Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Human Experience
Traveling allows for meditation and introspection. It broadens your world view and alters how you see yourself and others. It provides answers but creates many, many more questions. It is a unique and challenging experience. As I was living the dream of backpacking across Europe, I kept wondering why I felt that something was missing. I think part of the answer can be found in recalling our visit to the Red Cross Museum. I had anticipated a visit full of despair as the human experience was marred by suffering, natural disasters and war. Instead, it was encouraging. Yes, there is and has been since the fall of man, suffering, natural disasters and war. However, we caught a glimpse of beauty in the pain. People, through the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, were responding to the human experience. During the 10 weeks we spent traveling, I experienced so much. I met tons of people. I saw new sights, heard new sounds, smelled and tasted new wonders. My sensory system was on overload. There was so much to take in. But I felt that something was lacking. I was so busy absorbing and traveling that I did not have an opportunity to respond. I could react, but that is not the same as responding. I am incredibly blessed to have a job that I love that allows me to respond to the human experience in a very tangible way. As a nurse, I am able to help others navigate the turbulent waters of illness and injury. To be sure, it is a difficult element of the human experience. But it is an honor and a privilege to respond. Through our responses, we can fully realize our humanity.
Adventure
Adventure. I love that word. It connotates wonder, excitement and opportunity. Possibilities abound in the word itself. But what does adventure mean? Each person may have their own definition. Alistair Humphreys, a Brit who biked around the world in four years, has a clear picture of adventure in his mind. I met a pharmacist prior to the marathon in Flanders Field who thought running 100 miles through the Sahara Desert was adventure. The frail, elderly lady may see going to the grocery store as an adventure. I believe adventure is anything that gets you out of your comfort zone, that challenges how you think and how you perceive the world. Adventures push the limits of capabilities. Adventures lead to discoveries like self-awareness, awareness of others, personal character aspects and new abilities and/or limits. You meet people, learn and gain new perspective, which allows a more full human experience. Living with a spirit of adventures allows you to vanquish three of my most dreaded fears; stagnation, apathy and complacency. Adventures allow you to capture unrealized potential. Adventures are freeing (notice I did not say free, although they can be). Often times, we get caught up thinking, "I couldn't possibly go off on an adventure. I don't have the money or the time." I like the idea of mini-adventures. Colorado is great because it offers heaps of mini adventures. It may be a new hike or a camping trip or something entirely different. Before we left, Melissa started a list of adventures. It included things she had never done before like quitting her job, backpacking across Europe, playing an open mic night, dancing lessons, a week where everything she ate, including condiments, was homemade, paragliding, brewing kambucha, a day without electricity, a week without using her car, shooting a gun, and many others. One of the things that I love and respect so much about Melissa is her commitment to self-improvement and becoming a more well-rounded person.
One of the wonderful things about traveling is that you meet fantastic people. Three years ago, I met Lewis in Nepal. We have kept in touch and I have learned quite a bit through our friendship. Lewis introduced me to "The Do" Lectures. These are seminars motivating people to experience life, to do. Lewis created a website entitled, Statements of Intent. The blog focuses on inspiration and travel. It features videos, quotes and reading excerpts to promote an attitude of adventure and living a life of purpose. I have included the link. I definitely recommend checking it out and taking time to listen to Alistair Humphreys.
Regardless of your definition of what constitutes an adventure, embrace it. By approaching each day as adventure, the scales of the mundane, predictability and apathy will be torn off.
Statements of Intent
One of the wonderful things about traveling is that you meet fantastic people. Three years ago, I met Lewis in Nepal. We have kept in touch and I have learned quite a bit through our friendship. Lewis introduced me to "The Do" Lectures. These are seminars motivating people to experience life, to do. Lewis created a website entitled, Statements of Intent. The blog focuses on inspiration and travel. It features videos, quotes and reading excerpts to promote an attitude of adventure and living a life of purpose. I have included the link. I definitely recommend checking it out and taking time to listen to Alistair Humphreys.
Regardless of your definition of what constitutes an adventure, embrace it. By approaching each day as adventure, the scales of the mundane, predictability and apathy will be torn off.
Statements of Intent
The Road Home
After a night out on the town, we bid farewell to Salamanca, but slowly and not too loudly. We took the train to Madrid. Upon our arrival, we put our luggage in storage and then tried to navigate the metro system to check out the city. We arrived in Puerta del Sol, the city's epicenter. We walked around the busy streets. We decided that perhaps it would best if we didn't enter shops after I knocked a display over. After a few lackluster hours spent in Madrid, we returned to the train station and boarded the night train to Paris. We had one roommate in our four person compartment. We did not speak due to the language barrier. Snoring crosses that border with ease and it was yet another restless night. The 13 hour train ride turned into 15 and we were happy to get off the train, once we squeezed our packs through the passage ways.
Melissa and I are perhaps the only backpackers to travel through Paris and not stop to see the sights. The extent of our Paris experience was waving to the Notre Dame as we crossed the Seine on the Metro. We had both traveled to Paris on high school band trips and did not enjoy it. We were not interested in investing precious time and money in a city that neither one of us felt drawn to. We had heard that Paris is a city of strong emotion, you either love it or hate it. You fall in love in Paris and you break up there. At the end of our trip, we didn't want to jeopardize our friendship by entering a city that could polarize us. We took the train to Lille and then to Bruges.
