Crinkly's Portugal trip day 2: Exploring Lisbon (2/10/19)

Go into the kitchen area and have breakfast (typical European hostel breakfast food - meat, cheese, bread, some fruit, coffee, tea, etc.) then decide to start walking towards the coast through the Alfama region. Stop at a few miradours on the way to take in the sights (one of the perks of such a hilly city/country, there are many spots that have fantastic views). Come across a big church and walk in, not realizing it is Sunday, so of course there is a mass happening which was cool to see but didnt want to over stay my welcome so head out and check out the catacombs? (building next to the church) that is full of these blue tile scenes built into the walls.

Some full building wall art we saw as we started our walk for the day. 

Love the colored bricks and the buildings we saw as we walked around town. So beautiful.

One of the many vistas we saw on our walk. City just builds around nature.

Church having mass

Straight ahead is the heavily tiled area of the church. To the right is the church itself.

Beautiful tile art.

Crinkly wanted to pose with his favorite part of the art wall.

Another example of the color/pattern of the buildings around town.

A cool little tunnel in the Alfama area having comic drawings of sorts showing the local history. Was really cool.

Their history involves naked ladies running through battle fields apparently.

Another cool wall mural Crinkly wanted to enjoy for a little bit.

A view of the fort and part of lisboa. 

Golden gate type bridge and a far view of their redeemer statue to the left

Crinkly enjoying the view after a hike up the hill

Close up of the bridge sitting atop the city.

Little bit closer view of the redeemer statue that was sitting across the river from where we were. 

These lookouts had tiled pictures of the views as you walked around the landing.

Graffiti all down this pathway showing a different form of street art from the murals seen previously. 

Another view from one of the look outs we went to

Poem inscribed on a wall we came across walking randomly through town.

More beautiful buildings

One of the many small cute streets could walk down in the town.

Both buildings incredibly beautiful; as anti-organized religion as I am, I love visiting houses of worship as they are usually full of beautiful art, amazing architecture, and awe-inspiring sights. Walk by the Castelo de Sao Jorge, an impressive looking moorish castle with a daunting line for entry. We decide not to wait in line and instead walk around the area and eventually make our way to the heart of Alfama where we walk through the small picturesque alleys full of wall art, steps, quaint vibes, and the too frequent examples of dog shit laying in the path. The city doesnt have much green space so I guess it makes sense that dogs would have to shit in the streets/alleys but why people dont pick it up, I do not know; is incredibly unfortunate as you want to keep your eyes up to enjoy the area's beauty but you have to keep looking down to make sure you dont step in shit. Get to the coast and walk a bit before stopping at Beliosos to grab lunch. It is a small healthy eating cafe with a large assortment of options; we get some smoothies, a dense peanut butter and chocolate cake? (it was more of a tart or square), and a beet hummus - all of which were delicious.

Crinkly enjoying some lunch 

Crinkly found the museum of beer as we walked around the main area along the water.

Crinkly visiting some of his international beer friends.

And many other international friends to say hello to.

Beer and soccer, no better combination says Crinkly

Crinkly is getting hungry so soon after eating lunch. 

Crinkly enjoying the large quad and the statue in center of it.

If this is the first series you are following, then you will soon learn I love watching flags flap in the wind. If you already know this, well example #1039

Crinkly admiring the beautiful facade and entrance to the city

As we eat we try and figure out what to do with the rest of our day; turns out there was a Benfica game happening in a few hours (Benfica is in the Primeira Liga of Portugal, turns out they were playing Nacional to take over first place) so I buy tickets online (over priced I come to find out later but meh, love attending futbol matches when I travel) and then we head over to check out the Ribeiro Market which was closed for renovations but there was the Time Out market right next to it so we go in there instead. This place is amazing!!! It is this giant food court with long communal tables throughout and enough options that you could eat 3 meals there for a week and still not exhaust all of them; everyone hanging out, having a good time, great scene/atmosphere. We grab some wine and some pasteis (one of nata and another that had a HEAVY cinnamon characteristic - I like cinnamon, but this was borderline overpowering hahaha).

