This is my latest adventure; for our last business trip, I set off with a collapsible surfboard on my back for a hitchhiking trip.
Step 1: The stop
I completed the first part of my journey by hitchhiking.
At 9am, I set off with a Newave board on my back, some spare clothes in my bag and a go pro to document my adventure.
The goal is simple: reach San Sebastian before nightfall to catch the last bus to Lisbon!
The first part of the journey goes very well; the cars follow one after another and the kilometers pass, but the road is long and the timing is tight. Once in the moors, each leg of the journey is shorter than the last, time is ticking away, and the distance I still have to cover remains virtually unchanged. Doubt creeps in.
Finally, I crossed the Spanish border barely an hour before my bus was due to leave, and there I stumbled upon the car that came my way. Claire, the driver, was taking her two sons and another hitchhiker right to the San Sebastián bus station. THANKS !
Step 2: The night bus
The second leg of the journey seemed the shortest to me; after that long day, I only had time to grab a sandwich at the station, put my surfboard in the luggage compartment of the bus before falling into a deep sleep.
I woke up the next day under the Portuguese sun an hour before arriving. Perfect !
Step 3: The Little Train
To join the team, I had one last step, a small train, the local equivalent of the RER, to cross the Tagus and reach the surf beaches.
A 45-minute journey with the view and a pastis de nata upon arrival, pure bliss! In addition, my surfboard went unnoticed and no one commented on the size of my luggage.
Step 4: Surfing
After I joined the Newave team and stowed my board in the van's trunk, we headed off towards the surf spots. We surfed all the legendary beaches of Portugal: Ericeira, Nazaré, Peniche, and all the others, less well-known, whose names we won't reveal here. Two weeks of waves that were well worth the long journey.
Ultimately, I'm really happy with this trip, which allowed me to avoid flying.
I was never bothered by my surfboard: no hitchhiker was discouraged and I had no problems on public transport.
If I were to do it again, I'd definitely take a bit more time. Hitchhiking is still a pretty unreliable mode of transport, so I might as well take the opportunity to embrace the slow life and stop wherever I like along the way! 😉
PS: The video of this adventure is available here .