Despite a claim by Paddy's pub in Cuzco in Peru,it remains that the world's highest Irish pub is the Wild Rover in La Paz, Bolivia. I visited there to relax away from the madness of La Paz!
The pub is at 1476 Comercio Street and doubles up as a backpackers but I didnt stay there. I stayed nearby and popped in for a beer. The First floor of the backpackers includes a friendly, vibrant Irish Pub - The Wild Rover and it is here some 3,000 metres above sea level that you can relax knowing you are indeed in the world's highest Irish Pub.
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.
I'm from Northern Ireland and there were a few Northern Irish mentions in the pub, Geordie Best made it onto the wall in the world's highest Irish Pub. Great to see him there and made me feel at home.
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!
Then as I sat down at the bar, I recognised the accent of the guy serving me! It was a strong Northern Irish accent! The first other Northern Irish person I had met in South America. Serving me an ice cold Pacena beer was Grant McParland, all the way from Carryduff in County Down, Norn Iron!!!
Straight away on hearing that I was a fellow County Down man, Grant gives up working behind the bar and comes and joins me for a beer! Imagine that in the highest Irish Pub in the world, drinking with a guy from literally just down the road. At the time, Down had just reached the All Ireland (Gaelic Football Final) and we spoke about that amongst other things, so Grant dashes out and grabs his County Down top! Red and Black with "An Dun" written on it. Behind the bar a range of UK and Irish products including Milky Way and the Southern Irish Tayto. Much prefer the Northern Irish ones, myself!
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.
Grant even controlled the music while I was drinking there as he put his iPod as the dukebox! I also chatted away to Jack the manager about the possibility of working there in the future and really wanted it as an option. I've worked in Irish pubs in three different continents so would love to do a fourth!
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.
High into the mountains sits the Wild Rover! I seem to form a habit of drinking in random Irish Pubs - I've been in an Irish pub in almost every continent I've been to (been to Antarctica but didnt find an Irish Pub!).
In short my trip to the Wild Rover - the world's highest Irish Pub was amazing. Would love to go back - thanks to Grant for serving me and having a chat and just the sheer madness of it all! Don't Stop Living.
The Irish say "Top of the morning to ye!" but here it was a case of "Top of the world to ye!".
The pub is at 1476 Comercio Street and doubles up as a backpackers but I didnt stay there. I stayed nearby and popped in for a beer. The First floor of the backpackers includes a friendly, vibrant Irish Pub - The Wild Rover and it is here some 3,000 metres above sea level that you can relax knowing you are indeed in the world's highest Irish Pub.
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.
I'm from Northern Ireland and there were a few Northern Irish mentions in the pub, Geordie Best made it onto the wall in the world's highest Irish Pub. Great to see him there and made me feel at home.
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!
Then as I sat down at the bar, I recognised the accent of the guy serving me! It was a strong Northern Irish accent! The first other Northern Irish person I had met in South America. Serving me an ice cold Pacena beer was Grant McParland, all the way from Carryduff in County Down, Norn Iron!!!
Straight away on hearing that I was a fellow County Down man, Grant gives up working behind the bar and comes and joins me for a beer! Imagine that in the highest Irish Pub in the world, drinking with a guy from literally just down the road. At the time, Down had just reached the All Ireland (Gaelic Football Final) and we spoke about that amongst other things, so Grant dashes out and grabs his County Down top! Red and Black with "An Dun" written on it. Behind the bar a range of UK and Irish products including Milky Way and the Southern Irish Tayto. Much prefer the Northern Irish ones, myself!
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.
Grant even controlled the music while I was drinking there as he put his iPod as the dukebox! I also chatted away to Jack the manager about the possibility of working there in the future and really wanted it as an option. I've worked in Irish pubs in three different continents so would love to do a fourth!
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.
High into the mountains sits the Wild Rover! I seem to form a habit of drinking in random Irish Pubs - I've been in an Irish pub in almost every continent I've been to (been to Antarctica but didnt find an Irish Pub!).
In short my trip to the Wild Rover - the world's highest Irish Pub was amazing. Would love to go back - thanks to Grant for serving me and having a chat and just the sheer madness of it all! Don't Stop Living.
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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