Hey!! I went to Dublin this weekend with Pilar and her friend Ange. It was amazing and I would definitley love to see more of Ireland in the future! We were only there from Friday night to Sunday but we still managed to take almost 300 pictures?! lol
Friday, April 24
When we got to the airport in Dublin, I had to stand in this long line because I was a non-EU citizen and they asked me how long I was staying, where I was staying, why I was there, and who I was with - it was so weird!! We got out around midnight and found our hostel in the Temple Bar area pretty easily. We were really lucky that Pilar studied abroad in Dublin for a month last semester so she knew where everything was!! We dropped our stuff off and went to Temple Bar until it closed around 2:30. Then we got some food (along with everyone else haha the party just seemed to move to the street even though it was raining) and headed home to get some sleep for our long Saturday.
Saturday, April 25
We woke up, ate breakfast in the hostel and headed towards the tourism office (which was inside a beautiful church!!) to get some maps and buy some souvenirs. On our way there we crossed Ha'penny brigde which was the first bridge to be built in Dublin in 1816 and was really cute lol. We almost died a few times because they drive on the other side of the road!! Which made crossing the street kind of a process haha - we probably looked ridiculous! Pilar told us that because all the doors and doorways look the same, they paint them all different colors so they can find home at night coming back from the bar!! haha it really was like St. Patrick's Day every night - it was crazyy! Then we saw the Molly Malone statue which is really famous in Dublin - she is the theme of "Dublin's National Anthem." We also went to Trinity College which was gorgeous!! (tons of famous people went here like Oscar Wilde) It is the oldest college in Ireland and it was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth. The buildings were all huge and amazing and the Book of Kells is housed here (a super ancient celtic book from 800 AD) We didn't pay to see it, but we saw the exact replica in the Bank of Ireland which was also amazing!! It was the first custom-built parliament house in the world built in 1739!! And inside was amazing. It is now a restaurant/bar, and it has all these old war tapestries and a huge 18th century chandelier on the ceiling. After the Bank of Ireland we stopped in Starbucks because I almost had a panic attack when I saw it (there is no Starbucks in Granada) and the 2 Starbucks virgins I was with wanted to see why I was freaking out. Haha they thought it was amazing of course and took a little photo shoot inside. Then we headed down Grafton Street which is this huge amazing street lined with the best shopping in Dublin (Chanel, Brown Thomas etc etc.) and right when we got to the end of the street and we were about to go into St. Stephen's Green, it started to rain - so we headed into the Stephen's Green shopping center to wait it out for a little bit. This mall was really pretty inside (and there was a TK MAXX haha)!! By the time we used the bathroom and bought some candy, the rain had stopped and we went into the 22 acre St. Stephen's Green Park which was beautiful!!! There were flowers everywhere, this pretty pond with little kids feeding ducks, and lots of green grass. After walking around for a while, we bought sandwhiches and took the bus to the Guinness Factory which was one of my favorite parts of the trip! It was absolutely huge and it had all this info about the history and how it is made and everything. I loved it. Half way through, you get a sample and the workers teach you how to drink it to get the full effect. When we got to the top of the factory (2 1/2 hours later) there was a gorgeous view of the entire city, and we got a pint of guinness with our ticket. After leaving, we headed back to the hostel to pick up our luggage and took the Dart (train) into Harmonstown which was a residential area where Pilar's old host family lived. Being there made me feel really homesick because it was the first time in 4 months I have actually seen houses in a neighborhood, and it reminded me a lot of home. Pilar's host family was awesome! Her mom, Sara, was 28 and her dad is from Lybia so she didn't look very Irish - but her dad, Declan, was 33 and had loads of freckles and orange hair!! He had a really strong Irish accent too haha it was really funny. She also had a Spanish "brother" Ricardo who was still living there since last semester. We all talked for a while and then Sara made us dinner - chicken curry yumm! And we got ready to go out. We took a cab back to the Temple Bar area and met a lot of Pilar's old friends she had made while she was studying here and her cousin who lives permanently in Dublin. It was a lot of fun, and we were exhausted by the time the night was over!
Sunday, April 26
We woke up to the smell of real breakfast which was amazing since I have toast every morning. They had made us eggs and sausage (seriously soo nice) and Declan drove us to Howth (a suburb of Dublin) so we could get a little taste of the country too. He drove us up to the summit and showed us the path we should take to get back into town. All of the green hills and cliffs were amazing and there was a lighthouse in the distance and we could see all of Dublin - it was soo pretty!! But we ended up going the wrong way and heading down by all the fisherman (which was very muddy) haha it was an adventure. After we finally saw someone and asked them the direction to town, we found a road and walked for about another hour and a 1/2 before realizing we were in Sutton instead of Howth...so we found the Dart station and took it back to Harmonstown. We got home, had sandwiches and talked to Sara and Declan before they drove us to the airport. We got back to Malaga around 9 and Pilar's brother picked us up from the airport. It was a really cool experience, but it was too short! We were so lucky to be able to stay with Pilar's old host family and see too really different parts of Dublin.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Portugal Spring Break!!
