Solo travel to ‘the end of the world’
Solo in Portugal
Portugal’s Sagres is sometimes ‘referred to as the end of the world’ because often they end up as ex-pats rather than digital nomads. It is a place that digital nomads flock to during summer, on the islands and the mainland. Nomads go there to explore then they sometimes never want to leave, that’s it, I have made it, I am staying is what I have seen and heard in my time I have been in Portugal. Solo Travelling you tend to meet people easily and opportunity is always around, so for me, it is not the end of the world it is just the beginning.
I think, at sometimes, life puts people on your path to share experiences with. To make everything more powerful. So I went with the flow and the following story that I will get to soon, is what happened.
But first a bit of context…
Having always been a solo traveller and enjoyed my solitude enormously while exploring the world, I am very comfortable living and travelling and enjoying my own space. But lately, something’s changed.
Since the end of 2019, I have put my roots in the South of Portugal. It’s a magical place where anybody who gets here feels that something is different. Many nomads feel the need to stop here. Maybe because it is called “The end of the world” and it feels there is nowhere else to go, or maybe just because it’s special.
Exploring Sagres – Portual
The most frequent story I have heard is that when people get to Sagres, they stand on top of the cliff and look at the horizon, and in that moment they usually have two choices: either they fall in love with this place, or they get lost in the uncomfortable emptiness and need to leave.
If you decide to stay you have to let go of a part of the “normal” world, a part of society, a part of yourselves. You have to let go of many certainties to live here, and if you don’t it will be impossible to stay. This is exactly what happened with my friend Emanuela. She fell in love.
It all started when we got invited to an adventure in Sagres for the last full moon rising of the year. Emanuela had never been to the west coast of the Algarve and only heard about how magical it is from my stories. She had yet to experience its full power for herself.
Over Christmas, I stayed at her place as I was supposed to travel to Rome to visit my family but in the end, I decided to stay here and my home was already rented out, so she offered me to stay at hers with her family and friends. I decided to thank her by showing her my magical place.
I made sure we would start the journey a bit early so that we were able to have some time to stop at my favourite cafe to pick up cake to bring along and eat overlooking the ocean before heading to the event.
Praia da Rocha Algarve
Emanuela lives on the south coast of the Algarve, in Praia da Rocha, a beautiful town with golden cliffs and beaches. It is really close to the west coast but so different at the same time.
We started the trip with our heaviest clothes on as we were prepared to watch the moon rise outdoors. Stopping first at the cafe, we picked up some cake of the day, chocolate and coconut, and headed towards the sunset. We arrived at the cliffs, and there it happened.
The sound of the ocean, the wind, the sun was going down, it was perfect. I could not hear Emanuela anymore, she just opened her eyes and lungs and was in the present moment, falling in love. Exactly what happened to me a few years back in the same exact place.
As the sun continued to set, we continued to another spot, took some pictures, and watched surfers and the sunset while eating our cake. It was magical. At that point, the wind was quite strong so we decided to go back to the car, opened google maps and drove toward the lagoon where the moon rise event was to take place.
THE LAST FULL MOONRISE
The event we got invited to was created to share a sacred moment while watching the last full moon rising of the year from the garden of a house that overlooks a lagoon.
When we arrived, we were presented with hot golden chai tea by our host, along with Giulia, who organized the event. Just the smell of that tea brought me straight back to Asia for one infinite second.
It was seven of us sharing that special moment, warmed by the delicious tea and moving about in anticipation. And then, silence.
WITH WHOM DID YOU WATCH THE LAST FULL MOON RISE ?
Gazing toward this moon, we were set our eyes where the moon would rise. The owner of the house, an older, very interesting woman, was telling us that that place is special as the sunrise and the moonrise can both be seen from the ocean in the summertime. Apparently, it’s something quite unusual.
Observing the beauty we all looked to the horizon. The light became stronger and stronger and there it was: the moon.
At the beginning the light of the moon seemed pinkish, then, the more it was rising, it became first yellow and then withe. The moon was the main character in the movie that was my present moment, the present moment for all of us.
The feeling of a united connection through that massive ball of light that was making the night bright as a cold day. Gathered together with this strong connection between us, the surroundings and the moon, we all shared what we were grateful for my year That was.
meditation
Shifting our space and reflecting, we all moved inside the house and into a small room. The room was warmed by a small fire and we enjoyed a homemade pumpkin soup. Then afterwards, we shared a guided meditation with Tibetan singing bowls.
After the meditation, we all went out side again, passing through some big plants that with the moonlight seemed like a door to a magical world.
Arriving in a little wooded area where the moon could just come through the branches of some trees. And what did we do?
Started howling like a wolf in the moonlight.
It was such a great release. We laughed after every howl and it felt so bonding and a feeling of togetherness. That was real companionship and sharing a special moment. Most of the people that were there I had not seen or met before. Some people I knew and had seen just a few times, but when you are really present in a moment that is when you can connect on a deeper level through a shared experience.
SIMPLICITY & Purity
Throughout all my life, as a nomad and a spiritual person, I have always embraced simplicity. Simplicity and purity. When I reached Sagres a few years ago I could feel that this was a place of simplicity. But with an emptiness that could help me find space for myself and connect from that present moment.
Everyone who comes here to Sagres has the same feeling. And once you really anchor that purity and emptiness inside your heart, you can bring it around the world with you. It’s about coming to peace with your own emptiness and being comfortable in yourself.
Follow me on my journey as a nomad and join me as I share how you can do it to.
Have an amazing, playful year and make lots of sacred moments happen.
With love Bi
Bi M Kunzili
Writer, Yoga instructor, Surfer, Nomad
