Settling in

My exploration of the region continues. And my van has done brilliantly in this regard. It starts every time and I have yet to stall it once. It is very well geared for its weak little engine – climbing the mountains is a slow process, as it cruises on the flat in fourth gear at a mere 40kph. And I haven’t made any mistakes about the side of the road to drive on, although I do keep trying to get in the passenger side of the car. And parking a van is still a bit foreign to me. In fact, trying to squeeze into a tight space recently (they park every- and anywhere they can here) I actually scraped my bumper into someone’s house. Oops.

The next closest bigger town to Alvor is Portimao, a maze of one-way zig-zagging streets. There is a very built up tourist region toward the coast, so the older town center is not very appealing, being a locals-only kind of spot.

Along the coast in the other direction is Lagos, a mid-sized town centered around a lovely walled historic area separate from the urban sprawl. This is my preferred destination when I need bigger shops, though I’m finding my way around both.

The mountain region of Monchique is truly idyllic, and only 20kms away - a nice retreat for fresh air and a change of scene. And in another region of these mountains, I’ve identified an out of the way village named Sao Barnabe. I foresee a pilgrimage…

As for accommodation, I've found a great abandoned farm building at the end of a bumpy dirt road that overlooks the lagoon estuary. Considering my lack of financial security, I may be making this home for the time being. Though one morning that I had Pedro stay with me (a house guest?), he slept in so long that I found out why the grass in my chosen pasture was pressed flat: a tourist troupe of 4x4 trucks came to show off the local Roman ruins. And I’ve seen them once since when I dawdled in the morning, reading my book. Lesson learned – hide away more, or leave early (my preferred option to make the most of the day).

I've found that shopping at the supermarket, I can eat for less than $10 a day. The only remaining challenges were to find a daily shower and to connect to the internet occasionally.

There aren't any public showers on the beach, so I guess I have to splurge an extra $1 a day for the beach restaurants' showers. So far, I've been sneaking into the local youth hostel - supposedly to use the internet - but that can only last so long.

And as for internet access: the Lagos public buildings offer free Wifi… at better speeds than most New Zealand connections. In Alvor the best option is a couple of pubs that also offer free WiFi as an enticement.

Meeting the locals seems to have been quite easy so far. Due to the peculiar nature of the transient population, everyone seems to be very accepting. So far it’s shaping up to be a fine summer.