So this is Lisbon
To get to the airport and catch our flight, Ange and I woke up at 4am. We changed, got ready, had something to eat, and were out the door. We got to the bus station at 4:30 and waited for the bus to take us to Cibeles. Bel said the bus comes every 20 minutes... we were getting nervous waiting for it! We were just about to take a taxi already when along comes to bus almost half an hour later. We took it up to Cibeles and from there took the shuttle to the airport. We were able to check in and board without problems and were soon on our way to Lisbon.
We arrived in Lisbon at about 8am (it's one hour behind Spain) and took the shuttle to the city center. I was really hesitant at first to visit Lisbon; I thought that there was pretty much nothing to do here. But as I was riding the bus, I looked out the window and was getting excited. For some reason, the city gave me a strong first impression. We followed the directions given by the hostel and were able to find it without problems. We're staying at the Yes! Hostel which was recommended by Angela's CISV friend Pavao, because his CISV friend Manuel works there. (Funny story, I actually met Manuel in 2008 at a conference in Italy but was not able to remember him. Haha.) Anyway, we paid and left our bags because check-in was at 2:30. By the way, I LOVE the hostel but I will rave about it later on. We also met another guy working there and when we said we were from the Philppines, he got excited and goes "Entonces, hablas español!" (So, you speak Spanish!) I understood him of course, but then I told him how not everyone in the Philippines speaks Spanish and he was pretty shocked because he really thought Spanish was an official language.
I really had no idea of what to do in Lisbon. The few sites I want to go, I'm saving for when Bel is with us. So Ange and I checked the map and decided to go to St. George's Castle. Lisbon is also a pretty hilly city. We had to walk up and up and up to get to the castle.
The walls in one of the streets. Ange is obsessed with walls on this trip!
The castle was a treat though. We paid the 7 euro entrance fee then went in to walk around. Since the castle is located up on a hill, probably one of the highest points in the city, it offers a magnificent view of Lisbon. Ange and I took lots and lots of pictures here. From here you can see the bridge which resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. Ange told me that the architect who designed Lisbon was the same one who designed San Francisco. Since Lisbon is also hilly, it has trams just like San Francisco.
We walked around the castle complex. It wasn't that huge actually. We read that the castle was strategically positioned there - in the highest and hilliest part - to make it harder for enemies to reach. Ange and I agree because it really took us forever to get there! Haha. Anyways, we walked around the walls of the castle. Some parts were actually pretty scary as it was narrow and the ledge was low. I felt like I was going to fall off. We made it though (haha) and we have some really nice pictures. :-)
The view from the castle. Can you see the Ponte de 25 Abril (bridge) and how it resembles the Golden Gate Bridge? There's also what Ange and I call the fake Christ the Redeemer statue in the background. Haha.
The castle
Ange and I with Lisbon behind us
After roaming around the castle we headed back down. We passed a different route of the one we took coming up and were able to walk through the Alfama district. We even passed by the Cathedral. It was actually small but very beautiful. The interior was not lavishly decorated which made it even more beautiful in its simplicity.
We got another great view of the city. Lisbon is known for it's miradouros (viewpoints). You're supposed to go around the city and look for your favorite miradouro. And already we've found some pretty good ones. We continued walking back down and stopped by a small restaurant for lunch. As Lisbon is by the coast, seafood is very popular here. Ange and I both aren't fans of seafood though so she had pasta and I had meat.
It was almost 2:30 so we decided to go by the river. It was really COLD. We didn't stay long; just took a few pictures and roamed around the square (Praça da Comércio) which is right by the river.
It was so cold!
We then headed back to check-in in our hostel. Okay, now I can rave about the hostel.The hostel is awesome. As soon as you enter you get this really homey feel. The people in the check-in desk are young and very nice and friendly. (Manuel was one of them). On the side, they have four Macs where you can surf the web and they also have free wi-fi. When we arrived it was about breakfast tme (the hostel comes with free breakfast). The dining room is really just a bunch of couches, stools, beanbags, and tables. There's even a bed. It's really warm and cozy. For the hotel you're given this bracelet. To get inside the hostel, you have to beep it against the door. So random passerbys can't just enter the hostel. The bulletin boards in the lobby are full of posters about things to do in Lisbon, but it's not all the touristy stuff that websites give off. It's all places worth going to, nearby and inexpensive restaurants and supermarkets. They even offer free walking tours (you just tip the guide). It's really pretty cool!
