Saturday october 17th, 2009

Sultan's globetrotting ways continue as he visits the land of Vasco da Gama, Jose Saramago, Bacalhau and the fado - Portugal!  Read on as Kelly sends in another update about what it is like to travel around with the tallest man in the world!

Sultan began his day bright and early today taking in the warm weather in Lisbon, and as always, with lots of attention from the people at the hotel who wanted to take a photo.  He couldn’t even escape breakfast without someone wanting to take a quick snap with him, but it’s all in a day's work for Sultan who happily obliged!  After a quick break we headed to the FNAC bookstore at Lisbon’s Colombo Shopping Mall for a press conference and book signing.  Crowds gathered as he got out of the car surrounded by hoardes of TV cameras and photographers.  Sitting by a stack of about 200 Guinness World Records 2010 books, Sultan opened up the press conference by saying,

"Hello Portugal, thank you for inviting me to your country, I’m really happy to be here". 

He went on to tell everyone listening that his Guinness World Records journey started in February of this year
when GWR came to Ankara to measure him three times and confirm his astonishing 246.5 cm (8 ft 1 in) height.   After that, Sultan explained, he waited patiently until September 17th when it was announced to the world from London that he was the new tallest man in the world!

"Since then", he went on, "I have travelled to places I only dreamed of, including Portugal where I am now!"

 
As the session was opened to the floor, the usual questions were put to Sultan...When? How? Why?  But one young 10-year-old boy put his hand up tentatively and asked "If you’re so tall, do you have to eat more?".  Big Sultan thought for a moment and then said, "I do eat well it's true, but if you eat more, perhaps you can grow up to be tall too!".

 After completing the book signing and grabbing a bite to eat down by the river, Sultan headed back to the hotel for a fitting of his new suit.  And in the meantime - surprise! - his suitcase arrived from London.  Phew! He was sweating it there for a while, and so was I!  Everything he had received from the beginning of this tour – his first ever pair of jeans from New York, his tailor-made suit from the UK, were all safe and sound back in his possession.

That afternoon Sultan was interviewed by two of the largest national TV channels and newspapers in Portugal and then wrapped up the day being interviewed by three children from Visao, a national kids weekly magazine.  After yet another fitting, dinner was served alongside some much needed R&R. 

While in Lisbon Sultan and his brother, Hassan, also visited The Belém Tower which was built in the early sixteenth century in the Portuguese late-Gothic style, the Manueline, to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition. This defensive, yet elegant construction has become one of the symbols of the city, a memorial to Portuguese power as it was during the Age of Discovery.  

Next stop - Madrid, Spain!