Change of Scenery...yes....

I felt very much at peace today. And yesterday. I was alone for much of it, but I met many new people and it was the perfect balance of being on my own, and being with others. I think I’m getting used to it finally, backpacking alone, and that’s also because the time is soon when I head back to London to see Jess and Richard. Also, the two girls I met in Bordeaux, Molly and Ellie, well I am meeting them in the south of France in 2 weekends for a big girls weekend out. I am so excited. It’s a relief to feel like I can let loose a little, and hopefully employ my new bathing suit where it’s a a little warmer, specifically on a beach. I really am ready for some beaches.

Yesterday, I began the day slow because I could. I headed out to Sintra, a romantic town about 30 minutes away from Lisbon by train. It was that initial train ride that made everything seem to fall into place. I was listening to Jack Johnson on my iPod and I was reminded of the times I listened to him on a bus in Vietnam, where I just relaxed and stared out the window at rice paddy fields and glorious green mountains. It reminded me of driving to work in the mornings to Santa Barbara and feeling a calmness as I commuted the best commute there could possibly be of 30 minutes. I was reminded of heading to cross-country meets and track meets by bus up in Santa Barbara in high school. I used to listen to Jack to calm my nerves and starting out the window at the ocean always helped as well. As you can see, it’s Jack that calms my mind and that’s something that made a huge difference yesterday. I finally felt at peace with backpacking because I know I’ve made it thus far and I can do more. I know it now.

Gods and Goddesses.

Towers.

I'm on a bridge.

The Well.

So Sintra was great. It was small and quaint and green and lush. I was over monuments and buildings so walking through a garden of mystery sounded just right. And that’s what going through the Quinta de Regeleira was. [I apologize, I butchered the name, and I don’t have easy access to my map…on a train…] It was an old palace for a rich family and the relatives decided to make it even more ornate as the 20^th century came into view. There’s underground tunnels leading to a well that supposedly houses many spirits. There’s winding trails leading upward “toward the heavens” and so on. Lots of benches. Lots of fountains with the Roman gods everywhere. Pretty relaxing atmosphere and my gosh, the lushness of the area around me reminded me of Malaysia at it’s best. I took my time, met some Spanish guys who ended up walking too slow for me then headed out cuz I became too hungry. It was enough of a sight for me. The tunnel was a scare, but I went in with a tour group so it made it okay.  

I wanted a toasta mista. It’s a common snack/meal here, and it’s basically just a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Very yum and buttery. Cheap too. So I stopped in a restaurant and asked for one to go, because it’s cheaper. The guy behind the bar said to sit, and I said no, I just wanted to take it with me. He said, “sit, it needs to cook”. So I sat at the bar. He asked me where I was from. I said “California—United States.” He said, “but where from originally? From Spain, from Portugal….?” I said, “Oh, well my mom is Mexican. Does that explain my looks?” He said, “Oohhhh…..Mexican. Very nice.” He walked away and I read the menu and tried to memorize what the Portuguese menu terms meant because this menu had English explanations as well. The guy came back and was pouring some beers for a nearby table. He said, “Mexicannn, ahhh….” He handed me a beer. I gave him a quizzical look. He said, “For you,” and gave me a smile and a wink. I said, “Obrigado.” (it means thank you) Then he brought me my toasta mista in a to-go box and said, “you can eat it here” and pointed to the bar. I said, “Okay, obrigado” and smiled. Cheaper sandwich because I ordered it “to go” AND a free beer. The Portuguese…I’m really liking them.

Went out at night with my friend Marina from Lisbon. I met her at my Scotland Highland tour. She’s very giggly and happy and speaks okay English. We met at a monument near my hostel and went to the hopping bar area. We went into a salsa bar because she and her friend she brought mentioned that all they do in their spare time is salsa dance. I said I wanted to watch them dance, so let’s go in. Then I can get a Caiparinah.  I had them in Brazil because they are the Brazillian national drink. It’s a refreshing Brazillian rum with crushed ice, crushed lime, sugar and blended together. Very yum. And usually quite strong.

Next to my hostel.

I took along 2 girls from my hostel who were in my room with me. They were sorority types but company, so I invited them along. All 4 of us girls go the opportunity to dance with Marina’s friend, Alex. And I say opportunity because he’s AMAZING at dancing salsa. Marina’s quite good herself, but you could really tell he’s amazing bc he made us salsa novices look like pros. All we had to do was let him do all the work, according to him. Very fun. Felt like normal to be dancing again in a Latin/Caribbean setting. So the night was fun. 

Today, I awoke tired because I borrowed “Love, Actually” from the hostel. This hostel I stayed in was amzing by the way. BEST EVER. Called Yes! Hostel in Lisbon, fyi. I ate my free breakfast and fresh squeezed orange juice and chatted a little with Pedro, the guy at the front desk. He’s very nice and was the one who welcomed me so openly when I first arrived that early morning on Wednesday. Hung out because I was supposed to meet some new friends to go to Cascais, a beach town nearby. Was turning sunny and warm after some rain, so I was anxious to go. They said meet in the lobby at 1:30-2p. I waited till 2:15 and got frustrated. Pedro noticed, so as I was chatting with a new German friend to pass the time, Pedro came up and brought us a Portuguese lunch from next door. He also brought over a bottle of Vinho Verde, the local traditional white wine. It’s AMAZING. Never had tried it yet, so I was excited. I was happy to replace this let-down feeling with some culture. Us 3 sat and ate and chatted. The meal was cod and potatoes. It was delish. Pedro made me really love the hostel even more, and Lisbon even more as well. Such a friendly guy. And genuine.

In Cascais.

Finally, the 3 Americans I had a beach date with showed up. We went to Cascais and it just made me nostaligic for home. Hard core. It was just like Ventura because it was foggy, but you could see palm trees and a hint of quaint buildings along the sand. We saw some cliffs and then set search for a dessert called a salamia. Or something. Found one at the train station, it was like cookie dough…yummm. 

Cascais.

Old Church.

Cliffs.

Hell's Mouth. (that's its real name)

Came back and made some pasta in the hostel. I hung out with the German guy from earlier, Benjamin and his bro, Bennedict, who had been surfing today. We drank some beers and I felt, for the first time on this trip, like I wanted to stay somewhere. I didn’t want to leave yet. Usually, I am ready to go and change the pace because I get bored in big cities easily unless I have a professional or personal purpose. But this time, I felt something like comfort and true friends that I hadn’t yet gotten to know enough. So I wanted to stay, not leave on the night train that I’m currently on. (AND SWEATING LIKE MAD ON BECAUSE IT”S SOOOOO HOT!) (how am I supposed to sleep tonight? Erg) Earlier, during our lunch, Pedro had invited me to come back this summer and work in the hostel. He said I’d be great as the pub crawl leader because I’m very outgoing and I smile a lot. People would like that. I said I’d think about it. Why not. Probs won’t, but thinking doesn’t hurt.

So now I’m off to sweating like a fat man after 2 flights of stairs. Hope to fall asleep tonight! Hasta luego.