Hey!! So after Ryan left, we had midterms...which went ok haha and then I headed off to Portugal with my friend Heather for Spring Break!! It was basically amazing!!!!!!!!!! lol so you should read about it ;)
LISBOA
We "couch surfed" with a couple here that showed us so much of Lisbon that we probably never would have seen. Heather is from the US, but fell in love at first sight and married a Portugese man named Victor who grew up in South Africa....yeah I know right? They have the craziest stories and have been all over the world. I will you all about her later, but I'm sure you wanna find out what we have been up to! ;)
Saturday, April 4
On Friday when we arrived, Heather picked us up from the bus station!! (She was so nice!!!) and brought us to Mcdonalds because it was really late and we were really hungry! lol We had our own room in her house and were free to use the computer/TV/kitchen whenever we wanted. She was full of stories and hospitality. It was such a great experience! In the morning, she drove us up the beautiful coast to Casa da Guia in Cascais where we had our 2nd breakfast of the day. It is very common for Portuguese to eat breakfast at home and then go out for a second breakfast...we tried a pastel de nata which was really good and walked around the shopping center that was right on the coast and absolutely gorgeous! Then we drove up to Guincho where we may have been in a movie haha - this guy asked us to move our car because they were filming. We watched kite surfers on the beach which seriously looked crazy. The waves were the biggest I have ever seen and when the kites were caught by the crazy wind, the surfers would literally float in the air with their surfboards attached to their feet. It was so windy that sand was blowing in through the car windows! Then we drove to Don Quixote which was an amazing restaurant with a huge windmill building. We tried white sangria for the first time which was awesome. We couldn't use credit cards, and we didnt know if we had enough cash so we asked the waiter if there was an ATM nearby. He told us no, but we could wash dishes or come back and pay tomorrow so not to worry about it. haha :) they are so laid back here. I love Europe!! Then we drove to Cabo da Roca which is the western-most point of Europe (so I was the closest to you guys that I will get until May 20!!) It was so cool to look out into the ocean and know that the next thing we would see would be the US =) Then we drove back home to Carcavelos and went grocery shopping to make dinner. Heather worked as a chef for several years on cruise ships and she made us this awesome appetizer that I am going to show you, an amazing codfish dish and her magic salad. We also tried green wine which is only found in Portugal! You drink it cold, and it is pretty sweet so I really liked it. We forgot parmesian cheese, so we went for a walk to find some and ended up witnessing an accident and giving a toy chicken to a giant rotweiler. Then Heather (Curtin - my friend) and I discovered that Portugal was an hour behind Spain haha so we had woken up at 7 AM instead of 8 (no wonder why we were exhausted!) After dinner we pretty much crashed!
Sunday, April 5
Heather Curtin and I went to the Carcavelos beach early in the morning to watch the surfers before going to an international church service. It was a really nice church with people from everywhere!! And we met the director of topgun and his family there because he was stationed in Lisbon with NATO. After church, we went to this awesome pizza place with a great view of the water! AND I TRIED ANCHOVIES!! Yikes they were pretty gross haha Then we met couch surfing Heather's family, and her daughter in law is a celebrity of Portugal! She was on their cover of Maxim this month - so that was pretty crazy! Then we drove downtown and took a bus tour of the city which was really cool because we saw everything! In Lisbon, they have the same bridge as San Francisco designed by the same architect and everything! Driving through the city on the tour bus was so surreal - the street cars coming up the hills down narrow alleys and the clotheslines off of balconies and all of the pretty colors and flowers and people everywhere...it was really amazing to see. After Lisbon, we drove into Sintra which was absolutely gorgeous!!! We shopped in the cutest stores, ate these amazing pastries called travesseiros, and bought roasted chestnuts from street vendors! I absolutely loved this little town. There was a toy museum and a palace and everything haha it was like I was dreaming. The smell of eucalyptus was so strong here as we drove up the winding road to the palace, it is something I will always remember from Lisbon! =) That night we hung out and packed so we would be ready to head to Faro in the morning. We watched some TV - IN ENGLISH lol and called it a night.
FARO
Monday, April 6
We woke up and watched the surfers again (lol it was addicting it was so cool!) and came back so Victor could walk us to the Metro. Saying goodbye was hard because they were so nice to us and everything! I felt like I had known them for a really long time. Then we took a four hour train ride to Faro to our next couch surfer host...which turned out to be not so pleasant!!! We got there and found a bus to take us to the island where he lived, stopping at a supermarket along the way because he told us in advance that there would be nowhere to grocery shop on the island. By the time we were done, it was dark and we sat at the bus stop for about an hour and a half before finding someone to ask about the bus schedule. A girl told us that at night, the bus drivers don't stop at their stops unless they are flagged down!!!!!! How stupid is that?! So we missed the last bus because we didn't flag them down while standing at the bus stop...grr lol and Heather tried to hitchhike for about 5 minutes before we saw a taxi and finally got to the island. We called Bruno to tell him we were there and he arrived barefoot and a little tipsy in his friend's car. In the car he told us he had a few people over and they had cooked dinner for us. A few minutes later, we are lugging our stuff into a hut on the beach full of about 30 hippies dancing to Bob Marley and drinking sangria out of an open cooler....we smiled as he pulled back a curtain to reveal a matress where we could put our stuff. In the "closet" with the matress we tried locking all of our valuables in one suitcase while everyone stared at us! We were so uncomfortable and everyone knew it. So he told us to introduce ourselves to everyone, laughed about not really knowing where we were going to sleep, and left us alone for the rest of the night...we were just standing there like oh my goodness this is insane!! haha now that i think about it it's pretty hilarious. Then this big tan guy came up to us and offered us food (which ended up being really good) and we sat outside for a while even though it was cold to get away from the awkwardness...then some guy came outside and said everyone had to come inside for one a one song dance party...some guy with crazy dreds came up to us and told us not to worry - they weren't pirates or anything...so we went inside but I sat down on a chair (I was sooo tired!!) and finally Bruno came up to us and said - you guys look tired, and I am going to give the bed to the Australian couple I have staying with me, so do you want to sleep at my neighbor's house? We were like sure, yes, perfect...So we get there and they are two Germans...they were really nice, and the guy let us sleep in his bed. There was just one little problem...He took all of his sheets and blankets with him to the couch. So we pulled out our beach towels and tried to sleep (we probably slept for a total of 2 hours) and in the morning, we were sore from shivering!!
LAGOS
Tuesday, April 7
We got up and went back to Bruno's to get our groceries but found most of them gone (damn pirates!) and Bruno was in his bed while the Australians were sleeping outside!!! We just wanted to get the heck out of there so we headed to the bus station to get to Lagos (our next destination). We called the hostel to see if we could come two nights early, and she said they were full, but she would try to fit us in...we were like ok? haha so a few hours later, we got to the Rising Cock (the symbol of Portugal is a rooster) and met Momma (the woman we spoke to on the phone) who was AWESOME!! And she told us not to worry she would find a place for us and everything. We dropped our stuff off, walked around the cute town for a while and came back and cooked some of our groceries in the kitchen. Then we went into the lounge and watched Old School and used the community computers (lol coolest hostel ever!) We ended up seeing Heather's roommate Dorothy and her friend there. So we talked to them and ended up going out together that night with a lot of other people from the hostel (mostly Americans studying in Spain who were there for Semana Santa too). The hostel was so full that Heather and I shared a twin top bunk that night...but it had blankets so we slept great! haha
Wednesday, April 8
We woke up and went to the kitchen to try Momma's famous crepes and lemon tea - which were amazing =) then we went to Camilo Beach - which was a little bit of a walk but sooo worth it. You have to see the pictures because I cannot describe how beautiful it was! We got back to the hostel around 5, took a nap, cooked dinner, hung out in the lounge with everyone, and then headed out with the hostel again! We were like a little community - it was so cool. That night we had our own beds and lockers and everything.
