Midnight at the Oasis - but do the Camels know the words?.....

[Pushka]

Looking forward to Friday night. 7pm. Football Australia V Egypt. Now it’s Belgium and Senegal. Amazing TVs at the hotel. Mirrors when not on.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

DIL replied immediately. Details. From Trip Advisor.

View attachment 513009

Perfect, thank you!

 

[Pushka]

Yesterday (Weds) we took the 40 minute trip by train to Cascais. Supposed to be slightly cooler there. Gorgeous beach and coastline along the way. Train packed. We should have left a bit earlier as we had to walk some way before finding a lounge. A bit costly to rent but no choice really. As it faces the Atlantic the water is pretty much freezing. So much colder than Malta in the med. Most were just standing in the water and not swimming. Like me.

Even the locals were sheltering.





We arrived back at 5pm. My brain had turned to mush in the superheated train. Just horrible. And way hotter inside than out as every time the door opened people rushed to get some fresh air.

Dinner that night was fine. A gorgeous tiny restaurant. With a gross family sitting next to us. Foghorn father telling out his brain fades. Teenage kids who ate like they've never seen food before ramming pieces of ham in their mouths and leaving strips hanging out. I then looked at mother and then realised she had the worst manners of all. Every mouthful she kept her mouth wide open and would talk. Revolting. And it was such a tiny restaurant that everyone but this family kept their voices lowered.

 

[Pushka]

Lisbon had one more surprise for us.

We were sitting outside having dinner, surrounded by football fans, good food and that wonderful World Cup atmosphere, when everything changed in an instant.

A fight broke out just metres away. We've seen several here to be honest. And lots of angry men shouting pushing and shoving. And this one too looked like another heated argument. They got right to where we were sitting outside.

That was our cue.

We abandoned our table and headed for cover while the argument continued for some time. Eventually some larger person separated the two and they moved back up the street still yelling.

We returned to the table and the staff told us there had been a knife in one guys hand poised to use. Oh. Right.

Five minutes later the main protagonist returned. He bent down to pick up a package about half the size of a brick. The drugs drop.

Within a short time people were back eating, glasses were being refilled and the football was back on the big screen, as though nothing had happened.

It certainly wasn’t what we’d expected from a night out in Lisbon. But honestly there is a bit of an undercurrent here. There is an area behind the hotel where maybe around 100 immigrants, all males, seem to be there both day and night. It's hot. People are drinking. But you will hear angry voices on the street, always men, at any time of the day. We are on alert.

Last night we saw a volunteer van delivering food to the homeless. I slipped away from MrP and gave one of them a donation, didn't say anything and walked away. Next thing all the volunteers were told and were cheering. It seemed the right thing to do. Hopefully it made the volunteers realise that everyone else appreciates their work.

 

[Pushka]

I'm up to date. I spent my morning here.



One last day tomorrow which we will spend at Cascais then off to - Morocco. Where it's going to be blisteringly hot.

Our tour.

 

[Bindibuys]

Have you booked dinner at Ricks Cafe?