18 March 2008
My birthday. Yay! Yay! Yay.......ya...a ... aii.
I'm flying from Madrid to Lisbon. Why flying? I can't book anything from Hong Kong and the trains I could book in Hong Kong were hell expensive. I should take the bus instead but ... never mind.

I wanted to take this photo when I arrived Madrid. the metro leaving to airport have this 'map' at the top of the station ... like a madrid city map with traffic light. very pretty actually.

Got a sandwish while waiting for the flight.

Oh I love cloud. I wish I can fly.

Taking the bus from the airport to the city. In Lisbon there's NO train to go to the city centre ( I never been to a country in Europe have no train to the city ... don't know why!) so I have to look for the bus. Its not hard to get the bus to go to the city, but I'm just wondering if I would know where to get off.

Get on the bus and holding the map like an idiot to check around if I saw some movement sculpture / building so I can found out where I am ... the old lady next to me asked, "where you go". An old portugese lady around 70 years old speak a little English. I point at the map and say "here"(Rato station) then she said she get off same area ...

When we get off I thought she will just point the way for me ... but she was walking with me! I keep saying no (don't want the old lady walk) but she was really insist to walk with me and said she live around the area anyways ...

After 15 mins walk and I kinda find out where I am (like 5 more mins walk 5 more mins) we then say goodbye, don't know why when you meet things happens like this when you are travelling you really feel happy, I keep saying thank you and hug her before I turn and walk up - oh nice people.

When I book my trip was too late for everything, also too late for the hostel. So I stayed in a hotel ... I never stay in a hotel in Europe (if not staing in friend's house, then will be hostel ... since Europe is hell expensive) but only 4 nights, and its my birthday! Ok do it.

The price to pay for this 3 stars hotel can stay in a 5 stars or 6 stars in Thailand (ok I know cannot compare but ..)

Again, It was like 3,4 pm and I was starving ...get some snake first before go to the eating are. bought a cheese cake (they call it cheese cake after 5 mins converstaion of English and portugese) .. yum

The hotel I live is near Metro, but when I ask the ticket office they say there's no such thing as one day ticket in there, only return or one way or mix ticket ... very strange. The weirdest train system ever ...

Get the metro to Rossio - for visit that old castle "Castle of São Jorge".

Castle of São Jorge is located in the highest hill of the historic centre of the city. It is one of the main historical and tourist sites of the city. Although the first fortifications on the Lisbon hilltop are known to date only from the 2nd century BC, archaeological research has shown that human occupation exists there at least since the 6th century BC, originally from autochthonous Celtic and Iberian tribes (with probable Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian influences), afterwards Roman, Suebic, Visigothic and Moorish.

You see why I go there? I like old stuff (not old men sorry)

Had a meal in the Estacão do Rossio before going. The waiters actually asked me out, saying stuff like "you are so beautiful" ... I think they may say this to a lot of tourist already.

Take the bus again ... going up.

Oh my god, How old are you?

Great view from the hill. How pretty Lisbon is.

Love it, Love it, Love it.

In fact, that was scary.

So pretty

Going upstairs ...

Walk a bit more ... just love the view and the air.

One funny thing was ... I walk toward corner and back of the place sometime. Don't want to treat it as a birthday gift but I saw ... a couple having sex (LOL) at the back of the garden.

I was upstairs and they were below. They didnt know but I think it was really stupid to do this in a tourist area ... once the girl noticed some one watching (hey, I wasn't looking for a long time, just 10 seconds to make sure what they are really doing) she was shocked and say "oh!!!" and they both hold eachother like being catch ... I just look at them and turn back like normal walk away ...

What are you people thinking? do it in the garden then people can't see it from far away don't you know? lol

 

Back to the city, walk a lot, really a lot, my feet hurt ... looking for a place for a drink ... or just a coffee.

When I saw some bars I don't know why I didn't want to go inside. I go clubbing every weekend (almost) but in fact I'm not that much a clubbing person ... just because I want to see my friend. walk like 4 hours and saw a very unobvious place ... lots of locals in there. Ok I'm too tired to be picky.

I asked for a coffee and they don't know what is coffee ... thanks god I saw a coffee machine and point at it. they show me small cup for espeso and bigger cup ... bigger one please. Here come a cappuccino.

Finally, got a coffee. My birthday drink ...

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to Kylie...
Happy birthday to me.

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