It started with a five hour bus ride and a one hour time change. Five girlfriends of mine and I decided to head to Lagos, Portugal for a long weekend trip – since it was our first trip outside of Spain, we were extremely excited and ready to explore another part of the world. We didn’t quite know what to expect in Lagos. Stories of gorgeous scenery, beautiful boat rides, and fun night-life were mainly what we had heard of Lagos – and all of that combined sounded like a worthwhile weekend get-away. :)
There were six of us who went on the trip (all teachers from the CIEE program) – Ashley, Amanda, Katelyn, Alicia, Joanna, and me. Amanda, Katelyn, Alicia, and Joanna do not have to work on Fridays, so they all took the morning bus on Friday over to Lagos. Ashley and I, having to work on Fridays but not on Mondays, decided to take a later bus on Friday post-work and then stay Sunday night to get in some extra sight-seeing that might have been missed on Friday.
The bus ride was long and exhausting, especially after a day of work, but it was more than worth it in the long run. Lagos is absolutely gorgeous – and that short statement hardly does it justice. I know I write that often in my blogs, talking about how beautiful places are and how limited words are in their capacity to express beauty, but it is just so true. The more parts of the world I see, the more people I meet, the more things I do, the more I realize just how inadequate words are at genuinely and wholly expressing the experiences of life.
Lagos, or at least our experience of it, was quite small. If you met someone one night, you will, undoubtedly, run into them the very next night. The people were extremely friendly and laid-back, and there honestly was no language barrier issue. Everyone we meet in Lagos spoke English. The first night I asked one of the men who worked at our hostel if he spoke Portuguese. He laughed and said “You don’t have to speak Portuguese to live in Lagos. You just have to speak Aussie.” And his statement was unbelievably true. Australians, Brits, and Kiwis (New Zelanders) rule in Lagos. Of course some people (in the restaurants and small stores) spoke Portuguese, but all in all, we got by more than fine with speaking English. :)
We stayed in a hostel named “Stumble Inn.” It was cheap, in a central location, and met our needs. The people who worked there were also extremely friendly and helpful in giving suggestions of good restaurants and places to explore for nightlife. After going out for drinks and dancing on Friday night, we decided to take one of the famous boat rides of Lagos on Saturday. Lagos (and perhaps all of Portugal?) is known for their blue water and stunningly tall rocks that stand along the coast. We had heard that taking a boat ride along the rocks and into the caves was a must-do when in Lagos – so of course, we had to do it. :) And it was amazing! Besides taking an insane number of pictures, my other favorite part of the boat ride was going swimming. Half of the group wanted to go swimming, and the other half did not. Alicia, Joanna, and I decided that you are only in Lagos once, so why not go swimming? We would just jump into the water. Sometimes baby steps and slow progress is not the best way to do things -- sometimes you just have to jump. Donned in our swimsuits, we all stood together on the side of the boat, holding hands, counting and bracing ourselves for the cold water……. 1…2….3…..JUMP!!!! Freezing, freezing, freezing cold was the water. It was as though our bodies suddenly went into some form of shock from the harsh chill of the salty water. But we couldn’t help but laugh and be happy – we were swimming in Portugal! After a few minutes in the water and a little playing around, it started to feel pretty nice in there. Later that day, we went out into the town again and enjoyed a yummy Italian dinner, drinks, and dancing. :)
Sunday was a little more restful -- Ashley, Joanna, and I explored an old fort in Lagos and enjoyed the sun and good conversation while sitting on the roof of the fortress overlooking the blue sea. I believe that Robert Thomas Allen was right in saying that “Most of my treasured memories of travel are recollections of sitting.” :) Later that afternoon Ashley and I (staying our extra day in Portugal) decided to head to Sagres – a town on the southernmost tip of the country. Sagres too was gorgeous – it almost reminded me on a Portuguese version of Antilla. It, like Antilla, is best described as quiet and quaint – a sleepy little town that rests on the coastline. Ashley and I attempted to eat authentic Portuguese food, although the steak we ordered (which was really more like breaded/fried pork or chicken) wasn’t all that tasty (sadly). Maybe during our next visit to Portugal we’ll have better luck? As we finished our dinner, a group of British guys that we had met in Lagos the night before (they were staying in Sagres and had just gone to Lagos a night out) met us at the restaurant. We enjoyed some drinks and light-hearted conversation for the remainder of the night. :)
It was an amazing, and exhausting, trip. Sitting here on my couch and writing about it makes it all seem so unreal. Did I really go to Portugal? Did I really see the things my pictures tell me I saw? Did I truly met surfers from England? World travelers from Australia? And the backpackers from New Zeland? Do I really live in Spain? How unbelievably blessed am I that I can answer yes to every one of those questions….
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