Bruges (Brugge) is a beautiful city in Belgium. We decided to stop in Belgium on our journey north to Amsterdam because we wanted another round of Belgium Beer. Bruges is a gorgeous medieval city. In the 14th Century it was an important trade center but its economic lifeline dried up at the same time the canals linking it to the sea did. The city was abandoned in time, only to be revitalized by tourism. Upon settling into our slightly sketchy hostel, Melissa and I went in search of food and beer. We found delicious beer, a cheese platter, and a South African named Chris. Chris was studying engineering in France and had traveled to Bruges with his South African classmates. After meeting so many wonderful South Africans, Melissa and I are inspired to travel to South Africa next. We met two South African girls who stole my empty mug on their way out the door. The waitress was very upset and threatened a 50 Euro fine. Fortunately, Chris was able to retrieve the mug. Apparently it is socially acceptable to steal in South Africa. Interesting... South Africa in 2012! Feeling that we had worn out our welcome, Melissa and I went to another pub with 300 different types of beer. It was difficult to choose but the waitress made excellent recommendations and it was quite tasty. The bar also had a New Belgium Brewery Fat Tire plaque on the wall which was cool to see. The following morning, we bundled up in our hats and scarves and wandered about the town. We had delicious coffee and waffles to warm up. However, we have found that the best Belgium waffles can be found in the train stations.
Melissa and I then boarded a very crowded train to Amsterdam. The train was so full that we crammed into the gangway used for luggage storage with 10 other people and lots of luggage. It was fun standing and swaying with train, occasionally colliding with fellow passengers when the train stopped. Melissa and I got off at the airport station and took a shuttle to a ritzy airport hotel. The hotel must not be frequented by backpackers because the shuttle driver questioned us three times if we really did want to go the hotel. He then followed us in to see if we had reservations and the ability to pay. We ordered room service and drank beer that we had gotten at the Bruges Beer Temple as we discussed the best and worst elements of the trip.
The following morning, we woke up early to go to the airport for our flight home. Actually, I didn't wake up. I never went to sleep. It was simply a matter of getting out of bed. The flights from Amsterdam to London Heathrow and then from Heathrow to Denver went very smoothly. It was a long plane journey but it was fairly painless thanks to technological advancements and in-flight entertainment. It was exciting to look at the map as we got closer to home. Melissa's very excited parents greeted us as we emerged from customs. My incredible friend Jalean picked me up from the airport and treated me to a delicious dinner. She insisted that I sleep in her super comfortable bed. When I protested she quipped, "What part of non-negotiable do you not understand? Besides, it will be awkward if we both sleep on the couch."
It is simply lovely to be home. I have phenomenal friends and a fantastic family. I have enjoyed spending time with them immensely. I am excited to catch up with everyone again. I stayed a day in Colorado Springs before driving home to Nebraska. It was amazing to see my dog Ellie again. When I walked through the door, it was almost like she didn't believe her eyes and then she sprang up and was very loving and vocal in her affection. She follows me around and is always very excited to see me when I return from an outing, thrilled that I came back. I do love my dog. Thanksgiving was a glorious feast and not just because of the food. I was humbled by how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for safe travels, a great traveling buddy, family, friends, Ellie, the ability to travel, the people that I met while traveling, and the opportunities to stay connected. I am thankful to live in a country that allows you to dream and pursue those dreams. I am thankful for living in a beautiful and dynamic world and opportunity to experience it. I am thankful for life.
Melissa and I are perhaps the only backpackers to travel through Paris and not stop to see the sights. The extent of our Paris experience was waving to the Notre Dame as we crossed the Seine on the Metro. We had both traveled to Paris on high school band trips and did not enjoy it. We were not interested in investing precious time and money in a city that neither one of us felt drawn to. We had heard that Paris is a city of strong emotion, you either love it or hate it. You fall in love in Paris and you break up there. At the end of our trip, we didn't want to jeopardize our friendship by entering a city that could polarize us. We took the train to Lille and then to Bruges.
Bruges (Brugge) is a beautiful city in Belgium. We decided to stop in Belgium on our journey north to Amsterdam because we wanted another round of Belgium Beer. Bruges is a gorgeous medieval city. In the 14th Century it was an important trade center but its economic lifeline dried up at the same time the canals linking it to the sea did. The city was abandoned in time, only to be revitalized by tourism. Upon settling into our slightly sketchy hostel, Melissa and I went in search of food and beer. We found delicious beer, a cheese platter, and a South African named Chris. Chris was studying engineering in France and had traveled to Bruges with his South African classmates. After meeting so many wonderful South Africans, Melissa and I are inspired to travel to South Africa next. We met two South African girls who stole my empty mug on their way out the door. The waitress was very upset and threatened a 50 Euro fine. Fortunately, Chris was able to retrieve the mug. Apparently it is socially acceptable to steal in South Africa. Interesting... South Africa in 2012! Feeling that we had worn out our welcome, Melissa and I went to another pub with 300 different types of beer. It was difficult to choose but the waitress made excellent recommendations and it was quite tasty. The bar also had a New Belgium Brewery Fat Tire plaque on the wall which was cool to see. The following morning, we bundled up in our hats and scarves and wandered about the town. We had delicious coffee and waffles to warm up. However, we have found that the best Belgium waffles can be found in the train stations.
Melissa and I then boarded a very crowded train to Amsterdam. The train was so full that we crammed into the gangway used for luggage storage with 10 other people and lots of luggage. It was fun standing and swaying with train, occasionally colliding with fellow passengers when the train stopped. Melissa and I got off at the airport station and took a shuttle to a ritzy airport hotel. The hotel must not be frequented by backpackers because the shuttle driver questioned us three times if we really did want to go the hotel. He then followed us in to see if we had reservations and the ability to pay. We ordered room service and drank beer that we had gotten at the Bruges Beer Temple as we discussed the best and worst elements of the trip.
