Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo xa ndandifunda incwadi kaPascal Mercier, "Uloliwe Wasebusuku ukuya eLisbon," ndaqala ukuba neembono ezingezizo malunga nokubuyela ePortugal. Khange ndibekho ukusukela ekupheleni kweminyaka yamashumi alithoba xa bendisebenza kwinqaku elingePort Wines eOporto. Ukugqiba kwam incwadi, ezisa umfundi kwixesha elimnyama lembali yasePortugal xa inguqu yobusoshiyali yayiqala ukumila kwaye ilizwe lalizama ukuzikhupha kumakhamandela obuzwilakhe, ndakhumbula uhambo lwam lokuqala lokuya eLisbon:
Ndandineminyaka eli-11 ubudala yaye ndihlala eMadrid. Ngenye intsasa utata wavuka enombono ongalawulekiyo-ukuchitha impela-veki eLisbon, kwaye siza kuqhuba iikhilomitha ezingama-500 okanye ngaphezulu kwi-Renault Dauphine yakhe. Ezi yayiziintsuku ngaphambi kokuba kubekho oohola bendlela, yayingowe-1959, kwaye iSalazar yayisalawula.
Ukuqala kwam ukubona ezinzulwini zobusuku xa safika emdeni kwaza kwafuneka sibonise iincwadana zokundwendwela ukuze singene. Amagama okuqala esiPhuthukezi endaweva avakala evakala ngathi athetha ulwimi lweSlavic. Ukunceda utata ukuba ahambe kwiindlela ezimxinwa eziya eLisbon kwaba ngumsebenzi, izibane ezimbalwa kwindlela yokunceda umqhubi kunye nomgca omhlophe kuphela embindini, owawufuna umsebenzi wokupeyinta.
Kwiiyure ezimbalwa kamva, safika esixekweni saza sabanjwa ngokukhuselekileyo kwiHotele iTivoli eLisbon’s Avenida Libertade.
Ngokukhawuleza ukuya ku-2018, kwaye ndineminyaka embalwa ubudala, ndandihleli kwiofisi yam yaseNew York, ngelixa ikhephu laligquma kwizitrato ezingezantsi kwaye amaqondo obushushu aqhubeka ehla, ndaqala ukudibanisa imifanekiso yemozulu efudumeleyo.
Imagnethi yam yayisoloko iyiMeditera kwaye ngokukodwa iYurophu yaseMzantsi, kwaye ndaqala ukufuna inketho engabizi kakhulu eyayiza kundibuyisela kum kanye kwisiseko sasekhaya saseNice. Ngokwemvelo, abathwali bemveli abanje nge-BA kunye ne-Air France baya kuthi qatha engqondweni, nangona kunjalo, iindleko zabo zaziphezulu kakhulu ukuba bangakwazi ukuzihlawulela, kwaye abazange babonelele ngamaxabiso okhuphiswano lwendlela enye ukuya kwindawo yam. Ngena, Air Portugal. Xa ndijonga iwebhusayithi yabo andizange ndiwakholelwe amehlo am, enye indlela eya eNice ngeLisbon engaphantsi kwe-300 yeedola - yayifana nayo.
Ukuphonononga ngakumbi, ndafumanisa ukuba i-Air Portugal yayibonelela ngokumisa ubusuku obu-1-5 eLisbon okanye ePorto ngaphandle kwentlawulo eyongezelelweyo. Ukwenza unikezelo lube nomtsalane ngakumbi, inqwelomoya yayiza kuphosa kukhetho lweehotele ezinesaphulelo, ukhenketho, kunye neendawo zokutyela ukuze ziqalise. Le yayingeyongqondo-ngqondo, yaye yayilixesha lam lokuphumla lasebusika.
Ekuphela koloyiko lwam yayingamava am angaphambili kwi-TAP, ndikhumbula inqwelomoya emiswe kakuhle nelawulwa ngurhulumente. Oku kwakusemva kwi-80s. Ngoku sasiku-2018, kwaye ndeva ukuba phantsi kobunkokheli be-CEO entsha, uFernando Pinto, loo mfanekiso wawusele uhambile kwaye inqwelomoya yayifumene amabhaso amaninzi.
Ifoto © Ted Macauley
Emva kweveki, ndandisela iti yasemva kwemini, ndizipholele eYurophu, kwikhefi ka-Audrey, inxalenye yehotele ebukekayo iSantiago de Alfama ekwikota endala yaseLisbon, xa kwathi kwenzeka ndakhubeka kumniniyo uManel. Umlingiswa onemibala kunye ne-raconteur, uManel kunye nenkosikazi yakhe babe negalelo kuhombiso kunye ne-ambience yehotele kwaye ngoku balungisa isakhiwo esimelene nesaziwa ngokuba yiPalacio de Santiago, esiya kongeza kumtsalane kunye namagumbi ehotele. Ngoxa wayekhenketha “isiza” esitsha, uManel waqinisekisa ukuba ndiyaqonda ukuba kwesi sitrato, iRua Santiago, “ihlabathi lonke” lalixhaswa ngemali, yaye uChristopher Columbus wayetshatile. Ihotele egqibeleleyo kumhambi onomdla. Iimbono ezintle malunga nesithili esidala saseAlfama ukusuka kwindawo yaso phezulu phezulu esixekweni zikhethekile njengoko zinjalo kwiPantheon kunye neSao Vincente Monastery.
Kwiintsuku ezimbini emva koko, ndabuyela kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya emva kokuzonwabisa “kokulungisa” eLisbon kwaye ndakhwela inqwelomoya yam yeAir Portugal edibanisa eNice.
Andikwazi ukucinga ngeyona ndlela ingcono yokudlula kwi-jet lag.