Thursday, April 9
We woke up for crepes again, headed to a smaller beach closer to our hostel, and said bye to some of the people who were leaving that day. Then Heather and I went to this little shop and signed up to kayak...which was sooo awesome!! It was about 3 1/2 hours long through all of the grottos along the coast. We went into all of these little caves that boats could not fit into, and it was soo beautiful and just amazing to see. We stopped in the middle of the trip at a small beach that could only be accessed by land if you rock climbed down a rope...lol and we attempted to snorkel but the water was freezing and I kept submerging my entire snorkel into the water! haha There were a total of 6 kayaks on the trip. Heather and I, a couple from California that we met in the hostel and invited with us, two australian girls, their guy friend and a dad from australia, his son and daughter, and then the tour guide and his son. After we made it back to the beach, we headed back to the hostel to make lunch...and checked to see if Pilar, Ester, and Ange had checked in. Momma told us they were at the beach...she called them the primitas espanolitas (spanish cousins in Portuguese haha) So we took a nap until they got home. It was sooo nice to see them!! We went out to a really good dinner with them at "The Blue Doors" (haha that is not really the name of the place, but no one can pronounce it so we call it that because of the blue paint!) It had really amazing seafood and I ordered salmon and loved it!! They also had great dessert, but we ordered right after the chocolate cake ran out :( We went out for a little while after, but we were all really tired!!
Friday, April 10
Heather and I originally planned to take the 1:45 bus back to Granada today, but the girls convinced us to stay with them, and Momma moved us into their room. We tried going to the beach, but it was pretty chilly out, so we took a little road trip to Cabo do San Vincente in Sangres. This is the most southern point of Europe haha we were loving the points on this trip. It was reallllyyy windy, but we did some souvenir shopping and drove into town where we ate lunch on the beach. We got back to the hostel and took a nap before heading to dinner at NahNahBah's which was right across the road from our hostel and highly recommended by everyone there. lol Heather and I loved it (we got GIANT hamburgers) but the girls weren't too crazy about it - it was pretty American...our waitress ended up being our 6th roommate from Canada - so it was interesting to talk to her, and this spanish guy from Sevilla talked to us for a while and suggested we go to Joe's Garage afterwards. We did and it was not very impressive...lol his job was basically the program coordinator of "Discover Sevilla" and he brought Americans studying there to Lagos for Semana Santa - the entire bar was full of drunk Americans and it was not a very good time...so we headed somewhere else that was a little more fun. (The nightlife was not very impressive to the girls because nothing beats Granada!!)
Saturday, April 11
The weather was better, so we brought the girls to Camilo Beach and ended up staying there until 5! Afterwards, we went to this cute little seafood restaurant that was really good - except that I didn't get my food until everyone else was done because the waitress forgot!! We had a big discussion about customer service - because it is VERY different here than in the US. Here the customer is not always right, and the waiters and waitresses are paid salaries so it is not necessary to tip...therefore the service is not very good. We went shopping for a while, went home to get ready and then headed to dinner at a pretty fancy restaurant which was again really good! lol I feel like all we did was eat ;) After dinner, we went back and hung out in the lounge with the night watch guy because everyone else was out. At around 1 when people started coming home, we went out for a while and the girls played pool with some guys from London. I got a cold that day and Justin Timberlake was playing every other song haha so I left early and talked to Ryan online for the first time in 9 days! =)
Sunday, April 12
We woke up to a guy leaving the Canadian girl's bunk...awkward!!!! and ate crepes and lemon tea for one last time with Momma :( checkout was sad because she was soo nice!! We stayed at the Rising Cock for 5 nights instead of the one night we reserved!! After somehow cramming all of the luggage into the car haha we drove to Camilo again and laid out until 2 when we started our journey back to Granada. We stopped in Faro on the way back to eat lunch (which was somewhere we never wanted to go again! haha) and we ate at this vitamin place that was awesome! After lunch we had our last galao (latte-like coffee that they don't have in Spain) in portugal and got back in the car. After driving a little on the highway, we realized we were almost out of gas, and Ange told us to roll the windows up! haha there were no gas stops for what seemed like forever - so we were crammed in this car, sweating and crossing our fingers that we would find somewhere soon! We finally made it to the Spain border and got gas haha. We ended up getting back to Granada around 10 and all of the streets were all still blocked off for the processions and stuff - it was crazy! Coming home felt so nice after the long trip, but it was seriously amazing, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it =)
LISBOA
We "couch surfed" with a couple here that showed us so much of Lisbon that we probably never would have seen. Heather is from the US, but fell in love at first sight and married a Portugese man named Victor who grew up in South Africa....yeah I know right? They have the craziest stories and have been all over the world. I will you all about her later, but I'm sure you wanna find out what we have been up to! ;)
Saturday, April 4
On Friday when we arrived, Heather picked us up from the bus station!! (She was so nice!!!) and brought us to Mcdonalds because it was really late and we were really hungry! lol We had our own room in her house and were free to use the computer/TV/kitchen whenever we wanted. She was full of stories and hospitality. It was such a great experience! In the morning, she drove us up the beautiful coast to Casa da Guia in Cascais where we had our 2nd breakfast of the day. It is very common for Portuguese to eat breakfast at home and then go out for a second breakfast...we tried a pastel de nata which was really good and walked around the shopping center that was right on the coast and absolutely gorgeous! Then we drove up to Guincho where we may have been in a movie haha - this guy asked us to move our car because they were filming. We watched kite surfers on the beach which seriously looked crazy. The waves were the biggest I have ever seen and when the kites were caught by the crazy wind, the surfers would literally float in the air with their surfboards attached to their feet. It was so windy that sand was blowing in through the car windows! Then we drove to Don Quixote which was an amazing restaurant with a huge windmill building. We tried white sangria for the first time which was awesome. We couldn't use credit cards, and we didnt know if we had enough cash so we asked the waiter if there was an ATM nearby. He told us no, but we could wash dishes or come back and pay tomorrow so not to worry about it. haha :) they are so laid back here. I love Europe!! Then we drove to Cabo da Roca which is the western-most point of Europe (so I was the closest to you guys that I will get until May 20!!) It was so cool to look out into the ocean and know that the next thing we would see would be the US =) Then we drove back home to Carcavelos and went grocery shopping to make dinner. Heather worked as a chef for several years on cruise ships and she made us this awesome appetizer that I am going to show you, an amazing codfish dish and her magic salad. We also tried green wine which is only found in Portugal! You drink it cold, and it is pretty sweet so I really liked it. We forgot parmesian cheese, so we went for a walk to find some and ended up witnessing an accident and giving a toy chicken to a giant rotweiler. Then Heather (Curtin - my friend) and I discovered that Portugal was an hour behind Spain haha so we had woken up at 7 AM instead of 8 (no wonder why we were exhausted!) After dinner we pretty much crashed!
