We walked along a creek to the back of the swimming pool a couple of times when we took bus. Anna, a parent at the CLIB, mentioned that it was a good place to run.

I explored the western part of the trail on Saturday and the eastern part on Sunday. I can’t find a name for the creek on Google map. Otherwise, it’s very nicely constructed trail system for walkers, runners and cyclists.

On the west side, the pavement ends at the intersection of R 5 de Outubro, but you may keep going for a little bit until you reach R. Jose Estevao.

Towards the east, the pavement ends at Av. dos Lusiadas, just pass the INL, but you may keep going by make a right turn towards the Bom Jesus. Most people did, and I followed.

There are some interesting murals near Parque Da Ponte. I saw repeated references to Ultra Braga 1921, but couldn’t decipher the message’s exact meaning.

Between N101 and Av. 31 de Janeiro, there is a village in the city along the creek. On wandering narrow street between stone walls as part of the trail, some cyclists in full protection gears rushed like juggernauts in Call of Duty.

I noticed many a good size of crowd outside a newspaper kiosk called Troca de Cromos. They were trading cards of players. There are many old peole and many young children. I took some time to find a young person who spoke English to tell me what’s going on. I have learned the best way to communicate with someone who only speak a little English is by posing logically arranged questions. My students told me they got the cards like blind boxes. They trade football players whom they like or don’t like.

Following the exercising traffic to Bom Jesus was an exhausting but rewarding experience. There was one gentleman who picked garbage along the way, holding a large black garbage bag in one hand. He ran up even faster than I did. On the way down, there were a couple, both aged in their 70s who descended the steps way faster than I could manage to do (I tried). It reminded my high school time. My friend, who shared the desk with me, Yang Jiangshan often challenge me to run down stairs. I haven’t heard from him for a long, long while.

I had a beer on the top, 1.25 euros. Although it was almost November, it’s hard to find traits of autumn from the color of foliages. On my way back, I had to walk a bit.

I saw many morning glories. It reminded me when I did morning runs with my two cousins on campus of Beijing University. We are all pigs.

Altogether, it took me two hours to cover nine miles.