BOBIK LEE | WHY GO TO PORTUGAL

Words | Kalléo Hipolito @kalleohipolito @Bobik_Lee
Photos | Kalléo Hipolito & Erick Varela @varelaerick

Bobik Lee has arrived in Portugal. It may seem very simple to some people, but for us it was something very special.

WHY GO TO PORTUGAL?

Many reasons make Portugal an attractive destination for Brazilians.

It is one of the cheapest countries on the European continent for tourism. How: transport, accommodation and food have similar or even lower costs than in Brazil.

In this regard, Portugal is really unbeatable. At first, there is a strange feeling of being on another continent and, even so, seeing that everything is in Portuguese. You will have no problem communicating, and this can make your experience in the country even better – especially for those who do not speak other languages.

Portugal is rich in varied landscapes, ranging from the mountains to the sea. Extreme temperatures can be a big barrier when designing your travel itineraries. Despite having a hotter summer, with temperatures that can reach 30 ° C, the other seasons have milder temperatures. The winter is not rigorous, that is, if your only alternative is to travel during the winter there, don’t worry.

What are the best memories you bring from your travels? What remains in the memory is always that moment when you had fun, that someone helped you, that made you reflect. There is always one or more people involved. Experiences do mark, but they would not be the same if people were not there.

And that is one of the most important and long-lasting things. The friends we make, whether for a few weeks or just a day. You may never speak to each other, see each other again or become close people, even if a few kilometers or oceans physically separate you.

I particularly appreciate meeting people around the world. So much so that our host Rai Aguiar, I met him about 2 years ago on my first time in Portugal.

Also, who never dreamed of taking an international trip with good friends? In his first trip outside Brazil and directly to the world, Erick Varela spent 2 months traveling through different countries, and I was lucky enough to meet him in Amsterdam and here.

Also our “Gringo” friend Michael Prado, who has made several trips together and also sheltered me for a while when I was in Spain and myself, Kalléo Hipolito, that I am fulfilling my personal dream of traveling the world (directly from England where I currently live.)

HOW TO PLAN A TRIP?

• Take the basics of clothes and avoid extra weight, which will not be nice for your back and pocket

Tip: If it is possible to take only one suitcase, most airlines do not charge extra for cabin baggage and will also not weigh your suitcase, this means that you can exceed the weight limit. “I traveled a lot with a medium suitcase that was absurdly heavy and I never had any problems,” but be careful!

• Organize cameras

Take only what you are sure you will use.

• Have a good diet

Restaurants can be an expensive option, if your purpose is not a gastronomic trip. However, as our goal is to get to know as many places as possible, we prepare our lunch and snacks of the day at home, among real meals, boiled eggs, fruits and some slightly exotic mixes even for us, spending around € 15 to € 20 divided into 3 people, and can last between 2 at most 3 days.

• Organize where you want to visit!

In our case spots to skate. It is very simple, before traveling just walk around on google maps and bookmark it as possible spots and tourist places. Also there are many people sharing experiences; just search it!

Waking up early, preparing breakfast and lunch for the day, deciding which direction the city should we start. Daily battle, putting our body and mind into exhausting work, such as skating, jumping, falling, lifting, grating, recovering, spending a whole day with skates on and still being ready for the next day. However, all of this is wonderful and makes us feel alive.

We were fortunate with sunny days and friendly, welcoming neighbors who didn’t treat us badly because we were skating as usual.

Everything is going perfectly well, we would have 2 more weeks ahead, when suddenly we got a reality shock and the world stopped with the news of the Covid-19 virus. In the first instance it was unreal, but everything started to close, even country borders. We humans who witness and are still, we know how it is, each one with a different story.

The doubt was; if we were still in Portugal, or if we might be able to return to our homes.

We spent a week in pure tension without leaving home, trying to find our whereabouts, looking for accessible passages, as everything was absurdly expensive, some airports and borders closed. However, we canceled the rest of the trip and managed to return to our respective countries in a different way.

The trip was not like the initial plan, but we managed to do what was most important in the beginning, skating and being surrounded by good friends in Portugal. Another story lived to be able to share.

I am grateful to Rai and Paula who accommodate and accept us as part of the family.

Erick and Michael for believing and sharing this historic experience.

Vinicius Martin and Fernando Teixe for Art and Design and for always believing in my ideas.

Myself, for continuing to follow my dreams and ideals, sometimes I get in the way, but I never give up. And also you who support making Bobik Lee and our sport grow.