Sunday, April 5
Heather Curtin and I went to the Carcavelos beach early in the morning to watch the surfers before going to an international church service. It was a really nice church with people from everywhere!! And we met the director of topgun and his family there because he was stationed in Lisbon with NATO. After church, we went to this awesome pizza place with a great view of the water! AND I TRIED ANCHOVIES!! Yikes they were pretty gross haha Then we met couch surfing Heather's family, and her daughter in law is a celebrity of Portugal! She was on their cover of Maxim this month - so that was pretty crazy! Then we drove downtown and took a bus tour of the city which was really cool because we saw everything! In Lisbon, they have the same bridge as San Francisco designed by the same architect and everything! Driving through the city on the tour bus was so surreal - the street cars coming up the hills down narrow alleys and the clotheslines off of balconies and all of the pretty colors and flowers and people everywhere...it was really amazing to see. After Lisbon, we drove into Sintra which was absolutely gorgeous!!! We shopped in the cutest stores, ate these amazing pastries called travesseiros, and bought roasted chestnuts from street vendors! I absolutely loved this little town. There was a toy museum and a palace and everything haha it was like I was dreaming. The smell of eucalyptus was so strong here as we drove up the winding road to the palace, it is something I will always remember from Lisbon! =) That night we hung out and packed so we would be ready to head to Faro in the morning. We watched some TV - IN ENGLISH lol and called it a night.
FARO
Monday, April 6
We woke up and watched the surfers again (lol it was addicting it was so cool!) and came back so Victor could walk us to the Metro. Saying goodbye was hard because they were so nice to us and everything! I felt like I had known them for a really long time. Then we took a four hour train ride to Faro to our next couch surfer host...which turned out to be not so pleasant!!! We got there and found a bus to take us to the island where he lived, stopping at a supermarket along the way because he told us in advance that there would be nowhere to grocery shop on the island. By the time we were done, it was dark and we sat at the bus stop for about an hour and a half before finding someone to ask about the bus schedule. A girl told us that at night, the bus drivers don't stop at their stops unless they are flagged down!!!!!! How stupid is that?! So we missed the last bus because we didn't flag them down while standing at the bus stop...grr lol and Heather tried to hitchhike for about 5 minutes before we saw a taxi and finally got to the island. We called Bruno to tell him we were there and he arrived barefoot and a little tipsy in his friend's car. In the car he told us he had a few people over and they had cooked dinner for us. A few minutes later, we are lugging our stuff into a hut on the beach full of about 30 hippies dancing to Bob Marley and drinking sangria out of an open cooler....we smiled as he pulled back a curtain to reveal a matress where we could put our stuff. In the "closet" with the matress we tried locking all of our valuables in one suitcase while everyone stared at us! We were so uncomfortable and everyone knew it. So he told us to introduce ourselves to everyone, laughed about not really knowing where we were going to sleep, and left us alone for the rest of the night...we were just standing there like oh my goodness this is insane!! haha now that i think about it it's pretty hilarious. Then this big tan guy came up to us and offered us food (which ended up being really good) and we sat outside for a while even though it was cold to get away from the awkwardness...then some guy came outside and said everyone had to come inside for one a one song dance party...some guy with crazy dreds came up to us and told us not to worry - they weren't pirates or anything...so we went inside but I sat down on a chair (I was sooo tired!!) and finally Bruno came up to us and said - you guys look tired, and I am going to give the bed to the Australian couple I have staying with me, so do you want to sleep at my neighbor's house? We were like sure, yes, perfect...So we get there and they are two Germans...they were really nice, and the guy let us sleep in his bed. There was just one little problem...He took all of his sheets and blankets with him to the couch. So we pulled out our beach towels and tried to sleep (we probably slept for a total of 2 hours) and in the morning, we were sore from shivering!!
LAGOS
Tuesday, April 7
We got up and went back to Bruno's to get our groceries but found most of them gone (damn pirates!) and Bruno was in his bed while the Australians were sleeping outside!!! We just wanted to get the heck out of there so we headed to the bus station to get to Lagos (our next destination). We called the hostel to see if we could come two nights early, and she said they were full, but she would try to fit us in...we were like ok? haha so a few hours later, we got to the Rising Cock (the symbol of Portugal is a rooster) and met Momma (the woman we spoke to on the phone) who was AWESOME!! And she told us not to worry she would find a place for us and everything. We dropped our stuff off, walked around the cute town for a while and came back and cooked some of our groceries in the kitchen. Then we went into the lounge and watched Old School and used the community computers (lol coolest hostel ever!) We ended up seeing Heather's roommate Dorothy and her friend there. So we talked to them and ended up going out together that night with a lot of other people from the hostel (mostly Americans studying in Spain who were there for Semana Santa too). The hostel was so full that Heather and I shared a twin top bunk that night...but it had blankets so we slept great! haha
Wednesday, April 8
We woke up and went to the kitchen to try Momma's famous crepes and lemon tea - which were amazing =) then we went to Camilo Beach - which was a little bit of a walk but sooo worth it. You have to see the pictures because I cannot describe how beautiful it was! We got back to the hostel around 5, took a nap, cooked dinner, hung out in the lounge with everyone, and then headed out with the hostel again! We were like a little community - it was so cool. That night we had our own beds and lockers and everything.
