From Sewage to Sunset: The Chaotic Start to Portugal's Fisherman's Trail

Sometimes the best adventures begin with absolute chaos. That's exactly how my sister and I kicked off our Portugal Fisherman's Trail journey - knee-deep in sewage water at 6 AM, just hours before our international flight. No planning, just pure problem-solving energy and a healthy dose of dark humor.

The Morning That Went Down the Drain

Picture this: October 13th, departure day. The plan was simple - light packing, some computer work, maybe clean my parents' house as a parting gift. Instead, I walked into their basement to store a fan for winter and found sewage water dripping onto the floor. The main line had burst.

Here's where things got interesting. My buddy Mike said he'd be over in an hour to help fix it. No time to change into work clothes, still wearing sandals, and then - boom - a storm knocked out the power. So there we were, working in a pitch-black basement with headlights, cutting out rusted metal sewage pipes and hauling buckets of waste into the woods.

Three hours of this madness. Three hours before an international flight. Boy, was this setting the tone for adventure.

Racing Against Time: Connecticut to JFK

After that morning workout nobody asks for, I hit my sister's place for what might have been the most necessary shower of my life. We threw our bags together, laughing about the morning's insanity, and met up with her friend Brittany who played airport shuttle driver.

We grabbed dinner at a roadside spot - nothing fancy, just good food and better company - before Brittany dropped us at JFK. The energy shift was immediate. From sewage crisis to airport excitement, that pre-adventure buzz kicked in hard as we cruised through security and settled in for a drink at the gate.

TAP Portugal: Reality Check at 30,000 Feet

Boarding call came at 10:30 PM for our TAP Portugal flight to Lisbon. My sister had scored us seats together in boarding group B - solid planning on her part. We stowed our bags and settled in for what we thought would be a standard international flight experience.

Here's where expectations met reality. After years of flying Asian airlines through Southeast Asia, TAP Portugal was... different. Not bad, just different. We sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes due to takeoff delays, rewarded with a single tiny chocolate for our patience. No slippers, no eye masks for the 7-hour journey. The in-flight entertainment system looked like it hadn't been updated since the early 2000s.

The meal? It existed. That's about the highest praise I can give it. Edible, forgettable, nothing like the spreads you get on Singapore Airlines or Thai Airways.

Pro tip: I brought these head support attachments that clip to your seat and hold your head upright through a belt system. Way better than those neck pillows everyone swears by. Kept my neck straight and actually let me sleep.

Lisbon Landing: Smooth as Portuguese Wine

Touched down in Lisbon with the sunrise. While my sister hadn't caught a minute of sleep, I'd passed out pretty well thanks to that head support system.

Portuguese immigration? Absolutely painless. Scanned the passport, got a stamp, done. No questions, no hassle, no lines. Portugal clearly wants tourists to feel welcome, and it shows from minute one.

We snagged an eSIM at the airport - 10 days of data, perfect for our hiking timeline - and used it to summon a Bolt (Portugal's Uber) to the bus station. Original plan was to explore Lisbon for the day, but travel fatigue was hitting different. Sometimes you need to listen to your body and adjust the plan.

The Journey South: Bus 81 to Porto Covo

At the bus station, we grabbed our first Portuguese coffee - small, strong, exactly what we needed - before boarding Bus 81 for the 2.5-hour ride to Porto Covo.

Here's something they don't tell you about Portuguese buses: overhead space is minimal, and laptops don't fit. My backpack with all my electronics had to go underneath in the cargo hold. Not ideal, but no other option. Sometimes you just have to trust the system.

We scored front-row seats behind the driver - best views on the bus - and struck up conversation with Ian and Martha, a Dutch couple with matching hiking boots and Ian sporting these memorable green glasses. The highway rolled by, olive groves and small towns painting the landscape, building anticipation for what was ahead.

Porto Covo: Where Adventure Begins

Porto Covo greeted us with Atlantic salt air and that small-town Portuguese charm you can't fake. Our hotel was a short walk from the bus stop, check-in was smooth, and after dropping our bags, we headed straight to the hotel bar.

The sunset was calling, and I wanted to capture it properly. Around 6:30 PM, we walked down to a small local beach. While my sister settled in with her book, I couldn't resist the Atlantic. Jumped straight in - cold, refreshing, perfect after 24 hours of travel chaos. Set up the camera for a time-lapse as the sun painted the sky orange and pink over the Portuguese coast.

Check out the sunset on YouTub here (YouTube Video link)

First Night: Wine, Risotto, and Thai Hospitality

Back at the hotel, cleaned up and properly hungry, we hit their restaurant. The wine list caught my attention immediately - bottles that would run $40 back home were completely reasonable here. We split a bottle while I worked through a solid risotto and my sister tackled the catch of the day.

The hostess, surprisingly, was from Thailand - a reminder that the travel industry creates these unexpected cultural crossroads everywhere. We swapped stories about Southeast Asia while the wine did its work on our travel-weary bodies.

By 9 PM, we were done. That deep fatigue that only comes from international travel mixed with manual labor and Atlantic swimming. We crashed hard, knowing tomorrow would bring the real start - Day 1 on the Fisherman's Trail.

The Takeaway

Not every adventure starts with Instagram-perfect moments. Sometimes it starts with sewage water and power outages, with dated airplane entertainment and nervous cargo hold storage. But that's real travel. That's what makes the sunset beers and Atlantic swims and unexpected conversations worth it.

Tomorrow, we'd strap on our packs and hit the trail. But today? Today was about rolling with the punches, finding humor in chaos, and remembering that the best trips rarely go according to plan.

The Rota Vicentina was waiting. But first, we had to survive Day Zero.

Planning your own Fisherman's Trail adventure? The journey from the USA to Porto Covo takes about 15 hours door-to-door, including that 7-hour TAP Portugal flight. Just maybe skip the sewage crisis pregame.

Books by Tim Mack

The Last Train: 46 Days with the Final Ringling Brothers Circus

Available on Amazon

In April 2017, I left my Atlanta circus company to join the final tour of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus—"The Greatest Show on Earth" closing after 146 years.

The Last Train captures the last 46 days of an American institution from inside the legendary mile-long train. Experience the brutal 12-hour setups, the international community of 300 performers from over 30 countries, and the bittersweet reality of giving everything to something that's ending.

Paperback – August 23, 2025

The Secret to 7-Figure Living: How to Open Your Life to Boundless Joy, Prosperity, and Freedom