It all began in January 2015. Right after New Years I was headed to Lisbon Portugal. My family was apprehensive and I was a whole ball of emotions. But one thing that helped me stay sane was the knowledge I accrued from being educated in the geopolitical situations happening around the world. It’s always the fear of the unknown that can unhinge you. The best way to counter-act this is with education and experience. Many thanks to men like Jeff Berwick, Max Keiser and Luke Rudkowski, I have a better understanding of what sorts of expectations to set for traveling abroad. I was about to reinforce that education with my own experiences and I was excited.
I think it’s incredibly important to educate yourself on what’s happening in the world, not just in the U.S. and if you’re a fan of mainstream media, like Fox, CNN, or MSNBC then you’re probably not getting the full story. One of my favorite unbiased news sources is www.zerohedge.com. Seeking out unbiased, non-mainstream news sources is the best way to ensure that you’re getting honest information that isn’t being twisted to fit into someone else’s agenda. This is really important if you’re planning a trip abroad. Many news sources tend to exaggerate foreign countries as dangerous or unstable. My advice to you is to reach out to others who live there or have visited recently and see what they have to say.
A few of my family members were unbelievably stressed when I told them first that I was going to Portugal, which is right next to Spain, a country that, in their eyes, is of full of civil unrest and was sure to spill over into Portugal like a bad infestation. Imagine their delight when I told them I had a layover in Istanbul… Turkey… for 16 hours. They considered me an extremist at that point, like I was almost suicidal. But I didn’t let their assumptions cloud my own judgement.
Anyway, back to Lisbon…
I was nervous as I approached the border patrol, it’s not like I was smuggling anything or using a fake passport, but I felt really anxious. It was my first time going anywhere outside of the U.S. and I had the entire Atlantic ocean separating me from my home country. I felt like I’d jumped out of an airplane without fully understanding how to use the parachute. Holy crap, I suddenly regretted not spending more time brushing up on my Portuguese. I was about to leave the airport, I didn’t have another plane to catch, I’d reached the end of the line and I needed to put on my big girl pants and do something that I had always wanted to do but was too scared. This is when I actually go out and explore a completely foreign country. Luckily I had enough wherewithal to find an ATM and withdraw some Euros.
I found the line for the taxis and told the cabbie the address of my hostel. He asked me if I was Australian. A BIG part of me wanted to go along with this- it was my chance to finally use that accent I love to practice so much. But alas, my honesty took over and I told him I was American. Actually, I felt pretty full of myself when I labeled myself as “American” as if there aren’t two other continents that share the same name. There’s that stereotypical “American” self-centeredness that the whole world loves so much…
I’m struck with how similar Lisbon is to San Fransisco. There are steep hills with cable cars that run every 10 minutes or so down narrow one way streets. There’s also a bridge that is incredibly similar to the Golden Gate, only it’s not painted red nor nearly as big. Except San Fransisco doesn’t have any castles that tower above the city. The hill that the Sao Jorge Castle is located has actually been used for many centuries before the Portuguese. There have been Celtic tribes, Greeks, and eventually Muslims had fortified the walls when their forces spread up into what is now Portugal. (This also explains why many of the street names in Portugal are a mixture of Portuguese and Muslim names.) This country has a lot of history and it’s a humbling experience to know how many people, of both great importance and who were lowly slaves who have lived and died in this place. Being in a place where the history is rich with conquerers and rising and falling empires will give you a better understanding not only of how big this world is, but of the length of time that humans have existed here.
It was a 10 minute drive to the hostel and I was greeted by a really friendly man at the front desk, he showed me to a room full of empty bunk beds, the bathroom and the community kitchen that had an amazing amount of pots and pans and an eclectic assortment of dishes. I got back to the room, grabbed a change of clothes, since I smelled just incredible after 32 hours of traveling, and I took a quick shower. I’m ready to go out and get lost in Lisbon. After some advice from the front desk I headed out in the general direction of the city center. I remember being immediately happy with my choice to go to Portugal. There are little bars and bistros tucked in every corner, all offering free wifi and live music. The streets are lined with over arching trees that give you a cozy feel, like your in a park and not a bustling city. I walk past a kiosk that has tables and chairs around it. I see that they sell beer and food and there’s cool music playing from the speakers. I thought this would be a good place to have a beer and just take in the city. I’m sitting in the middle of a very large walkway paved in white cobblestone. There’s a really nice network of fountains within a natural brooke with a cute little footbridge and greenery to my left and the trees overhead create a natural ceiling that goes perfectly with the white lights that decorate the area. This place is romantic. There’s now jazz music playing and couples are getting up to dance. I remember thinking “I LOVE EUROPE!” After two beers I’m feeling super content. I walk through the city center where the tourists are, I see street performers in full costume and body paint that look like statues.
I see seafood restaurants that boast their catches of the day in the window.
I walk under a massive white arch that has intricately carved designs covering the entire structure. I walk for about a mile and I see the ocean! There are stairs that lead you right to the water. As I near the ocean I notice a man producing massive bubbles by using a large hooped wire and the slight breeze. It feels like a dream to me right now.
I only plan on staying one more day in Lisbon before I head to the place I rented off of AirBnB. It’s a small cottage on a vineyard in the middle of nowhere, run by a Swedish couple.
Little did I know that this little cottage would be the stepping stone for me discovering another small city just up the road where the ocean is a thing of fury, the people greet you with slow, drawn out "Ola, bom dia" and where I would feel completely at home and happy. Nazaré.