Thursday, April 9
We woke up for crepes again, headed to a smaller beach closer to our hostel, and said bye to some of the people who were leaving that day. Then Heather and I went to this little shop and signed up to kayak...which was sooo awesome!! It was about 3 1/2 hours long through all of the grottos along the coast. We went into all of these little caves that boats could not fit into, and it was soo beautiful and just amazing to see. We stopped in the middle of the trip at a small beach that could only be accessed by land if you rock climbed down a rope...lol and we attempted to snorkel but the water was freezing and I kept submerging my entire snorkel into the water! haha There were a total of 6 kayaks on the trip. Heather and I, a couple from California that we met in the hostel and invited with us, two australian girls, their guy friend and a dad from australia, his son and daughter, and then the tour guide and his son. After we made it back to the beach, we headed back to the hostel to make lunch...and checked to see if Pilar, Ester, and Ange had checked in. Momma told us they were at the beach...she called them the primitas espanolitas (spanish cousins in Portuguese haha) So we took a nap until they got home. It was sooo nice to see them!! We went out to a really good dinner with them at "The Blue Doors" (haha that is not really the name of the place, but no one can pronounce it so we call it that because of the blue paint!) It had really amazing seafood and I ordered salmon and loved it!! They also had great dessert, but we ordered right after the chocolate cake ran out :( We went out for a little while after, but we were all really tired!!
Friday, April 10
Heather and I originally planned to take the 1:45 bus back to Granada today, but the girls convinced us to stay with them, and Momma moved us into their room. We tried going to the beach, but it was pretty chilly out, so we took a little road trip to Cabo do San Vincente in Sangres. This is the most southern point of Europe haha we were loving the points on this trip. It was reallllyyy windy, but we did some souvenir shopping and drove into town where we ate lunch on the beach. We got back to the hostel and took a nap before heading to dinner at NahNahBah's which was right across the road from our hostel and highly recommended by everyone there. lol Heather and I loved it (we got GIANT hamburgers) but the girls weren't too crazy about it - it was pretty American...our waitress ended up being our 6th roommate from Canada - so it was interesting to talk to her, and this spanish guy from Sevilla talked to us for a while and suggested we go to Joe's Garage afterwards. We did and it was not very impressive...lol his job was basically the program coordinator of "Discover Sevilla" and he brought Americans studying there to Lagos for Semana Santa - the entire bar was full of drunk Americans and it was not a very good time...so we headed somewhere else that was a little more fun. (The nightlife was not very impressive to the girls because nothing beats Granada!!)
Saturday, April 11
The weather was better, so we brought the girls to Camilo Beach and ended up staying there until 5! Afterwards, we went to this cute little seafood restaurant that was really good - except that I didn't get my food until everyone else was done because the waitress forgot!! We had a big discussion about customer service - because it is VERY different here than in the US. Here the customer is not always right, and the waiters and waitresses are paid salaries so it is not necessary to tip...therefore the service is not very good. We went shopping for a while, went home to get ready and then headed to dinner at a pretty fancy restaurant which was again really good! lol I feel like all we did was eat ;) After dinner, we went back and hung out in the lounge with the night watch guy because everyone else was out. At around 1 when people started coming home, we went out for a while and the girls played pool with some guys from London. I got a cold that day and Justin Timberlake was playing every other song haha so I left early and talked to Ryan online for the first time in 9 days! =)
Sunday, April 12
We woke up to a guy leaving the Canadian girl's bunk...awkward!!!! and ate crepes and lemon tea for one last time with Momma :( checkout was sad because she was soo nice!! We stayed at the Rising Cock for 5 nights instead of the one night we reserved!! After somehow cramming all of the luggage into the car haha we drove to Camilo again and laid out until 2 when we started our journey back to Granada. We stopped in Faro on the way back to eat lunch (which was somewhere we never wanted to go again! haha) and we ate at this vitamin place that was awesome! After lunch we had our last galao (latte-like coffee that they don't have in Spain) in portugal and got back in the car. After driving a little on the highway, we realized we were almost out of gas, and Ange told us to roll the windows up! haha there were no gas stops for what seemed like forever - so we were crammed in this car, sweating and crossing our fingers that we would find somewhere soon! We finally made it to the Spain border and got gas haha. We ended up getting back to Granada around 10 and all of the streets were all still blocked off for the processions and stuff - it was crazy! Coming home felt so nice after the long trip, but it was seriously amazing, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it =)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Ryan's Viaje a Espana
Hey! So Ryan just left a few hours ago =( But let me give you a little rundown of our week.
Madrid (Sat - Mon)
Even though Ryan was not thrilled about the 6 hour bus ride after his lonnngg flight, the Jason Mraz concert was awesome!! The venue was very similar to the House of Blues, and he was a great performer. We got there a little late because the guy at the door needed to see my ID (to confirm that I was 18!!!!!!!!) before letting me in. But we met up with my friends afterwards and ate at a pretty nice restaurant before heading to the hostel to get some sleep! This hostel was ok - the building was kinda old, but we had our own bathroom and the owner was really nice. Sunday we walked around the city and ate outside in Plaza Mayor (beautiful!!) before heading to the bull fight. The Plaza de Toros was really big and the entire experience was very cool. We really had no idea what was going on most of the time, but we cheered when everyone else did. haha I think the killing of the bull would have bothered me a little more if I would have worn my glasses, but for the most part, the atmosphere was very similar to a baseball game. The last bullfighter got knocked over by the bull a few times, and a different bull knocked over a guy on a horse, but other than that it was pretty routine. After the bullfight, it was already getting dark and we walked around the city a little more. We went to Parque Retiro and there was a huge celebration going on inside. It would have been cool to see but Ryan got nervous when he heard the music and saw people peeing in the bushes! haha like I said before - very different environment than what we are used to. On Monday, we left early to get to Granada.
