Chapter 6 "Viva Quando você viver"

Well I am sure by the context of my last chapter that by now you know I visited Southern Portugal. It was absolutely beautiful. One of the most appealing places I have ever been. Axel Rose must have recently visited Portugal when he wrote the lyrics "Take me down to the paradise city, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty." It couldn't have been more true (though I hear the grass really browns up in the hot summer heat) Apparently it never rains (which was a huge change from being in Britain for a while) and the temperature is annually anywhere between 10-40 degrees celcius.

I found life is a lot simpler there. Things don't have to always to be done right away. The mentality is something along the lines of "Meh, it's too hot, we'll do it tomorow." Maybe it's cause I'm so laid back, but I have really always wondered what the heck is everyone's rush? It's like everyone needs to pee and there is only one stall, so you have to be the first one to use it next. People are sometimes so caught up in their own lives, they can't even stop for 10 seconds to hold a door for a lady. Just today, I saw a British war veteran asking for change on the street. I stood and observed him for 5 minutes as most people didn't care to even respond to his questioning. It was appaling, look around people, he fought so we could have all this! Well I walked up to him, gave him what money I had and talked to him about the war. Amazing the stuff they must have went through just to fight for a cause, whether wrong or right. I thanked him for what he had done, and told him though people may not always show it, I hope everyone appreciates what people like him had done. The conversation made us both happier and more enlightened at the end of it.
Anyways back to Portugal. These little things in life, are very profound at the places I visited. Why rush around so much and worry, when sometimes it's better to just sit back, take 5 minutes and appreciate the things around you. I loved it, the lifestyle there is very addictive, not to mention the wine is VERY cheap so it makes for a nice combo. Makes me think of the great combo's of our time such as Sonny and Cher, Ben and Jen, and of course a Mcdonalds fries and burger (actually all those things when put together all make me sick). It's a lack of commercialization, but certainly not a lack of civilization.

Secondly the people. Awesome, simply awesome. Very friendly and though I never spoke a word of Portuguese, still greeted me with the same respect as a local. It was odd catching glances of someone and you could see it in their eyes thinking the same thing you are "where the heck did he come from?" It was very humbling to still see old villages where people washed their clothes by hand, sat on the porch with an old dog at the end of the drive, and gathered their water from a well in the middle of town. After living in big cities and small towns, there's one thing big cities will never have, and that is a sense of community. But hey, the world needs clowns, just as much as it needs CEO's, both are vital to the overall well being of society (though I'd put my money on clowns having a much higher I.Q then most CEO's.)

Finally, the beaches. Not something that was unique to Portugal. Very similar to the beaches I have been on in Mexico. Definately something worth mentioning though. Almost all the beaches I visited had the option of being nude, just left up to the person's discretion. It all ties in nicely for a lovely relaxing day or a very vigorous one if your sneaky. I'm sure the beaches all along the southern coast are amazing.

Overall, I would recommend Portugal to anyone who needs a little break from the rat race. Very laid back, lovely people with a welcoming attitude, awesome sandy beaches, great food and very rich in culture. Portugal is simply wicked.

Take 5 minutes of your day, and just think of all the positive things in your life, if you can't think of any, just think of life itself, cause some aren't even gifted with that.

Cheers

Marsh

Chapter 5 "How I Lost My Sunglasses"

Well for the past few days, I have been enjoying life on the southern sunny beaches of the Portuguese Algarve. Mainly in a little town called Sylves (SILVE - SH). It is absolutely beautiful here. 30+ degrees everyday, no clouds. All I've really done is drink and lie in the sun. Tons of gorgeous women and cheap beers. (or is it the other way around, too bad no one speaks english, lol, its not really a touristy area) Anyways heres a little story of how I lost my sunglasses, I'd lose 10 pairs to come up with a story like this again but here goes.