We walked up to our room in the second floor. Again, to get into the room you beep your bracelet. (It's personalized, kind of like a key card). The rooms are nice. Three bunk beds (so six people in total) all against one wall. The bottom bunks have curtains for privacy and you have your own sheeets, pillow, blanket, reading light, and outlet. Then below the beds they have these cabinets. Instead of locks, you use... your beeper bracelet! Super cool, isn't it? Plus the cabinet space is huge! Ange was really happy. The shower is common but Ange just took a shower there and she said it was good.
The hostel is even in an amazing location! It's less than five minutes from the main square (Praça do comércio). From there you go through the Arch and that's Rua Augusta. It's a main road that's closed off to cars and has the MUDE museum, several stores (Bershka, H&M, Zara, etc.), restaurants, and even a tourist kiosk. The hostel is in Rua Sao Juliao which is perpendicular to Rua Augusta. Okay, I'll stop raving about the hostel now, but it's a really great place and I recommend it if you ever go to Lisbon!
The beds
The cabinets under the bed
The bracelet beeper
So we stayed a bit and chilled in our hotel. Used the internet, updated this blog. Internet's fast too. We decided to go out in the afternoon. We took oe of the trams - Tram 28 - and it took us up around the old part of Lisbon. We got out in front of the Basilica da Estrela. From the outside it looks grand and magnificent but inside it's really simple. Simple but beautiful. Across the basilica is a garden/park - the Jardim da Estrela. It was so beautiful. It was pretty, quiet, and peaceful. There were a lot of old people and little kids. There were even some teenagers doing their homework and having study groups. Ange and I bought some ice cream and just sat in the park. We spent some time there then took the tram back to the "our" part of the city.
We walked around some more then decided to go inside this museum - the MUDE. The hostel posted about it and it was free so we decided to check it out. Well, it was a bit weird. Haha. But at least it was free. We just roamed around some more then headed back to our hostel. We chilled around, used the internet, I read a bit. They even showed the Manchester United-Schalke game on a projector in the lobby. I watched while waiting for Ange's friend, as we were supposed to have dinner with him.
It was getting pretty late so we went up to the rooms. We decided to lie down a bit, but we ended up falling asleep! The beds were really comfy. Ange and I were sleeping on a sofa bed in Tita Marilou's house so it was pretty nice to have my own bed.
We arrived in Lisbon at about 8am (it's one hour behind Spain) and took the shuttle to the city center. I was really hesitant at first to visit Lisbon; I thought that there was pretty much nothing to do here. But as I was riding the bus, I looked out the window and was getting excited. For some reason, the city gave me a strong first impression. We followed the directions given by the hostel and were able to find it without problems. We're staying at the Yes! Hostel which was recommended by Angela's CISV friend Pavao, because his CISV friend Manuel works there. (Funny story, I actually met Manuel in 2008 at a conference in Italy but was not able to remember him. Haha.) Anyway, we paid and left our bags because check-in was at 2:30. By the way, I LOVE the hostel but I will rave about it later on. We also met another guy working there and when we said we were from the Philppines, he got excited and goes "Entonces, hablas español!" (So, you speak Spanish!) I understood him of course, but then I told him how not everyone in the Philippines speaks Spanish and he was pretty shocked because he really thought Spanish was an official language.
I really had no idea of what to do in Lisbon. The few sites I want to go, I'm saving for when Bel is with us. So Ange and I checked the map and decided to go to St. George's Castle. Lisbon is also a pretty hilly city. We had to walk up and up and up to get to the castle.
The castle was a treat though. We paid the 7 euro entrance fee then went in to walk around. Since the castle is located up on a hill, probably one of the highest points in the city, it offers a magnificent view of Lisbon. Ange and I took lots and lots of pictures here. From here you can see the bridge which resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. Ange told me that the architect who designed Lisbon was the same one who designed San Francisco. Since Lisbon is also hilly, it has trams just like San Francisco.