Crinkly ready for some more to eat. This place was awesome and had people everywhere.

Crinkly's spoils of war in the market

Walking to the metro and Crinkly is trying to stay dry

Feeling right at home. Kinda unfortunate it wasnt open as I would have liked to go in and check it out.

Stumbled upon the Lisboa DT bar. Feel like many cities have one of these and always a good sign of great beer to be had.

After enjoying those treats, we head to the metro (starting to sprinkle a bit) and make our way up to the stadium for the game. As we were traveling underground, rain picked up and was raining at a decent strength so I get a little wet (didnt have my rain jacket with me) as we make our way to the stadium. As we walk, there are people wearing red all over the place (people clearly love their home team) and we walk through an underpass which has giant wall murals on each side, both are well made. Our seats were literally the first row right behind the visitor bench which were not covered and were a little obstructed but not bad; for me it was too close to really enjoy the game. As we wait for the game to start we go up to get a beer, turns out the stadium has a zero alcohol policy so the beers were all non-alcoholic which was horrible; their non-alcoholic beer tasted like carbed wort so it was jut incredibly sweet and not good at all. Game starts and rain picks up so we go up to the top of the stairs and watch from up there. Meet a local supporter who spends the rest of the game talking to us about this, that, and the other. As we are talking, Benfica just goes on a scoring rampage and ends the game 10-0 (more like an american football score hahaha).

Crinkly enjoying the wall art in the tunnel on the way to the stadium.

Crinkly wanted to feel part of the team.

Murica! I mean Benfica! 

Me and Crinkly enjoying the pregame festivities before its time to begin

Listen to the stadium go!

Even in this giant blowout game, people were staying until the final whistle which was an impressive sight. Rail back all the way to Alfama region to try and check out a Fado bar. Decide to go into Fado on the corner which had 4 singers, all with different and decent voices and 2 guitarists (one acoustic, one lute looking guitar). They take turns singing about 2 songs in the middle of the bar, food was meh, house wine was good and decent price. After a few sets, we close out and rail back to our area and walk to the hostel. I try a different shower which was much better (better pressure, aimed right, good call :) ) and then we get some sleep.

Beautiful buildings at night. See what I am saying.

Random staircase leading up to a restaurant with some cool wall art.

Had to get a closer look. Wall art is everywhere here.

Crinkly's Portugal trip day 1: Getting into Lisbon (2/8-9/19)

*** A few years ago I took Berry (a plush bear given to me by a friends daughter to travel with me and then be donated to a girl in Japan) and the OG Crinkley (a can of 1836 from Buffalo Bayou Brewery) on my post graduation trip to SE Asia. Crinkley made the trip back to the states and joined me on my cross country road trip with my family. That Crinkly retired after that trip so for this trip I got a new Crinkly (a can of Crush City IPA from the same brewery) for this trip. What follows is a retelling of Crinkly's adventures through Portugal, most of which is based on true events. Enjoy! :) ***

Put in a full day's work and have some friends come visit and hang for a little bit before it is time to head to the airport (I booked a late flight after work to try and maximize my time over in Portugal and not lose a valuable day traveling). Get to the airport and the check in counter was empty (British air allowed a checked bag which I took advantage of since I was in no rush once I get in; I also wasnt allowed to check in online so I had to visit the check in counter either way - the lady was awesome, moving me out of a middle seat and giving me an aisle seat which is always appreciated as I get up frequently during flights) so that took no time then proceeded to the security gate which also had a minimal line. My bag got flagged twice in a row even after the person looked through it, didnt find anything either with their swiping or visually, and then put it back through. Eventually they give me my bag and I go about my merry way. Since there were no lines, I got through quickly so I had plenty of time to just walk around the airport and wait for my flight to board. Get on and settle in and start watching bohemian rhapsody (Man do I love Queen!!). Try to start watching the second Mamma Mia and get tired so turn it off and take a nap. Wake up for meal time and get the curry chicken which was decent for airplane food. Drift in and out of sleep and then land in Heathrow. As we are getting off the plane, a friend who I havent seen in some time reaches over and pats me on the shoulder, small freaking world. We get off the plane and catch up for a little bit (she is heading to Jordan and is actually on my flight back home as well hahah) before going our separate ways to our respective terminals. I walk around mine as I have some time to spare (~5hr layover). This terminal has a carousel sushi place, hahaha heathrow for the win! Waiting for the gate to be announced and once it is everyone makes their way to the gate. Everyone is waiting for the gate people to check everyone in, after about 5 people get checked in, the boarding starts.

