Blessing in disguise

Picture this scenario:

You are living somewhere, you got offered a job; excuse me, a shit job. Why shit you ask? well, shit because not only it was insulting (325€/month, my friend's room was 400€/month for fuck's sake!) they even charged you if you wanted to live in! I have a bit of self respect and ignored the offer.

Things gets better. You got offered a job in the South. Faro, a city in which I found a bar that sold 70 cent beers. You moved there with all your hopes and dreams only to be told while having a pizza that you are only going to get paid a minimal fraction of what you were offered during the message exchange. Then, you even got locked out of your previously agreed upon accommodation and a day later actually got kicked out.

But then, things actually got better. Aced an interview to move back to the place I had been wanting to move back for a while. After three weeks of "training" in Lisbon I learnt more Portuguese language than all of my prior years living there, so I'll take that as a very positive experience. Four stars, I'd live in Lisbon again. I had a very small but very, very nice groups of friends. Normally it takes me a while to get on the swing of things when I move to a new place, this was not the case in Lisbon.

After those three weeks in Lisbon, I finally moved back to Ericeira (from now on just E). Then things started to not get better anymore. I mean, I was living in paradise but felt going to jail instead of work. The first few weeks I was living in the hostel, not because I wanted to but because I had to.  Anyone who has lived in Portugal know how difficult is to find a room and how ridiculously expensive is rent. Two months into the new job and my friend told me I looked miserable behind reception. Maybe I did. I was back into the corporate world. One of the main reasons why I fucked off from Guatemala was to leave that stupid world behind, to not be part of the system, to not be just a number, not to make money for someone that didn't give a fuck about and didn't even know me. But there are always two sides of the story? No, wait. That's not it. You use that sentence for something else. While living in E, I had my own life outside of the hostel. I have only managed to do that two or three times so far. I got to eat pregos any day I wanted. Well, except Sundays but you get the idea.

Work environment sucked so much and I was to blame for so many stupid shit that I started to take photos of how I left the hostel before leaving because, since the kitchen and common areas were not locked at night, any-fucking-one could come at whatever-fucking-time and do whatever they fucking wanted and leave said fucking kitchen and fucking common areas completely fucked up. Of course, it was my fault because I was the last one to leave and there was no one staying in the fucking hostel working the night shift...

When my contract didn't get renewed, or in other words, when I got fired. I felt like it was the end of the world, like I was completely fucked. Maybe I was but then I started to see the broader picture. I started to think outside the box. I was miserable there. I didn't enjoy working there. My colleagues didn't like me and I didn't waste my time not liking them back. I just didn't care. For them, I was doing a lousy job but guests thought otherwise. I had reviews mentioning me by name praising the good work I was doing.

But hey, it was not only shite. I was living in motherfucking paradise! I rediscovered surfing. My flatmate told me after a session "I have never seen you smiling this much since you moved back". I couldn't stop smiling that day. It was amazing.

It was the first time I truly enjoyed summer. The first time since the summer of 2012, when I was in Colombia. I celebrated my birthday in Cartagena that year. Last summer? my colleagues "forgot" that it was my birthday... lol. I don't care. I don't need an excuse to go out.

So, like I said. First time in 7 years that I was able to enjoy summer again. I went to see my friends in Sagres, I wanted to check out the hostel I used to work for because they changed name and image. Jesús, the owner, did an amazing job. Go and check it out: The Lighthouse Hostel (this was not paid advertisement).

I went to Lisbon to see my friends there countless of times. I hung out with new friends made in E. I finally got see Porto! Two roadtrips (Galicia - Portugal - Andalucía) and already a few years living in Portugal and never made it up there before last summer. Verdict: I will go back! I did a small roadtrip from E to Peniche with a friend of mine and her friends. I was thankful that I had a good sleeping bag, we slept at the beach but it was fucking cold!

All in all, it was a great summer. I wouldn't change anything. Met so many new people, disconnected from others but that's the cycle of life.

Summer was coming to an end. I didn't quite looked for a job because I was busy enjoying life! Besides, to find a job during the peak of summer you have would have to be very lucky because every business have to be already prepared for the season. Unless some emergency would happen, there were no openings.

I sent emails to hostels to many cities in Portugal and a few in Spain and I only had one reply. Actually, it was not a reply. 2 minutes after sending the email, I got a call from the owners.

I was still in E. I couldn't afford to pay rent anymore if I had none of the monies coming in. I decided to move to Sevilla, Spain and 2 days later I was on my way here, where I'm writing these lines. Sitting on your couch, craving a beer and surprised why I'm even inspired to write without alcohol! Maybe is because you are sitting next to me, doing your own thing but next to me.

That's why that after all the shite I had to go through, that brought me here, allowed me to meet you. And that's a blessing in disguise.

where do I start?

I have been meaning to write something for the past (almost couple of) month(s), but where do I start?

Maybe I should start where I left off...

The long bus ride from Madrid to Lisbon. Ticket lady told me that the bus was full but it wasn't. Was a long ride to Lisbon and a short car ride to Ericeira. I was exhausted after the long flight and long bus ride but I've finally made it! I was in the place that will be my home for the season... who knows, maybe more?

Like many of you know already, I always have a hard and long time adjusting to new places. There had been exceptions but this have been the case lately. I arrived to Ericeira still in low season which made things even harder.