The following morning, we woke up early to go to the airport for our flight home. Actually, I didn't wake up. I never went to sleep. It was simply a matter of getting out of bed. The flights from Amsterdam to London Heathrow and then from Heathrow to Denver went very smoothly. It was a long plane journey but it was fairly painless thanks to technological advancements and in-flight entertainment. It was exciting to look at the map as we got closer to home. Melissa's very excited parents greeted us as we emerged from customs. My incredible friend Jalean picked me up from the airport and treated me to a delicious dinner. She insisted that I sleep in her super comfortable bed. When I protested she quipped, "What part of non-negotiable do you not understand? Besides, it will be awkward if we both sleep on the couch."
It is simply lovely to be home. I have phenomenal friends and a fantastic family. I have enjoyed spending time with them immensely. I am excited to catch up with everyone again. I stayed a day in Colorado Springs before driving home to Nebraska. It was amazing to see my dog Ellie again. When I walked through the door, it was almost like she didn't believe her eyes and then she sprang up and was very loving and vocal in her affection. She follows me around and is always very excited to see me when I return from an outing, thrilled that I came back. I do love my dog. Thanksgiving was a glorious feast and not just because of the food. I was humbled by how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for safe travels, a great traveling buddy, family, friends, Ellie, the ability to travel, the people that I met while traveling, and the opportunities to stay connected. I am thankful to live in a country that allows you to dream and pursue those dreams. I am thankful for living in a beautiful and dynamic world and opportunity to experience it. I am thankful for life.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
We Followed a Swarm of Bees in Salamanca
Salamanca is a college town in western Spain. Melissa's sister, Catherine, had studied in Salamanca through a study abroad program and highly recommended a visit to the city. It is located in Castilla y Leon, which according to the trusty Lonely Planet, is the soul of Spain, a reflection of true Spanish culture. The city is also the capital of a province of Salamanca. We took the only train from Lisbon to Salamanca which deposited us on the train platform after midnight. Sadly, the hostels did not accept check-ins that late, so we stayed at a hotel. We were decidedly out of place with our backpacks in a four star hotel. After weeks of hostels, we were thrilled to have a room to ourselves and even more impressed by the bathroom. A well lit, clean bathroom for just the two of us. And there were heated floor tiles!!! Such luxury! After a restful sleep, we made our way through the streets to our hostel.
I had never made out with a random guy I met at the bar. As much fun as it was to make out with a Spaniard in Plaza Mayor and in front of the New Cathedral under the watchful gaze of an astronaut, it wasn't nearly enjoyable as one would think. And it has nothing to do with Luis. I had always heard that the emotional connection was crucial to women's enjoyment of physical intimacy. Now that I have experienced both ends of that spectrum, I agree with that statement. It felt hollow, shallow and cheap. I too felt hollow, shallow and cheap. It's almost like physical intimacy was designed by God to be between two people who have a solid foundation and intimate relationship, with physical intimacy being another layer to it, an added bonus if you will. Gee, I wonder... I suppose what I am saying is that my brief career of being a slut is over. I am not proud of my actions. I was not the woman that I am called to be by God. So I have resolved to button down the hatches and wait to have any kind of physical intimacy until I am actually in a relationship. And I am not going to enter a relationship just for the sake of having a relationship. Only if it seems viable, will I consider dating a man. So in the unlikely event that I get another chance in the dating department, I will probably scare the poor man away with pent up sexual tension. Oh twell, single status has many advantages, including more freedom to travel.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Salamanca Edition
- Experience hypernatremia after dinner. (Paella was disqualified from our best food competition because it caused electrolyte imbalance)
- Search a facade for Kermit
- Run into a South African friend that I met in the Sevilla hostel
- Discover that it truly is about life's simple pleasures, including ripping the hygiene wrapper off of a toilet. The knowledge of knowing that a toilet is clean! Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!
- Want to curl up on a bathroom floor to soak in the warmth of bathroom tiles.
- Eat a persimmon
- Wonder if it made it better or worse that the Spaniard I was making out with was dressed as a house wife and had bigger breasts than I (even if the bra was stuffed with four football socks)
Salamanca has a great feel to it. As a college town, there is great energy. It is home to the oldest university in Spain which was founded in 1218. The University buildings are scattered throughout the city. There is also an impressive cathedral. The New Cathedral was built next to the Old Cathedral (circa 13th Century) and was competed in 1723. There are also great scavenger hunts as you tour the city. Crowds gather in front of the university facade to search for the frog. Legend tells that if you find the frog you will have good luck in studies, live and love. (We relayed this to a fellow traveler lamenting about her love life who vowed, "I WILL find that frog!"). Melissa was floored that there was an astronaut on the New Cathedral. She kept saying, "What is an astronaut doing on a building built in 17 whatever?" It turns out that the building was refurbished in 1992 and an original saint sculpture had been destroyed beyond repair, so they decided to add something from the 20th century.
Plaza Mayor is the heart of the city. Apparently it used to be the sight of bull fights. It is now a meeting place and ground zero for the shopping and restaurant district. We walked in to find groups of students gathering in some sort of protest. The students were dressed in teams of costumes. There were smurfs, popes, ballerina dancers (males in tutus, of course), monkeys pushing some sort of cardboard tree on a cart. There were baseball and American football players. There were prisoners and policeman which made it interesting when the real police came to disband the crowd of dancing and yelling college students. The drummer and trumpet player tried to negotiate with police but the group disbanded, only to gather again holding their bottles of rum and Coke high. When we asked someone what was going on, they just shrugged. "They're college students." That night, we were hoping to go out and do something fun. Then we noticed a swarm of bees swerve their way across the Plaza. We looked at each other. "Should we follow the bees?" Why of course. It is solid and great life advice; just follow the bees. So we followed the bees (we still need to work on our trailing techniques). They led us to a street filled with costumed students and then to a building that was covered in graffiti and advertisements. There was no store front or sign to indicate what it was. We walked in to find a bar filled with students, music and smoke. We shrugged and entered. After all, this is where the bees led us. We watched the bartender make a mixed drink that appeared to be popular and asked for one. For 5 Euros we got a liter glass filled with tequila, Fanta and topped with grenadine. A dangerous brew as you could not taste the copious amount of tequila in it. We were in street clothes and spoke English and instantly became a novelty. We joined the bartender in a round of free tequila shots. We were in a room of costumed college students in Spain and just got free shots. It was going to be an interesting night.
