Portuguese & Palaces

The last week has been filled with day trips, continued wandering around Lisbon, and focusing on the one goal of my trip that isn't purely enjoy: learning some basic Portuguese. Portuguese is so similar to Spanish that I hoped it wouldn't be too hard to learn a bit of my third language. Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world and would help me a lot in development work since not only do Brazilians speak Portuguese, but Portuguese is also the official language in places like Angola and Mozambique. I knew I wouldn't become fluent in just a month in Portugal, especially without spending thousands of dollars on a rigorous professional program, but I hoped I could start getting a feel for the pronunciation and learn a few key phrases.

To be honest, I've already surpassed my own, perhaps too low, expectations. I've been studying on my own daily and have had one two-hour long meeting with a private tutor-- she's incredible! Not only did she provide me with tea and cookies (how sweet!) but we moved at lightening speed through the basics of the language. We covered 2 different verb tenses, irregular verbs, possessives, and contractions, as well many of the basic greetings and "about me" topics. Now if I can just retain all of that! I'll have 2 more two-hour sessions with my tutor and lots of studying on my own before I leave, but I am already pleased with the progress I have made though I am aware that it would take a much more extended period to come anywhere close to fluent in this language! The fact that I can purchase groceries and train tickets and ask for directions without relying on English or Spanish is a big improvement considering about the only thing I could say when I got off the plane was "thank you!" 

Besides studying Portuguese, I've taken a couple of fun day trips to places near Lisbon. Belém was my first, and a couple of days later I headed to beautiful Sintra. Sintra is a hilly area a little bit inland and is full of palaces and castles! Right off the train, I was able to see the National Palace of Sintra, which looks a bit like a Madonna-style cone bra with its two strange turrets. I then hiked quite a long way up to the stunning Pena Palace. It was built in the late 1800s and was only ever used as a residence, not a fortress, so it is very fantastical and fairytale-esque. It was hard to take a bad picture in a place painted in vivid colors and covered in delicately detailed tiles! 

After Pena Palace, I continued my hike over to the Moorish Castle, built in the 900s A.D. by the Moors on one of the tallest hills in the area for the best defensive location. The castle was stunning in a completely different way than Pena-- it reminded me of the Great Wall of China actually! I tromped around the castle to soak in the incredible views of the surrounding countryside-- all the way to the Atlantic Coast-- and then hiked back into Sintra for lunch and an inexpensive glass of wine before taking the train back to Lisbon.

On Saturday, I headed to coastal Cascais, getaway for the rich and famous. Rich I am not, but luckily Cascais turned out to be a wonderful daytrip even for the budget backpacker. Right outside the train station I found a bike rental kiosk and was able to take a bike out for several hours at no charge! I biked along the beautiful coastline to the nearby resort town of Estoril and then back out of Cascais the other way, taking in gorgeous views the entire time. I was able to stop and see the "Mouth of Hell," an opening in the cliffs where the waves crash in. It was pretty tame the day I was there, but apparently can get quite wild when the sea is a little choppier. I stopped along the coast for a lunch of presunto (Portuguese smoked ham) and another cheap glass of wine, then biked back in to Cascais. After leaving my bike at the kiosk, I ended my day sitting on the beach, reading, and watching the sun sink lower. It was one of my favorite days in Portugal so far and there's a chance I may have to head back to Cascais before I leave to soak in a few more sights of the ocean and coast! 

It was a great week, filled with castles, Cascais, and learning a new language! Now I'm planning out my adventures for my third week in Portugal. It will be my last full week in this country, as I'll be spending four and a half days in Madrid, Spain next week, so I'm trying to make the most of it! While I will by no means see all the sights or learn all of the language, I'm so happy with the taste of Portugal and Portuguese that I am lucky enough to have this November! 

I say "Lisbon"

"I say 'Lisbon'...and the city opens up as if born from its name. It opens and rises in its nocturnal vastness, in its long shimmering of blue and of river, in its rugged body of hills...Lisbon swaying like a sailing ship" -- Sophia de Mello

Well it has certainly been a long time since I've blogged, but I thought it would be a good way to update friends & family back home who I may not be in as regular communication with or who don't have Facebook to see some of the pictures I've taken!

