21.3.2009.-22.3.2009.
I've been so bad about updating!! For one, I'm having trouble with memory space and photo editing on my computer. I like to be able to post the blog with the corresponding pictures but I feel like it is going to take a while to get these pictures how I want them. Also, I'm on vacation from school here and the weather has been fantastic. Free time and awesome weather means I'm not inside and so have not updated.
So, back to Portugal.
That Saturday, the 21st, we woke up early with our huge group of UNC people and ate breakfast together while figuring out who wanted to do what for the day. Half of us wanted to find the aqueducts nearby and the rest wanted to go across the river to see the big statue of Jesus. (I don't remember what it's called but it's like the twin of the one in Brazil. You can see it from across the river. It's huge!) My group went off with a map and some cameras in search of the aqueducts. They're tall and long so we figured we would find them pretty easily.
After walking for about a half hour and taking the most obscure route we could manage, we found the aqueducts. They are enormous and span across the major highway. The only problem was we were basically on the side of the road and pretty sure there had to be an easier access. While we were looking around, we noticed there were people walking across the aqueducts. Finding a way to get on them became our next mission. We weren't sure if we had to be on the side of the highway we were on or on the other. We found stairs leading up to one side and finally found an entrance. Of course, there was a little fee to cross but it was definitely worth it.
From up top, on one side you see the highway which leads to the San Francisco-esc bridge and crosses the river. On both sides of the highway, the red-tiled buildings rise. You can walk all the way to the other end and cross over to the other side which is a most industrial look at Lisbon. We had another day of perfect weather and stood up there for awhile enjoying the view.
After, Derrick and I split off from the group because we had to get something to eat and then go meet Ricky and the rest in front of the train station to catch a train to Sintra. Being a little low on cash and time, we bought frozen pizzas from the store and made them in the hostel's kitchen. This time, our rendezvous went as planned and we caught the next train out to Sintra.
Sintra is located west of Lisbon and is about a 45 minute train ride. It's a picturesque little town with a couple of palaces and a Moorish castle. It had been recommended to us by some friends. However, we did not realize that it is mountainous and covered with giant trees. We got off the train and it was a good 20 degrees colder than in Lisbon where we had been running around in short sleeves and flip flops for the past two days. We caught the bus to take us up to the top of the mountain to see the Palacio do Pena.
Upon entering, you are greeted by the palace gardens. I read somewhere that the guy who designed them wanted a mixture between a tropical forest and the forests of Germany. It was an interesting effect. Honestly, the whole time I was in Sintra, I felt like I was in a fairy tale. The woods are dark with enormous trees. Exotic flowers bloom. Shivering, we hiked up through the gardens watching the palace peek through the trees.
Now Pena Palace is probably the strangest looking building I have ever seen. From the outside, it looks almost cartoonish, like the architect told his son to draw a castle and he used the scribbles as a blueprint. It is red, yellow, and gray. The only way I can think of to describe the architecture is strange. We were not allowed to take pictures on the inside, but the inside of the palace is a complete contradiction to its exterior. All of the rooms are lavishly decorated with paintings and furniture collected from around the world. The whole experience was weird but very interesting. Afterward, there was a little shop and we got cups of tea to warm ourselves up.
When we made it down to the front gate of the gardens to walk down to the Moorish castle, the gates were locked closed. We learned from the gate keeper that everything was closing (it was 5). He said if we hurried we might be able to talk the other gate keeper to let us into the Moorish ruins. We went as fast as we could but the climb up through the castle takes you through a winding overgrown path. We made it to the gate 20 minutes after 5. The guy at the gate at first said we could not and we couldn't get a refund for our tickets. He recommended we come back tomorrow but we told him we were only going to be there for the day. After some pouting and Ricky pleading in Portuguese, he said we had 20 minutes and he was not going to call us and tell us he was locking the gate.
We made it in 17 minutes. We literally got past the gate and took off running. Outer castle wall was the best. It winds along the edge of the mountain like a mini Great Wall of China. From the turrets, you can see all of Sintra and some other town nestled in the valley below. It was cold! The tops of the mountains were shrouded in thick fog. We decided we wanted to see the highest point and lunged our way up these huge stone steps. My quads were sore after and I knew it was not a good sign for the race next day but I wanted to get my money's worth!
