Tuesday, Oct 16th, Obidos, Portugal

Greetings!

Before we see the hilltop, 2,500 year-old, 12th century wall-encircled Lusitano-Roman-Visigoth-Muslim-Spanish-and finally Portuguese town of Obidos, we decided to visit two sites some distance away.  The first (Bacalhoa Buddha Eden) has been called by our hosts "the most fascinating unknown local attraction".  The place itself says it's the "Largest Oriental garden in Europe".

You might remember back in 2001 when the Taliban in Afghanistan blew up two large Buddha statues at Bamyan.  A Portuguese businessman  and art collector  named Jose Berardo decided to respond by creating a 75-hectare landscape covered with large and small Buddhas, and an equally enormous collection of sculptured animals.  The collection, and layout, can be seen on foot or by train circulating throughout the hilly estate.  It has to be seen to be believed.

Beginning tomorrow, the second to last event on the World Surfing League's circuit of world surfing championships will be held at Peniche, Portugal - not far from here at a popular coastal beach promintory.  We drove there to check out the surf, and the location where it will all happen.  This is the same group which held the world longboard championships we visited on Long Island in New York shortly before we left on this trip.  They held a championship in France two weeks ago, and will finish their season in Hawaii in mid-November.

Like Navare yesterday, the waves were small today.  We stopped by the Banana Beach Surf Cafe a little way down the beach from the judging stand, and had lunch in the sun.  Sure hope the surf gets bigger by the finals next week.

We ended the day at our hometown, Obidos.  It contains all of the ingredients of the classic Iberian fortified town whose walls and castles have come to tell the stories of 800 years of struggle by the residents of Portugal to define themselves.  It felt very good to walk the streets and enjoy a beer surrounded by 300 year-old Sycamore trees beneath the castle towers.

To see all the photos taken today, click on: Tuesday, Oct 16th, Obidos, Portugal.