17.8.15 - Singapore

Australia stayed behind and, on the plane, we race with the sun to see who arrive first to Singapore.It was the sun. It was there, lovely and warm to cheer us.Then came the storm and a tropical rain that flooded everything in minutes. Thankfully, the heat was smashing us.In Singapore we saw what hadn`t seen in the first time.Started by the Little India: some art-décor houses painted with lush colors, Hindu temples and some Muslims, shops that sell everything from carpets to knives, antiques, appliances, souvenirs from around the world, MP3 for $ 4, crowns flowers for the temples, spices and almost everything what our imagination wants. It was the first clean Indian neighborhood that I saw. And maybe by that, it doens´t have the mystique of others.From there we walking, under a lot of heat to the area of ​​Orchard, through fabulous School of Arts building, before entering a street with luxury shopping.Whipped rain and the tight schedule, we climb the hill to the fort where the city began. It is a quiet place amid the bustle of the city/ state.This was followed by a stroll through at Marina Bay Gardens, the new Babylon, given the height and spectacular where vegetation is located, and ending the trip at the top of Marina Bay.Upstairs, on top of the restaurant, overlooking the city, the port, the sea, we saw the extent of the buildings, the F1 GP path; drink gin, eat some snacks prepared by the chef, we laugh, we remember stories that make up the story of the journey; took selfies, we promise to return. When ?! We don`t  known. But the will is with us.

7.8.15 - Ayeres Rock | Kings Canyon

Fisrt of all, i start this chronicle by saying that I'm a day late in writing. The desert has these things, despite the modern times we live in, there wireless isn`t every were, electricity either.Uluru was so magical that I don´t tell you the rest.We were sleeping at Outback Pioneer Lodge, a hostel prepared for walkers and people crossing the desert, very military style: houses with tin ceiling, hot tub and barbeque.Thankfully, the bathroom was scalding because the temperature was down to 3 ° C!The barbeque was community; ie, each bought their meat and would grill it. The monitoring was included with the meat but the beer was apart. I bought crocodile; It was not as good as one that I ate at Sony Platz in Berlin and later in Tasquinha Alentejana in Cucujães but it was good and I was the man of my barbecue.Rooms at the hostel were 4 people and therefore, João was with the Chicas and I was making new friends. It happened to me a German couple with a child of 13 or 14 years. They snored all night and the kid woke in the night talking. Not sleep at all, to top the dawn was early.At 6:30 am we were on the road to watch the sunrise in the mountains of Kata Tjuta, also considered sacred by the natives.Among Uluro and Kata Tjuca there are highs and despite 40 kilometers away from each other, are clearly visible. After sunrise on the mountain, we walked a bit around it, the path of Karu in the Valley of the Winds.From Ayeres Rock to Kings Canyon, our destination, were more or less 300 km in full Australian desert. With expectations at most to seeing kangaroos, camels and snakes to cross us ahead, we put the road. Wild life here we go.
After about 100 km from our departure, a gas station, I talked with couple biker, from Melbourne, crossing the country in two Harleys. It is the first time they go to Uluru, having shown them pictures from yesterday. They were between 50 and 60 years; yesterday at sunset in Uluru, another couple of Melbourn, older than this, also mentioned to me that it was the first time we were there; travel in Australia is expensive, not everyone can do it. It is in these moments, to hear this, which I think is worth enjoying, enjoy the trip, focus on me in the landscapes, the places that I know, gastronomy, culture; I'm lucky to be here; and that luke has a lot of work.The trip went peacefully and in three hours we reached the destination.If Uluru is magical, Kings Canyon is the true work of God. Like any fault, like any disaster of nature, creates unique, brutal and beautiful surroundings.We walked for 5 hours by 6 km of paths allowed in the Canyon, where we saw the tectonic plates above and below; I looked into the abyss and feel vertigo to sit on it, with nothing between me and the ground, hundreds of meters below.If Uluru is magical for the sanctification that local gave him, Kings Canyon overwhelms us with its size and the orange rock that acts as a real cell.At night, looking at the sky, with the Milky Way and its 1000 constellations, I saw once again how tiny and our reality.