After our speed tour of the castle, we caught the bus back into town to go search for a grocery store so we could get the ingredients to make a pre-race pasta dinner. Sintra was a cool little town. I really wished we had had more time to actually explore it. Amanda and I bought cups of hot chocolate to warm our hands on the walk back to the train station.
Once home, we started cooking. We had some pasta to make and stir fry veggies and chicken to cook. Staying true to Spanish style, we used olive oil for the pasta sauce and dumped everything into a giant bowl. Elizabeth had gotten the idea to make Bruschetta with the limited supplies we had. We even bought ice cream for dessert. It was great to sit around a big meal and joke around. We all turned in fairly early so we could get up and get breakfast before the race the next morning. I love the tension in the air before a race. You could tell everyone was excited and nervous.
We woke up early to leave around 8 so we could get to the start line. The start line was across the river, near the big Jesus and we had to take the metro and a train to get there. Fortunately though, with our race bibs we were given free transportation. We thought we knew where we were going but then saw everyone with bibs on going the opposite directions on the metro. (Did I mention that this is the biggest half marathon in the world with over 30,000 participants? The metro was packed!!) Finally, after consulting with some older Portuguese men, we found the right way to the train station and caught the next one to cross the river.
Getting to the start line was MADNESS. Basically, there was NO organization to the start line. When I ran in November, everyone was divided up into their corresponding pace groups. So if you wanted to run at an 8 minute mile pace, you went to that group. Not here. I didn't even see the start line until 15 minutes after the race started. Thankfully, we had chips to time us but it was really crazy. We lost half of our group (there were 13 of us running), but we had all agreed on a meeting spot before the race.
The race started on the giant bridge and continued across where you ran up the right side of the city then back down toward Belem and finished in front of the monastery. The first couple miles were hell because there was also a mini-marathon, which was a 7 k. It was not separated from the half course until mile 4 or so. That meant on this bridge with limited space, you had to dodge around lines of people just walking the course. It drove me nuts. Finally, once we were back on land, it split off and the crowd of runners lengthened out. I'm used to training on my own so I much prefer to have my space. One thing that drove me nuts was when they had the water/gatorade stations, they gave you the entire bottle. Normally, you get a cup that you just gulp down and throw away. This method seemed so wasteful. Gels were not offered and I had bought one earlier but ended up losing it somehow.
The race course was entirely flat! I mean, there was not one hill in the whole thing which really surprised me because the parts of Lisbon we had gone were really hilly. I don't know which I would have preferred. Flat races are fast but they can also drive you insane because you can see how much farther you have to go. I ran it fine without much cramping. Normally, it takes me about 6 miles to warm up but I didn't get into a really great rhythm until mile 9. I could definitely tell I was just plain tired. I was in much better shape when I ran the full. I ran it in...2 hrs and 25 minutes, if I remember correctly. My best 13.1 has been 2:14. So I was more out of shape than I normally am but it still felt really good to stretch my legs that long. I hadn't since running the full in November.
Everyone finished who entered, which made us all happy. We met in front of the fountain at the monastery, took some pictures, and of course, sang the Carolina Alma Mater. Afterward, the ladies at the hostel had been nice enough to let us keep our stuff there way past check out time and we got in showers as well. The plan for the afternoon was to head in the opposite direction of Belem to check out the Oceanarium. The only bad thing was we had to carry around our very heavy back packs on sore legs for the next 6 hours. After scarfing down another pasta meal, we took the metro over the Oceanarium.
This part of Lisbon was really cool. It was completely different from the rest. The rest of Lisbon looks old and has all these statues and things like that. Near the Oceanarium, everything is high-tech and futuristic looking. The Oceanarium itself is two stories and located over water. You have to take a bridge to get to it. Inside, there is a huge central tank with viewing windows from all sides. In the corners of the buildings, the rooms focus on certain oceans, like tropical, arctic, etc. There were even penguins and sea otters. Once we had seen all of it, we sat for awhile in front of the big viewing windows of the central tank to watch the giant Sun fish and rest our tired legs.
By then, night time was falling. We walked along the boardwalk of the river until we found a really inexpensive yet tasty restaurant where we ate looking out at the river. Once we were finished, we went to the bus station and caught our over night bus back to Sevilla.
I actually made it to ALL of my classes the next day.
I'll be writing about Semana Santa and UNC WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP next. Hopefully, I will have more pictures up soon.
love you and miss you all
Elle
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