The weekend after my Sevilla and Cordoba adventures with Amy, my friend Katie and I were to begin our adventures in Lisbon and Fatima, Portugal. Day 1 began with a bang...but not a the greatest sense...
Katie picked me up in a taxi at 5 minutes to 6 am, later than planned, but still with 1 1/2 hours til take-off. On our way to the airport, I must have mentioned my boarding pass and the hostel confirmation I had with me, making Katie realize that she had forgotten her boarding pass and the Fatima vouchers...but my response was that we could print those at the airport and the hostel and that it would not be a problem.
But then she remembered something else...after staying up til at least 3 am, waking up late to my phone call, and then rushing to leave the house, Katie had forgotten something she could not leave without...her passport. We discussed our options...go back right away even though we were half way to the airport and risk missing our flight, continue to the airport and hope they would not check passports, or, as Katie preferred (being considerate), drop me off at the airport and make absolutely sure by asking an official that she would need her passport (because even though we were flying internationally, we were still within the peninsula) and then go back if necessary. So we printed her boarding pass and asked someone about the passport near check-in.
Unfortunately, Katie ended up having to taxi back home to get her passport. So we made hurried plans. I would call her in 1/2 hour to see where she was (she did not have money on her phone to call me) and then I would update her via text messages about how boarding progressed. If she missed the flight, she would work on finding another and I would call her to find out her plans when I arrived in Lisbon. Then we would arrange to meet when her flight got it (assuming she had missed the plane). After a few moments, she ran off, hoping desperately to make it back in time.
Meanwhile, I checked in, passed through security, had a bit to eat, and went to my gate, getting there with time to spare. Needless to say, Katie did not make it back in time to board the plane before the doors closed...I was on the plane, but trusted that she would come and pushed aside all negative thoughts.
After sleeping most of the plane ride, I arrived in Lisbon and disembarked on the tarmac to find myself in a new world where everyone was speaking another language...Portuguese, which I did not understand. I oriented myself and then called Katie...only to find out that she would not be joining me in Portugal. The way she put it, she did not want to pay or could not afford the fee for another flight. (I later found out that the airlines do not simply put you on the next flight here as they might in the U.S. and that they charge hundreds of euros for another flight.) At the time, I thought she was being silly to have spent all that money on the trip and not spend a little more to join me. I also was mad for a while because I felt like she'd left me.
I soon found myself alone and scared in a brand-new country with a language I did not understand. Oh great! I first realized that I needed to get something to eat so that I would feel better. After doing so, I went to the tourist information desk where I purchased a Lisboa card (allowing me entrance to various monuments and free use of public transportation), got a map, and asked for an explanation of how to get to my hostel. I was told to take a bus from the airport to the commercial center, walk a few blocks, and then catch a tram to the area of my hostel and walk from the stop.
So this is what I attempted to do. But...she had promised the bus would announce its stops...and well, it didn't. So I missed my first stop and had to walk back. Then I got on the tram...and it was super packed. It was this tiny tram car that had a supposed occupancy of 58 people...when 40 would have been a tight squeeze. Trying to navigate this tram with my heavy and huge backpack was a hassle, but a Portuguese woman finally insisted that I sit down, giving up her seat for me. I was very appreciative. But again, stops were unannounced and I missed my stop for the second time. After walking back, I began wandering around looking for my hostel...but I did not know the name of the street it was on and only knew the vague area it was in.
Yeah...I ended up wandering around for over 1/2 hour looking for signs or some indication of where I might find this hostel. No one I asked knew of it, but finally a man and his daughter who spoke English offered to help and asked a Portuguese security officer for me and he directed me. I was so thankful to finally be there and was already exhausted...but could not check in til 1 pm...and it was only 11am. So I asked the receptionist what she would recommend doing that day, indicating some sites I knew I wanted to see and that I had a Lisboa card.
She pointed out a delightful route in which I would take the tram across the city, see a mirador (overlook) for great city views, double back to see the Cathedral and commercial center, see two elevators which also would provide magnificent city views, and then return to the hostel. I decided to follow her directions...for the most part. I had some trouble finding the mirador after getting off the tram, but walked around in a probably slightly sketchy area until I found it. Then I decided to stop by a castle near the route which I wanted to see. The castle itself was nothing spectacular. But it had some nice city views and there was a man selling his wares...he took old coins and carved images into them...super impressive! The best part was the peacocks...yes, again! And this time, I encountered them as I was eating lunch and had a bag of chips, so I decided to see how trusting they would be...and ended up with them taking the chips from my hand. So cool! Got some great photos that way too!
After a couple hours at the castle, I wandered til I found the Cathedral and then the commercial center and saw both. It was already getting to be late afternoon, so I tried to follow a more direct route to the elevator, which I ascended for a lovely city view. Then after coming down, I realized two things: 1. that it was almost sunset, and 2. that I was exhausted. So I decided to skip the other elevator and head back to the hostel. I checked in, had a snack, and promptly fell asleep, staying in bed til 2 am. I got up around 2 to email my mother about the situation and to check on my Fatima tour for the next day (which I thought began in the morning).. I found out my tour was not til the afternoon, so I would have time to work the kinks out. So I went back to bed.
Peace and Blessings,
Melanie
Spanish Word of the Day: sola = alone :)
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