Satsang & Surfing

I quit my corporate job in London in March 2020.

Corona hit. I bought an old camper van together with a friend. We started our journey from Berlin to Southern Europe in search for inspirational places to live and to work remotely. And to maybe start a business hosting digital nomads. All was open and in the air. Exciting times!

We had a blast travelling around Southern Europe while everyone in London or Berlin was enduring governmentally instructed lock down. We experienced unexpected freedom and suddenly tourist-free Europe. I have to say I didn’t have to suffer from most of the restrictions that any of my urban friends were telling me about during the difficult Corona time. I was fortunate.

After discovering many inspirational locations, we ended up in Southern Portugal, at its rough and stunning West Algarve. We stayed near a small village called Aljezur. The story I am going to tell is a recollection of my impressions over the last two years.

~ ~ ~

The first thing that hit me was: Oh, woman, this is a completely rural environment.

And don’t get me wrong. I grew up in a small village in Southern Germany. I know the drill. Small village. Everyone knows anyone and you are trying to implement yourself in a tight-knit community. Formed of local Portuguese and international Expats which mainly came from Germany, the Netherlands and France. Some Americans, too.

Yet, time has passed and most of my life was spent in vibrant urban set ups like Berlin or London. I wasn’t used to it any more, as I discovered over the last two years staying there.

~ ~ ~

At the beginning of my stay, I didn’t miss anything or anyone as I was blown away by the spectacular beauty of the landscape. Surrounded by a protected Natural Park, I was living close to the Atlantic Ocean in a cosy two-bedroom house built in the traditional Portuguese farmhouse style. Sheep and goats were running freely around the house. My landlord Rui and his family were living on the compound, too. It was idyllic.

~ THE WEST ALGARVE ~

The Portuguese government created a Natural Park in South Western Portugal over 35 years ago. A wise move if one thinks of inconsiderate building activities demonstrated at France’s Cote d’Azur or Spain’s Costa del Sol! And a famous part of this Natural Park is the Vicentina Coast. This stunning landscape is one of its kind and most probably one of the last refuges of untouched nature in Europe. Its wild scenery offers an amazing biodiversity of fauna and flora, incredible rugged coastal cliffs, a variety of lonely beaches and a magnificent network of hiking trails called the Rota Vicentina.

The West Algarve Beaches are unsupervised. Yes, you can find some bars or restaurants near the beaches, mostly in incredibly beautiful sceneries. Yet, here are no commercialised beach umbrellas and loungers to be rented, and there are no eager waiters*resses from beach hotels serving drinks. This makes the West Algarve a special place in Europe.

~  SPIRITUALITY  ~

International Expats and Portuguese Locals form an interesting community in the area of Aljezur. The expats community is an energetic mix of spiritual seekers, off-grid nature lovers, surfers, van lifers and digital nomads.

Aljezur, I was told, is under a particular star constellation which might be one of the reasons why this area hosts an established Spiritual Community. Yoga, Reiki and Tantra are taught. You will hear people tell you “It is the new moon in Sagittarius tonight, this is important”. My innate reaction is confusion to that sort of talks. Oh, what does this mean? I have no access to the meaning of such words. I learnt only slowly that I have to let go and google and reconnect through words that made sense to me.

You can participate in Full Moon Rituals, Psychic Readings, Sound Healing Journeys and Gong Baths Sessions. Ecstatic Dance, Sunset Awakening Circles or Sacred Cacao Ceremonies focusing on energy experience. Underground Arts and Crafts markets, DJ Sets and Off-Grid Dance Parties are promoted via Telegram and Facebook groups. This area is not only a holiday destination, or a stunning nature space, or a surfer hangout paradise, or a hiker’s destination. It is the place for searchers. Of any kind.

Particular communities in the area of Aljezur are formed by the ocean addicted surfers and people recovering from any sort of trauma, I felt. Healing is a big topic.

