From Iran to Ireland: Irish cyclist praises the kindness of strangers

“I learned that 99% of people in the world are kind and good people.”

For Tomás Mac and t-Saoir from Ballyferriter, the world is no bigger than a revolution of a wheel.

A County Kerry man has just returned from cycling across Afghanistan, Iran, India and Pakistan as part of his mission to cycle across the globe and meet as many people as possible along the way.

It started in 2016, after graduating from university in Galway, when he packed up his bike and belongings and cycled across America.

What started as a goal to cover as many miles as possible evolved into a mission to really see and enjoy the world.

Since then, he has traveled by car across much of the continent: Africa, Asia and Australia.

And Thomas doesn’t care how long it takes to complete.

“I’ve become a bit of an addict. The world is so big and beautiful and a bike is fast enough to get you from A to B, but it’s slow enough, because I only ride 80-100km a day, so… You don’t get the opportunity to see the world properly and spend time with the people who live there,” he told BBC News NI.

In between travels, he returns to his close-knit Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) village on the Dingle Peninsula, working in a family pub and as a tour guide.

Although he works while traveling, he said cycling is a budget-friendly way to get around.

“Cycling is cheap as hell, you have tents and cooking equipment,” he said.

Many of the places he visits are affordable places to eat, especially “if you stay away from the main tourist areas.”

“I’ve met other cyclists who make a living on just $5 (about £4) a day,” he says.

Unfortunately, Thomas said there is no way to make cycling thousands of miles easier.

“There’s really no such thing as a comfortable saddle, you just have to sit and be comfortable,” he said.

“At first you feel sore and tired, but after a few weeks you get used to it and feel healthier.”

With all the camping gear and equipment on board, “the bike is so heavy that you can’t go very fast.”

“I’m not on the bike 21 hours a day, maybe only four to eight hours. I ride steadily, stopping for breaks and chatting with people,” he said.

“Sometimes you get caught,” he says.

His chain broke in Iran, and despite wearing a spare link, it broke again, leaving him 100 kilometers from Tehran, but overall he was lucky.

“If I get a flat tire, I fix it myself. I get it fixed every time I go into town. You just have to be careful.

“They always take good care of me, so they take care of me in return,” he added.

For Tomas, what stands out wherever he goes in the world is the people and the kindness he experiences.

It started on day one and continues everywhere.

“When I set out on my trip to America, I never expected that people would be so curious and willing to take care of me,” he said.

“People see you riding your bike and want to know if you’re okay, if you need money, water, food, a place to sleep.

“The same was true for the United States, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.”

Some countries really stand out.

“It’s usually this country where we’re told it might be dangerous. We’re told we’re not going to come out of Sudan safely,” he said.

“But Sudanese have gone above and beyond. Taking care of their guests is also ingrained in their religion.

“It’s like I insulted an entire country by having the audacity to go camping and sleep in a tent.

“If you stop in a village and ask where they’re going to camp, they’ll say, ‘My guests don’t sleep in tents,'” he says.

He said that was the case across the board on a recent trip.

“People stopped their cars and asked me if I had a place to stay or how they could make themselves more comfortable in their country,” he recalled.

“It is humbling to be on the receiving end of such a genuine act of goodwill.”

Afghanistan has been a highlight so far.

“Everyone knows what happened in the last 40-50 years, it’s like what a war-torn country would be like, but despite the humanitarian and economic crises, people were still kind. ” he said.

“A lot of people there don’t have anything, but they treated me like their own.”

“My family is used to it,” she said, but added that her parents will always be worried.

“I was riding my bike in Africa with two Canadian men. One of them was almost 60 years old, but he still video-called his mother every day. It was very sweet.” he added.

“M’s parents know that I’m not afraid to ask for help, and I’m so grateful for those who do.”

He added that many people he had met so far came and stayed at his home in Ireland.

“The question these days is when to stop, and I’m not completely ready yet,” he said.

“I’m not going to be doing this forever, so I want to make the most of it while I can.”

“South America is also on the list, and then we’ll break it down by region and go into more detail.”

For Thomas, the greatest reward is the goodness of people.

“I can’t think of a bad experience I’ve ever had. The biggest takeaway is that 99% of our people are good, peaceful people who just want to live a peaceful life and leave a good life for their children and grandchildren. That is,” he added.