Did I get a tattoo in Portugal?

Never in my life had I ever considered getting a tattoo.  I didn’t like the look of them, and I couldn’t conceive of why you would want something permanently engraved on your skin.  I certainly couldn’t come up with something that I would want permanently etched into me anyway.

That is, until I arrived in the Azores with Pedro and we were talking about the new tattoo he was going to get.  I actually really liked the one he got in Nicaragua last year of Pepe – the macaw he rescued whilst he was there – and loved that it had so much significance for him.   This new tattoo was also incredibly meaningful for him – an image of Leo, the ocelot he also cared for whilst at La Mariposa Spanish School in Nicaragua. 

Now, anyone who has ever met me and talked to me for a while knows how much La Silla Observatory (where I used to work in Chile) means to me.   Certainly Pedro has heard me talk about it ad nauseum, and when I mentioned that I was thinking about buying a “Wanderer Bracelet” with the coordinates of La Silla, he came out with the following poetry:

“You already have La Silla tattooed in your heart and mind, why not have it tattooed on your skin?”

And in that moment, the seed of the idea was planted.

We talked about it often over the next few days, I looked up different options for the design and placement on the body, and, I have to admit, the idea really grew on me.  To the point where I submitted what I wanted to Manel – the tattoo artist – to prepare.

Fast-forward to the next week in Porto, and I went with Pedro to get his tattoo done and discuss the possibility of mine.  Having never had any interest in tattoos, it was really interesting to watch the the whole process.

First of all, the final design (which has been decided between the artist and client) is transferred to a stencil.

tracing the design for transfer to the skin

Next, the area is shaved and the image transferred to the skin.

transferring the tattoo design

Then the needles are prepared.  They come sealed in individual packages, and different sizes are used depending on what is required for the image.  Manel was extremely conscious about hygiene throughout the whole process – I lost count the number of times he changed rubber gloves!

preparing the needles for the tattoo

Then there is the actual tattooing.  

tattooing

Manel used one of the newer guns that didn’t make anywhere near as much noise as the traditional ones (he demonstrated a traditional one for me and I think that would have put me off right there) – and Leo came into being, with only the occasional grimace/face-pulling by Pedro.

tattooing and the final image

So, did I get a tattoo?

my tattoo - the coordinates of La Silla Observatory

After this photo was taken, Manel slathered on some cream and wrapped my forearm in glad-wrap, which had to stay on for a couple of hours.  Here’s Raúl and I out on the town afterwards with me still wrapped up (love this photo!  Thanks Pedro 🙂 ). 

Out and about in Porto with Raúl - arm still wrapped up from tattoo

And did it hurt?  

Nowhere near as much as I expected! In fact there were only a couple of moments where it “bit” a little (that’s what it felt like), though admittedly it was only a very small tattoo.

And do I regret it?

Not at all!  🙂  Sorry mum and dad!

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