Saturday, May 4, 2024
Day 1 – Lagos, Portugal – The Surf Experience – Travel Day
Well… I’m in PORTUGAL! Just me, myself, and I. My first solo trip. I got to the airport at 8 pm and boarded my flight at 10:40-ish. They had me check my bag…If you’ve read about my Costa Rica travels, you know why I was hesitant, but it all worked out.
The flight was 8h and I slept almost the entire time. I arrived in Portugal at 12:30pm today. Then I took a shuttle ride to the camp which I booked ahead of time through Yellowfish Transfers. The shuttle driver was really nice and we chatted the whole time, in english though cause I was too scared to try speaking Portuguese. My camp is right in the downtown so its a good spot and really close to the beach (Its called The Surf Experience).
It’s a pretty laid back camp. I think everyone running it is from New Zealand? (not quite, but some where). They showed me to my room and I paid the rest of my stay (they take a deposit and then the rest is paid in cash upon arrival). Oh I also somehow lost my credit card. Wouldn’t be a Yasmine trip if something didn’t go wrong though. Anyway, I have a double room, and met my roommate, who apparently is staying for 3 days? I think? and she is from New Zealand as well, but works in London, England. She is friends with one of the hosts so they went out. I was hoping my roommate wouldn’t know anyone, like me, but that’s all good. I always heard solo travel can be lonely at times so I have to learn how to be alone…. Till I (hopefully) meet some more people, that is. Anyway, from what I saw on the drive here, Lagos is beautiful. So, I think I’ll change and then explore a bit. So, till next time (wish me luck), goodbye!
Monday, May 6, 2024
Day 3 – Lagos, Portugal
Alrighty, so today was my second day of surfing. Yesterday I went out for the first day. We loaded up the van and they gave us surf suits (they’re called wet suits but I didn’t know that yet). We went to a closer beach, but it wasn’t good for surfing, so then we went to a further one. When we got there we got our suits on and warmed up. The waves were pretty rough and I wasn’t doing too great and then while I was standing on the shore with my board in front of me, a wave hit my board – which then hit my foot (trigger warningggg)- and ripped my big toe nail clean off…lovely… So I went to one of the instructors and she cleaned and bandaged it and another came to help. Safe to say I was done surfing for the day and just spent the rest of the time on the beach. When we got back I read for a bit and then showered. I also went to a pharmacy to get some stuff for my toe. Then, for dinner, I went with a group of people from the surf house to the restaurant next door (I believe its called Restaurante A Forja but we called it “Blue Door“, I assume cause the door to it is blue, but they have such good traditional Portuguese fish, I recommend ;), and after we all went for gelato. Then, when we got back to the surf camp, we went up to the rooftop and played UNO.
This morning I decided to go surfing again despite my toe. I wrapped it like crazy, but once I got in the water, all the wrapping and bandages came off like a cast…so… I gave up on it. But, while I was trying to surf, it kept getting hit and hurting more, and then when I tried to avoid hitting it, I couldn’t get up on the board. Can’t blame it all on the toe, though. I wasn’t doing well before, either. But I’ll get there. It’s only day 3.
After surfing, we had lunch on the beach, relaxed for a while, and then headed back. Now, I’m just relaxing in the common area. I’m going to go shower soon, and then tonight is a BBQ on the rooftop, so that should be fun.
Well, that’s about all I’ve got for now. My friend from work is going to be in Lagos tomorrow, so I might see her then or the next day. And yeah, that’s about it, till next time, goodbye!
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Day 4 – Lagos, Portugal
Heyyy! I am loving it here. Last night we had the BBQ and a girl from Germany (originally from China) who was at the morning surf came (she was a day tripper so she wasn’t staying at the camp). The food was AMAZING. The chef is so good and so sweet. Today the surf was great. I stood up a bunch of times, and my toe is healing well. I’m really happy with my progress.
