The Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn PortugalLeave a comment

There are many neighborhoods in Lisbon that have sites of particular interest and Belém is certainly one of them. Lisbon is a port city and during the height of Portugal’s history when many explorers left Portugal from the ports of Belém to discover routes throughout the world. During that time, often referred to as the Age of Discoveries, ships would depart from the Tagus River and out to the Atlantic Ocean to either go south towards Africa or west to the Americas. Of the many sites to see in Belém, the Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries on the shore of the Tagus River are certainly among them.

The Tower of Belém was actually originally built on an island in the middle of the Tagus River, but after the earthquake of 1755, the river was diverted, and the tower now sits on the shoreline of the river. Depending on the tide, the tower is either surrounded by water or sand and during our visit the tide was out and people were able to walk around the base of the tower. It was built as a fortification and is the ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and is considered a symbol of Portugal’s prominence and power during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Not far from the tower is the Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), which is a popular spot for tourists to take photographs on the shore of the river. Built in 1939 and opening in 1940, the monument also celebrates the Age of Discovery when Portuguese ships and explorers left to trade with Asia. The monument depicts a ship with all of the various explorers looking forward towards the bow of the ship as it sails forward to explore the world.

Crowds Queuing for the Inside of the Tower

There are several places to visit when spending time in Belém and these two are literally the tip of the iceberg, but they are definitely worthwhile even if just to enjoy a nice walk along the river. We had just landed in Lisbon about three hours before taking a car from our hotel to visit Belém, which was a perfect way to start our time in Lisbon. There was a long queue to enter the tower, so we decided just to walk around the outside, although it was definitely impressive even just from the outside. We spent about four hours in Belém on our first day, but we did return for a second day later during our stay.

Castelo de Sao Jorge (Castle of St. George) in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal5 Comments

The Castelo de Sao Jorge is clearly visible from almost every location in the old town section of Lisbon, which is called Alfama. Visiting the castle is certainly a highlight of any visit to Lisbon, whether to walk along the castle walls or to see the amazing views of the city. There have been different fortresses on the hilltop throughout the centuries, but the current castle is built in the gothic style and is probably over 700 years old. As with all locations in Lisbon, it was damaged in the great earthquake of 1755, but has been completely rebuilt.

Portugal Flag on one of the Castle Towers

It is obviously a popular location for tourists to visit and adult tickets cost 15 euros per person. You can get a guided tour of the castle, but we chose to tour the castle on our own. We spent about an hour and a half walking the castle walls, the grounds, and looking at the view of the city below. Lisbon is a city built on several steep hills and is known as the city of seven hills, although it certainly feels like more than seven. We recommend starting your day by taking a car to the castle and touring its grounds and then walking down the narrow streets to the enjoy the shops and restaurants located in the old town area. If you prefer to walk up the streets to the castle, be aware that it can be somewhat strenuous.

We visited the neighborhood of Alfama several times during our week-long visit to Lisbon and ate at several wonderful restaurants located there. One of the places that we enjoyed the most was a small cafe that is nestled next to the castle walls and reminded us very much of when we visited The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It was also the first place where we enjoyed a glass of Ginjinha, which is a liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol. It is quite delicious, but be careful as you don’t taste the alcohol and it can sneak up on you.

In addition to all of the tourists, you will also find many peacocks wondering around the grounds, but be careful as they are known to bite if they feel threatened. They were also at the restaurant, Mercearia Castelo, where we drank Ginjinha and ate a snack. Our waiter actually fed one of the peacocks who seemed quite pleased to get a snack as well. Visiting Castelo de Sao Jorge was one of the first sites that we visited while we were in Lisbon, and it was certainly a great start to our trip.

Monkeys are Prevalent All Around the World

On February 13, 2024February 13, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Gibraltar, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, South America, Tanzania, Vietnam2 Comments

In some ways we are surprised that it seems like no matter where we travel to, there is a chance that we will see monkeys at some point during our visit. Whether it is North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, or Africa, we have seen monkeys in so many different locations throughout our travels. Because of how expressive they are and the way that they share human traits, they are often fascinating to watch, but more often than not, they are troublemakers that have to be watched carefully. We have seen monkeys steal items from people who are not prepared for the fact that they will grab almost anything that they can get their hands on. They are extremely curious, and that curiosity often leads to a desire to explore items that you might have in your possession, especially if it is shiny.

Although monkeys can be found in the wild in Mexico, our first encounter with monkeys was actually in captivity during our trip to Puerto Vallarta, which is certainly not the experience that we prefer. Our second encounter was in Gibraltar during our trip to Southern Spain where we saw the Barbary Macaque Monkeys. During our trip to Panama, we actually took a tour that took us to several of the “monkey islands” that were created when the area around the Panama Canal was flooded to allow for the massive ships to pass through the canal. The smaller monkeys were trapped on the islands and are kept alive by the tourists who visit and feed them.

Up Close and Personal with Monkeys in Panama

It is no surprise that we encountered monkeys in the Amazon Jungle both during our trips to Bolivia and Ecuador. In Vietnam, we saw monkeys on the shoreline of Halong Bay after our boat went through Sung Sot Cave. For obvious reasons, we saw plenty of monkeys, especially baboons, during our safari in Kenya and Tanzania as they were prevalent at each of the parks that we visited. Earlier last year, we visited “Monkey Temple”, more appropriately Pashupatinath Temple, just outside of Kathmandu in Nepal. Then later in the year, we decided to trek to visit the larger primates, gorillas and chimpanzees in Rwanda.

As long as you know that these amazing creatures are unpredictable and you keep your eyes on them to ensure that they don’t take advantage of your curiosity, these animals are truly fascinating to watch. You can often see them almost deep in thought as they watch everything going on around them. Of all of the monkeys that we’ve seen, the ones that we trusted the least were the baboons as they almost acted like a gang where several of them will group together to distract you while others attempt to get away with your belongings. Our time with the gorillas was probably the most incredible experience that we’ve had and will be something we will treasure forever. What is your favorite or least favorite monkey experience that you’ve encountered?