We walked around the castle complex. It wasn't that huge actually. We read that the castle was strategically positioned there - in the highest and hilliest part - to make it harder for enemies to reach. Ange and I agree because it really took us forever to get there! Haha. Anyways, we walked around the walls of the castle. Some parts were actually pretty scary as it was narrow and the ledge was low. I felt like I was going to fall off. We made it though (haha) and we have some really nice pictures. :-)
After roaming around the castle we headed back down. We passed a different route of the one we took coming up and were able to walk through the Alfama district. We even passed by the Cathedral. It was actually small but very beautiful. The interior was not lavishly decorated which made it even more beautiful in its simplicity.
We got another great view of the city. Lisbon is known for it's miradouros (viewpoints). You're supposed to go around the city and look for your favorite miradouro. And already we've found some pretty good ones. We continued walking back down and stopped by a small restaurant for lunch. As Lisbon is by the coast, seafood is very popular here. Ange and I both aren't fans of seafood though so she had pasta and I had meat.
It was almost 2:30 so we decided to go by the river. It was really COLD. We didn't stay long; just took a few pictures and roamed around the square (Praça da Comércio) which is right by the river.
We then headed back to check-in in our hostel. Okay, now I can rave about the hostel.The hostel is awesome. As soon as you enter you get this really homey feel. The people in the check-in desk are young and very nice and friendly. (Manuel was one of them). On the side, they have four Macs where you can surf the web and they also have free wi-fi. When we arrived it was about breakfast tme (the hostel comes with free breakfast). The dining room is really just a bunch of couches, stools, beanbags, and tables. There's even a bed. It's really warm and cozy. For the hotel you're given this bracelet. To get inside the hostel, you have to beep it against the door. So random passerbys can't just enter the hostel. The bulletin boards in the lobby are full of posters about things to do in Lisbon, but it's not all the touristy stuff that websites give off. It's all places worth going to, nearby and inexpensive restaurants and supermarkets. They even offer free walking tours (you just tip the guide). It's really pretty cool!
We walked up to our room in the second floor. Again, to get into the room you beep your bracelet. (It's personalized, kind of like a key card). The rooms are nice. Three bunk beds (so six people in total) all against one wall. The bottom bunks have curtains for privacy and you have your own sheeets, pillow, blanket, reading light, and outlet. Then below the beds they have these cabinets. Instead of locks, you use... your beeper bracelet! Super cool, isn't it? Plus the cabinet space is huge! Ange was really happy. The shower is common but Ange just took a shower there and she said it was good.
The hostel is even in an amazing location! It's less than five minutes from the main square (Praça do comércio). From there you go through the Arch and that's Rua Augusta. It's a main road that's closed off to cars and has the MUDE museum, several stores (Bershka, H&M, Zara, etc.), restaurants, and even a tourist kiosk. The hostel is in Rua Sao Juliao which is perpendicular to Rua Augusta. Okay, I'll stop raving about the hostel now, but it's a really great place and I recommend it if you ever go to Lisbon!
So we stayed a bit and chilled in our hotel. Used the internet, updated this blog. Internet's fast too. We decided to go out in the afternoon. We took oe of the trams - Tram 28 - and it took us up around the old part of Lisbon. We got out in front of the Basilica da Estrela. From the outside it looks grand and magnificent but inside it's really simple. Simple but beautiful. Across the basilica is a garden/park - the Jardim da Estrela. It was so beautiful. It was pretty, quiet, and peaceful. There were a lot of old people and little kids. There were even some teenagers doing their homework and having study groups. Ange and I bought some ice cream and just sat in the park. We spent some time there then took the tram back to the "our" part of the city.
We walked around some more then decided to go inside this museum - the MUDE. The hostel posted about it and it was free so we decided to check it out. Well, it was a bit weird. Haha. But at least it was free. We just roamed around some more then headed back to our hostel. We chilled around, used the internet, I read a bit. They even showed the Manchester United-Schalke game on a projector in the lobby. I watched while waiting for Ange's friend, as we were supposed to have dinner with him.
It was getting pretty late so we went up to the rooms. We decided to lie down a bit, but we ended up falling asleep! The beds were really comfy. Ange and I were sleeping on a sofa bed in Tita Marilou's house so it was pretty nice to have my own bed.
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