Portimão Update

 

One of the many reasons I wanted to move to Europe is the ability to live car-free.  In every city I’ve visited, including those in Jamaica and Costa Rica, I had easy access to everything I would need on a regular basis.  Grocery stores, pharmacies, malls, movie theatres, the beach (as I can no longer live far from water – I’ve been spoiled for inland living), and restaurants are all a short distance away from dwellings.  Sure, there are plenty of cars in all these places (and stupidly loud motorcycles) and one can be rented easily, but they are not necessarily vital for life. 

As much as I appreciate a walkable city, being on foot all the time does have its drawbacks.  Rain and cold are big ones.  I don’t stay anywhere that is too cold (or, heaven forbid, snowy) but the weather does affect how often I get out in it.  I think I’ve made it clear on this blog that I am no fan of the rain.  The rainy seasons in Thailand and Costa Rica left me horribly depressed and struck them both from the future home list. 

Then there are other issues to being on foot.  Portugal, I love you to death, but some of your walkways are health hazards.  I took a header on a walk a few weeks ago here in Portimão and skinned the crap out of my left leg.  I had to spend more than 50 euros on wound care.  And the seepage …

I didn’t take any pictures as it was pretty gross.  My health situation didn’t improve when, out of nowhere, my left foot swelled up.  This happens sometimes because of the meds I’m on so it wasn’t a surprise.  But it was no less annoying since my right foot had STILL not fully recovered from the bee sting.  For a while, neither foot wanted to fit into a shoe and I had to change the bandages on the scrapes twice a day.  Good times.

The leg had mostly healed (feet were still swollen, though) when I finally completed the walk I’d tried to take earlier.  After 2 ½ years of constant use, my phone’s battery is dying out.  I took it to Worten, the big electronics chain in Portugal, to get a new one.  It’s about a mile away from the apartment and felt even longer as I was now paranoid about tripping again.  Fortunately, the walk went without incident and I made it to the store.

They didn’t have a battery in stock, so I ordered one.  It would arrive in 12 days and the install would take about an hour once I returned.  Cool.

Cut to about 8 days later and the battery was in.  I walked to the store, dropped off my phone, and continued my walk to the nearby mall for lunch.  I had a pretty decent burger with a glass of white wine (this is still Portugal after all) then lingered a bit afterwards.  I had no idea how long I was there because, without my phone, I had no way to tell time.  It’s insane how much I’ve come to rely on that device for the time and translations.

Got back to the store and unsuccessfully tried talking to the guy behind the desk as he did not speak English.  With another guy there to translate, he told me that they couldn’t replace the battery as it was too dangerous. 

Huh?  Wouldn’t they know how to do the install if they ordered the battery?  They knew full well the make of the phone when they put the order in. 

Instead of giving me the battery, they refunded my money.  Dude, I don’t want my 50 euros back.  I want to not have to worry about how I’m going to get a new battery.  Before I left, I did ask where it could be done.  Lisbon.  Great.  The city is only 3 hours away by bus.

Feeling dejected, I started the walk home.  To complete my Charlie Brown moment – you guessed it – it started to rain.  While I do always carry my umbrella in my bag, it never can keep me completely dry.  And, of course, I was wearing jeans which are disgusting to wear when wet. 

My one pair of khaki pants developed holes from too much wash and wear.  I trashed them back in Tirana.  My last remaining pair of cargos is also wearing out and I can’t find replacements in Europe in my size.  I have other pants … in storage in Georgia.

I dread returning to the states.  You have no idea.

So, finding a new battery is just one more thing I have to figure out along with the pants.  Add that to the shop that is still not making any money, the dire prospects of finding a job, the fact that my Schengen visa will soon be up and it’ll be time to leave Portugal again and …

Well.  At least I managed to not burst into tears until I got back to the apartment.  I also didn’t trip on the walk back so … that’s something at least.