A lot has happened since our final Shabbat. As we were wrapping up the trip, there were times both good and bad but all defining to our experience. While we ended our Shabbat in Albufeira, we continued our adventure in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
On our first night in Lisbon, we visited LX Factory, which was a former factory/industrial area converted into a mall. It was a unique area that was very popular with not just our group but many others of our age. For instance, while waiting in line for acai bowls, my group encountered a German girl traveling with her friends. In typical teenage fashion we traded compliments of Berlin and New York and followed each other on Instagram! There have been so many instances on this trip of having the best time with people from completely different backgrounds, from the World Cup to asking for recommendations. We continued our time in Lisbon by visiting the city center. Among the things we saw were a memorial to the Jewish people expelled during the Inquisition, the street where Lord Byron lived, and the Freemason gardens. While the city was extremely hilly, there was a lot of greenery, making our walking more shady. After heading back from the suburb of Sintra, we relaxed in our hotel before the long drive back to Madrid, where we would fly back to camp!
Now while we were expecting to just sleep in Madrid and not get to experience it again, that was not the case. Because of a flight cancellation (my 3rd of this year!), we got an extra day. We still had to wake up at 5am, but a sunny 100°F day awaited us in Madrid. After getting our penultimate pizza in the Antonio Martinez square, many of us enjoyed Honest Greens. Honest Greens was a more upscale version of Chipotle or Cava, giving out gorgeous, succulent, and healthy plates that disappeared quickly. It reminded me of our first day, where we had a delicious meal at Hummuseria, which was my other favorite restaurant of the trip. After resting, we went out into Madrid’s Plaza de España. Going to a local mall, we all got one last round of shopping and Spanish food courts out of our system. However, that wasn’t our final stop of the day because we stopped in Templo de Debod to see the sunset together. Even though it was crowded and sweltering, everyone’s favorite rule number 5 came into play (NO COMPLAINING)! Afterward, the trip leaders gave some heartfelt speeches about what an incredible experience it was to travel with Havaya. It was truly a day that showed everyone Howie Bee, from being tired, annoyed that the flight was canceled, and overwhelmed in the heat because we all helped each other through.
The last day was a momentous one… we finally learned to walk in a single file decently paced line into the airport! Running it back we made it to the gate without anyone losing their passport or boarding pass. Thus we then boarded and roughly 9 hours later we landed just before 1 pm in Newark. Here’s to Havaya Sportugbraltar/España/Teen Trip!