We left on Friday afternoon, and drove about 4 hours from Sevilla to the cliffs of Sagres, where we were just in time to watch the sunset over the ocean. It was beautiful, and would become pretty typical that weekend. Climb some cliffs, get amazing views of the ocean, and watch how beautiful it was when the sun set. After our hike (and lots of pictures), we went back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.
Our hotel was surprisingly nice, which I say as someone who lives on a student budget and really just expects enough space to sleep. It had a kitchen, bathroom, and beds set up in the bedroom and living room, so me and my friends weren't all packed in a small room. There was even a balcony overlooking the pool. And no hate to my bed here, but I could have slept in that bed forever, it was SO comfortable.
Sagres is definitely a summer beach town, and since it's no longer summer, it was pretty deserted. We still found a restaurant/bar to go to that night, and I was so excited to get a hamburger and fries. After we were done dinner, it turned into a bar and we stayed there for the night, which was kind of inevitable since there were no other bars in town. It was a night of crazy ideas, one of them being that tying sheets together and scaling our balcony to get to the pool could not possibly end badly. Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I didn't end up going through with it.
Saturday morning we got to sleep in, hang out and relax by the pool, and have a barbecue at the hotel before heading out for the day's more intense activities. Since our group was so large, we split into two and my group first went to a breathtaking beach to swim, play volleyball, and hang out before it was time for rock climbing and cliff jumping. My friend Emily and I ended up playing volleyball for at least 2 hours, with people we met from all over Europe. It was so much fun.
Finally, it was our turn to go and we drove about 5 minutes to a lagoon where we would be jumping and climbing. The cliff we were climbing was right next to the ocean, so even when I was dying halfway up the rocks, I could still look behind me and appreciate the amazing scenery. Rock climbing was so fun, and I got the highest in my group, even though I didn't make it to the top. After we were done climbing, it was time to cliff jump. I was pretty excited, because this is something I've always wanted to do, and what better place to try it than Portugal?
As it turns out, I think I'd be a bigger fan of cliff jumping in a lake, or anywhere where there weren't monstrous waves. I was the third and last person to jump in my group because right after Emily and I jumped, the waves became enormous and swimming from where we jumped back to shore was incredibly difficult and dangerous. The actual jumping was the most exhilarating thing I've ever done, and I'm so glad that I didn't chicken out, but getting stuck in the riptide and smashed by waves was also pretty terrifying.
That being said, we all survived and it was just another memory to add to this adventure. After jumping, we hiked out to what was once thought to be the End of the World to watch the sunset. I feel like there should be a limit on how many times I say something was absolutely beautiful, but I promise that I said it just as much in real life as I keep saying it now.
Saturday night we went out for dinner again, and Emily and I shared steak, which let me tell you I have been craving since America, and it did not disappoint. It also didn't hurt that they added fried potatoes on the side. Yum. We went back to the hotel and went out again that night, which was just as crazy and fun as our Friday night, but without any attempts to climb down walls.
Sunday was surfing day! Having never tried surfing before, I can now appreciate just how hard it is. I stood up (barely) and immediately fell back off. I would also say that we glided more than surfed, since we only caught white waves. It was still so much fun, and despite how exhausting it was, I had a blast making a fool out of myself. I will say that they make carrying a surfboard look so easy in the movies, and I, along with the bruises on my hip, are here to tell you that it is really, really hard.
We went on one last cliff hike to get another breathtaking view, and then it was off to one more lunch before we made the drive back home. I, along with the other 3 girls in my car, immediately passed out and slept for most of the ride. Our poor driver was probably not amused. We woke up for the last hour and had fun playing American music for him, though.
All in all, Portugal was too beautiful for words to describe, and I'm so lucky that I got to experience it with some amazing people. I have more bruises than I can count and sore muscles, but it was completely worth it.
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