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A couple hours ago I landed in the Lagos airport. The fact that it will be my last time arriving and that I will be departing it for the last time in two months are truths that helped me stay positive as the plane began it's decent.

But, on to happier things. My vacation in Portugal. It was magical. The perfect balance between traveling on trains through the countryside, sleeping in bunks with other travelers, dinning on Portuguese delicacies while listening to Fado, and exploring village ruins by day and sleeping in a glowing yurt by night. It was simply amazing. Beautiful people, landscape and culture. You would have loved the buildings and how they are covered with tile. Often the tile is in shades of yellow and blues. Whole, huge builds covered! I went into an old shop that sells the tiles and I bought one that is green. I will hang it on my wall.

The people were so friendly. They would always take the time to help you find the right bus or give you directions. There were a lot of tourists from Europe. It seemed that everyone was busy snapping pictures and posing. One day I took the train up north to a city called Coimbra and I had my information written down in a little black notebook which I had glued a bird and a nest that had written around it, "A little birdy told me" When I bought my ticket I unknowingly left it behind. I was sitting outside the train-station journaling when the ticket man approached me saying, "A little birdy told me." He had my notebook in his hand. He was charming and I was shocked by his act of kindness.

My favorite part of Portugal was my two day stay in a romantic yurt. I loved the colors, the sky roof that allowed me to sleep under the stars and the hospitable hosts who ran the operation. The couple is from London and when Derrik with dreads and a silver tooth picked me up from the station I knew at once that this was going to be a wonderful adventure. We had a lot to talk about as we both are well traveled, well read and love music. Him and his wife made me delicious meals from the food of their land. They can their own olives and soak the elderflower for a sweet drink. I enjoyed picking their brains about yurts and local produce. Derrik gave me a detailed tour of the area when taking me back to the train-station. We stopped at the olive-press and river beaches which all entice me to return during the summer months. They had two friendly children with great fros and a twinkle in their eyes. Both kids are enrolled in a local school and are now fluent in Portuguese. Staying in a yurt made me start to dream about living in a yurt. I want so badly to do it! I have been researching how, but I know there are some major hoops that I would need to jump through. I want it do it so badly.


My heart has been revived, especially by the last two days of the trip. An hour away from the city of Coimbra, nestled into the heart of mountains filled with eucalyptus and olive trees, ecologically sound with solar power and compost loo.

I waited for Derrik at the train station. He was told to look for a girl with an avocado backpacking pack and a flower cap. I was early an hour and hoped he would be too. My eyes scanned the crowds of people coming and going. I tried to catch eye contact with potential Derriks. I was expecting a white Portuguese male. So, you can understand my surprise and delight when an African European with dreads stuffed into his beanie and a silver tooth hollered out in a British accent, "Are you Meag?" And from that moment on until our goodbye at the same train station two days later I continued to be surprised and delighted.

Their house is built on an old ruin and is inclined into the hillside. At the top of the stairs leading down to the house we were greeted by Balloo their content black lab. Within two seconds I was introduced to a gaggle of happy people and the kids with great fros and the twinkling eyes that come from pursuing dreams and living an ideal life.

I enjoyed their homemade meals that were served at a picnic table and had little touches like a mint leaf or tiny jars of sugar and salt. Nightly they gave me a water-bottle to warm up my bed and would bring me elderflower water to cool me off. I was sad to leave and even tried to push back my departure time.

I came back to Nigeria refreshed, a tanner, and more fit from walking up and down the steep hills of Lisbon, the beaches of Lagos, and the mountainside of Coimbra. I definitely recommend discovering this small European country even if it is considered the Africa of Europe.