A fresh coat of paint

Apologies for not posting here for a while. I know I have apologized before and promised to post more often but I did not live up to my promise. Hopefully this time I will keep my promise.

It's been four months since I left my homeland, the beautiful and charming Goa. But it feels like I was in Goa just yesterday. It's strange that I should feel that way. But facebook, twitter and social media makes you feel like you are in the same place all the time.

To be precise, I left Goa on the 20th of July along with my twin brother Karl and his wife Astrid. I mentioned in an earlier post how I had to carry two huge suitcases as opposed to their backpacks as I was moving long term (I still don't know. But I'm sure it will be a while before I see Goa again).

I fell in love with Belgium at first sight. I had high hopes in Belgium being a beautiful country and I was certainly not disappointed. Among the cities in Belgium, Brugge has to be right on the top. Sadly we couldn't visit Antwerp but Brussels, Liege, Gent and Leuven were absolutely top notch. If you imagine fairy-tale towns, Brugge a Gent feature right at the pinnacle. Add to that, the flavour of Belgian fries wafting around and Belgian beer to wash down the butter!

Next was the Czech Republic, for which we could afford just three days to Prague. Again, picturesque, exotic and windy! It's a city you can walk around all day, even though you keep bumping into tourists (just like ourselves) every three seconds. "Beef goulash" was my favourite dish in Prague and I would give a thumbs up to the beer too! Oh and definitely, for a budget trip, Prague makes perfect sense!

Shortly we would arrive in Portugal, a country I'm so familiar with and where I would finally be putting down my bags. Lisbon is definitely one of my favourite cities. Even though it doesn't compare to the plush cities of Belgium, it carries a certain charm that keeps you never wanting to leave. It was at Portugal that I bid adieu to Karl and Astrid and would shortly commence my student life.

Student life has been nothing short of delightful. I'm enjoying my new foray into academia and being a student again. Student culture in Portugal is among one of the most exciting parts of Portuguese culture and I've done my bit to try to immerse myself into it.

Three and a half months have passed since I moved to Portugal and I consider it one of the best decisions I have made.

Christmas is approaching and I'm looking forward to a wonderful season.

Signing off!

Mark

The backpacker with a suitcase

Oops! I've been traveling and haven't been blogging. Time to set that straight.

With reference to my earlier post "something's brewing", well indeed something was. I've taken a huge plunge, left my job and cozy life in Goa and will shortly be getting back to the studies in Portugal. Exciting times lay ahead.However,before I do shift base to Portugal I am currently traveling a little bit with my twin brother Karl and his wife Astrid.

We are currently in Brussels and heading to Leuven for a day. Up until now we have covered Brussels, Gent, Bruges,Liege and Maastricht. No prizes for guessing that Bruges has been the most gorgeous city. This fairy-tale like town has it all; canals, cobblestone streets, gardens, parks, windmills, horse carriages, exactly like out of a fairytale. I have no qualms in saying this town ranks way higher than Venice in my book.

After we finish with Belgium,we head to Prague for three days and then onwards to Lisbon. While Astrid and Karl carry their backpacks  I have to lug around two suitcases and honestly I feel like the weirdest backpacker ever!

Oh and I love Belgian fries.

Something's brewing

It's been a long time since I've posted on here. I guess when I stop travelling, I stop posting. I shouldn't though.........................stop travelling that is!

I've been suffering from itchy feet for a while now but haven't been able to do anything about it. Well, I did make a short trip to a nice hill station in Karnataka in India in March, but it was just too short and came in between a horrendously busy time at work, and hence other than a breather (and a weekend getaway) it wasn't much else.

How often have we read "Travel! You can always make money. You can't always make memories". But don't you need money to be able to travel?? That's the darned part! Christopher Mckindless in "Into the Wild" makes it seem so easy. But it's not!

So that would explain this long hiatus from my last backpacking trip Work, earn, save, travel, repeat! That's how I go about it! And maybe that is the best way. It brings more zest to the travel, a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of "I have worked for this!"

But it's been more than eight months now and something had  to give. Maybe I have something planned albeit a little different. It may come as a surprise but I'll wait before I tell you what it is! Whatever it is though, something's definitely brewing!!

I'll see you in two months!

Cheers!

Mark

United Nations News Centre - Southeast Asia: UN rights office appeals for halt in executions for drug crimes

United Nations News Centre - Southeast Asia: UN rights office appeals for halt in executions for drug crimes

Adeus Lisboa!

So, its my last hour in Lisboa. In a short while I will be leaving back for home. I leave with mixed emotions; sad that my holiday has come to an end but also happy to go back home refreshed after a fantastic holiday.

This trip has been memorable one as I after a while I have traveled alone  and once again it was a fantastic experience. I've never felt as confident of independent travel as I did this time around. Indeed, there are many advantages of traveling alone which I will go through in  separate post.

This trip gave me an opportunity to revisit a country I love traveling to, meet old friends, make new ones as well as discover new places. I go back happy, confident and refreshed.

Where will I go to next? Stay tuned!

A strange occurrence

So yesterday I went to Fatima as a visit there was long overdue. I didn't go with much expectations as I heard the place was very commercial. However I'm glad I did go, as contrary to what I had heard, I had a lovely time there. It was was so peaceful!

Well, soon I was back at the bus station waiting for my bus and suddenly there were these 3 Indian men who came walking towards me. One of them was trying to say something but I ignored them. However, the guy then came up to me and said " Sir, sir! You are from Goa no? Portuguese Consulate no?" I looked at them shocked and  nodded my head not knowing what to say but finally I did say "yes". The guy then said "Sir, you attended to me at the consulate twice. I remember your face very well". I was so amused by now and started laughing. They introduced themselves and said they were from Daman and we there on holiday. The chat ended with them inviting me to visit Daman when I got back.

Now what are the odds of that?

Marky in Barcelona

I took an early morning flight from Madrid to Barcelona. Leaving Madrid wasn't easy and a couple of my new  flatmates were up early to say goodbye to me. A huge thank you to Jose and Carole and Carole's flatmates for making me feel so comfortable while I stayed in Madrid.

The flight to Barcelona wasn't long. It was hardly a one hour flight. I had already booked a three night stay at Kabul hostel, recommended by many of the travelers I had consulted online. Off the airport bus and a walk down the La Rambla, I was at Plaza Real, an old quarter in a charming  part of town. Kabul hostel was perfectly located. I checked into a 20 bedded dormitory and there were already signs that Barcelona was a place with a crazy nightlife. All around me, slumped on their beds were young travelers, who had definitely had a long night. It was 1:30pm and they were out cold.

Kabul hostel is a perfect Backpackers hostel with plenty of facilities, games, a bar, a lounge area with funky furniture and full of backpackers all with one mission, "party till you drop". Making friends was easy and fun. Nights out with these fun youngsters from all over the world was a great experience. The couple of nights that I did go out, were unforgettable. Barcelona has a buzzing nightlife, great pubs and clubs all over the place. A night out at Opium, one of Europe's most famous clubs was a highlight of my visit to Barcelona. I have to admit, I let the sightseeing take a back seat and rather spent my time making friends, have fun conversations and sampling a variety of foods.

Even though I didn't go sightseeing much, I did walk around town and the old quarters and honestly, Barcelona has the most breathtaking architecture I've seen till date. Owing to the sunny weather I was able to spend an afternoon at the beach which was absolutely packed with tourists. When on the streets of Barcelona, you hear so many different languages, see so much street art and musicians and fancy restaurants serving mouth watering food. This is truly a cosmopolitan town with a strong Catalan flavour to it.

I will miss Barcelona.