The Explorador

I´ll never forget arriving in Portugal, absolutely awe struck , so many people in the airport whizzing by , but finally made my to the information booth to catch my train to Oporto. What was installed for me ?
Passing the beautiful country side and making my way up North I was so taken back by the magnificent architecture and way the city was designed. For me being someone from the Pacific you hardly get to see things like this back at home. Beautiful cobble stone roads, Cathedrals, and beautiful green spaces in the city and monuments, a testimony of Portuguese Architecture. I kept asking myself, am I here for real, someone pinch me, I must be dreaming.
´And then I arrived at my final destination, Oporto city, it’s about 3 hours away from the capital city Lisbon and the people were so friendly and willing to help, even though some if not all didn't know how to communicate in English, (Note to self : learn Portuguese) but a few hand gestures and nods pointed me in the right direction to find my way the hostel.
My stay was an enjoyable one as met new people and different characters from around Europe. What can I say, I immediately fell in love with Porto , for many reasons , one of them being that everything is reachable by walking distance , and whilst walking around you cannot help but notice the (Tunas) playing in the streets these are small local bands which are all males or females serenading away and entertaining the passersby. They are usually found in parks, or plazas or avenues... there performances is a must see.
Porto is also the city of 6 bridges and on a clear evening they light up making the scenery more beautiful as it is in the morning. Since it is connected to the nearby city of Gaia (which specializes in the world renown Port wine) it is worth to take a trip across the bridge on foot to experience the beautiful port wine along the many wineries lined along the river banks in Gaia. If you are wine drinker, it is a must you visit Gaia, and for those interested in night life.. There is always something to do in Gaia, if you find yourself bored there, well Porto is across the bridge (5 minute walk or less) and you will find yourself at Reibeira another awesome spot for wining and dining and for those party animals.
Portuguese cuisine is absolutely amazing, and one must try local dishes like Francesinha(for meat lovers) and Bacalhau(for fish lovers), and for desserts , a wide array to choose from.
Oporto in one word - AMAZING!