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Overview

  • 106 references 51 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, Portuguese; learning French, Persian (Farsi), Spanish
  • 38, Male
  • Member since 2006
  • Tour leader in a tourism/photography agency guiding small...
  • Economist
  • From Barreiro, Setúbal, Portugal
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

Travel, and meet many people as i can :)

ABOUT ME

I love life, i just wish i had more time to meet more people, try more things, and do a lot more stuff.

My friends are always saying that i'm always with a good mood, and it's kinda true. Normally i just see the good things that life brings to us, i always look to "the bright side of life", i know there's always a sun shining for all of us.

Some friends are always saying that i'm a very lucky guy, even thou i wouldn't call it luck, i believe we can do a lot about our destiny. I don't believe that all things go as we want and that we do our destiny. But, i saw it as combinations/probabilities: i believe that we can get the best chances to our side if we do something for it.

For the other hand my father is always telling me that "the world is not going to end tomorow!" because i feel constantly a big urge to do things, to be active and when im really into it, i do it and i give it all.

Anyway, mostly i love to travel&meet people, make friendships all around the globe and keep in touch with people after, not just meet and bye forever, gather knowledge, learn learn learn, talk about travelling and adventures, share experiences. And especially people that open my horizons, that show me a diferent and original way of thinking and living, normally..i will get in love by those ones.

I have two Blogs if you want to check/add to newsletter @
Traveling blog www.pedropadinha.blogspot.com
Traveling in Iran www.bazarpersa.blogspot.com

PHILOSOPHY

Live your life as if there is only one time for you to enjoy it. (just in case, don't trust reincarnation!)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosted some dozens of people in my house... but honestly, i have to retribute a LOT all the dozens of times i had surfed for 9 months crossing the Middle East and North of Africa :) plus some dozens times elsewhere, with the most great and hospitable people on earth.

Interests

Mountain bike and sports in general, travelling and travel stories[if not in overdose :)] Hiking, Photography, Cinema, music&guitars, Portuguese wine, Vegetarian food, walking and chilling in Lisbon, going out with friends, meet new people and new places :)

Music, Movies, and Books

Interesting stuff that you can see by yourself when i host or you host me ;P

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think one amazing thing is to be alive and living each day at a time, enjoying it with family, new and old friends :) Some of the most amazing things i ever saw and touched me came from inside the people's heart&soul and the from the mother nature. Even thou i can catalogue some that meant a lot to me.

Lived with a Italian family in Sicily(Palermo) in 1998.

Road Trip through Europe during 40 days, 9 Countries, in 1999.

Take a part in Erasmus life in bologna (Italy) in 2007.

Riding a bike for more than 20.000kms till today, at the most amazing trail's in Portugal. Riding in almost every mountain and valley's out there, and feeling something as never before (and there's still soooo much to see!).

Two times Lisboa - Santiago de Compostela(680kms) in October 2006 and September 2007, on bicycle in the pilgrim's way.

Portugal's cross country on mountain bike in August 2008 (1050kms) From Bragança to Sagres during 16 days.

The Way of St. James on mountain bike, from Saint Jean Pied de Port till Santiago de Compostela (860kms) in August 2009

Making part of the Adventure Race World Championship in Portugal during one week, the most tough sport event i ever saw! damn crazy race all night and day long, 2009.

Crossing the Middle East and North of Africa in 9 months from Turkey till Morocco through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt 2009-2010.

Hitchhiking for more than 350 rides and counting! :-)

Volunteer in a Portuguese Association (www.gastagus.org), teaching basic english to teenage mothers.

Volunteer in São Tomé and Príncipe in 2011, teaching english, maths and hosting several workshops.

Road trip from Portugal to Guiné-Bissau in 2011, during 5000kms, crossing Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and Senegal.

1 month in Iran in 2012, which is one of the most hospitable places on earth. Returned there for 13x and counting since then.

Had the "courage" to return to a place where i was very happy once and feel even happier with the fact of returning @ São Tomé e Príncipe. (oh, and of course, proving that the famous quote [never return to a place where you were happy once] just isn't true), 2013.

Settled down in a traditional Lisbon neighbourhood in Out 2014.

The rest is not updated but we'll have time to chat about many things :)

Teach, Learn, Share

We can go for a tour around Lisbon since i know it pretty well and love the more i know it. I enjoy a lot the old neighbourhoods, the ancient Lisbon, the great places for portuguese gastronomy, some hidden viewpoints to the river or siting in some local pub listenning to Fado. If you enjoy walking without a specific purpose and going with the flow we'll have a great time.

We can also try to get lost! Its fascinating in the old city of Lisbon :)

I can take you to some very cool hiking around Mountain Arrabida in the south of Lisbon - For sure one of the most hidden highlights in Portugal!

I love wine, so we can go for it! Have some great meals with it and share moments. Lisbon has really great gastronomic challenges if you accept it :) for all pockets!

I'm also a photographic enthusiast, so i may help with some pratical or technical stuff if you ask for it. Im used to organise walking/photography tours.

I love vegetarian food, i know to cook some stuff, but i would love also to learn more, so please, lets go for it! :)

I enjoy all types of people, especially the ones who are able to listen, to share and to learn. As i love as much to share, as to learn.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Armenia, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam, Western Sahara

Countries I’ve Lived In

Portugal

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