We made our way to the back of the bar. I asked a girl if she spoke English and could she please explain why everyone was dressed up like crazy people. Every department of the college had a weekend once a year when they had a massive party. Tonight it was the biology and chemistry department's turn to party. The troop of monkeys and their tree suddenly made sense. I looked over to see a group of men dressed in black pants and shirts topped with pink lace underwear and bras, wearing pink and purple bath robes who were sporting pink fingernails, make up and curlers in their hair. One of the boys touched his curlers and winked. Another waved his feather duster. Enter Rafi and Luis. We talked with the boys, who despite their appearances were ambitious young men getting their masters in biology. Students gathered around us, anxious to practice their English and talk with Americans. Melissa learned new Spanish phrases. I did my best to improve international relations. Whenever I saw someone frowning and it appeared that they were not enjoying themselves, I would offer them a drink, yell "Tequila!" and turn the corners of their mouths into a smile with my fingers. Rather forward but effective. People smiled after that. They would then randomly yell "Tequila!" which I would echo. They thought this was fun. I liked it because I had gotten a second tequila/Fanta drink (on the house, yay for free drinks) and it was at least 2/3 tequila and I did not want to drink that much tequila. Melissa's buzz wore off at about 2:30. Rafi and Luis walked us back to our hostel where we found our hostel roommates on the balcony who were hoping to go out. We put Melissa in the peer pressure vice and returned to the bar for more drinks and dancing. At some point, Luis and I started kissing which evolved into a make-out session through the streets of Salamanca in the wee hours of the morning. I returned to the hostel at 4:30 with my virginity intact as I had promised Melissa. At some point, my watch was set an hour ahead so I was very sad to learn that I had gotten up an hour earlier than needed to prepare for our departure.
We made our way to the back of the bar. I asked a girl if she spoke English and could she please explain why everyone was dressed up like crazy people. Every department of the college had a weekend once a year when they had a massive party. Tonight it was the biology and chemistry department's turn to party. The troop of monkeys and their tree suddenly made sense. I looked over to see a group of men dressed in black pants and shirts topped with pink lace underwear and bras, wearing pink and purple bath robes who were sporting pink fingernails, make up and curlers in their hair. One of the boys touched his curlers and winked. Another waved his feather duster. Enter Rafi and Luis. We talked with the boys, who despite their appearances were ambitious young men getting their masters in biology. Students gathered around us, anxious to practice their English and talk with Americans. Melissa learned new Spanish phrases. I did my best to improve international relations. Whenever I saw someone frowning and it appeared that they were not enjoying themselves, I would offer them a drink, yell "Tequila!" and turn the corners of their mouths into a smile with my fingers. Rather forward but effective. People smiled after that. They would then randomly yell "Tequila!" which I would echo. They thought this was fun. I liked it because I had gotten a second tequila/Fanta drink (on the house, yay for free drinks) and it was at least 2/3 tequila and I did not want to drink that much tequila. Melissa's buzz wore off at about 2:30. Rafi and Luis walked us back to our hostel where we found our hostel roommates on the balcony who were hoping to go out. We put Melissa in the peer pressure vice and returned to the bar for more drinks and dancing. At some point, Luis and I started kissing which evolved into a make-out session through the streets of Salamanca in the wee hours of the morning. I returned to the hostel at 4:30 with my virginity intact as I had promised Melissa. At some point, my watch was set an hour ahead so I was very sad to learn that I had gotten up an hour earlier than needed to prepare for our departure.
I had never made out with a random guy I met at the bar. As much fun as it was to make out with a Spaniard in Plaza Mayor and in front of the New Cathedral under the watchful gaze of an astronaut, it wasn't nearly enjoyable as one would think. And it has nothing to do with Luis. I had always heard that the emotional connection was crucial to women's enjoyment of physical intimacy. Now that I have experienced both ends of that spectrum, I agree with that statement. It felt hollow, shallow and cheap. I too felt hollow, shallow and cheap. It's almost like physical intimacy was designed by God to be between two people who have a solid foundation and intimate relationship, with physical intimacy being another layer to it, an added bonus if you will. Gee, I wonder... I suppose what I am saying is that my brief career of being a slut is over. I am not proud of my actions. I was not the woman that I am called to be by God. So I have resolved to button down the hatches and wait to have any kind of physical intimacy until I am actually in a relationship. And I am not going to enter a relationship just for the sake of having a relationship. Only if it seems viable, will I consider dating a man. So in the unlikely event that I get another chance in the dating department, I will probably scare the poor man away with pent up sexual tension. Oh twell, single status has many advantages, including more freedom to travel.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Salamanca Edition
- Experience hypernatremia after dinner. (Paella was disqualified from our best food competition because it caused electrolyte imbalance)
- Search a facade for Kermit
- Run into a South African friend that I met in the Sevilla hostel
- Discover that it truly is about life's simple pleasures, including ripping the hygiene wrapper off of a toilet. The knowledge of knowing that a toilet is clean! Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!
- Want to curl up on a bathroom floor to soak in the warmth of bathroom tiles.
