Lagos, as I discovered Sunday, is a dreadful tourist-trap. The restaurants are chocked with elderly Brits and Germans and the shops are filled with touristy kitsch. It´s the kind of place I was actually embaressed to be walking around in. The beaches were nice, but the weather was overcast the whole time. At night it was a different story. I went out well after midnight on Saturday and Sunday with different groups of Aussis and Kiwis and even a couple locals and had a wonderful time both nights. Yesterday I woke up to drizzling rain (the first in 6 months in [View Full Entry]

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I´m in Lagos, a beach town in the Algarve. I just got here at 9 pm so I haven´t had a chance to explore yet, but supposedly it has Portugal´s finest beaches. Yesterday I did a day-trip with a Dutchman and a Frenchman to Sintra, a wonderful 18th century town with a hilltop pine-forest setting. We toured a bazaar palace that looked more like something from Disneyland than something that someone would actualy live in. The highlight was undoubtedly the handcarved wooden toilet in the royal bathroom. Later that night, in Lisbon, I went out with a whole group of Europeans [View Full Entry]

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So I´m in Lisbon and I could not be happier. The plane ride was easy enough and I was fortunate to see one of those wonderful fast-forward sunrises one only experiences while traveling directly East at 600 mph. Approaching Lisbon, we flew right over the south-westernly most tip of Europe and I was able to pick out each city along the coast until we got to Lisbon itself. The best part, however, was the bus ride from the airport. I unintentionaly sat next to two French girls, Elodie and Marie-Laure, having never really talked to a French girl, I was delighted [View Full Entry]

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So I'm off.... but in case you're wondering what one brings on a year-long trip to Africa, here you have it. Items marked with an asteriks (*) mark items returning from my previous journey. 1 Eagle Creek Travel Backpack with Zip-Out day pack* 1 Pair Asolo Indestructable Hiking Boots* 1 TexSport 2 Person Tent ($28.00!) 1 Blue HardWear Synthetic Sleeping Bag 1 2-Person Hanging Mosquito Net 1 Black Columbia Ski Jacket with Zip-Out liner 1 120l. Pacsafe (wire mesh that encloses my backpack to thwart ne'erdowells) 1 Pair Columbia Nylon Khakis* (Worn in 22 countries and counting!) 1 Pair [View Full Entry]

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