My original plan was to go to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls (Encierro) after Sevilla, but I decided to follow my heart and the advice of some friends from Granada and took a 6 hour bus ride to Raposeira, Portugal. They told me about the small surfing town at the southwestern most tip of Portugal, and all of Europe for that matter, and how great the hostel and beaches were. I was hesitant to bail on Pamplona - not because I wanted to go but because I felt that I "had" to go, and I had hoped to work on my Spanish a bit more. But I was tired and just wanted to go somewhere nice to relax for a week or so, and surfing in Portugal sounded pretty sweet. Otherwise, my plan in Pamplona was to sleep at a nearby park during the day and keep my bags at a friends hostel so I didn't get jacked, since every hotel and hostel is overbooked.
The Good Feeling Hostel in Raposeira is one of the coolest hostels I've been to in a long time. The owners are the workers and go out of their way to make sure we have a good time - driving us to the beach and supermarket, cooking dinner, etc. The patio overlooks the town and has plenty of hammocks to lounge around in and enjoy the perfect weather. My first night I went to Cape Saint Vincent to watch the sunset, and it was amazing. The beaches are also really beautiful, albeit a bit windy. I took a surf lesson a few days ago and rented a board from the hostel the last two days. I liked surfing alright, but the waves were so choppy and frustrating, it made it hard to really enjoy it.
I think the most enjoyable thing here has been the people. The hostel only has capacity for maybe 20 people, and most the people stick around for a good chunk of time, so you quickly get to know and make friends with the other travelers. Again, the travel culture changed a lot from Sevilla to Portugal - most people here are long term travelers or small groups that rented a car for a few weeks.
One of the guys here is from from Utah, lives in New York, speaks fluent Portuguese from when he lived in Mozambique and Brasil working with NGOs and local farmers, has spent the last 5 months surfing across the world, going home to teach at Columbia University, and has the exact voice and personality of Blake Mankin. My first though was, "who is this guy?" There's another guy who's a chef about to open a restaurant in Paris and he was telling us about a meal where he paid 150 euro for the first plate, 190 euro for the entre, and 50 euro for dessert. I looked at him like he was mental and excused myself from the rest of the conversation while I contemplated all the Waffle House I could have for 390 euro (roughly 50 All Star breakfasts with chocolate milk, by the way).
Other than meeting odd characters, I've just been reading and enjoying myself. I've noticed that the days in which I spend all day on my computer are the days I regret the most. In Thailand and Nepal, I enjoyed not having 24/7 internet access, even though I had nothing else to do. So I've limited my computer usage here and it's been one of the best things for me. I think it's definitely something I need to do when I make it back home. With my flight back to the States a little over a week away, I'm soaking up every minute of this place that I can. I've been here 5 or 6 nights - the fact that I can't remember is a good sign - and I'll stay a few more before heading back to Madrid, with a few stops on the way.
Oh and by the way, Portuguese people sound like Russians, and they admit it too!
The Good Feeling Hostel in Raposeira is one of the coolest hostels I've been to in a long time. The owners are the workers and go out of their way to make sure we have a good time - driving us to the beach and supermarket, cooking dinner, etc. The patio overlooks the town and has plenty of hammocks to lounge around in and enjoy the perfect weather. My first night I went to Cape Saint Vincent to watch the sunset, and it was amazing. The beaches are also really beautiful, albeit a bit windy. I took a surf lesson a few days ago and rented a board from the hostel the last two days. I liked surfing alright, but the waves were so choppy and frustrating, it made it hard to really enjoy it.
I was expecting a beach and was pleasantly surprised
2 of the girls were yoga instructors
Two bros chillin
I think the most enjoyable thing here has been the people. The hostel only has capacity for maybe 20 people, and most the people stick around for a good chunk of time, so you quickly get to know and make friends with the other travelers. Again, the travel culture changed a lot from Sevilla to Portugal - most people here are long term travelers or small groups that rented a car for a few weeks.
One of the guys here is from from Utah, lives in New York, speaks fluent Portuguese from when he lived in Mozambique and Brasil working with NGOs and local farmers, has spent the last 5 months surfing across the world, going home to teach at Columbia University, and has the exact voice and personality of Blake Mankin. My first though was, "who is this guy?" There's another guy who's a chef about to open a restaurant in Paris and he was telling us about a meal where he paid 150 euro for the first plate, 190 euro for the entre, and 50 euro for dessert. I looked at him like he was mental and excused myself from the rest of the conversation while I contemplated all the Waffle House I could have for 390 euro (roughly 50 All Star breakfasts with chocolate milk, by the way).
Where I spent most my time
Where I spent all of my time when not in a hammock
Other than meeting odd characters, I've just been reading and enjoying myself. I've noticed that the days in which I spend all day on my computer are the days I regret the most. In Thailand and Nepal, I enjoyed not having 24/7 internet access, even though I had nothing else to do. So I've limited my computer usage here and it's been one of the best things for me. I think it's definitely something I need to do when I make it back home. With my flight back to the States a little over a week away, I'm soaking up every minute of this place that I can. I've been here 5 or 6 nights - the fact that I can't remember is a good sign - and I'll stay a few more before heading back to Madrid, with a few stops on the way.
Oh and by the way, Portuguese people sound like Russians, and they admit it too!
prices and rooms for accommodation at Aljezur Hostel, in Arrifana Beach aljezur. Youth hostel, eco and fitness hostel surf in portugal
ReplyDelete