surprised it's taken me this long to actually write about my trip to the Wild Rover in La Paz, Bolivia, also known as the world's highest Irish Pub. And it's official. I have also been to Paddy Flaherty's in Cuzco which claims to be the highest (and many others in Peru and Bolivia do), but for now the limelight is on the Wild Rover and the madness within.
Housed in the lofty Bolivian city of La Paz, you can find the Wild Rover Backpackers on 1476 Comercio Street. I wasn't actually staying there mind you, I chose to stay at the nearby Loki Hostel instead (it's literally round the corner). On the first floor of the Wild Rover backpackers is housed a cosy, friendly wee Irish Pub, also of course known as the Wild Rover. At an elevation of well over 3,000 metres above sea level, this little enclave away from the monstrocity of La Paz had the nice honour of being the world's highest Irish Pub. So I just had to pop in!
The Wild Rover is a decent place not just for the pub - you can organise tours from it - to all over Bolivia and indeed they helped book my Salar tour and a few of my buses. I didn't have time to do everything I wanted in La Paz but I found time for a relaxing beer in the world's highest Irish Pub and I stood on the pitch at the world's highest football stadium.
As a Northern Irishman it was nice to see a few Northern Irish mentions in the pub, Geordie Best made it onto the wall here in the world's highest Irish Bar. Amazing to see him feature there and it made me feel at home for a while!
I posed for a photo with my travelling Northern Ireland flag - we are a small proud part of the island and we need more publicity!
As I sat down ready for a beer the guy serving me had a Northern Irish accent! I couldn't believe it - it was Grant from Carryduff in County Down, Northern Ireland!!
Grant serves me then comes to this side of the bar to join me for a beer and a chat.It's all a bit surreal! We talk about Tayto, Milky Ways, Gaelic football and Glentoran FC. Grant even puts on his County Down gaelic top!
I also met a girl from Dublin in there - a Liverpool fan and we were sat watching a live European match between Liverpool and Utrecht!
Against the background of the Irish Tricolour flag, Grant and I got a few photos of my travelling Northern Ireland flag.
The likes of Ash and Van Morrison came on the dukebox as Grant connected up his iPod to the speakers in the pub! I then spoke to the manager Jack about maybe working there on my travels, but alas I was headed to Peru too soon and wasn't able to add a fourth continent to my "worked in an Irish pub" list.
Not only is it the highest Irish Pub on the planet, but it's a pretty lively, crazy Irish Pub too. Dancing on the tables and bar, mild nudity, fancy dress, pouring bottles down your neck. This is a place to forget how high up you are, forget the outside world and leave your inhibitions at home. Party hard!
Cheers and Slainte with Grant, the sublime experience of having a Bolivian beer at some 3,660 metres above sea level. Amazing. It wasn't a Guinness - a Pacena would have to do...
,
It's hidden shyly, and it's part of the hostel, but you do not need to be staying in the hostel to drink there, nobody was checking on the way in.
Situated on a random street and sinking deep into Bolivian mountains is where you find the Wild Rover and I have been to an Irish pub in 6 out of the 7 continents (didn't find on eon my trip to Antarctica).
A lifestyle of travel indeed and I loved every minute of my trip to The Wild Rover - the highest Irish Pub on the planet. Definitely a great place to relax and thanks to Grant the barman for serving me, chatting away, posing for flag photos and providing such awesome music and a fabulous travel experience!
The Irish say "Top of the morning to ye!" but here it was a case of "Top of the world to ye!".
Housed in the lofty Bolivian city of La Paz, you can find the Wild Rover Backpackers on 1476 Comercio Street. I wasn't actually staying there mind you, I chose to stay at the nearby Loki Hostel instead (it's literally round the corner). On the first floor of the Wild Rover backpackers is housed a cosy, friendly wee Irish Pub, also of course known as the Wild Rover. At an elevation of well over 3,000 metres above sea level, this little enclave away from the monstrocity of La Paz had the nice honour of being the world's highest Irish Pub. So I just had to pop in!
The Wild Rover is a decent place not just for the pub - you can organise tours from it - to all over Bolivia and indeed they helped book my Salar tour and a few of my buses. I didn't have time to do everything I wanted in La Paz but I found time for a relaxing beer in the world's highest Irish Pub and I stood on the pitch at the world's highest football stadium.
As a Northern Irishman it was nice to see a few Northern Irish mentions in the pub, Geordie Best made it onto the wall here in the world's highest Irish Bar. Amazing to see him feature there and it made me feel at home for a while!
I posed for a photo with my travelling Northern Ireland flag - we are a small proud part of the island and we need more publicity!
As I sat down ready for a beer the guy serving me had a Northern Irish accent! I couldn't believe it - it was Grant from Carryduff in County Down, Northern Ireland!!
Grant serves me then comes to this side of the bar to join me for a beer and a chat.It's all a bit surreal! We talk about Tayto, Milky Ways, Gaelic football and Glentoran FC. Grant even puts on his County Down gaelic top!
I also met a girl from Dublin in there - a Liverpool fan and we were sat watching a live European match between Liverpool and Utrecht!
Against the background of the Irish Tricolour flag, Grant and I got a few photos of my travelling Northern Ireland flag.
The likes of Ash and Van Morrison came on the dukebox as Grant connected up his iPod to the speakers in the pub! I then spoke to the manager Jack about maybe working there on my travels, but alas I was headed to Peru too soon and wasn't able to add a fourth continent to my "worked in an Irish pub" list.
Not only is it the highest Irish Pub on the planet, but it's a pretty lively, crazy Irish Pub too. Dancing on the tables and bar, mild nudity, fancy dress, pouring bottles down your neck. This is a place to forget how high up you are, forget the outside world and leave your inhibitions at home. Party hard!
Cheers and Slainte with Grant, the sublime experience of having a Bolivian beer at some 3,660 metres above sea level. Amazing. It wasn't a Guinness - a Pacena would have to do...
,
It's hidden shyly, and it's part of the hostel, but you do not need to be staying in the hostel to drink there, nobody was checking on the way in.
Situated on a random street and sinking deep into Bolivian mountains is where you find the Wild Rover and I have been to an Irish pub in 6 out of the 7 continents (didn't find on eon my trip to Antarctica).
A lifestyle of travel indeed and I loved every minute of my trip to The Wild Rover - the highest Irish Pub on the planet. Definitely a great place to relax and thanks to Grant the barman for serving me, chatting away, posing for flag photos and providing such awesome music and a fabulous travel experience!
The Irish say "Top of the morning to ye!" but here it was a case of "Top of the world to ye!".
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