Granada (Mon - Fri)
We got to Granada around 12:30 on Monday, and the hostel owner was not there! So I dropped off Ryan's suitcase at my apartment and we went for lunch. Ryan tried Paella at this restaurant for the first time (traditional Spanish rice dish) and I thought it was really good. We sat outside, and 5 minutes after talking about TJ and Christina (Katie's brother and girlfriend), we see them walking down the street towards us! haha their hostel was on the same street we were having lunch. Then we headed back to the hostel which ended up being very cute! The owner was really nice and there was a gorgeous terrace on the roof that I wish we spent more time on. The only down side was that we didnt have our own bathroom and we had to go up a few flights of stairs...so I brought all of my shower stuff home and got ready at my house every day since it was so close. After showering and unpacking and everything, we went to the Hammam (arabian baths) in the Albaicin. Oh my gosh this was amazing! It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We went in kind of nervous, changed into our bathing suits in the locker rooms and then walked out to the cold room that had a small pool of cold water. Then we went into the hot room which was like a shallow hot tub and a cute sitting area with heated floors! And then the warm room was the biggest and had fountains and stairs and it was really like a pool we could swim in. We went back and forth throughout the rooms before our numbers were called for our massages. The whole environment was just so calm and awesome. There was music playing and signs in the rooms saying to speak in low voices. It was really cool. After the massages we drank arabian tea (which I really liked haha) and went through the rooms a few more times. We also spent a few minutes in the sauna which was really hot! It was just a cool experience. Afterwards, we went to Plaza Nueva to meet Katie, TJ, and Christina. We went for tapas at some of my favorite places, went to a shot bar, and then to a discoteca which was virtually empty because it was Monday night! Before going home, me and Ryan got kebabs for the first time of many throughout the week!
Tuesday
We went to the Alhambra with Katie, TJ, and Christina. It was my first time there and it was really amazing!! Before going into the palaces, we ate lunch in a restaurant up there which was interesting. I got chicken gizzards when I ordered chicken =( but the sangria was great! We saw so many amazing things - you will have to look at the pictures to check it out. We met up with Pilar around 8 for tapas and went out with Katie, TJ, and Christina later on that night. We tried going to a tapper bar, but by the time we got there it was closed! We went to a few bars and played this awesome arcade memory game before heading home.
Wednesday
I showed Ryan more of the city. We saw my school and ate lunch in Plaza Nueva (this crazy pizza that was really good haha) and then met Pilar at El Parque de las Ciencias which is a science museum that Granada is famous for. (If I have sent you a postcard, it is probably on the stamp) It was really really cool. I wish we had more time to spend there, but we did not know it closed at 7:00. We saw an owl show, a butterfly garden, a robot that talked on command! haha and a lot more science stuff. It was very hands on and I really liked it. They also have a huge tower where you can go to the top and get a good view of the city. After the museum, we went with Pilar for tapas and went to a Granada futbol (soccer) game. It was really cool and there were a lot of people there, but the game ended with a 0 -0 tie...haha - It was still really fun. After the futbol game, we went home and changed and went to a discoteca with Katie, TJ, and Christina. It was ladies night and there were male gogo dancers - haha hilarious!! There were a lot of people there and it was really fun. Ryan and I and TJ and Christina even danced on little stages! haha (Ryan also danced on the stage by himself for a while =))
Thursday
We ate lunch on El Paseo de los Tristes (a really pretty terrace with a great view of the Alhambra) and ended up seeing my friend Dorothy there. I got a Spanish tortilla and Ryan ordered "salmonettes" which we thought would be salmon and ended up being full fried fish - haha they were really good though. Afterwards, we went with Dorothy and her two friends who were visiting to the Albaicin. It is the hill facing the Alhambra and it has a lot of Arabian influence. There is also a famous plaza with an amazing view of the Alhambra and the city there where we got some pretty pictures. After the Albaicin, we headed to Sacromonte (yet another hill) which ended up being a hike to the caves. A lot of people live in caves built into this hill and there is a museum right below giving information about the lifestyle and everything else. It was my first time and it was very interesting, but I definitely did not wear my hiking shoes! and afterwards, we were exhausted. But we made it to the Capilla Real to see the tombs of Los Reyes Catolicos (and I got some pics this time!) Then we headed to the famous Frederico Garcia Lorca Park and walked around and Ryan played on the trampolines for a while in the kids section haha. That night, we went to a flamenco show in a cave which was awesome!!! It was much different from my first experience because it was such a small area and the music was so close and loud. Afterwards, we went to Hannigans with Katie, TJ, and Christina and got kebabs at the end of the night one last time. Granada was my favorite of course ;)
Malaga (Fri - Sun)
Although Malaga was really fun, I cannot say that I like the city itself very much. Right now there is TONS of construction going on and it just doesn't compare to Granada where everything is lit up and the main streets are very wide and populated. Being there at night was not nearly as fun as it was in Granada. We also stayed in an actual hostel in Malaga which was not fun either since there were 12 English guys staying in the room next to us and it was very hard to sleep (and the bathroom was gross lol) but on Friday, we went to the Picasso Museum which was AWESOME! I could not take any pictures but it was seriously so cool to see his real works and read about them and learn about his life. Then we walked around the main strip of stores, and there were a bunch of statues along the entire strip (which was not a street for cars) and I really liked that. The weather was pretty nice and we ended up eating dinner at this AMAZING restaurant called Vino Mio. I loved it so much that we went back the next night too! haha - On Saturday, we took an early bus to Nerja (a town in Malaga that makes up part of the Costa del Sol) There were a TON of old people on the bus - it kind of reminds me of Florida only 20 times better, and I think a lot of people retire and vacation there when they are older. We ended up accidentally missing the beach stop and taking the bus up to Las Cuevas de Nerja (The caves of Nerja) and I am so glad because they were awesome!!! We walked through the caves, which were discovered accidentally by 5 teenage boys and are now a historical monument, until around 12:30. After they discovered it, a lot of prehistoric information was found (tools, human remains, paintings, etc.) and it was seriously really cool to see and read about - but we were not supposed to use flash on our camera so there are not that many great pics. There is a column in one of the main rooms of the cave, and it is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest in the world!! Afterwards, we took the bus back to the center of town and went to the beach which was absolutely gorgeous!! The water was too cold to swim in, but we ate lunch at this cool place that Katie went to a few days before and ended up staying on the beach until about 5 when we went to catch the bus back to Malaga. When we got back, it was raining! So good thing we went to Nerja =) and then we had to pack everything up and prepare for the next morning which turned out to be a disaster!
