So muzungu is up at the usual time with big plans to head into the city. I do breakfast then do a last minute checkup with the front desk about my plans. The person I spoke to yesterday suggested taking the 011 bus from the bottom of the hill near the hotel to Marques de Pombal then hop the blue line subway to the end of the line. When I check with the guy this morning he says the tour bus I may be looking for leaves from the Marques. Glad I checked.
I head down the hill and naturally, where could the bus stop possibly be :). I ask a man in front of a store and he points a short way up the hill insisting I cross the street and wait for the bus. He stresses the #11 as more than one bus stops there. I sit and sit and sit and sit and sit and sit and sit and sit and four #1's come by then about 50 minutes later, a #11. I was pleased 'cause when I looked at the schedule taped to the wall, it said the bus would be here by Christmas, if I were lucky. We weave our way through the streets of Linda-a-Velha and pass the hotel of all things. The transit police board and ask for POP which I find in my pocket. Eventually we head out onto open familiar highway then miraculously end up at Marques de Pombal.
There is a collection of red double-decker tour buses and I stop in a kiosk and ask for assistance. For 22 EUR I purchase a 3-route ticket and happily hop on the bus which is close to empty. I take a thousand pictures and we see sites such as museums, the wharf, the location of the 1998 world fair, upscale shopping neighbourhoods, churches (duh!), mosques, and on and on. The drive is about 2 hours. Not far from the end of the line, we stop at a dock where Holland America's Westerdam is tied up and the bus fills up. Not long after that we finally head into the old city and some of the corners are interesting to navigate. On one of them, the clearance is 2 microns on either side and I am impressed with the driver's skill.
We end up back at Marques de Pombal and there is a swarm of impatient Europeans trying to climb onto the bus. I have just finished the blue route and, based on the throng of ants trying to board the bus, decide I have had enough. I start leaving the bus collection area, and a red line vehicle shows up almost empty so I board it. Not long after I do as it starts to pull away, a guy runs towards the bus whining that this one must be as full as the last and "the world is coming to an end". We leave him behind and head out in a different direction from the Marques.
Not long into the trek, we hit a real funky area, with neat shops, cobblestone sidewalks, and neat cafes at the side of the street. I contemplate getting out for a bit but decide to hang in and I will come back later. We see the river and head into some areas that look vaguely familiar from my excursion to docas last Sunday. We see docas but it is on the other side of a tram right-of-way. We hit the most amazing looking structure so far. It looks like a birthday cake ... tan coloured stone, very intricate, lots of spires, buttresses, and elaborate carvings. That's just when stupid muzungu's camera battery dies.
We eventually find some where to turn around, and head back towards town. We stop at docas but I decide against getting out there. Not long after that the geography starts to look familiar and we hit Marques. After a short stop, we head out in the other direction. About 1 hour later we find ourselves at the other end of Marques then hit the same square where the buses coagulate. That's it ... all done.
I go back to where the 011 bus would stop to bring me back to Linda-a-Velha and, after reading that the next bus is due in 2045, decide to hoof it into the funky part of town I passed through on the red line. I stop for a nice squid salad and beer then walk more. I then flag a cab and do a 12 EUR ride back to Solplay.
So, what does stupid ferenge have to say about Lisbon ...
1) Best find out where the Marques de Pombal is; once you know that as far as Lisbon is concerned, you have arrived.
2) The architecture is unique (may resemble other countries on the Iberian peninsula but I have not been to any other); they use a lot of stone and little or no brick. The balconies are funky and the curved walls reach out over the sidewalk in some old and new edifices. The sidewalks are NOT high-heel friendly with grooves 1 centimetre wide between the carefully laid 3x3 centimetre stones.
3) The cafes are numerous and split about 40-60 in favour of pastry and more substantial items of sustenance.
4) The policia are everywhere (Arsenal just scored).
5) The beer is great ... especially Super Bock but there are a lot more.
6) Many Europeans are rude and impatient ... not all, just a lot.
7) They sure know how to build bridges ... one especially gargantuan one was built by the same outfit that did Golden Gate.
8) Don't think for a second that Portuguese sounds like Spanish. It seems more Slavic to me and would be impossible for me to pick out were I to hear people speaking it somewhere.
9) In many ways the locals are almost offended by the mentioning of the other Iberian country in the context of language or customs.
10) Go to Lisbon rather than the other Iberian country. If it seems that tourists have over-run the streets here, imagine what it could be like in Ba_____na or Ma__id!
11) The famous Cristiano Ronaldo is Portuguese, playing for Real Ma__id.
Recommended time to do Portugal ... Lisbon 4 days, the balance of the country ... 10 days by car.
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