Toronto

Toronto, our first destination country, even if it was for one night.

On the plane to Toronto.

And here we go on our way to Bogotá. But first let’s make a small stop in Toronto, Canada. Damn scales! In fact, we would like to stay longer than one night…

I met Monique through instagram as soon as I started my trip in 2012. She used to comment on my adventures and feed my curiosity that if I went to Canada I would tell her something. And that is exactly what happened, days before leaving Lisbon, I sent her a request for help for our trip to Toronto. And let’s just say I had the best reception possible. We are delighted with the number of highly integrated migrants in a simple and organized system that is Canada. We both feel it will be a destination that we would love to stay longer, perhaps moving there.

Monique’s parents, are natural from the Azores and they were extremely kind receiving and taking care of us. Unfortunately in Toronto there was no time for drawings, but Jorge and Maria (Monique’s parents) took us out for dinner. Then Monique arrived after dinner and Jorge drove us around town. We talked all the time and felt so go to be with a Portuguese family! The next morning we headed to Colombian capital.

Within hours of arriving!

We go with jet-leg and full of dubious food eaten on the plane. Ahhh there is no food like Portuguese food! Inside the plane, time passes between organizing ideas of things that we enjoyed working on the trip. The idea is that travel is not just an experience but rather create content for our future as travelers. Small projects that make sense at this point in my life as an adventurer, who have been maturing during these years and digested during this stop in Portugal. The search for whats new continues. Let’s be inspired by what has not yet been done, at least for us and for what we will find.

And what will we really find?

The truth is that despite the reports we read on blogs, the rest of the people we talk with tell us everything that if we were really thinking we would not go anywhere! Dogs that will not let go of our legs, while our ass exclaims for comfort and the bastard of the saddle seems to be made of wood. Of the cartel gangs, which after seeing the series “Narcos”, became much more real in my head. We are very little, or nothing, prepared for the Antes mountains, which can go up to 5000 meters high, loaded with bags, which if we get some wind, we fell off! Anyway, it will be beautiful!

Ignorance makes us afraid and cautious. What is good on one hand to keep our guard and make us conscious for our “belongings” can be taken, on the other hand it is good to put a certain reserve. But nothing like actually understand the world we live in. We go with the conviction that it will not be easy, but we wouldn’t feel alive either if we live in routines that give us comfort and security. We do not have superhero covers, whoever we were. Our shield is our instinct and the ability to decide well without losing sight of our greatest treasure: our lives.

I dedicate this text to my parents and family, who today said goodbye. We’ve stopped hugging for a while but we’ll be here to give you news, whatever news they were! A hug to my family and friends, now it’s just us and what the road gives us!

Luís Simões
Luís Simões

In 2012 I started a World Sketching Tour and since then, this has been my lifestyle. More intense, more for others, more open on how to look and judge. The tour made me get out of routines and safe places, which often leave me numb just seeing life go by slowly. Sketching has aroused my curiosity for “what will it be like on the other side of the mountain?”.

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