Ericeira was small fishing town. Still have a fishing industry but now instead of fishing the major industry is tourism. Ericeira is regarde to have some of the best surf the world has to offer. I'm sounding like a brochure.

It's smaller than Lagos therefore it doesn't boost the same amount of people. That's where I found the charm of this little town.  It's also home of one of only five World Surfing Reserves around the world. A couple of Kilometres from where I live there's a beach, Ribeira d'Ilhas that host regularly a date in the ASP World Tour.

The first month felt like a year. I barely knew people but that's changing now. I'm meeting more people. There were few guests I could interact with but is beginning to change. Slowly but steady.

A bit over a month ago, a intern started working so I have someone to talk to. At least in the mornings and a few weeks ago, a girl started working here as well,

Things are looking good. I have already found a few favourites: restaurant, pub, snackbar...

Like everywhere in Portugal, here is very cheap as well: beers for 80 cents! They're small but the feeling of paying 80 cents for a beer is unbeatable!!

I have been exploring the area so far. I have been to Cascais and Peniche. Other two surf spots in the country.  Cascais is nice, much bigger than Ericeira but nice. I've heard so much about Peniche and my expectations where so high about it, that once I got there, I was actually a bit disappointed but it not lived to the reputation I've heard it had. Maybe Baleal, not far from Peniche is nicer...

I have three goals for this year: learn how to surf, learn Portuguese and learn how to code.

Let's see how it goes...

I leave you now with some photos I've taken since I arrive.

Road Trippin'... in Portugal

Last month we did a  small road trip along the coast of Portugal. Was my second ever outside of Guatemala. Well, kind of. Me and my friend drove from Asheville to Ann Arbor a few years ago but no sure if that counts as a roadtrip.

It was awesome!

But, what does it have to do with hitchhiking if you rode inside a car for a week? That has nothing to do with hitchhiking you bastard! Wait for it, wait for it... of course it has to do at least a bit with hitchhking. How? We picked up three hitchhikers along the way! ha! there you go: it's hitchhiking related. Besides, it's my blog, I can write whatever I want.

Anyways, instead of using the motorway, we only used small roads. We traveled the entire length of Portugal from North to South. We started in Galicia and after a couple of hours we started to work our way down until we would reach our final destination: Graná (Granada).

I have only been to Santa Maria da Feira and Lisboa. Although it was a short time, quality prevailed over quantity. I promised myself that one day I would come back to Portugal... little did I know that I was going to end up living there. But that's a story for another time (or post).

Even tho it was a short trip we had the opportunity to see many, many small towns. Cruising down small national roads, sometimes even rural roads was awesome. We never stayed at hostels or guesthouses or whatever, instead we opted to sleep inside the car.  We had not one but four tents. Don't ask why. But it was still a bit chilly to camp on the beach so we just looked for a place to park the car and that was it. It's not like we stayed in any car park or anything. No, no, no. We stuck to the coastline therefore we almost slept on the beach every single night. Portugal is I think one of the most underrated places I have been. To be honest, I don't know. But then again, I think it's better this way as it won't get massive flocks of tourists. Let me give you an example: I was in Lagos for Páscoa and it was not as crowed as let's say Granada. Which was by the way not so nice to walk around as there were people everywhere.

We took the motorway from Ourense to the border. Right after the border we got off the motorway and started on smaller roads. We avoided at all costs Porto (I'll leave for later) and Lisboa (where I'll meet with a friend of mine next month). The end of the road for us was Granada.

The towns we visited are: Viana do Castelo, Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Nazaré, Sines, Sagres, Lagos and Faro.

I won't write about the cities as this is not a place in which I will write about "the top 10 things to do in Portugal". You are can figure that out by yourselves. You can google them. Or even better, you can just go with the flow and discover your own top 10 things to do anywhere.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Viana do Castelo

Aveiro

Figueira da Foz

Nazaré

Sines

Sagres (photos taken by María)

Lagos

Faro

another year gone by

Another year has gone by. Another birthday spend in another country. One year older.

Bochol, Germany. 2010

Four birthdays had gone by since I started traveling. Four (actually 6: 2011 "celebrations" started in Hungary, then on the Slovakian roads and finished in Austria)

This time I'm Estonia and actually my birthday is during this big holiday of midsummer. Although is mostly big in the country side and most people will be away from Tallinn, there are parties for people in the city. Lucky me!

I wish I could write something interesting but I can't. I don't feel inspired, at all. Things at the moment could be better. Not that I'm complaining, because I'm not.

One thing is for sure, I'm going to have a beer (or eight) with good people. I will try not to fall asleep. Good luck with that. I'm going to a bonfire on the beach near the Patarei prison with my friends from the other hostels.

Cartagena, Colombia. 2012

The day it's not over yet so I maybe I can still have my birthday wishes come true. One is not happening unfortunately. I'm watching the Metallica Rock in Rio concert of 2011 and it saddens me that I'm not going to be able to see them play this year in Roskilde. Last year I missed it because I was in Colombia but this year being so close...

Roskilde is the perfect example why I don't like to plan. Although I had to in order to secure my spot in the Boenne crew. Every time I plan something, that plan falls apart. Shite.