- Eat a persimmon
- Wonder if it made it better or worse that the Spaniard I was making out with was dressed as a house wife and had bigger breasts than I (even if the bra was stuffed with four football socks)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Lisbon
Lisbon is the last European capital that we plan to visit on our European tour. Lisbon is quite different from the cities that we had visited earlier. I would actually like to return to Lisbon someday because it felt a bit flat to me. However, I think that my experience was affected by my mood and my fatigue. We are in our final week of our trip and I am ready to go home. I am incredibly exhausted. It has gotten to the point where I am not remembering things, like grabbing maps or street names. My observation skills have trended downwards and my apathy is increasing. Not good. Nothing that a hot meal and a good sleep can't cure though. Expect the restaurants don't open for dinner until quite late. Aghhh!!! So perhaps I will visit Lisbon another time when I feel a bit more fresh (not that kind of fresh) and have a bit more time to invest there. It also sounds like there are some fantastic day trips from the city.
Lisbon is the largest city in Portugal with over two million people. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has been part of the Roman Empire, the Moorish Conquest, and the Crusades before becoming the capital of an independent state in the 12th Century. Lisbon has seven hills overlooking the mouth of the Tagus River. We climbed one hill to a castle but we were unable to find the entrance (making it a pretty good castle from a defensive perspective). As awful as it sounds, we are castled-out and were content to simply walk back into the city center. Much of the shopping district is located on a pedestrian street Rua Augusta. We walked city streets, watched a cruise boat dock, sat in parks and sipped coffee. We also visited a massive flea market that is also known as Thieves Market. Indeed, I wondered about the origin of some of the cell phones sold there. It was really one massive garage sale. Shoes, luggage, dishes, cell phone chargers, shirts, cassette tapes, 1980s porn, jewelry and antiques, lamps, toys, really anything crappy could be found there. Melissa did score a pretty awesome vintage suitcase. Yes, we were in the market because we have bought so much stuff.
We saw quite a few homeless and beggars in Lisbon. Andres, the surf instructor, as well as a Scottish bookseller in Lagos offered unique perspectives of the country. Times are hard in Portugal. The country was under a dictatorship until 1974. The government has had difficulty in becoming established. In the last 20 years, 12 different governments have formed in the Parliament. Since the government is constantly being reorganized, it is incredibly inefficient and does not fulfill its role in offering services to the people. Therefore, the people do not respect the government. The instability has also allowed corruption to take root and thrive. About 10 years ago, the nation was actually doing ok financially but corrupt officials siphoned off the country's money and then the recession hit. Portugal is deeply in debt and has had to appeal to the European Union for financial assistance. The government is to provide a structured plan to the European Union by the end of the year detailing how they plan to gain stability and repay the debt. Unfortunately, politicians have allowed their differences to supersede the common good and the Parliament has seen more fistfights than constructive solutions. "Crisis" seemed to be a buzz word in Portugal. Andres shared how the education system is lacking. From his description, it seemed quite difficult to break the cycle, to improve one's standing and knowledge. Thus creating a perpetuating cycle. It made me incredibly thankful to live in America. Yes, our country is not perfect. But we have a secure government, one that is able to fulfill its rolls. Yes, there is a lot of disagreement as to what that roll should be and how it should be done, but at least it works and is able to respond to the needs of the people. We have the opportunity to participate in our government. We are granted free speech and rights that few in the world are able to enjoy. We have the right to education and opportunities abound. We do not have to pay off corrupt officials to start a business. America is a land of potential and allows people to reach that potential. Our nation was founded on the premise that we have the right to pursue our dreams. One of the many blessings of travel is that it allows you to have a new found appreciation of things that you have always taken for granted.
The people we met in Lisbon were fantastic. On our first morning in Lisbon, I met Craig, a forensic mental health nurse from Scotland. I happened to sit next to him at breakfast and the nursing jokes started soon after. He shared that during his last shift before holiday, the staff had to restrain a patient. He was standing on one side holding one arm down when another nurse suddenly started laughing. When questioned why, he said, "Craig, in 12 hours you are going to be sitting in a hostel bar and someone will ask what you do for a living. Upon hearing that you are a nurse they're going to say, "Wow, your job must be really rewarding." I enjoyed talking with Craig and gaining new insight into nursing. One of the things that I love about being a nurse is that although we practice in different countries, the fundamentals of nursing, the things that make nursing unique are transcultural.
That night, Melissa and I attended a dinner at the hostel. For 8 Euros, we got a three course dinner as well as three drinks from the bar. Great for the stomach as well as the wallet. Dinner was prepared by Isabel, a remarkable, beautiful, vivacious woman who had immigrated from Angola to Lisbon. She ate with us and then treated us to inpromtu cooking class in the hostel dining room. Isabel created a tasty dessert medley that she had created from some of her favorite Portuguese desserts. I furiously scribbled down the recipes as she dumped in ingredients. Her instructions were specific, "You beat the egg whites until you can hold the bowl upside down and it doesn't fall out." "You add milk until its not so lumpy, like this." "If you need more water, you just add it." The dessert was amazing and I look forward to experimenting in the kitchen to try to create something close to her dessert. Despite my efforts, it probably won't taste the same because it won't have that touch of Isabel love and I was slightly buzzed when writing down the recipes. Free shots usually don't help with specificity either.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Lisbon Edition
- Regret buying unique, hand crafted and hand painted pottery
- Discover that I don't know my friends nearly as well as I thought I did
- Attend a cooking class
- Admire metro stations
- Not find the enterance to a tourist destination
- Watch a man punish himself by running up and down a hill. Up and down. Up and down.
- Wonder why things are so much funnier when told in a Scottish accent.
