Internet Access

Well, I could not get on line yesterday so I went in search of an Internet café. You would think this town was in the Stone Age. No one I asked including the hotel staff knew of one. The big hotels all have Wi-Fi but you must have an access code, which you get by booking a room. I found reference to one not far from here and strolled over to the address… nothing there. I went to Rua do Duque, not Rua do Duques. By the time I got to the correct address [they were upstairs from a nice friendly café] they were closed, 7PM. They open 10:30 tomorrow morning. I am trying to post everyday like I promised but sometimes you’re the windshield sometimes you’re the bug.
I think I printed out a list from the Internet which I’ll look for tonight. No harm in having a few choices especially now that I can use the public transportation whenever I damn please.
This town is so different on a weekday! There are thousands of people everywhere. Sunday was really quiet. Sunday is a good day for sightseeing except most places are closed.
Lisbon strikes me as a very macho city, at least in the eyes of the men. Any man in any level of authority seems to know nothing about anything outside of his world. Ask a policeman, a bus-driver, a shopkeeper, a hotel receptionist for any information and the answer is almost always “can’t help you.” That is of course only if you are a male. Now women, especially young and pretty ones [all the tourist girls are hip, gorgeous and giddy] get an entirely different response. “I’ll walk you there” or “Let me drop what I’m doing and take you there in my car” or “As soon as I brush off this old American coot I’ll take care of you.” It’s mostly the adults. The younger kids seem very friendly and will try to help if they can. They [the kids] all try to communicate in English which is great. It seems that in every country I’ve been to on this trip [even the poorest] have programs in which grammar school children are given the opportunity to study a second and sometimes even a third language.
It’s off to the sight of the 1998 International Exposition, Parque do Nascoes. Santiago Calatrava shows up again. He designed the Gare do Oriente [Oriente Train Station] at the entrance to the Parque.
Parque das Nacoes is the site of Expo ’98. Everything there is futuristic. The enormous Gare do Oriente [Calatravas’ incredible rail/bus/metro station] dominates the entrance. The Vasco da Gama Shopping Center is attached and separates the station from the park. You have to shop [at least window shop] if you want to get to the park. The first thing you see once through the center is the sculpture called Sun Man by Jorge Viera. Then the park is open to exploration. It’s Huge! I walked for half an hour north of the center and didn’t even reach the Vasco da Gama Tower [Unfortunately it was closed] which has a panoramic [360] view of Lisbon. The Vasco da Gama Bridge is further still. It is 10 miles long and the longest in Europe. It was completed for the Expo. I went back in the shopping center to look for Internet Access. I stopped by one “café” and asked the young lady if I could go on-line using my own computer as I had so much on there to upload. A short and not so sweet “no” and nothing more. I asked if there was anywhere that I could. An annoyed look was followed by another no. She was obviously lying to make me believe she was the only option. I then sat down on a nearby bench and opened my computer… low and behold; the entire shopping center is free Wi-Fi! So you got my last posts. And some of you got some photos, too. Ask around if you are interested. I will post everything after I’m home and can spend some time on it but for now I am sending one or two by e-mail.
I guess I have painted Lisbon as a pretty unfriendly city. In that I am staying in the commercial center of the city and haven’t ventured out of the urban life style I may be a little hasty. But for the most part I would have to say that so far it is the least friendly, least helpful city I have yet been to, ever. That’s a real shame because it is a beautiful place and very easy to navigate; I would not hesitate to come back here but I might think twice about engaging anyone in conversation. Just come fully prepared and enjoy it on your own.

I’ll get these last couple of post uploaded today. I promise.