Crinkly exploring the airport across the pond as we wait for our next flight.

This hostel is narrow and steep. 

Just keeps going up. Nice place.

Hearing mumbles from the people who have priority boarding not being able to get on first and what not. It was an incredibly weird flow as they were already boarding all groups within like 2 minutes as no one was in the area to wait. Worked for me as I never have priority boarding hahah. I fall to sleep as soon as I sit down and wake up a bit ago and we are pulling back into the gate. Turns out they loaded some bags and didnt take them off after people didnt get on the plane so we had to go back so they could take those bags off. Eventually take off and arrive into Lisbon. Immigration line was minimal and customs was essentially non-existent (not complaining at all, just an observation). Make my way to the metro, struggle with getting my card from the machine as I mistook bank card to mean credit card not an ATM card and so my cards kept getting declined as they dont have pins but eventually get it sorted and catch the train towards my hostel (Poets Hostel). Get out and instructions dont match signs I am seeing and my phone was being slow so it took me a little bit to get my bearings but once I do, I make my way to my hostel and check in. It is an extremely narrow building but very tall (5 stories maybe? with tons of steep stairs) with rooms named after famous poets (imagine that). Put my stuff down, check out the place (has a nice patio connected to the kitchen and a rooftop patio with a nice little awning and view), and then get a map of the city and head out to find a place to eat from the hostel's suggestions. Walk around the area to get a feel for my environment (there is graffiti everywhere with most of it being vandalism writing type stuff but there were also some good murals and street art to look at). Find a doner kebab place (as I am known to do as I explore European cities and add entries to my doner index - judging cost of living in a city based on the price of the doner; this one was 3E which is on the lower end of the index - good sign :)) and eat a quick bite of delicious doner after making a fool out of myself trying to put the change into the basket they are trying to put my doner in - stupid gringo. :( Meander back towards the hostel and grab one of each of their beers (Sagres and Super bock - both of which are typical light lagers) to try em out and hang out on the roof top patio before going to get a shower (small bathroom, not good water pressure, shower not aimed right which made showering difficult, and the shower head wasnt adjustable so had to suffer through - first world problems I know). Friend's flight was delayed so I just went to bed and figured we would catch up in morning while exploring the city.

Mexico days 7-10: resort life, wedding action, and trip overview (10/4-7/18)

*** Since the resort stay was a whirlwind of taking advantage of the resort life, I have lumped in the stay into a single post as the days blurred together.

Day 7

We woke up and had breakfast at the buffet. Went to the pool and hung out and having some drinks till it was time for lunch. Went into the lunch buffet and back into the pool to hang before we go get cleaned up for dinner at the sushi place which was delicious. Small meet and greet for the people there for the wedding and then everyone goes to the discotecca to hang out for a bit and close out the night.

Day 8

Ordered room service to have breakfast in bed, wasnt that good so we ate a little but wound up down at the buffet to get the better tasting food. Girls busy getting pretty for wedding so me and the other dates go down to Tulum to check out the coastal ruins. We get there and they have this Coatis creature running around. So cute and incredible looking creatures.

Coatis!!!! So cute. Like monkey racoons or something like that hahaha

Picturesque lil area.

Mayan ruins on the coast.

Main ruins on premise.