I’m pretty burnt, though, so I went to the store and got some blue zinc to wear. After the surf, I went with the girl from Germany and a guy from France to a few shops and got gelato. Then, when we got back, the surf house manager played videos of us surfing on the common room TV, and we analyzed them, which is cool that they do that, and then I just showered, and in a couple of minutes, I’m going to dinner with some people from here.
Also I am only booked here till Thursday, and I tried to extend my stay, but, they are completely booked…So sad. So…here is my plan (see if you can follow). I fly out on the 18th –> so I am doing my last surf day Thursday –> and then I have to find a hostel in Lagos for Thursday night –> and then… Friday, I’m going to take a bus to Lisbon. I may go with some guys from here who are also taking the bus there that day –> Then Sunday, I’ll come back to Lagos and stay at a different Hostel in the area, but book surf lessons with the place I’m at now, The Surf Experience, from Monday – Friday –> and then, I have to book my shuttle for Saturday to the airport, and yea…
Also, they do this cool thing here where you can be a host, so you clean and cook, and in exchange, you get free stay, meals and surf lessons. I am highly considering looking into it for next summer (Spoiler: I did not wait till next summer, I actually flew home at the end of this trip and then flew back a week later to be a host there for a month and a half). Anyway, I’m having a great time, and that’s all for now. Till next time, goodbye!
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Day 5 – Lagos, Portugal
Hey again! So quick recap on last night, since I woke up over an hour before breakfast, and have time. We went out for dinner at this place that looked like a garden – all outside (I’m pretty sure it’s literally called, The Garden). There were 13 of us and while waiting for our food we played a game. I was trying to save money, and I don’t eat much, so I just had a kids fish sticks and fries. I know, not very authentic Portuguese, but hey it’s fish? However, it didn’t matter in the end because the server said we had to do one bill because of the group size (this is common in Europe, in my experience), so we kinda just split it evenly. I paid half the bill on my credit (apple pay) and half the table gave me cash and then another guy paid the second half, and people paid him as well. So it all worked out cause I needed cash and couldn’t take any out (I told you I lost my bank cards and only have apple pay right?) (yes Yasmine you did).
But yea, then we came back and a bunch of ppl went out to the bars and I went to bed. Also, my roommate left. I didn’t have a roommate last night but I have a feeling someone new will come today. Also, at the dinner I booked my bus ticket with two of the guys from France. So one less booking to do. Also, also, there are 2 Canadians staying with us right now. Then there is one guy from London, 4 guys from France who came together (I have the all names in my original journal for the people I met by the way, but for privacy I wont be putting most names in here unless I have permission :). Ummm. Then there is Eda (probs spelt that wrong) (its Ida and I got her permission XD) from Germany. She is traveling through Europe, in a van she put together, so that’s so SICK (I had a lot of fun with this word at the camp). There is another girl from Germany but she had to switch hostels so she is at one nearby cause they didn’t have room at ours. Oh then there is (insert name of person here) since he just said hi to me (I was journaling on the benches outside the surf house and he walked out and said hi). He is from…Hm I’m honestly not sure. He told me but I forgot. Then there are some new people who I don’t know their names, and yea that’s about all. We have breakfast in 30min and then goin’ out to surf again. I’m so burnt that my nose is starting to bubble, like it did when I surfed in Costa Rica (or tried to at least) but gotta make use of the last two days here before Lisbon. Also, I think I’m meeting my work friend here tonight. But yea, having a blast, till next time. Goodbye!!
Friday, May 10, 2024
Last Day in Lagos (or is it…)
Hey again!
Hold on, gotta see where I left off… So yesterday…tried PB&J + cheese, surprisingly not bad. We went to the surf, and I went out to the bigger waves, which was cool. Then we had lunch, got ice cream, and came back to the surf house. It was my check-out day, and I went to book surf lessons for the following week after Lisbon, and he said there was a room available! So I’m coming back! Woop Woop. Also, Ida is coming to Lisbon with us and then coming back for another week of surfing as well! We booked a hostel together there.
