Went to Fatima, Portugal

8:23 PM

What we did all day today was pretty much just go to Fatima, Portugal. Yesterday, we went to a castle. Actually, let me write about yesterday's entry first.

10:42 PM

Okay I'm back after writing down my entries for the past 2 days. I'm honestly quite tired. But I'll continue on.

Today was pretty typical. I exercised in the morning instead of at night today. I forgot to mention that I think every single day here in Portugal, I went to the gym and did arm exercises. It's really easy. I think this has motivated me to actually sign up for a gym, because I find it really easy to just lift some weights, and then put them down, and then do a small weight increase increment every day. Like it's so easy, and the best way to get stronger and look better.

After that, we had breakfast. I'm going to miss the breakfasts, because they are a buffet and you can eat as much as you want.

After breakfast, we rested in our rooms for a bit, and then got an Uber to the bus station place, where our Uber driver gave us an umbrella for free. What? It was raining outside today, and he was like, here you go, free umbrella. Which is pretty dang awesome. Unfortunately we have to leave this umbrella here at the hotel, maybe we can donate it to them. I'll take a picture of the umbrella first. I took a picture of it, I'll upload it here too. It's honestly quite a decent umbrella. It was so random that the Uber driver just gave us an umbrella for free, worth even more than the Uber ride.

After that we got off at the bus area/train station (apparently called a transit station), there were a bunch of buses here as well as some trains. We didn't know where to go, as there were dozens of buses everywhere and a ton of bus stations, so we went to the FlixBus office, and asked the first people in line if they spoke English and I started to ask them if they knew where we should go for our ticket. Apparently our conversation was too loud, as the person working at the front desk told us to stop talking. So we started to whisper. Anyway, we decided to exit and to try to find where we were supposed to go on our own.

We eventually found the correct place by asking around. There were people in neon vests who would guide others to the right place. So we waited at the bus stop, and then got on the bus to Fatima. It was a 1.5 hour ride roughly, I fell asleep on the bus. When we woke up, we were close to sanctuary.

Fatima is this sacred city by Catholics. The legend goes that there were 3 kids who saw a vision of Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the area who gave them 3 secrets, which were prophecies. People believed them, so they built this city and sanctuary here, and also they became canonized (became saints). There was a protestant, evangelical Christian Uber driver who gave their take on this, that they didn't believe that, and it is just Catholics who do. He says he believes in God only and not these Fatima visions, and there was also another Uber driver, same protestant evangelical faith, who said something similar.

I mean, in hindsight it's a bit strange. It wouldn't work in today's culture, I think. Three kids making a claim, and everyone around them believing it, and they build a city and sanctuary church based on these claims.

My own faith, I would say is agnostic. Logically and rationally, the Christian religion and other religions just seem like tales of fiction on closer analysis. I can't really relate to people who, when confronted with facts or reasoning, distort the truth somehow. But at the same time, I love praying and hoping, and believing in a God. I prayed at this sanctuary. I like giving up some myself "to a higher power", even if I don't fully believe in that faith. So I am agnostic, there's a lot I know that makes zero sense with religion, but emotionally, I just enjoy praying, it feels empowering.

People say that praying does nothing. That's false. There is a technique where you can make people salivate just by describing to them a lemon being cut in half, and then asking them to imagine putting one half of the lemon oozing with juice, into their mouths. This made me salivate a little just by even writing it, and I didn't even do a full sensory description of the knife cutting the lemon, and etc. The power of the mind is incredible. Prayer does affect things, as much as placebos do, and as much as music does. A pump-up song can energize a person, a depressing song can lower their energy, prayer also affects our state.

Anyway, I prayed there. Then we got some souvenirs and got in line at the gift store. That was fun.

I'm tired. After that, we went back to the bus, and just went shopping at the transit station. Apparently there was this gigantic shopping center mall area here, and we had no idea it even existed. I bought new shoes, and a new travel bag. Then we ate at a vegan restaurant, came back to the hotel, and packed our things.

I am tired. I have to wake up at 3 AM and then go to the airport. So I'm going to take a shower and then go to sleep.