5 things in Lisboa, Portugal

After Oporto, we took a bus ride down south to Portugal's historic capital, Lisboa, (or what you might know as Lisbon). Lisboa was a lot different from sleepy old Oporto. A little more gritty, Lisboa has a nightlife that doesn't stop, a lot more tourists, and Moroccan drug dealers that approach you like a piece of meat in a tiger's den at the zoo. We had at least 8 of them come up to us in about an hour asking if we wanted "Hash, Coke, Weed?" and even after saying no, they would follow us around, pestering us. It was kind of cute actually, like a puppy, or small child, except with a smoker's voice, pedophile mustache, and and a block of hash in their hand. Aw, they grow up so quick. So that brings me to my 5 things in Lisboa;

1. DO NOT buy hash or anything of the sort from the sketchy guys that approach you on the street.
    - you'll probably be able to bargain for it from one of the next 8 guys who tries to sell it to you in the next few minutes
   - It is probably not real, and may or may not cause the hostel staff to make fun of you, asking if you are trying to cook Oregano.

2. Visit Castelo São Jorge. Castles are huge. Sometimes, it's fun to pretend to sword fight in them.

 

This castle overlooks the whole city of Lisboa, so I think it's safe to say that the view from the castle is decent. In the distance you can see the replica Golden Gate Bridge which leads to a giant statue of Jesus called Cristo Rei. Cristo Rei is an exact replica of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Lisbon's sister city, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I heard a story that the Portuguese built Cristo Rei as a mirror image of Christ the redeemer to symbolize the shared history between Portugal and Brazil, and also to show that there isn't much distance between them. I might have made that up, but it sounds good, doesn't it?

3. Stay at Kitsch Hostel. I'll give you three reasons why you should stay there.

     Reason # 1 - The entrance to the hostel is in the back of a Tobacco/souvenir store. Cool!

     Reason # 2 - This hostel has a great view of Praça de Restauradores (Plaza of Restorers), Teatro Eden, and a giant, rather phallic, monument commemorating Portugal's independence from Spain (Which is named the Portuguese Restoration War. Now the name of the plaza makes sense, right?). Alright!

(My friend Zach, blocking what could have been a great shot of the plaza at night. the monument is on the right, the plaza in the center, and Teatro Eden directly across)

     Reason # 3 - Kitsch Hostel has cat pictures on the walls. So hip!

In fact, this hostel had a great vibe. I met a group (a.k.a fell in love with) of amazing French girls who made me want to a) learn French b) go to France and c) never leave this hostel. We had a dance battle, America vs. France. Unfortunately, France won. I let them win this time...

4. See a Fado, a traditional Portuguese song, (which sounds strangely familiar to Flamenco) in Barrio Alto, one of Lisbon's strange and quirky neighborhoods with bars the size of closets and men who threaten their homeless counterparts with blow torches, and then proceed to light their cigarettes with said blow torches.

5. Go check out El Arco del Descrubrimiento (Arc of Discovery) which commemorates the spot that Chrístobal Cólon sailed from before discovering Central America.

 It's cool because if you get over to this monument, you can also check out Torre de Belém, a 500 year old stone tower jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Then walk over to the Monastery right across from it.

And go to an oh-so-incredible Portuguese McDonald's for lunch.

 This one is in Oporto, but there is still one across from the monastery, it just doesn't look as cool as these golden arches of sanctuary, topped by an eagle. Don't worry, the other one is just as delicious, if not more.

So, you end up knocking out 3 old things in less than 2 hours so you can go find some fun stuff to do. AND, you still get to go to McDonald's for lunch. Perfect.

Lisboa was great, not as fun as Oporto in my humble opinion. 7/10, and a big 'ole smile of satisfaction. I'll leave you with another decent view of the city, with the castle in the background.

Word of the Day: Estudiar - To Study

Necesité salir Portugal para estudiar en Barcelona. I needed to leave Portugal to study in Barcelona.