In the wider Healing community, you will encounter all sorts of self-proclaimed healers, spiritual teachers or shamans. There are workshops, retreats and individual sessions to find answers to your questions and to ease your pains. This is an open door to attract scrutiny and provoke criticism. If you follow the local Facebook groups, you will learn about grotesque aspects and mind-boggling offerings for trauma recovery and healing approaches. Of course, legit services from experienced physiotherapists, trained psychiatrists and genuine health professionals are offered, too. Yet, charlatanry plays equally well there.

When reading in those local Facebook groups, I often though couldn’t make up my mind what I found sadder: The unhinged daftness of some oddballs or the vicious comments of some expats and locals.

~  SATSANG  ~

A dedicated community in the Aljezur area is formed around the Sage Ganga Mira. At the end of the 1960s, a young Belgian woman called Geneviève de Coux made her way to India on the so-called “hippie trail”. This was the name given to the overland route between Europe to India and Nepal. In the 1960s and 1970s, alternative Westerners headed for the East. They hitchhiked or used cheap private buses, passing through Iran and crossing the ancient Khyber Pass trade route from Afghanistan to Pakistan, until those spiritual adventurers reached Delhi, Goa, Bombay, Kathmandu or Bangkok. Geneviève was one of those unconforming young Western travellers.

Once arrived in India, Geneviève connected to a spiritual leader, an Indian guru called Sri H. W. L. Poonja, also known as Papaji. Legend has it that she sat on the same spot for one year waiting for him after their first encounter in Rishikesh, a small town in the Himalayan foothills beside the Ganges River.

Papaji became Geneviève’s (spiritual) master and Geneviève de Coux was henceforth known as Ganga Mira. The twenty-something Ganga eventually got married to her sage Hindu master. 40 years her senior, Papaji at the time was already in his sixties. Papaji was already married, and Ganga became his second wife. They had a daughter and travelled the world to spread his teachings. After his death Ganga moved to Portugal and continued her master’s practice of “Satsang” events. Hundreds of followers came to Portugal due to her and the stream of disciples hasn’t stopped yet.

Ganga’s community is moulded around her followers gathering multiple times during the week for Satsang. In country houses or at a particular beach called Praia de Vale Figueiras (which is distinct from Praia de Vale Figueira). The word Satsang is originating from Sanskrit where “Sat” means “purity or truth” and “Sang” stands for “in group or association”. Participating in Satsang is designed for followers as an uplifting event to advance the devotees on their spiritual journey.

I have been several times at Ganga’s Satsangs. Her events are open to anyone who wants to join. Satsangs are gatherings of about eighty people seeing Ganga on a space above her followers -like a little throne- talking about her chosen subject of the day (like “Don’t try to figure it out” or “There is no truth in the mind”) and answering questions. Sometimes, a lot of the ninety minutes of Ganga’s presence in a Satsang are spent in silence. Anyone can ask anything. She responds thoughtfully, her answers are patient and understanding, but then also feisty and vague. Donations from followers and visitors are expected and events are filmed for Ganga’s YouTube channel.

I felt her overarching theme was: “Don’t overthink it, people. All you are looking for is already within yourself. Stop constructing all those theories in your head. It’s all only a concept of your mind you are suffering from.” That is, at least, what I understood from the gatherings and her messages. But maybe then, I am only projecting. I will never know for sure.

~  THE SURFERS  ~

Another remarkable community in the area of Aljezur are the surfers. Of course! As long as you are not a surfer yourself, you will never connect. They have their own bubble of ocean love and banter and hanging out and smoking weed. They are people from all walks of life. A lot of adorably looking girls and guys in their 20s travelling around in their camper vans chasing the waves along all eligible shores of the world.

And the West Algarve offers so many of those rough ocean beach gems, the most prominent being Arrifana, Amado, Monte Clerigo or Vale Figueiras.

Yet, the big waves are further north of the Algarve. Nazaré, north of Lisbon, is known for the mightiest waves in the world. The current world record is held by a young fearless German surfer, Sebastian Steudtner. In 2020, Sebastian surfed a 26 meter high wave in Nazaré. People, that is the equivalent of dropping off a 9-storey building with a surf board. Just saying.

