Life hasn't been easy for most of us in 2020 due to the current pandemic, but I shouldn't actually complain as, after all, I'm fortunate enough to call Europe home, have many friends and a supportive family that is always ready to help in case of need. Many people around the world have it way more difficult than I do and some will never actually have it easy which is something that saddens me deeply. There's a lot wrong with the world nowadays but if you want to take a more pragmatic approach to this notion then surely this was also the case 5000 years ago and it'll be the case in 5000 years from now (if there will still be any humans around). At least nowadays we have healthcare systems, a financial system, technology, vaccines, etc.
I care for many causes like climate change, politics, economics, inequality, animal welfare, human rights, and a couple other to varying degrees and even though things can get overwhelming at times. I still do my share and help these different causes where possible. One way I do this is by travelling and supporting/helping out local communities by shopping locally, staying in accommodation owned by locals, taking part in tours organised by small independent companies, travelling by car or on foot where possible as opposed to flying, etc.
These are obviously things that matter to me and won't matter to others but I'm fine with that. I won't be around forever and nor will you dear reader, so I guess this pandemic has basically taught us that if you want to do something you have to do it today and not tomorrow as a bloody infectious disease may shatter your plans!
F*CK YOU COVID-19, there I said it.
During these last couple of months after leaving Cuba in March (I was on a year-long trip in Latin America which started in Mexico in January 2020) as a result of the global pandemic I have been in my hometown in Portugal. This didn't happen by chance. At first, everything felt really alien as one day I was in the Caribbean preparing my next vlog and some articles for the blog, the next I was on a plane to Madrid (only available flight I could find), then in a car from Madrid to the nearest border with Portugal, then in another car and finally at a house that used to belong to my grandmother which my dear mum stocked with all kind of food (and obviously loads of toilet paper). It's funny as no matter how old you get your mum & dad will always be there for you, even if that means come to pick you up in the middle of a strict pan-European lockdown at the border with Spain wearing a mask made out of an old bra!
Like many others, I reconnected with old friends, had countless zoom calls, consumed an alarming amount of information regarding the virus, consumed bathtubs of wine, watched many TV series, movies from the 60's all the way up to nowadays, learned new skills and worked on some new vlogs and this blog - I like to keep myself busy.
As the lockdown slightly eased I then took my first trip in May to the nearest beach. I won't be writing about it but here you go a photo from that day.
After this trip, I spent a couple more weeks at home just doing more of the same but the travel itch became unbearable. I decided that what to scratch my itch I needed to explore some parts of the country I was born in that I had never visited before. Due to the current situation and to minimise unnecessary contacts with other people, I decided to rent a campervan!
And so a week of adventure ensued.
I don't currently live in Portugal and call London my home which means that every time I come to visit family and friends, I end up just staying a couple of days or a week at a time and there are many places that I can't visit. So this time I thought I would pay attention to the parts of the country I hadn't previously been to.
The itinerary looked something like this.
The whole experience was great and I'm now sold on the idea of buying a campervan as soon as possible which I plan to take on many adventures here in Europe and also further afield.
I'm going to take my first flight post lockdown in a while as I'll be in Italy for close to 2 months before going back to London so expect plenty of content from that beautiful country. Other than that I just hope everyone is keeping safe, wearing their masks when required and adhering to the recommend 2m social distancing rule.
I'm sure we'll beat the virus and as far as travelling is concerned borders will open and we can all get on with our adventures, but until then let's just help build a better tomorrow.