Hitch-hiking in Braganca

Yesterday in Porto, the clouds opened up and dumped layers and layers of water all over the city (including the porch at my hostel where I had my clothes drying). Oh well, I learned that damp clothing certainly weighs more than dry. I interpreted the rain as a sign that it was time to escape from Porto. I had two cities I wanted to visit but opted for the one that was a longer bus ride figuring that maybe the extra 2 hours would allow the storm to pass. My plan worked perfectly.

I arrived in Braganca yesterday and relaxed with some Chinese food and a movie. This morning I woke up early and explored the old city center including the most picturesque castle tower ever created - it looks straight out of the movies. In the afternoon I wanted to hike in the National Park that runs a few kilometers north right up to the Spanish border. The only problem was that public trasnsportation is minimal in this region of the country. I ended up having to take a taxi into the center of the park and hiked from there. After a few hours I was back where I had started and expected to take a taxi back into town but there were none to be found. Most of the hike had been up hill so my legs weren't too interested in walking an extra 15 km so I resorted to hitch-hiking. A guy who was driving grains into Spain drove me a few kilometers and then a middle school Geography teacher took me the rest of the way.

Tomorrow I will take the morning bus back to Porto, drop my things off at the hostel, and then catch a train for a day trip to the city of Braga for the day. Then back to Porto to sleep and pack and in the morning it is off to Amsterdam for a few.