GAY LISBOA!

I really didn't have high expectations for Portugal before leaving. I had heard a lot of good things about it from friends who had already traveled to Spain's neighbor, but to me Lisbon just seemed like another European city. Then my hopes of the trip dropped from lackluster to abysmal right from the beginning, when my wallet was stolen after being in the country for a grand total of thirty minutes. I lost all my identification, my credit cards, my metro pass, and the abnormally large amount of cash I was carrying to start off the trip. I thought for sure my entire weekend was ruined, and had I been in another country, it might have been. 

First of all, Lisbon is a beautiful city. I heard it was kind of like San Francisco, and I can definitely see some similarities. It doesn't feel as big--even though SF is pretty small too--and there are no skyscrapers dominating the city. But, Lisbon does have a lot of hills, and one of the main forms of transportation is cable car as well. It's right on the coast with a lot of colorful buildings, and there's even a bridge that looks like the identical twin of a certain golden bridge in the Bay Area. 

Not the best picture... but it looks exactly like the Golden Gate. 

Can't do this in Madrid. 

Saving money became a crucial part of the trip for me, so I was pleasantly surprised by how cheap food and drinks were. Our first stop was a little cafeteria that served traditional Portuguese dishes, and whatever we ate (I'm not exactly sure of the contents), was not only delicious but very affordable. Both days in the city were very low-key, as we just walked around the downtown area, explored the different neighborhoods, visited a centuries-old Moorish castle, and enjoyed delicious pastries (the brisa is incredible). Lisbon is known for it's nightlife, although so is Madrid, so I didn't think there was a way it could be much better. However, in Portugal it's legal to drink outside, which means throngs of people filling the streets drinking and partying. In Madrid we have our botellones, but nothing to this scale, since the police will inevitably break it up sooner or later. We made new friends on the streets both nights there, and when the weather is nice, it's very pleasant to have your fiesta outside in the fresh, spring air. 

Now, I don't think it's good to stereotype a group of people for any reason, but since this is something positive, allow me one generalization: Portuguese people are the friendliest people I have ever met in my life (and probably the best looking). I was constantly blown away by the amiability of every single person I interacted with, even just the drivers who would almost always stop their car if you were trying to cross the street instead of just blazing by. A guy I met one night offered to give me some money after he heard about my wallet situation--which I didn't take but it was still really thoughtful of him--and a group of students we met the next night ended up becoming new friends when they offered to take us out. Plus, the anti-American sentiment I've felt in other places in Europe was completely the opposite in Lisbon. I also met some really nice Brazilians, so maybe it's a Portuguese-speaking peoples thing? It's possible the world could be a much better place if everyone just learned Portuguese. 

The trip was definitely not ruined, and despite the initial problems, it ended up being an amazing time. Just the fact that Portugal is a "weekend trip" like Santa Barbara would be back home is unbelievable. I definitely want to go back and see more of the country, and honestly, it's definitely a place I could see myself living for a period of time in the future.