Ahoy Partisans & Friends & Guests,

The last days in Porto… I have been working on my homepage and tinkering with my new Expedition Machine. I am looking forward to the first test ride in January 2010. It will be a challenge. I still have troubles to cycle on my new Two-Wheels’ Lowrider Machine Imagine you have to learn once again cycling. You cannot compare it with an usual (non-recumbent) bike. Let’s take it easy especially with these Portuguese traffic & roads marked by horrible surfaces (flagging), narrow streets, extremely uphill / downhill, careless & aggressive car drivers, better said “warriors” (I am sorry Portuguese drivers. But that’s what you are
Anyway, I see it as perfect training for Asian traffic & roads. I have been told to expect similar or even worse traffic conditions in Eastern Europe, and later in Asia.

What I am doing rest of the time? Working on my Yoga & Freestyle Performance, hiking, camping, learning Portuguese and for sure, enjoying Portuguese culture with Portuguese Music, Traditional Dances, very delicious food (esp. Seafood, Fish, Vegetable Soups … Yamm Yamm), ah… no worries, more insights will be blogged soon!

For the next weeks (over Christmas & New Years Eve) I am going to visit my parents & family in Germany. I have not seen them for the last 2years. I’ll come back begin January 11.

Last but not least, a Big Thank You to the photographer Christina Baek, who provided me some of the pictures above.

And for all partners, friends and guests who understand Portuguese, that’s the first blog in Portuguese. You can change the language by clicking on the Portuguese flag above. It shall help me learning the language. But no concerns, my Portuguese level is still very bad. Laughing & smiling accepted, but no judgement.

Hey Portuguese partisans, but I just started learning … Starter Level …

To change the language, please press on the Portuguese flag.

If you see the first picture, one can imagine … It’s daytime the elderly enjoy the sunshine in parks and streets.
If I compare this Easy-Goin Style with other European cultures, usually one can see only the youth sitting in streets & enjoying meet-ups with friends. And have you seen, these are only the male elderly. But where are their wifes? Hmm … i am not sure if it was by accident that i saw the female elderly hard-working on this sunny day. One sells Hot Kastanias in the streets, the other one tries to reach the top of th bridge with her pruchase bags. She had to stop several times as the way upstairs is extremely sharp. Ah no, but during this day, I could find also an older man working. Fishing one of Portuguese main working fields

I completed my mission … an expedition break in Amsterdam for nine months.
I had been testing different lowrider bicycles and finally I chose one of them as my second expedition vehicle. I completed important business stuff and I earned some cash for the ongoing expedition and and I understood the magic of Yoga. 

Nevertheless, I couldn’t close my important law case. But at least I could co-ordinate this case towards a soon end.

See above pictures of the time in Amsterdam. Many thanks to all my “Saxenburger Friends” in Amsterdam - what for an amazing time. Hope to see you all again somewhere else on our planet or even on different planets the coming years! And special Big Thank You to my photographers of the pictures above: Angela Pons, Liis Nõupuu, and Sergio González.

I will go back to my old expedition point to the city Porto, in Northern Portugal in Aug-2010. There I am going to prepare the second part of my ongoing bike journey from Portugal to Vietnam. My special training program will be integrated. Besides the fascinating energy of Yoga, I will learn to make fire on my new expedition machine and getting it tuned for Vietnam. (Pictures of this vehicle will follow soon). Besides the training, I want to enhance my project mission.  

And for all partners, friends and guests who understand Portuguese, I am starting to enhance my homepage by an additional Portuguese website. In future, I’d like to write my blog posts also in Portuguese. It shall help me learning this language. But no concerns, my Portuguese level is still bad. Laughing & smiling accepted, but no judgement

I am sorry for being offline the last months
Because of technical problems with my homepage, I had to put the homepage offline.

I am back with tons of positive energy more than ever before

I have been too busy the last weeks. I have serious troubles with my law case in Netherlands. (It was about an accident with my tricycle in NL in 2007) I am going back to Amsterdam to arrange some important law stuff. I will use the meanwhile to earn some money there for the ongoing trip from Portugal towards Vietnam. I will use also time to find a new expedition vehicle. My Frozen Rabbit tricycle had big troubles on Portuguese roads. I see that a more robust vehicle for the ongoing tour is necessary. One can assume similar bad streets as in Portugal also in Eastern Europe, Far East, Asia.
Lastly, there is a third reason to go back to Netherlands. My finger is in bad reception after the accident. I will ask for a advise by medician.

I should come back to Portugal in ½ - 1year.

I arrived in Porto end of September. Since then I have been enjoying the Portugies culture in Porto and Lisboa.
My sister was visiting me for 10 days. We had our best holidays ever spending our time on the beach & river, in old towns of Porto and Lisboa, in cultural centres & squats with friends and our CouchSurfing members. See the pics for more impressions.

I am still in Porto and I think about to stay about one week longer.
I have started planning my ongoing project for the coming three / four years.
Anyway, the stop in Portugal helped me to make my final decision what I will do in the future after my expedition. Indeed, many thanks to my sister who helped me finding the right way. However, I cannot write now what I will do exactly.

I will write another blog post end of this week informing you how to continue my project & expedition for the coming 12 months.

Hey ho,

after leaving Aviles. I continued cycling along the Northern coast, last weekend leaving the coast cycling to Santiago De Compostela and now going South towards Portugal!

I do not complain about the mountains anymore. There are thousands and slowly I get used to them. Still a lot of pain but I begin smiling seeing the next one :o) Today one day rest in a small town A Porrino (The last pic) and being happy to have found a bar with WiFi connection.

Sorry, I dont like my pictures anymore. Since Hector, my last CouchSurfing host in Aviles showed me some basics of photographing I try to improve. But I see … improvements necessary! Give some time.

Well,  Marco is tired, has heavy legs but is looking forward to continue cycling tomorrow morning towards Porto. Meeting my sister there who will arrive on the 21st Sep (next Mon) via airplane from Germany. 2 weeks of break for me. And for sure not only my body is happy for this longer longer break but also me, Almost one year ago when I saw my sister the last time! And now we meet us on an unknown place …