[Wednesday, September 22, 2004]
Last days in Aveiro
September 1, 2004
I spoke with Jacob to talk about the possibility of doing the rest of my internship from Netherlands. I felt necessary to come back as soon as possible concerning all the money and financing that i have to spend if I stay. Meanwhile the job itself has done so far. What left is the reporting, which i am sure can be finished from Netherlands. And surprisingly, he seemed "soft" today. Once we talked with Jacob and Niall, everything run smoothly. And finally next week i will go home for sure.
September 2, 2004
I went to the office with "lighter" feeling today. Everything seems so beautiful. Mixed feeling inside my heart remembering this would be the last time i walked through this road in this city and in this country. The office too seemed different. I went there everyday for the last 1.5 months. And today i looked around with strange feeling. How i'm going to miss it later. I am happy to go home next week. But I also sad to say goodbye to all nice people that have become my friends for this past 6 weeks. They're so sweet and sincere, quality that i hardly found easily. And it just so difficult to let go, for we as a human are so easily attached to new things around us. But again, this is my choice. I have to be ready with all the consequences.
September 3, 2004
Today i was not going to the office. Me and Joice have decided that we will look around the city for the last time. But before that, we have lunch date with Filipa, Louisa, and Sandra. Unfortunately Sandra couldn't come because she's still in Algarve. Too bad, we won't have a chance to meet her again before we leave. She's one of the nicest person i've ever met. Strange thing, when it comes to say goodbye things seems to get better. It seems like we're getting closer each other and so hard to let go. My time to leave them and this country is getting closer. I am excited, yet sad, and nervous. Mixed feelings, so hard to be described right now. My journey here has ended and another journey has awaiting me. But i hate to say goodbye, so I hope this is not goodbye for i hope our path of life will cross each other again sometimes in the future.Our time together maybe short, but I hope our friendship will last forever.
September 4, 2004
Me and Joice tried to ride Buga (the free bicycle rental) for the last time. I have funny story about this whole Buga thing. We're not so lucky with Buga. The first time we use it, the man who gave it to us didn't handed us the key. So after used it for a moment, we parked it near some store and lost it. Okay, then we tried for the second time. This time we asked for the key. After rode it to the university, we parked it and tried to lock it. Then what we found, we lost the key. So we decided not to borrow any more Buga ever since. But since this is our last time here, we have to try it. At least not to leave such a bad memories about it. And we succeeded this time *grin*. Nothing wrong happened, the man was so nice, the bike was fine, and nothing wrong with the lock. So finally we can leave this city with perfect memories about everything.
September 5, 2004
It's raining today. I still haven't finished the whole packing thing. Gee...I started to feel nervous about the plan to traveling across Spain on our way back home. This was my first time to do such a traveling, without any detail plan. Well, we made some plan, but we didn't make any booking at all. Me and Joice has decided to do a roadshow, totally backpackers style. It's not such a big thing anyway, if we didn't look at our luggage and carrier. We brought quite big trolley bag and laptop. Such a backpackers don't you think. But hey, this is our choice. And I think we're quite ready this time. We have rehearsed several times since the first time we got here. Traveling here and there without any plan and certainty. Everything made by the book *thanks to Lonely Planet*. So it's time for the real thing one. Bon voyage!
Unforgetable Lisboa
Leaving Aveiro behind early in the morning mist, put mixed feelings inside. The city gave me great experience, the pleasant and unpleasant one, which all so unforgetable. I met nice people and good friends there. Still eventhough, i felt happy to leave it and headed to home.
But before left Portugal for good, Joice and me decided to take the last nice tour around the city. We went to the famous Sintra for one last time, and this time we managed to reach Castelo dos Mouros up in the hill. Yet we couldn't reach Palacia de Pena and Palacia Regaleira because of time limitation. So it's enough to see from the distance, maybe later we'd have a chance to go back and visit it again. Met Fransisco at the Benfica station, he drove us around the city and showed us some part of Lisboa that we didn't know yet. We visited Belem area, an old beautiful building with magnificent architecture, and monument of discovery. Though it's my third time to go to Lisboa, i'd never get enough of the city. It's such a beautiful city with nice people, nice architecture, nice public transport, and nice weather too. There's no doubt that i'd like to go back there again someday. But in a meantime, i had to go though my heart still attached. I must continue my journey accross Spain to my way back home. Adeus Lisboa, obrigada...