View from our shaded spot where we had our beers.

People playing in the beach. So gorgeous.

Enter if you dare.

Freedom!!!

Hot down there not chilling in the pool. We brought beers down with us and find a shaded area in the middle of the ruins area and have a beer or 2 which was a great idea. Ruins themselves were small and unimpressive but the sights of the ruins among the tropical coast line was awesome. We head back for the wedding, get showered and dressed up and find out the ceremony is outside. People are sweating their butts off (groom was literally dripping throughout the ceremony) and through their suits. After ceremony there was an hour break so we go to bar near the reception area, grab a drink and start cooling off waiting for the festivities to start. Reception has some dancing and food stations before dinner (though not as good the food in the rest of the resort which I didnt understand). After the reception area is closing down, we head back to the discotecca (noticing a trend?) to wind down the night.

Day 9

Much of the same of having breakfast buffet, chilling in the pool while having drinks and hanging with the wedding group and enjoying the weather before getting cleaned up for dinner at the mexican restaurant on premise which like the other restaurants they had, was absolutely delicious. After dinner, go to the discotecca for our final night as we leave the next day.

Day 10

Slow day as my body is tuckered out from all the consumption. Interesting day as there is severe rain and winds happening and was thinking it looked like hurricane type weather but not knowing anything about what was happening in the world I wasnt sure (turns out it was a hurricane that developed there and went north and hit the USA later that week). We chill around the resort until time for our shuttle to the airport. Was a slow shuttle driver but we get there eventually. No wait to get through customs. Chill in the airport, grab a bite before time for our flight (I made the mistake of ordering a cheesesteak sandwich hahah). Get home, breeze through customs and get home to finish the trip out.


Overview:

The good:
1) the cenotes are a much needed oasis amid the heat and humidity being cavernous natural pools of chilly fresh water. They are also insanely beautiful. I wouldnt mind just going back and cenote hopping and cataloging all the cenotes in the region.
2) The people were fantastic. From the complete stranger that I had the pleasure talking to in the cantina to the people I interacted with as I walked around, everyone was friendly. People worked with me as I bastardized the language trying to communicate, eventually getting the points across.
3) Resort life - its nice being able to get whatever you want to drink, eat great food, hang out in a pool and just chill with the people you came with for a couple days. It is a great way to be pampered and just enjoy the fruits of your labor. This one was especially nice as no kids were allowed which catered itself to a certain atmosphere.
4) Coatis!!!!! enough said.
5) Collectivos - people explaining it made it seem sketchy (like random people driving around in vans picking people up akin to hitchhiking) but it is a great, safe, cheap way to get around if you are going along their routes.

The bad:
1) Resort life - as nice as it is to be on a resort, I do not know that I will ever do one again. I would find the price expensive if it were in a place with a higher cost of living (Europe, USA, etc.); so it being in a place where you can get more bang for your buck, made it egregiously expensive. Even if costs were not a factor, the isolation that comes from being on a resort is the antithesis of what I like to experience when I like to travel (as is probably evidenced in my other blog posts :) ). Just like with everything else in life, staying on a resort has its time and place and people who will seek it out. I had a wonderful time and am extremely happy for the experience, just not my cup of tea for normal adventures.
2) The build up around the architecture in Valladolid - I was reading about places to see and cities to visit and many different blogs raved about the architecture and beauty of the city in Valladolid so I planned to go there to check it out. Walking around town, there are some buildings that are nice, but I found it underwhelming compared to what I had expected based on other people's experiences. That being said, I enjoyed the quaint city and was glad I visited, just was expecting more out of the buildings/architecture based on what I read.
3) Westernization of parts of Playa del Carmen - I hate being in another country and feeling like I am in a more American place than America. Does not happen often but when it does, it is very disappointing. There are many parts walking around town that do not feel this way but that 5th avenue and some of the places around it just scream consumerism and excess but clearly they are clearly being supported financially to thrive so cant blame them for making that money.