If you are a wave riding amateur, you are told to stay in the “White Wash” (when the waves have already broken close to the shore) and to try your luck to stand up on your surf board there. Only the experienced surfers will form a “line up” further out in the wild ocean to catch the unbroken waves riding with an etiquette code of not disturbing each other’s surf path back to the beach.

Around the surf crowd moves an established community of photographers and movie makers catching the surfers’ ultra-cool movements and rough ocean scenery in dazzling pictures and documentaries. I tried surfing. I liked the athletic movements, the 1-2-3 steps up on the board. It was exciting. But I will never be one of them. The harsh salty water, the rough ocean, the relentless sun, it is not my sport. But then, who knows, maybe one day!

~  BELIEFS & CONSPIRACY ~

In the area of Aljezur, all sorts of beliefs are entertained. Beliefs range from positive, playful, health-centric, spiritual, quirky, bold, pragmatic to grotesque, absurd or dark. It’s all there.

A bleak outlook on the future, sometimes embellished with an apocalyptical side note, is a common view. Some people came to Southern Portugal to prepare for the aftermath of the apocalypse. Hence, they pursue living off-grid with their own solar energy and water sources, being self-sufficient on their land with their own cattle and produce.

The West Algarve is a melting pot of conspiracy theories, often sinister, sometimes funny, at times surprising. Or simply crazy. But then define “crazy”, you say. True. If it works for you and you don’t hurt others, in my opinion, believe whatever you want!

Having said this, entertainment value is certainly granted as those beliefs are always communicated with passionate intensity. I was told or overheard conversations the likes of:

~ ~ ~

“The earth is flat, you know, it is all a big lie.”

“Putin isn’t really Putin any more. They replaced him with a look-alike a long time ago.”

“Those white trails you see in the sky are ‘chemtrails’. You think they are just condensation streams consisting of water vapour from aircrafts cruising at high altitude?? Ha! You fool! Those white trails are dangerous chemicals and harmful biological substances. And THEY are intentionally spraying us with this stuff – to make us sick and to control us! Phaaa, you have no idea how bad it is!”

“They insert a micro chip when you get vaccinated against Covid.”

“Crypto was invented by the Nazis.”

~ ~ ~

Interestingly, the trust in crypto currencies is big in some local communities there serving as alternative to the current monetary system. Democratisation of the financial world and decentralisation of governmental control is the aspirational aim. Hear, hear.

So what I am trying to say is: If you feel misplaced in this world and you cannot find your niche in or around Aljezur, you won’t find it anywhere on this planet. Period.

~  HIPSTERS & LOCALS ~

Another tribe in the area are the Hipsters (as I heard some young locals call them). International expats in their 20s and 30s who gather in recently formed speciality coffee shops like Koyo in Aljezur. Sipping overpriced (for the area at least) coffee and enjoying the bohemian flair a village like Aljezur just doesn’t offer otherwise. People there form a stylish and well-natured crowd. They are urbanists in a rural environment sporting an arty touch and trying to recreate that urban buzz in an otherwise tranquil countryside.

The other side of the hipster spectrum is covered by venues like the hyper local Football Club Cafe Juventude Clube Aljezurense. I believe it is operated by the municipality. My friend N. and I watched the World Cup football game Portugal vs Ghana there. We changed the demographics of this place dramatically that afternoon. The only other woman in the club was cooking the meal in the kitchen for the dominoes and cards playing men.

But let’s go a bit back in time. Why is this small village of Aljezur so endearing to so many interesting and wild people in the first place?

~ ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITIES ~

Well, Aljezur is hippie land. And I don’t mean to say that in a derogative way. So many free spirits are around there. From all walks of life.

A lot of the older generation of them came in the 1970s after the “Estado Novo” dictatorship of Salazar and Caetano had ended, leading into the “Revolução dos Cravos” (the Carnation Revolution). Heaps of young Europeans came into Portugal back then hoping to help establishing a new “European Cuba”, a vision of a new communist country within Europe. It didn’t work out that way. Yet, the legend was born.

The area of the Western Algarve in Portugal became home to alternative communities.