I heard around town that what you really need to do is go cave exploring around the algarve. It is the number selling point to tourists to get them to come here, so i thought, meh why not. There are those who do, and those who don't. I made my way down to the beach (nude beach of course!) So here's this white boy (unfortunately I hadn't tanned well yet) walking around with his Canada flag flying high and something else flying even lower. Anyways, after about 10 minutes of walking around (keep in mind nothing is in English) I was left disappointed at not finding someone to take me on a boat tour. Well, if I was one for quitting, I'd still be in Canada, so I kept on. Then the shock hit me . . . I saw a boat coming in with some people on it. All white people with one darker lad guiding it and a sign written in Portugeuse. OK, my mind told me, that has to be a tourist boat. When i say boat, I don't mean some big booze cruise in the adds, I mean a little 4 person fishing boat with nets, a small 100cc engine and a convenient name given to it along the likes of "Santana ." I quickly made my way to it and began to converse the only way I knew how. . . in English. Well, I gather by now you expect how well that went. A bunch of people looking at this white boy running in the sand screaming "take me to the caves, the caves!!!" Well all these people got off and started asking me god knows what, but somewhere in there I could decipher some words such as "deustche"where I said no, "Americane" where I said NOOOOO (with enthusiasm), then finally I pointed to my leg (which has a tattoo of the Canadian flag on it) and said "CANADA!!" Thank god Canada hasn't pissed any country off lately, but they all greeted me. The driver of the boat said, in English to my astonishing surprise "get in" What I was getting "into" exactly I hadn't found out yet, all I could think was at least he wanted a Canadian to take to the caves with. I hopped in the boat quickly (which is wear I think I lost my sunglasses given we we're out in the ocean at this time and I swam up to the boat.Persistence does pay off!) and said my hello's to only find out I was in a boat where no one spoke a word of English. Bonjour and Ola I was greeted with. Even the driver didn't speak English which I thought he might have, just the odd word here and there. I was lost, but at least I was on a boat, off the nude beach, and heading towards the caves! I was left to survive with my instincts and challenge myself and my language barrier outside of the little box we all live in.

First things first, gather information. I listened and found out what little commonality I had with these people who I would soon come to call my friends. Now I'm not the best, but I'd like to say I can make do, but I thought I would give speaking French a shot. Now anyone such as my mates Greame or Frontini can attest from my grade 10 french level, that I'm not exactly the best at it. I managed to say "Hi, my name is marsh, I am from Toronto, Canada." But I could listen and understand, although my sentences were always broken. A lady had asked me (at least I think so) who did I come with? I simply answered (literally in this order) "Ma Mere" "Deux Amis""Portugeuse" and finally with some hand actions simulating a player after scoring a goal "Aeroplane" God knows what they thought, hearing "my mum""two freinds" "Portugal" and "Airplane" with me waving my arms about, but they probably thought, why can't this idiot put a sentece together? It reminded me of a Jeremy Hotz stand up I had seen years ago where the comic simply stated he knew no French except "I am, you are, we are, he is, she is . . . " Well ussually in an intelligent conversation, laughter does not follow an answer to a question but I thought, heck, might as well laugh with them and tell a little joke. So I proceeded to stand up and clap. (why I do not know) but they started to really like this and talk among themselves. I laughed along with them, not a funny laugh, but one of those laughs when you laugh and think to yourself, oh my gosh, I am SO scared I better just keep smiling before these people throw me overboard. So I then thought, heck, at least we're still heading to the caves, might as well keep them entertained. Look for the positive in every situation, because it is always there though sometimes hard to find.
Well as they sat amonst themselves talking I sat back and looked around. I looked at the lady sitting next to me and said what I thought in French was"are you hot?" and then proceeded to take off my shirt. What actually came out was "you ARE hot!"I kid you not it was one of the most akward yet memorable moments of mylife. I had my shirt off only to have the ladies in the boat eye and rub my arms (like grandma might when she meets you at christmas and asks "have you been a good boy?") I have no idea what they said in French after that,but for the rest of the trip they treated me very well and let me get some very good pics. (including one of two people I caught having sex on a private beach !)Anyways, I had made it to the caves and saw some simply amazing natural wonders. Including the formation below which I yelled out "L'Arc de Triomphe" which the French people thought was hilarious and another formation which I appropriately named "the yellow submarine."

Millions of years have created these fantastic structures, some so cavernous where we had to duck to get into and then have them open up to the size of the skydome. You can see the environmental changes in the rock structures given the changes in the colours of the rock and the patterns between the layers. I personally was in awe the whole time and prayed and gave thanks that I was so fortunate to see such things. I loved it and it was an amazing experience. These are the things I look forward to on my journey. Challenges such as conversing in ways which are unfamiliar with me, seeing things people journey miles for, and simply pushing myself further as to what can be accomplished when you set your mind to it.
The only failure in life is not attempting success. On that note, I must rest up, tomorow I hear there is a bullfight in town, and I dont plan on missing out on that one if I can. Who knows, if I have my way, I'll be dressed like a matador and have a 500+ pound animal with his horns charging at me.

Cheers :) and enjoy the show, for we are all puppets in it.