Apparently Ryan's booking from Malaga to Madrid was cancelled because of some mistake the travel agency made with his ticket number which left him ticketless. We got to the airport at 4 AM and the check in desk did not open until 5! haha so then we get up there and find out it is cancelled and we are sent to the ticket office which did not open until 6! Then we were with the wrong carrier and we had to go back and forth talking to people and he was supposed to be on the plane by 6:50! We were really stressed out and they could not figure out what to do so he was put on a waiting list for his ORIGINAL flight that he was supposed to be on which he did not make because the plane was full....so then we went back to the ticket office and he was put on another waiting list for the 9:30 flight to Madrid...they told us that there was a small chance and that he had priority but that the flight was already overbooked. So we sat around until around 9 when they told him he could go on and I THINK he is flying first class right now =) so everything worked out fine in the end. I got home around 12 - I know - rough morning - and now I have to cram for my midterms tomorrow and read an entire novel!!!!!! But it was so worth it. It was a great week!!
Madrid (Sat - Mon)
Even though Ryan was not thrilled about the 6 hour bus ride after his lonnngg flight, the Jason Mraz concert was awesome!! The venue was very similar to the House of Blues, and he was a great performer. We got there a little late because the guy at the door needed to see my ID (to confirm that I was 18!!!!!!!!) before letting me in. But we met up with my friends afterwards and ate at a pretty nice restaurant before heading to the hostel to get some sleep! This hostel was ok - the building was kinda old, but we had our own bathroom and the owner was really nice. Sunday we walked around the city and ate outside in Plaza Mayor (beautiful!!) before heading to the bull fight. The Plaza de Toros was really big and the entire experience was very cool. We really had no idea what was going on most of the time, but we cheered when everyone else did. haha I think the killing of the bull would have bothered me a little more if I would have worn my glasses, but for the most part, the atmosphere was very similar to a baseball game. The last bullfighter got knocked over by the bull a few times, and a different bull knocked over a guy on a horse, but other than that it was pretty routine. After the bullfight, it was already getting dark and we walked around the city a little more. We went to Parque Retiro and there was a huge celebration going on inside. It would have been cool to see but Ryan got nervous when he heard the music and saw people peeing in the bushes! haha like I said before - very different environment than what we are used to. On Monday, we left early to get to Granada.
Granada (Mon - Fri)
We got to Granada around 12:30 on Monday, and the hostel owner was not there! So I dropped off Ryan's suitcase at my apartment and we went for lunch. Ryan tried Paella at this restaurant for the first time (traditional Spanish rice dish) and I thought it was really good. We sat outside, and 5 minutes after talking about TJ and Christina (Katie's brother and girlfriend), we see them walking down the street towards us! haha their hostel was on the same street we were having lunch. Then we headed back to the hostel which ended up being very cute! The owner was really nice and there was a gorgeous terrace on the roof that I wish we spent more time on. The only down side was that we didnt have our own bathroom and we had to go up a few flights of stairs...so I brought all of my shower stuff home and got ready at my house every day since it was so close. After showering and unpacking and everything, we went to the Hammam (arabian baths) in the Albaicin. Oh my gosh this was amazing! It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We went in kind of nervous, changed into our bathing suits in the locker rooms and then walked out to the cold room that had a small pool of cold water. Then we went into the hot room which was like a shallow hot tub and a cute sitting area with heated floors! And then the warm room was the biggest and had fountains and stairs and it was really like a pool we could swim in. We went back and forth throughout the rooms before our numbers were called for our massages. The whole environment was just so calm and awesome. There was music playing and signs in the rooms saying to speak in low voices. It was really cool. After the massages we drank arabian tea (which I really liked haha) and went through the rooms a few more times. We also spent a few minutes in the sauna which was really hot! It was just a cool experience. Afterwards, we went to Plaza Nueva to meet Katie, TJ, and Christina. We went for tapas at some of my favorite places, went to a shot bar, and then to a discoteca which was virtually empty because it was Monday night! Before going home, me and Ryan got kebabs for the first time of many throughout the week!
Tuesday
We went to the Alhambra with Katie, TJ, and Christina. It was my first time there and it was really amazing!! Before going into the palaces, we ate lunch in a restaurant up there which was interesting. I got chicken gizzards when I ordered chicken =( but the sangria was great! We saw so many amazing things - you will have to look at the pictures to check it out. We met up with Pilar around 8 for tapas and went out with Katie, TJ, and Christina later on that night. We tried going to a tapper bar, but by the time we got there it was closed! We went to a few bars and played this awesome arcade memory game before heading home.
