From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
O Caminho da Cicatriz
This article describes a walking tour in Lisbon, Portugal. For urban exploration adaptations, see tours.
The walk begins at Estação do Oriente—a brutalist terminal selected for its resemblance to the unnamed clinic. Each walker receives a folded map on which half the landmarks are printed and half remain blank, to be filled by hand as the walk progresses. The guide (Katita-like: silent, moving forward without explanation) leads a sequence of six stops, each paired with one chapter of the story.
The route is non-linear; it zigzags, doubles back, occasionally retraces earlier ground. At the Alfama labyrinth (standing in for Half One), the guide narrates the tale of Rico the Architect but is interrupted: Unidentified interjection: “"Have you already told us this? I thought we heard it three blocks ago, in reverse order."” The group continues, uncertain whether the interruption came from another walker or the guide.
At the Tejo riverbank (the harbour crossing), walkers are given Polaroid cameras and instructed to photograph something without revealing what it is. The photographs are collected unsigned. By the fourth location—a monastery standing in for "the cabin"—the tour has accumulated perhaps thirty unsigned photographs. The guide spreads them on a stone table, and the group attempts to arrange them in order.
The photographs contradict the logical sequence of the walk. One shows a location the group has not yet visited. Another is dated twenty years earlier. A third shows all twelve walkers standing together at this exact table, though no one had a camera at that moment. No one can account for it.
The final location (the Christ the King monument at dusk) is reached in gathering darkness. The guide produces a final black-and-white photograph, decades old, showing two figures standing where the group now stands. Guide: “"This is always the last image. It has always been the last image."” The tour ends. Walkers keep their now-annotated maps. They report that they filled in different landmarks, and no two maps agree.
[citation needed] — The collective's organizational structure, exact tour dates, and guide identities remain largely unconfirmed . No official website is maintained. Participant accounts of the walk differ significantly.