So I checked out of the surf house and checked into The Orange hostel up the street. I was in a dorm with 3 other girls and the washroom situation was AMAZING, so many bathrooms and the shower pressure was SO good (the surf house had less washrooms and low pressure so thats why I said this… give me a break it was my first solo trip). After I showered I met my work friend for dinner at an Italian restaurant (called Pomò – La pasta italiana). It was so nice talking to them. Then I came back to the surf house and met Ida on the roof and then her, our new friend from France and I went to get chips and chocolate and came back to watch a movie, Riptide, in the common room, to which I think we all fell asleep to before it was over. Then I went back to the Orange Hostel and slept.
This morning, I packed up and checked out, so now I’m sitting at the surf house until we leave for Lisbon. Oh, also met two Aussies in the dorm at the Orange who were really nice. But yeah, I think that’s it, so till next time, goodbye!
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Day 2 – Lisbon, Portugal
Hey again! Let’s get right into it. Yesterday I went to get breakfast with some of the surf camp peeps and I got a Pastel de Nata and a “hot chocolate”? which was a cold chocolate milk bottle… warmed up… (I asked in Portuguese and if translated I said “chocolate milk hot” so either hot chocolate isn’t a thing or I just asked wrong cause they did indeed look confused). Then we met with Ida and her, two of the guys from France and I walked to the bus station (we took a FlixBus) and made our way to Lisbon.
It took 3 hours with a small stop for snacks halfway through. Then when we got to Lisbon, we had to take the metro train to our hostels, we booked different ones so Ida and I got off 2 stops before the guys for the Safestay Hostel. I got us lost 2 times on the way, and Lisbon is literally all hills and stairs, so we really got an unplanned workout in, but we made it! We checked into the hostel and got our room, which is a shared 8 person female dorm with bunk beds. So I took the top and Ida took the bottom of one of the bunk beds. Then we got changed and went out to a banana café on the main street and shared half a pizza as well as a drink and Pastel de nata each.
The guys met us there, and then we did a bit of site seeing, saw this cool maze thing, sat at a park for a bit and went to a Portuguese restaurant where I had Fish and Chips and Arroz Doçe, and we played a game where one person asks a question and everyone takes turns answering. Then we found a gelato place and sat on a bench to eat it. After that we separated from the guys and headed back to our hostels, but, both our phones where dead so we had to try and find our way back. We made it after a few wrong turns thanks to Ida’s directional skills and the restaurant worker we asked, who tried searching our hostel up on her GPS. When we got back to the hostel, we got ready for bed. I booked my hostel for Sunday night in Lagos and crashed. And yeah. I’m still using my Portuguese when I order anywhere, which I love, and yesterday was a lot of fun.
Today we are meeting the guys for breakfast once we’re ready and sightseeing some more. So time for me to go get ready! Till next time, goodbye!
Sunday, May 12, 2024
On the way back to Lagos!
Hey Again!
Writing on the bus so ignore my hand writing… (not relevant now that I’m typing it all). So yesterday recap. We met the guys for breakfast. Then we went to a church, I don’t remember everything step by step…but basically we did a lot of walking and site seeing. We saw the Monastery, which one of the guys from France really wanted to see. We also went to a statue that my parents have a picture in front of, got some McDonalds and went to a park to eat it. Then we went to the oldest bookstore in Portugal (People are saying online that its the oldest book store in the world, so thats pretty cool, but you may want to fact check me on that – Livraria Bertrand – Chiado) and I got some kids books to practice reading Portuguese. Also, the same guy from France, Ida and I bought a mystery book where we went to the café attached to the bookstore, and had tea while making a contract stating that, basically, we would make the book a “traveling” book. So for example, I have the book first so I will read it and write comments in it, and then when I am done, I will mail it to Ida for her to read and then she will do the same and send it to France. Such a fun idea, hopefully it works cause I’m so excited (Spoiler: it took me a whole year to finish the book, ironic cause I’m the only native english speaker so I was supposed to start with it because I would finish it fastest… but it is now in Germany!). Oh also the book ended up being “Forth Wing” which my friend from home says is really good.
Then Ida and I went back to our hostel to put on some warmer clothes for dinner, as it gets cold here at night. Oh, also, my Portuguese is coming along well, and I could even read some of the plaques and writing in the Monastery.
Anyway, then we met the guys again for dinner, I had shrimp and it was so so good. Then we walked around Lisbon for a bit and saw the night life bar scene, and then the guys walked us back to our hostel which was really nice. It was our last time seeing them, so we gave them a hug and said our goodbyes. This morning, Ida and I packed our stuff and headed to the metro, to take it to the bus station, where we stopped to have breakfast at the café there, and now we are on the bus to Lagos! That’s all for now! Till next time, goodbye!
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Time to go home 🙁
W O W. I haven’t been doing too well with keeping up with this journal and am currently on the plane about to take off for Canada. I feel like these last two weeks have been a dream and I’m only waking up now. It feels like I imagined it all. But I also feel so much sadness. I have never not wanted to leave somewhere more in my life. Anyway, I am going to attempt to recap the last week now.
So last time I wrote I was on the bus back to Lagos. When we got there I went with Ida to her van and hung out there for a bit. Then she came with me to check into the Sol e Sol hostel for the night. She realized she had lost her phone and went back to the van to check, while I settled into the room and met one of my roommates, who was super sweet.
Ida and I planned to go to the beach, so when I was ready I called her but she wasn’t answering, and I got worried that she hadn’t found her phone. I went to The SurfEx to see if anyone had seen her and they said she went to the bus station with one of the instructors to see if it was on the bus. We saw on FindMyIPhone that it was, but, in another city and wouldn’t be back till 6pm. So we killed time playing volleyball outside the camp and learning how to count to 10 in different languages. Then they went back to the bus station, and I waited for them in the surf house. When they got back, Ida had her phone and we sat in the common area and did a little guitar sing along. Anyway, I cant remember what I did after, I think I just read for a bit and then headed back to my hostel.
The next day I got up early, packed up my stuff, and headed to the Surf Experience for the first day back surfing. We went to a calm beach, where we got out to the green waves, and for the first time were not getting smashed by waves. Then we went for Pastel de Nata which was fun and the people in the group were a blast. Oh hold on that was Tuesday. Monday we played volleyball when we got back, at the local beach (Praia da Batata or Potato Beach). Then I went back to shower…wait maybe that was the day I did laundry with Ida. Yea it was. So we did that and then got back, showered and got ready for the rooftop dinner we were having that night. Then after the dinner we “watched” Surfs Up, AKA I watched 20min and then fell asleep (surfing really took it out of me I guess).
The next day…wow we are only on Tuesday…But anyway, the next day, we went surfing again in the morning. Same beach, nice chill green waves. This was the day we got Pastel de Nata after. It was also the day I got close with the Romanians. We did a group dinner at a Portuguese restaurant. Oh, and I met them from playing cards on the rooftop. I love them, they are so fun. They gave me a nickname, Canada, cause of a joke while we were playing cards (and I guess cause I am from Canada but that wasn’t the joke). Then that night, I believe we watched “Prestege”? where I again fell asleep. Before bed Ida and I saw a Cookaracha and had one of the guys come and get it out lol. The next day is kinda a blur for me right now. We went surfing in the morning but I forget which beach we went to. I just know we went for Pastel de Nata after (The first week in Lagos was gelato after surfing almost every day and the second was Pastel de Nata coincidently) and we went for sushi (place was called mysushi and its SO good and only 12 euro for all-you-can-eat) and then I think we did another movie.