Wednesday
I showed Ryan more of the city. We saw my school and ate lunch in Plaza Nueva (this crazy pizza that was really good haha) and then met Pilar at El Parque de las Ciencias which is a science museum that Granada is famous for. (If I have sent you a postcard, it is probably on the stamp) It was really really cool. I wish we had more time to spend there, but we did not know it closed at 7:00. We saw an owl show, a butterfly garden, a robot that talked on command! haha and a lot more science stuff. It was very hands on and I really liked it. They also have a huge tower where you can go to the top and get a good view of the city. After the museum, we went with Pilar for tapas and went to a Granada futbol (soccer) game. It was really cool and there were a lot of people there, but the game ended with a 0 -0 tie...haha - It was still really fun. After the futbol game, we went home and changed and went to a discoteca with Katie, TJ, and Christina. It was ladies night and there were male gogo dancers - haha hilarious!! There were a lot of people there and it was really fun. Ryan and I and TJ and Christina even danced on little stages! haha (Ryan also danced on the stage by himself for a while =))
Thursday
We ate lunch on El Paseo de los Tristes (a really pretty terrace with a great view of the Alhambra) and ended up seeing my friend Dorothy there. I got a Spanish tortilla and Ryan ordered "salmonettes" which we thought would be salmon and ended up being full fried fish - haha they were really good though. Afterwards, we went with Dorothy and her two friends who were visiting to the Albaicin. It is the hill facing the Alhambra and it has a lot of Arabian influence. There is also a famous plaza with an amazing view of the Alhambra and the city there where we got some pretty pictures. After the Albaicin, we headed to Sacromonte (yet another hill) which ended up being a hike to the caves. A lot of people live in caves built into this hill and there is a museum right below giving information about the lifestyle and everything else. It was my first time and it was very interesting, but I definitely did not wear my hiking shoes! and afterwards, we were exhausted. But we made it to the Capilla Real to see the tombs of Los Reyes Catolicos (and I got some pics this time!) Then we headed to the famous Frederico Garcia Lorca Park and walked around and Ryan played on the trampolines for a while in the kids section haha. That night, we went to a flamenco show in a cave which was awesome!!! It was much different from my first experience because it was such a small area and the music was so close and loud. Afterwards, we went to Hannigans with Katie, TJ, and Christina and got kebabs at the end of the night one last time. Granada was my favorite of course ;)
Malaga (Fri - Sun)
Although Malaga was really fun, I cannot say that I like the city itself very much. Right now there is TONS of construction going on and it just doesn't compare to Granada where everything is lit up and the main streets are very wide and populated. Being there at night was not nearly as fun as it was in Granada. We also stayed in an actual hostel in Malaga which was not fun either since there were 12 English guys staying in the room next to us and it was very hard to sleep (and the bathroom was gross lol) but on Friday, we went to the Picasso Museum which was AWESOME! I could not take any pictures but it was seriously so cool to see his real works and read about them and learn about his life. Then we walked around the main strip of stores, and there were a bunch of statues along the entire strip (which was not a street for cars) and I really liked that. The weather was pretty nice and we ended up eating dinner at this AMAZING restaurant called Vino Mio. I loved it so much that we went back the next night too! haha - On Saturday, we took an early bus to Nerja (a town in Malaga that makes up part of the Costa del Sol) There were a TON of old people on the bus - it kind of reminds me of Florida only 20 times better, and I think a lot of people retire and vacation there when they are older. We ended up accidentally missing the beach stop and taking the bus up to Las Cuevas de Nerja (The caves of Nerja) and I am so glad because they were awesome!!! We walked through the caves, which were discovered accidentally by 5 teenage boys and are now a historical monument, until around 12:30. After they discovered it, a lot of prehistoric information was found (tools, human remains, paintings, etc.) and it was seriously really cool to see and read about - but we were not supposed to use flash on our camera so there are not that many great pics. There is a column in one of the main rooms of the cave, and it is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest in the world!! Afterwards, we took the bus back to the center of town and went to the beach which was absolutely gorgeous!! The water was too cold to swim in, but we ate lunch at this cool place that Katie went to a few days before and ended up staying on the beach until about 5 when we went to catch the bus back to Malaga. When we got back, it was raining! So good thing we went to Nerja =) and then we had to pack everything up and prepare for the next morning which turned out to be a disaster!
Apparently Ryan's booking from Malaga to Madrid was cancelled because of some mistake the travel agency made with his ticket number which left him ticketless. We got to the airport at 4 AM and the check in desk did not open until 5! haha so then we get up there and find out it is cancelled and we are sent to the ticket office which did not open until 6! Then we were with the wrong carrier and we had to go back and forth talking to people and he was supposed to be on the plane by 6:50! We were really stressed out and they could not figure out what to do so he was put on a waiting list for his ORIGINAL flight that he was supposed to be on which he did not make because the plane was full....so then we went back to the ticket office and he was put on another waiting list for the 9:30 flight to Madrid...they told us that there was a small chance and that he had priority but that the flight was already overbooked. So we sat around until around 9 when they told him he could go on and I THINK he is flying first class right now =) so everything worked out fine in the end. I got home around 12 - I know - rough morning - and now I have to cram for my midterms tomorrow and read an entire novel!!!!!! But it was so worth it. It was a great week!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Alhama with Pilar!
Hey! Ok so I know I have been majorly slacking so lo siento mucho, but I just got home from Alhama today and oh my gosh it was amazing!! But first let me catch up with you guys ;) Ryan is coming in 5 days, and I have to get a lottt of work done before hand so that I will be prepared for midterms! :/ Me and the girls have been spending a lot of time at the park and just walking around Granada because the weather has been amazing!! Last weekend, I went to the beach in Malaga and it was absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics because my camera was dead, but I will work on getting some from Heather. This weekend I went with Pilar to Alhama which is her pueblo 1 hour from the center of Granada. Five of us stayed in her cottage last night which was absolutely gorgeous! She grew up in Alhama and her parents have land 5 minutes from her house in the center of town where they go on the weekends and during the summer. They have tons of olive trees and chickens!!! (which means really really fresh eggs!) And the house is absolutely gorgeous. Outside is all hills and olive and almond trees. The drive there is down a dirt path with little stone walls surrounding the masses of beautiful almond trees. (I felt like I was dreaming) They have gardens with EVERYTHING growing literally - every fruit and vegetable ever. When we got there, we walked around the town a little, met her parents (SOOO NICE!! =)), toured the cottage, and played Party - haha thats a Spanish board game that mixes pictionary, sharades, and trivia. Then we watched some Friends in Spanish and they made this salad with oranges, tuna, green olives, onion, eggs and olive oil which was really really good and Pilar's dad made us a Spanish tortilla with asparagus. We started watching Babel (the movie with Brad Pitt) in Spanish, but stopped half way through to go swimming in the banos. OK people this was absolutely amazing! The river in Alhama passes through a volcano or something like that so the water in the river is hot! So we went to this 100% natural river at 1:30 in the morning and chilled in a natural hottub for 2 hours! There were TONS of people all along the river - it was so cool. Then we came home and finished the movie. In the morning (or afternoon I should say haha) we went for a little hike through the valley of Alhama. It was absolutely beautiful. You have to check out the pics even though they could not capture how beautiful it was. