Portugal was beautiful, but riding in January wasn't the brightest thing to do. So? Add to that record rainfall, and I think that kind of explains why I don't have too many photographs of Portugal

That's the short story, here's the long version. I flew into Lisbon with the intentions of a 18 month round-the-world journey, and left Madrid two weeks later with a cripled knee and a lot to think about.

Day one, I flew into Lisbon, with written instructions of the exact bus to take to my sister-in-law, Shannon's house in Cascais, just outside of Lisbon. When I asked the woman at the information booth, I mispronounced Cascais, and she told me I needed to take a train. I wasn't going to take her word, my directions were very percise, so I decided to call my Shannon. The pay phones only take phone cards, and of course the gift shops only have the $20 cards which will be useless for me once I leave Lisbon. What choice do I have, I buy the card.

All throughout this I'm dragging my bike box, and three other bags through the airport. Drag the box 10 yards, go back for the other bags, drag the box 10 yards, go back for the other bags, over and over.

So I finally get to the pay phone, and somewhere, somehow I've lost the piece of paper with all my contact info. Now it's dark,, and I've no frickin clue. I dragged my baggage out onto the sidewalk, and magically there was a bus with Cascais in big letters on the side. Piece by piece I crammed my baggage through the side door of the bus. I'm blocking the aisle, taking up four seats, and I have no clue what to do next. Over the next 20 minutes, one by one passengers are getting off at stops. Finally when it's down to just one other passenger and me, the bus driver asks me a question. Well I think it was a question, for all I know he was quoting the Bible or telling me I stink, I didn't even know how to say 'I don't understand'. As I'm mumbling noises of confusion, the only other passenger says "do you speak English?" Un-frickin-beleivable. I lay out my scenario in a few sentences.

He asks who I'm going to see,

I say "Shannon Hussey"

He says "Oh, I know her, she lives by the same stop I'm getting off at. I can take you to her house"

A few minutes later I was at Shannon's place, just in time for dinner.

Was this a sign of things to come . . . ?