day 7 - one small step for.....

day 7

Waked up 10.30am to go see Andre's volleyball game, Rachel (fictitious name for the american girl) was already up and almost ready to go, so i took a fast shower and we went to find the sports arena. When we got there what was my surprise ,there was a woman's basketball game going on the same time, so i got to watch Andre playing and the basketball game at the same time. For the record to does in Braga there was only one referee in the game, and no official at the table, just a kid, it was a good game and an easy game for Andre's team.

Me and Rachel went to get brunch, and at the middle of it she remembered she didn't got any money to pay so i got ahead and took care of it. A little stop to the train station to figure the timetable for her trip to Versailles, and we went for a walk in the old town, i got to meet her better, the all misconception that all americans are dum is so wrong... she got a major in art, super clever girl, made super intelligent jokes. She suffered a major disappointment in her life and then started travelling, she was going at it for 4 months now, and 2 more to go, good luck Rachel.

She was so cool to answer all my questions about the travelling stuff. A few nice laughs and a bit of talk ending up in religion (it always comes to this part) and i found myself at the top of a castle. I've been there yesterday, but now i have someone to talk about the view, oh... it is breathtaking the view, you can see the all city, and it was a brite sunny day, so there was no cloud on the sky we could see all the surroundings, pffff

We went to get lunch, simple stuff, just a burger, well a burger that was a bit like french cuisine style, but it was a burger. Headed back "home", packed my stuff right, got online to do the last checkup on things (no word from the office), oh congratulations to my brother for his excellent game, and to my team (they will always be my teams) for the win, Zeca is doing a good work.

I waked up Rachel from her afternoon break, because she had a picture of me that i wanted, and i wanted to get a chance to thank them both for helping me on my first couch surfing experience. Picked up my 1985 bull fighting poster (cartel in spanish) and went out the door, as i was waiting for the elevator to come up, Andre and Rachel are staring at me with a smile....

Out in the street, i got my ipod on, and started walking to the bus station. Taking my last views and pictures at the beautiful buildings with that yellow stone that i fell in love at first sight, i started crossing the garden by the river, and the people sited on the benches looked like they were staring at me. Maybe it is true, because i'm guessing i should had a face like i've just stepped on the moon.

Another small step for my journey, but a giant step for me, my first couch surfed.
I was really proud of myself, i got to overcome the fear of being committed to someone i didn't knew in a strange town, i had to trust him as he had too trust me, totally strangers, now i get what he was trying to explain me last night. Like Rachel told "...i have now a new faith in humanity...". I was walking like the end of a movie when someone overcomes everything bad and becomes victorious, and the directors names and actors start to show as the main character is waking freely away.... and i'm just at the begin of my journey.

With some help of some strangers i got to the bus that is taking me to Bilbao, one hour ride and we are there. And there are so many people on the station, i couldn't figure it out why. I went to the information post, and asked for directions for the hotel. She told me what bus i should catch, when i asked her if i could walk to it, she said "you could but it is about an hour walking" i just smiled, if she new how much i had walked the last days.... She told me the way on the map and said it was safe to go by foot because the street's are full with people that are coming out from the stadium, it was a soccer match between Atletico de Bilbao and Barcelona, mistery solved. As i was walking down this big avenue "av. Sabino Arana", i saw this massive crowd walking in my direction, all dressed up in red and white strip's... i took a few extra turns to avoid the crowd because with the backpack was becoming hard to move.

Twenty minutes later i was in the area she had highlighted for me in the map, and i just didn't seem to find the hotel, so i started asking. First try went wrong, the old man didn't want nothing to do with me, second try, bamm, tourist's sorry thank you goodbye, the third was a charm, this 30-40 male took a 20 minutes walk away from is route to get me to the hotel door. I was like, i'm so thankful, and thank you again, thank you, he was at the end of the street and i'm still screaming thank you, eheh, i'm exaggerating to make a point, for does how know it was a wesley thank you :D

So at the hotel, super nice lady, took care of everything and took me to my room.
Know i'm just sitting down having dinner after a bath i intended to last for one hour with the bathtub full and all, i just couldn't to it, this eco thing is really getting to me, regular shower and that is it, writing this post and chatting with some friends back home. Just Relaxing tomorrow is a long day and i will have to carry all my packs with me all day, guggenheim with a backpack it is :s

ps: please send me a bottle of water from Portugal, it is not as bad as in greece, but still.... portuguese water rules!