Lisbon is the largest city in Portugal with over two million people. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has been part of the Roman Empire, the Moorish Conquest, and the Crusades before becoming the capital of an independent state in the 12th Century. Lisbon has seven hills overlooking the mouth of the Tagus River. We climbed one hill to a castle but we were unable to find the entrance (making it a pretty good castle from a defensive perspective). As awful as it sounds, we are castled-out and were content to simply walk back into the city center. Much of the shopping district is located on a pedestrian street Rua Augusta. We walked city streets, watched a cruise boat dock, sat in parks and sipped coffee. We also visited a massive flea market that is also known as Thieves Market. Indeed, I wondered about the origin of some of the cell phones sold there. It was really one massive garage sale. Shoes, luggage, dishes, cell phone chargers, shirts, cassette tapes, 1980s porn, jewelry and antiques, lamps, toys, really anything crappy could be found there. Melissa did score a pretty awesome vintage suitcase. Yes, we were in the market because we have bought so much stuff.
We saw quite a few homeless and beggars in Lisbon. Andres, the surf instructor, as well as a Scottish bookseller in Lagos offered unique perspectives of the country. Times are hard in Portugal. The country was under a dictatorship until 1974. The government has had difficulty in becoming established. In the last 20 years, 12 different governments have formed in the Parliament. Since the government is constantly being reorganized, it is incredibly inefficient and does not fulfill its role in offering services to the people. Therefore, the people do not respect the government. The instability has also allowed corruption to take root and thrive. About 10 years ago, the nation was actually doing ok financially but corrupt officials siphoned off the country's money and then the recession hit. Portugal is deeply in debt and has had to appeal to the European Union for financial assistance. The government is to provide a structured plan to the European Union by the end of the year detailing how they plan to gain stability and repay the debt. Unfortunately, politicians have allowed their differences to supersede the common good and the Parliament has seen more fistfights than constructive solutions. "Crisis" seemed to be a buzz word in Portugal. Andres shared how the education system is lacking. From his description, it seemed quite difficult to break the cycle, to improve one's standing and knowledge. Thus creating a perpetuating cycle. It made me incredibly thankful to live in America. Yes, our country is not perfect. But we have a secure government, one that is able to fulfill its rolls. Yes, there is a lot of disagreement as to what that roll should be and how it should be done, but at least it works and is able to respond to the needs of the people. We have the opportunity to participate in our government. We are granted free speech and rights that few in the world are able to enjoy. We have the right to education and opportunities abound. We do not have to pay off corrupt officials to start a business. America is a land of potential and allows people to reach that potential. Our nation was founded on the premise that we have the right to pursue our dreams. One of the many blessings of travel is that it allows you to have a new found appreciation of things that you have always taken for granted.
The people we met in Lisbon were fantastic. On our first morning in Lisbon, I met Craig, a forensic mental health nurse from Scotland. I happened to sit next to him at breakfast and the nursing jokes started soon after. He shared that during his last shift before holiday, the staff had to restrain a patient. He was standing on one side holding one arm down when another nurse suddenly started laughing. When questioned why, he said, "Craig, in 12 hours you are going to be sitting in a hostel bar and someone will ask what you do for a living. Upon hearing that you are a nurse they're going to say, "Wow, your job must be really rewarding." I enjoyed talking with Craig and gaining new insight into nursing. One of the things that I love about being a nurse is that although we practice in different countries, the fundamentals of nursing, the things that make nursing unique are transcultural.
That night, Melissa and I attended a dinner at the hostel. For 8 Euros, we got a three course dinner as well as three drinks from the bar. Great for the stomach as well as the wallet. Dinner was prepared by Isabel, a remarkable, beautiful, vivacious woman who had immigrated from Angola to Lisbon. She ate with us and then treated us to inpromtu cooking class in the hostel dining room. Isabel created a tasty dessert medley that she had created from some of her favorite Portuguese desserts. I furiously scribbled down the recipes as she dumped in ingredients. Her instructions were specific, "You beat the egg whites until you can hold the bowl upside down and it doesn't fall out." "You add milk until its not so lumpy, like this." "If you need more water, you just add it." The dessert was amazing and I look forward to experimenting in the kitchen to try to create something close to her dessert. Despite my efforts, it probably won't taste the same because it won't have that touch of Isabel love and I was slightly buzzed when writing down the recipes. Free shots usually don't help with specificity either.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Lisbon Edition
- Regret buying unique, hand crafted and hand painted pottery
- Discover that I don't know my friends nearly as well as I thought I did
- Attend a cooking class
- Admire metro stations
- Not find the enterance to a tourist destination
- Watch a man punish himself by running up and down a hill. Up and down. Up and down.
- Wonder why things are so much funnier when told in a Scottish accent.
Surfing in Lagos
From Sevilla we traveled by bus to Lagos, located at the southern tip of Portugal. It is part of the Algarve region. It is known as the party city of Portugal and is a stop that is frequented often by retired Brits on holiday. We arrived in the dark on a mostly empty bus. We promptly got lost trying to find the hostel but were escorted most of the way and pointed in the right direction by a kind Portuguese man. Once again, we were blown away by the kindness of people. We stayed at the Rising Cock Hostel. It had good ratings on Hostelworld and we liked the name. For dinner, we munched on perhaps the most amazing nachos in my life at the NahNahBah and listened to reggae music where the singer was very concerned about his coconuts. The hostel had great energy and welcomed everyone to the party. We walked into drinking games and went out to the bar with our new friends. In the morning, we were welcomed by a very proud Portuguese Mama. "I am Mama. This is our house, this is our family. Everyone here is family. And I am the Mama of the house. I will make you crepes. And drink my magic lemon tea. See, it is magic. Very good after a night of partying and too much to drink. And if you are sick, you put a little honey in it. But if you are hungover, it is best just plain. I am the Mama, I take care of my family. When you are here, you are family."
