Lisbon

I find myself in a crowded bus, still incredibly tired. Young girls giggling away in Portuguese…
I look out the window, thinking that my arrival in Lisbon was smooth and easy after all the adventure. I hear the sound of a camera taking a photo. I turn around once more. But what could she be capturing in her picture?
The camera aimed at the ground? Hahaha, of course, my sock-clad flip-flop fashion statement is in full effect.
I hadn’t thought about that one! 🙂

I stumbled upon a simple guesthouse to catch some snoring. After this round-trip of about 20,000 km, I slept for a solid 12 hours.
Waking up plus and less refreshed, I embarked on a Lisbon adventure, finding solace to see the electric tuk-tuks that zip through the city and by a visit to a Thai Buddhist temple right here in Lisbon.

In the Afternoon, after savoring a street samba concert, the fatigue hits me like a ton of bricks. It’s going to take more than a day to recover definitively.

I sprawl out on the well-manicured grass near the sea. There’s a crowd, so I move a bit away to find tranquility.
Placing my bag behind my head, I feel it lightly touching my head.
Unintentionally, I fall into the arms of Morpheus, something that never happens to me under normal circumstances.

My dream isn’t pleasant; it makes me a bit anxious. I see a thief, and I don’t feel confident in this dream, but everything is hazy. My dream seems to lack sense and coherence.

Suddenly, my eyes open, and I wake up from this short nap.
I look above my head, and I see a guy, just 30 cm away. Reacting swiftly, I go from a lying position to kneeling in a fraction of a second, guided by the adrenaline of fear.
I pull my bag closer and notice that it’s halfway open.
This idiot has been trying, I don’t know for how long, to open it without attracting my attention.

He doesn’t move, looking so calm. I shout at him, “What are you doing? Are you trying to steal my stuff?!”
He responds in a Buddhist calmness, “I’m watching you sleep. I’m not a Gypsy.”

I check my bag; everything’s there, passport, phone, and even my laptop.
I tell him to get lost, and then he asks if I want some cocaine! Talk about an unexpected turn of events!
Of course I didn’t want !