3.8.15 - Sydney

Sydney: a wonderful city; It will the southern hemisphere effect?!The day was full of knowledge and new things: we started to go to downtown to see the building built in honor of Queen Victoria. Imposing as any British building of that era, beautiful, mischaracterized the place - better in London - and recovered. Inside, a shopping center with major international brands and some niches such as art galleries, the Tate and MOMA shops, a spiral staircase to the roof with a tiny door to remember Harry Potter.Hence, crossing Market Street, we went for the Sydney Tower and had the opportunity to climb its 309 meters. Upstairs, a 360 ° view of the city, giving us the real prospect of those coming from the sea, land or air. Curiosity of the moment: a landmark mail even up there, saying it is a milestone in the highest activity in the southern hemisphere. In the Andes there isn`t postoffice ?!Continuing the city tour, followed by a garden that looked like an Oxford copy then we enter a road that led us to the Art Gallery New South Wales and the Botanical Garden.In the museum the better from first half of the twentieth century, with Picasso head, Matisse among others.Here, when took a selfie, a girl from high school came to ask if I wanted her to take off the picture. My selfie became a selfie with João and part of the secondary class, to laughter from the teacher who accompanied them.Ending a cultural visit, a lunch in the park for then we walk through the Botanical Gardens, to the Opera House.The garden grows as a natural barrier from the sea to the skyscrapers, a mix of color and life.The Opera House, designed by a Danish architect, through a draw without engineering project, with its white ceramic works as a ready to light and energy attraction. How does a shapeless object, brutal in its design, which generated an incalculable debt can attract so many people from all around the world ?!From Opera the Rocks was a hop, just in time to see the Museum of Contemporary Art before dinner. Various facilities with Energies title could put the audience to interact with the art: jobs headphones, running a hand through several draws, these emit different sounds. Or an image of a mountain where we could, by hand, fly like a bird and have many different perspectives.Nearly the end the day, a well-deserved dinner. Entries eat grilled vegetables, tuna flambé and bread with humus. For main course  lamb shoulder and white and dark chocolate parfait and goat cheese for desert. To drink, a white wine from New Zealand, varietal Sirah.
 Was it expensive? Yes, but here nothingis cheap ...

30.7.15 - Zurich | Doha

Compress bags and, with the whole group together - I came from Portugal, Zio from Spain, the Carmen from England and Ana and João were already in Switzerland - started the trip.First destination: Doha.Doha is halfway to Singapore and had to make scale in the Qatari capital.Until then, a "global" plane, full of Indians, bearded Arabs, women's burqa and Western tourists, spent hours watching movies, eating and drinking.I started with Sean Penn and Javier Barden in The Gun Man, then reviewed the Grand Budapest Hotel and the Simpsons. Among gin, red wine, brandy and beer, ate a steamed beef and rice pine nuts, plus a considerable amount of chocolate that Qatar Airlines was offering.Doha at night and air view, is a city of skyscrapers lit skies, the best city-state style. Also, I'm in the land of them! Eight hours at the airport, after strolling through Bentley, McLaren and MV Agusta, have gone to some fancy stores and loung of Oneworld, already find myself in flight boarding gate bound for Singapore.See you!

19.7.15 - Cíes Islands

I have written and re-written this chronic over and over.
I've used proverbs and thought it was against all rules of good taste and common sense.
I've done the pin and wrote one thousand lines without leaving any I liked particularly.
July and there was no sun; with the raindrops threatening to fall.
The visibility was not the best: I dare I say it was the worst dive of my life; but the sample is so so small that only serves to joke. Nevertheless I saw bright algae, sea stars and cucumbers, cuttlefish, sea bream, two mullets, parrotfish; a small octopus dropped his ink when I tried to play with it.
Like the dip at Relaxe, I had no problems on ears compensation, which left me very satisfied.
And then, in the end, there is everything what diving worth, even when conditions aren`t the best: friendship.
Thanks Roças, Sandra, Sara, Paulo, Carlos, Simão, Pedro, Ricardo, Angelica, Teles.
At the end of August we returned to dive together; you`ll have stories from the Red Sea and I`ll have from the Great Barrier Reef. Stories that make the history of the CCD.

Friendship

In the mid-90s from last century, a famous song from the Portuguese Paulo Gonzo had a chorus that was more a less like this:" wake up with the sun in the window and magic in the air, how is so good".
I didn`t wake up with the sun in the window and the magic in the air was different from what the singer spoke in music. It was the magic of friendship.
Directly from Tuscany, I received photos from Drews scooter, with the blog sticker on it. How fancy! I smile, frank, open, impossible to contain. In small gestures we found great friends. Fantastic!
Now, telling you the story from the beginning: as you know, I met Drew and Chel in Egypt. It was a friendship that was born in the first second we met. Drew is American ... with all Portuguese ribs; the flag you saw me strive for African land was his.
After numerous adventures of the Three Musketeers - I Drew and David, Australian - on top of our small-pony, friendship lasted. We talk almost every day, about everything and nothing.
When I launched the Crowdfunding, Drew and Chel were the first to support the initiative and, hence, have received the stickers from the trip, a special heart for them and numerous maps, postcards and brochures of the places where he spent on the trip by Austro -hungarien Empire.
Now it is time to go to Italy to see them

. It is promised.