Lagos is known for surfing. Melissa was very excited when she discovered this as she had really enjoyed her previous surfing experiences. We learned of a company that provided the board, wet suit, lesson and a lunch for €45. It seemed like a fantastic deal. Because of our late arrival the night before, we were unable to prebook but when we went to the meeting place, we were told to hop in. We loaded up into a van with Andres, the Portuguese surfer and instructor and bounced out to the beach. We were joined by a kid from Southern California and experienced surfer who just wanted to enjoy the waves. Two young British men joined our lesson and we learned the basics of surfing. I had never surfed before and felt completely out of my element. The concept of surfing is simple. You go out with your board and wait to catch a wave. Once you are part of the wave, you stand up on the board and ride it in. I enjoyed catching the waves and riding them in on my board. However, I felt totally unbalanced and phenomenally awkward with the board and standing on the board seemed like a terrible idea. I feel that to be good at surfing, one has to be light, quick, agile, and have good balance. None of which are attributes that I have. It made me fall even more in love with running because I can simply put one foot in front of the other and determination is appreciated. I guess determination also has a place in surfing. The waves were quite strong and you seemed to be pushed and pulled by the currents. As I waded out from the beach, I kept thinking, "Hey! I have a great idea! Let's give Kate a board taller than she is and put her out with a bunch of big waves and tell her to catch one. Better yet, expect her to stand up on her really big board. What a fantastic idea!" I was able to get to my knee and have one foot up for a very brief shining moment before falling into the water. Surfing is a great workout and you need good core and upper body strength. After two months of travel and days filled with walking to see the sights but not actual workouts, we felt pathetically weak, and the following day, quite sore. Despite the fact that I got completely beat up by the sea, I did enjoy surfing and it was a lot of fun. I gained a new respect for the ocean. Even the small waves in which I played had so much power. The ocean is truly a magnificent thing full of incredible power and potential. Mighty, majestic, wise and wonderful. Surfing is great because it is simply about enjoying the power. One doesn't try to harness the power. You just appreciate it and partake in its glory.
Lagos is a beautiful town with white buildings and friendly people. We were there during a festival to commemorate the Portuguese explorer Pedro Gabral. We walked through the festival of craft stalls and baked good stands and watched what appeared to be a terrible play and a street performer dressed as a joker. We discovered later that the Portuguese president made an appearance at the festival as well. We also enjoyed the night life. Most people don't go to the bars until 11:00 or midnight. When the bars close around 2 am, people go to the dance clubs. Our first night at the hostel, we heard people come home around 7:30 in the morning. We were actually ridiculed for calling it a night at 2:30 am and met people from our hostel going out. Before calling it a night, we played darts with the British chaps we met surfing. There was also a very drunk older man who liked to dance and pinch bottoms. We christianed him Larry. He would dance into our dart game which demonstrated a drunken lack of safety awareness. The only way to get him out of the way was to dance with him. When we left, Larry was curled up in the window, sleeping like a babe. Joe suggested that we should kiss Larry good night. I decided that Larry might have sweet dreams if I kissed him where as I would not.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Lagos Edition
- See the Portuguese president's motorcade
- Learn the cure for hangovers
- Catch the waves
- Watch a joker juggle flaming sticks
- Observe a Renaissance parade
- Learn that strawberry mousse has the profound ability to give Melissa the giggles
- Enjoy a scrumptious burger at one of the top burger joints in Europe
- Watch an Australian down back to back liquor bongs that included every kind of spirit on the shelf and fruit juice. Almost as a good of an idea as giving me a surf board.
- Punch more holes in the wall than the dart board
- Be questioned why I hate walls so much as to throw darts at them with such force
- Inspire a member of the Belgium Royal Security team to travel to Cinque Terre but not be quite as convincing in inspiring him to travel to West Texas (his friend wanted us to try to persuade him to travel to the worst place we knew of to see if he would go).
Lagos is known for surfing. Melissa was very excited when she discovered this as she had really enjoyed her previous surfing experiences. We learned of a company that provided the board, wet suit, lesson and a lunch for €45. It seemed like a fantastic deal. Because of our late arrival the night before, we were unable to prebook but when we went to the meeting place, we were told to hop in. We loaded up into a van with Andres, the Portuguese surfer and instructor and bounced out to the beach. We were joined by a kid from Southern California and experienced surfer who just wanted to enjoy the waves. Two young British men joined our lesson and we learned the basics of surfing. I had never surfed before and felt completely out of my element. The concept of surfing is simple. You go out with your board and wait to catch a wave. Once you are part of the wave, you stand up on the board and ride it in. I enjoyed catching the waves and riding them in on my board. However, I felt totally unbalanced and phenomenally awkward with the board and standing on the board seemed like a terrible idea. I feel that to be good at surfing, one has to be light, quick, agile, and have good balance. None of which are attributes that I have. It made me fall even more in love with running because I can simply put one foot in front of the other and determination is appreciated. I guess determination also has a place in surfing. The waves were quite strong and you seemed to be pushed and pulled by the currents. As I waded out from the beach, I kept thinking, "Hey! I have a great idea! Let's give Kate a board taller than she is and put her out with a bunch of big waves and tell her to catch one. Better yet, expect her to stand up on her really big board. What a fantastic idea!" I was able to get to my knee and have one foot up for a very brief shining moment before falling into the water. Surfing is a great workout and you need good core and upper body strength. After two months of travel and days filled with walking to see the sights but not actual workouts, we felt pathetically weak, and the following day, quite sore. Despite the fact that I got completely beat up by the sea, I did enjoy surfing and it was a lot of fun. I gained a new respect for the ocean. Even the small waves in which I played had so much power. The ocean is truly a magnificent thing full of incredible power and potential. Mighty, majestic, wise and wonderful. Surfing is great because it is simply about enjoying the power. One doesn't try to harness the power. You just appreciate it and partake in its glory.