I am in Lisbon, Portugal for exactly one month and am enjoying every minute of it! It's a very different trip than my time in Peru, not just because they're in different hemispheres, on different continents, and near different oceans, but also because I'm taking it at a very different pace. Instead of trying to cram every possible sight-seeing opportunity into my time here, I am moving at a more relaxed pace and focusing on absorbing the culture, learning a bit of the language, and enjoying spending time by myself reading, relaxing, and refocusing. Of course, I will manage to see quite a few sights while I am here as well! But the main purpose of my trip is just very different. Peru is a big country with an incredible amount of diversity; Portugal is about the size of Indiana. I'm not sure I prefer one mode of travel over the other, but this feels right for me right now!

Rather than staying in a hostel for a whole month (not the best place for relaxation & deep thoughts!), I've rented a room in an apartment on a quiet street in Bairro Alto ("the tall/high neighborhood"). I have two roommates (one Portuguese, one Greek) and a big comfy bed in my own room!

Besides sleeping and the day-to-day stuff like cooking and laundry, I've been studying some Portuguese on my own (and meet with my tutor for the first time Friday) and wandering around the city during the day. Lisbon is a gorgeous city with red-tiled roofs, winding cobblestone streets, colorful and tile-covered buildings, and centuries old churches and castles tucked in amongst the residential neighborhoods. It's been so nice to spend my time getting to know the city a little bit and having the time to pause in pretty parks to read or soak in the view from the top of a lookout point. Lookout points are popular here because, in addition to being pretty, Lisbon is built on some killer hills. After six days of tromping around, my legs are about ready to give up on me! Hopefully that means I'm also building some muscle, right?

Wandering the city at a leisurely pace with no real destination in mind has been wonderful, but I've also made a point to go to a few highlights. So far, I've visited the ruins of the Carmo Church, the Sé Cathedral, the Castelo do São Jorge, the Museum of Antique Art, the Portuguese parliamentary building, and Chiado's high-end shopping district. It's so cool to be in a city whose history predates the Romans and was deeply involved in early Christianity.

Yesterday I was able to make my first little daytrip. It wasn't very far away-- only 10 minutes by train actually!-- but was my first stop that didn't just involve me walking everywhere! I headed to Belém, an important historical area situated where the Tagus River (which Lisbon sits on) meets the Atlantic Ocean. Because of this location, Belém has an impressive defensive tower built in the 1500s to protect the port. It also has a stunning monastery built in the Manueline style, a style unique to Portugal that includes nautical elements like ropes and seashells, and the Monument to the Discoveries, which depicts various Portuguese historical figures important to the Portuguese expansion to Brazil, Africa, and India. It was a beautiful spot for an afternoon of walking around and I even got to ride to the top of the monument for a birds-eye view of the area and the 24th of April Bridge-- designed by the same man who created the Golden Gate in San Francisco! 

I spent today playing catch up at home-- turns out you need to laundry sometime!-- and relaxing a bit. Tomorrow I'm off on another day trip to Sintra! Less than 3 weeks left in Europe-- it's going to fly by! 

So Many Places

I have left my heart in so many places. 

I haven't quite wrapped my mind around it, but it's time to say goodbye to this semester, to all of the amazing people I've come to know and love, and to this crazy beautiful, diverse, troubled, and wonderful place that is Peru. I will miss it all. And yet, I am so excited to return home, to see my family, friends, and fiance, and to prepare for whatever new adventure life throws for me. 

This has, without a doubt, been the semester of a lifetime: 

I watched the sun set over the ocean.

I settled into a new house and university.

I played in magical fountains.

I swam in the Pacific.

I saw sea lions and penguins at the Islas Palominos.

I went sandboarding and dune-buggy riding in the desert and watched the most beautiful sunset.

I flew over the Nazca Lines.

I saw mummies. 

I visited the oldest civilization in the Americas. 

I celebrated Semana Santa with festivals, bull pulls, and enormous candle-lit floats.

I was proposed to in the most magical spot in the world. 

I visited ruins in the heart of the city.

I traveled to Machu Picchu and hiked this mountain.

I ventured off the beaten path and had my breath taken away.

I volunteered in a city built on a sand dune and met some of the strongest people I know.

                                                 

I wandered into the jungle and spent a week learning and volunteering.

I celebrated my 20th birthday.

I made it back to the jungle where I saw river dolphins, held a sloth, and swam in the Amazon.

I learned about Afro-Peruvian culture in El Carmen.

I celebrated Inti Raymi in Incan ruins.

I flew over Lima as a goodbye.

I traveled to Cieneguilla and went horseback riding.

I visited the girls' shelter in Cusco one last time.

I toured Cusco on my own for a day.

I visited a yacht club in Chorrillos with my host family.

And I said goodbye to some of the best friends I've ever had! 

*Apologies. This post was written months ago and I never got around to posting it*