The next day (Thursday) was THE best day of the entire trip. We went surfing in the morning to a new beach that was packed with surfers. It was a beautiful day. We went out to the green waves and I caught two that were the BIGGEST I’ve ever caught and I was so happy. One of the instructors said it was the wave of the day! So much fun. I did get washing machined a lot though. Oh, also forgot to mention, before we started surfing while waiting for the tide to come in I taught everyone “Tarzan the Monkey Man” which was fun, and then we raced into the water. It was such a good day. I also had a really cool conversation with one of the friends I made about God and heaven and hell (deep I know, but it was so interesting). He is a Christian and shared his faith with me, what he believes in, and said it is called the Gospel. I’ve grown up believing in Jesus and God but in the way I believed in Santa as a kid…I just, did, nothing more than that. But let me tell you, it was like a switch was turned on in my head. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it all just made everything in the world make so much sense. I believe that what he said is true, and I’m amazed by it (I didn’t know then just what this conversation would mean for my life).
Later for dinner we went to a burger place called NahNahBah and Ida and I split a burger. Fast forward to Friday. Surfing again. We went to the West Coast where the waves were REALLY rough and in my first paddle out attempt (and second) I washing machined. I took a break on the sand and then tried again. I ended up making it out, but didn’t do well with catching waves and just kept getting smashed. So I decided to take it easy and go back to land. I was really happy with my progress, and the prior surf day, so I didn’t even mind. I got comfortable on the rocks and just chilled the rest of the time, which was so nice.
When we got back I rushed to take a shower and then a bunch of us, went out for Pastel de Nata again. We saw some performers in the square for a bit, and then went shopping for last minute souvenirs. Then we went back, and all of us watched Mama Mia (there was about 10 of us), and that night was rooftop dinner again. After dinner we went to a bar with a neon theme and got glow in the dark ribbon and face paint. We danced and sang the whole time and it was a lot of fun. Then I decided to head back just after midnight, and made my rounds giving everyone a hug goodbye… Ida and I both started crying even though she said she would come to my room the next morning to say goodbye.
Now we are finally at THIS morning. Hopefully my marker doesn’t run out (also update, 5h left till home, I watched a movie in between writing). This morning, I got up early, showered and packed my things. Ida came over to pick up some things, and we said our final goodbyes.
I am forever changed from this trip, and I feel like a better person for it. Well… I look like a crazy person crying on this plane right now, so I’m gonna end this here. But yeah, take chances, try new things and trust God’s plan <3 I’ll never forget this trip. The End <3
(p.s almost two years later I can confidently say this trip was, and possibly will always be, the climax of my life. I came back a different person from how I left. The year before I was really trying to find myself, or rather, I wasn’t trying at all. I was in my second year of university and I wasn’t sure if I was on the right path for my future, I also experienced a lot of the experiences one is told is “the uni experience” or “what you have to do in your 20s” like going to clubs with friends and hanging out late, which wasn’t me but I thought it was just how it is supposed to be, and it was fun… for a while.
I’ve always dreamed since I was a kid of learning how to surf and realized that I was turning 20 and nothing was stopping me from doing it, so I booked my trip one night without even hesitating. Then 2 weeks after my 20th birthday I was on a plane alone to Portugal, and when I got there, I randomly made the decision that I was going to go back to my values, and be no one else but me on this trip, and I did, and I realized how amazing life can be when you are open to meeting new people and experiencing new things outside of just what “you are supposed to do in your 20s” (and yes traveling is part of that but I would say thats the good part amongst a lot of not so great things). I then found out that I was exactly where God wanted me, learning exactly what he wanted me to know, and the world makes so much more sense when you know Gods goodness and love. He isn’t just there to pray to when you need Him although thats part of it, but there is so much more and He gives life SO much meaning and purpose. In our 20s we are always trying to find… something; who we are, who we are going to be, what we want, what will help us get through the struggles of life. This is it. )