Lagos is a beautiful town with white buildings and friendly people. We were there during a festival to commemorate the Portuguese explorer Pedro Gabral. We walked through the festival of craft stalls and baked good stands and watched what appeared to be a terrible play and a street performer dressed as a joker. We discovered later that the Portuguese president made an appearance at the festival as well. We also enjoyed the night life. Most people don't go to the bars until 11:00 or midnight. When the bars close around 2 am, people go to the dance clubs. Our first night at the hostel, we heard people come home around 7:30 in the morning. We were actually ridiculed for calling it a night at 2:30 am and met people from our hostel going out. Before calling it a night, we played darts with the British chaps we met surfing. There was also a very drunk older man who liked to dance and pinch bottoms. We christianed him Larry. He would dance into our dart game which demonstrated a drunken lack of safety awareness. The only way to get him out of the way was to dance with him. When we left, Larry was curled up in the window, sleeping like a babe. Joe suggested that we should kiss Larry good night. I decided that Larry might have sweet dreams if I kissed him where as I would not.
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Lagos Edition
- See the Portuguese president's motorcade
- Learn the cure for hangovers
- Catch the waves
- Watch a joker juggle flaming sticks
- Observe a Renaissance parade
- Learn that strawberry mousse has the profound ability to give Melissa the giggles
- Enjoy a scrumptious burger at one of the top burger joints in Europe
- Watch an Australian down back to back liquor bongs that included every kind of spirit on the shelf and fruit juice. Almost as a good of an idea as giving me a surf board.
- Punch more holes in the wall than the dart board
- Be questioned why I hate walls so much as to throw darts at them with such force
- Inspire a member of the Belgium Royal Security team to travel to Cinque Terre but not be quite as convincing in inspiring him to travel to West Texas (his friend wanted us to try to persuade him to travel to the worst place we knew of to see if he would go).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Day in Granada
Melissa and I took a day trip to Granada. Let me start by saying that a day trip is not the way to see the city. Well I suppose it is a way, but not the best way. None the less, it is what we did. We had heard great things about Granada while we were in Italy. We looked at a map and thought it didn't look too far from Sevilla so we decided to go. "Not too far" ended up being 3 hours by train, one way. We got up early one morning in Sevilla and walked quickly to the train station to be there by 7:00. By the time we rolled in Granada, I realized that we really hadn't done any prep work. In fact, we had done none. We remembered that we wanted to check out the city and that it had sounded cool from people's descriptions and in the Lonely Planet, but we didn't remember why. We had hoped to get some direction at a tourist information booth in the train station, only to find none. We decided to start walking in the direction of tall buildings and if we saw a sign, we would just follow the sign. We found a sign pointing to the Alhambra and suddenly we remembered why we had come to the city. Now that we had a destination, we set out with conviction. I think the construction obscured further signs because we were soon a bit lost. Melissa and I stopped at a gas station for a map. We decided that €5.20 was too much to pay so we simply opened the map, did our best to memorize it and bought chocolate and gummies instead. A wise purchase. We ended up making a massive detour before we finally reached the fortress. We walked up the hill but apparently took the back way and were able to enter without tickets. Unfortunately, you need tickets to see the actual palaces. Every path we took in an attempt to find the ticket stand was blocked because we didn't have a ticket. Feeling incredibly defeated and a bit chilled and hungry, we stopped for lunch. With food in our tummies, we were able to find the ticket stand (terrible design by the way) and were able to tour the Alhambra.
Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was also one of the Moors last stands in Spain. The massive Alhambra is an Islamic legacy. The buildings are intricate and incredibly detailed. Every room is a masterpiece. The walls are covered in tiles. The archways have a lattice work of detailed wood and stone carvings. It really is quite impressive. The views are gorgeous as well. Despite the cloud cover, light played off the clay colored roofs. It was definitely worth the trip and I wish we could have stayed a bit longer. Granada is a university town and has a fun energy associated with college towns. Apparently it is also the drug capital of Spain and used as an access point from Africa. There is also the bonus of a young, experimental population. But that it not why I wanted to spend more time there. I felt that there was much more to explore. We even saw signs for ski resorts and snow on the mountains in the distance. However, we loaded back up on the train and headed back to Sevilla for a night out on the town. Perhaps another time...
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Granada Edition
-Visit the Alhambra
-Be serenaded by a waiter
-Eat a delicious yogurt sundae
-Be confused on how to purchase a ticket at one of the top tourist destinations in Spain
Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was also one of the Moors last stands in Spain. The massive Alhambra is an Islamic legacy. The buildings are intricate and incredibly detailed. Every room is a masterpiece. The walls are covered in tiles. The archways have a lattice work of detailed wood and stone carvings. It really is quite impressive. The views are gorgeous as well. Despite the cloud cover, light played off the clay colored roofs. It was definitely worth the trip and I wish we could have stayed a bit longer. Granada is a university town and has a fun energy associated with college towns. Apparently it is also the drug capital of Spain and used as an access point from Africa. There is also the bonus of a young, experimental population. But that it not why I wanted to spend more time there. I felt that there was much more to explore. We even saw signs for ski resorts and snow on the mountains in the distance. However, we loaded back up on the train and headed back to Sevilla for a night out on the town. Perhaps another time...
Things I Did Not Expect When I Woke Up
Granada Edition
-Visit the Alhambra
-Be serenaded by a waiter
-Eat a delicious yogurt sundae
-Be confused on how to purchase a ticket at one of the top tourist destinations in Spain
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