Simplicity in Sevilla
Felt a little bit nervous when we reached San Sebastian bus station in Sevilla, combined with exhausted from our earlier trip at Lisboa and on a way, made us quite frustrated when we found none able to speak english properly to gave us useful information. But finally we could manage to set things. Booked hostel, took some rest, and started our sightseeing around the town. We manage to visit La Catedral, Plaza de Espana, and Torre del Oro by bus. Sevilla is beautiful city, but quite dirty and disorganized in terms of city planning an public transportation. It's a small city actually, but because of the messy organization we felt tired to walk around. Not to mention the heat, which was 32 degress when we got there and also the price, which was quite expensive because the city is a tourism destination. So although it's supposed to be beautiful city, we're not enjoying that much. Instead of staying for 2 nights as we planned, we cut of to 1 night only, and headed to Madrid directly.
More in Madrid
Reached Madrid at Mendez-Alvaro station early in the morning, we're quite confidence after our success at the first trip in Sevilla. But then we found that the station didn't have a proper luggage deposit box and we would have to leave form another station on our next journey to Barcelona. So we called a hostel, found one, and took a taxi to get there complete with our luggages. Felt tired of a long trip and carrying our things, we suddenly fell asleep once we get to our rooms. It was hostel Paz that located around Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor area, which is a city centre. So we're quite lucky to get a nice, cheap, and beautiful rooms that close to city centre.
We plan to stay in Madrid only for 2 nights, but then it changed after we saw the beauty of the city. It's such a big city with 3 different zones: historical, modern, and monumental. Historical consist many old beautiful buildings and museums that stand harmoniously with modern architecture and shopping centre as part of modern zone. Whereas monumental zone consist a lot of monuments and statues that was dedicated to their heroes and any other important people of the country.
Thank God i found a friend that we could stay for an additional 2 nights, so in total we stayed there for 3 nights. It was Mas Eris and his family who was so nice to let us stay with them. Moreover they took us to Segovia, a beautiful small city 2 hours from Madrid by car. The city was famous for its oldest Aqcuadar (water pipes), which is so big that looks like the high big wall around the Colloseum of Rome. And we also took a tour around Santiago Barnabeu stadion, the headquarter of Real Madrid FC. It was such an experience and unforgetable moment. We had seen a lot of Madrid in 4 days, but still we couldn't get enough and would like to have more.
Beautiful Barcelona
Got in Barcelona Sants station early in the morning, Joice and me decided to wait untill the sunrise to start our adventure. At 5 o'clock nothing had opened, nor the coffee shop and tourist information office. Had arrived at the last destination of our journey, we both felt so exhausted. Thank God we found proper luggage deposit box, so we could leave out belongings without any worries. After got information from tourist information office, we start to call the hostel to reserve some rooms. Again we're so fortunate to found one that quite close to the station and city centre. It was Hostel Venecia at La Rambla area, near along the Plaza Catalunya.
We had run out money and energy. So we decided not to push ourselves too much. We explored the city by feet and did not put too much target in our agenda. Thank God Barcelona such a beautiful city which is centered and not as big as Madrid. It didn't take too much time and effort to go from one place to another. We visited La Sagrada familia, the Colon monument, La Catedral, and lots of others. Barcelona was home of the famous Gaudi. We could see his influence easily in lots of buildings in the city. The caracteristic of the people in this city also different from any other two that we had visited earlier. It's more international, in terms of easier to find english speaking person. And the food also cheaper than Madrid. So in conclusion, i really like Barcelona. It's such a beautiful city-must-visit, which 2 nights was not enough and i'd like to go back there again someday with better planning and proper trip.
Home Sweet Home
Finally our journey had reached the end. Leaving Barcelona Avenida the America station in the middle of the night, had gave me strange feeling. I felt happy to go home, but i also felt so hard to let go. I didn't know what attached me that much. Was it Portugal with the beautiful Lisboa, or was it Spain with the unforgertable journey across. One thing for sure, our adventure had not ended yet. We still have to travel across French and Belgium to reach Netherlands. And yet, after we reached Rotterdam, Wageningen still on a long way to go.
Now back to Wageningen again, safe and sounds, surround by close friends and back to the former way of living. Feeling comfortable, grateful, and happy. Though i have to adapt myself again with the famous of Netherland unpredictable weather. Here in my sanctuary i felt safe. It was an amazing journey for me. Such an exhausting and frustrating yet exciting experience. No regret a little bit at all, if i have to do it again i'd choose to do it the same way. Maybe with more money to spend and taste everything offered there ^_^;V
* Posted by
3k4 @ 4:29 AM *
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