Mostly off-grid and with the desire to connect to nature, many initiatives are woven around the idea of building their own houses, tending to their vegetable gardens, holding livestock and living off the fruits of the land. In many cases, restrictions to realise this vision are imposed by unavailability of funds and the lack of resources to maintain vast properties of often over ten hectares (which is the equivalent of fourteen soccer pitches!). This is where “woofers” come in. Volunteers mostly in their 20s and 30s who provide a helping hand in exchange for food or accommodation or a space to stay with their camper van.

One of those alternative communities I want to call out is Tamera. A 300 hectares plot in the Alentejo region offering a different way of living and .. loving. Most couples there are entangled in polyamory relationships. You have multiple kids with multiple partners. When I visited Tamera for an afternoon, an elderly female community member told me during a hush-hush conversation: “Actually, I don’t know why, and I don’t understand it, but this polyamory set up works out better than I thought it would!” Hear, hear.

~  HAPPY DUST ~

And yet another interest group was holding onto this adorable stretch of Portuguese coast.

Over the last decades, drug lords were using the unsupervised West Algarve shores as easy entry point to drop off their narcotics to its lonely beaches. And those illegal drugs made their way into Europe. One could argue that quite fine amounts were (and are) consumed right at the drop zone.

But that’s another story made immortal through Gerry Esser’s quirky book series. One book is called “Arrifana” (named after the famous surfer beach near Aljezur). An unapologetic semi-biographical crime novel. And an unorthodox writing style. Fun to read.

~  VAN LIFERS & DIGITAL NOMADS ~

In the then coming years, the influx of van lifers into the Western Algarve didn’t stop. While the South Algarve is reserved for golf playing Brits, the West Algarve is the playground of soul seeking free spirits and digital nomads from all over Europe. Americans have recently discovered the West Algarve for experiencing freedom the US cannot offer and for buying property for which they get a Portuguese passport on top as an easy access to Europe, the so called “Golden Visa”. 

Conflict between the expat newcomers and the locals were predestined. There were and are clashes on a regular basis. Some van lifers behaved badly in the protected Natural Park leaving their rubbish, faeces, wet wipes and dirty nappies behind. This led to a local outburst. In 2020, wild camping was banished at the West Algarve. No more sleeping in your van overseeing the ocean in a breath-taking environment outside of a designated camping spot. You are controlled and asked to leave and get fined by the GNR (Portuguese police).

Good thing to mention though is that crime is still minimal. Portugal’s West Algarve is the only European location where I’d leave my stuff unsupervised on the beach and jump into the ocean. That’s telling.

~  GO WITH THE FLOW ~

Osho mediation, women’s circle, ecstatic dance, silent disco on the beach, free spirited markets called “Azula” or “Shangri La”. The Bombeiros (Firefighters) coffeeshop, fresh vegetable markets, local mercados, bohemian shops. Yoga, Qi Gong, Mental Kung Fu. Sharing circles, retreats, vibrance healing. Yurts, Tiny Houses, Off-grid living. Crazy property market dynamics, heated discussions about building permissions (or not). My head is spinning while recalling all of those impressions I had.

I’ll be leaving Aljezur for good for now.

Aljezur is a lot, but not enough for my urban soul. At least not yet, at this phase in my life. I am grateful I could experience a wild spot in Europe while it was still wild. Gentrification will do its thing over the next years, I guess.

I am leaving with a light heart. I have met incredibly versatile people and made lifelong friends. I fell for guys with savage beards and untamable dreadlocks. I touched what people call spirituality. I had incredibly exhilarating fun times while also experiencing exhaustingly intense quarrels. I was for months non-stop on the road longing for routine and then got bored when staying put.

The last two years in Aljezur had a lot to offer. It was unexpected and random. It was romantic. It was wild. It was footloose and non-committal. It was edgy and confusing. It was thought-provoking.

That’s what l learnt: Don’t worry. Don’t overthink your next moves. Go with the flow. Something will come up. You can trust the goddess in this! ✨🙏🏻🧚🏼‍♀️🌱🌔💫🌽🥦🍇🧉🏄🏻‍♀️💚🔆🌀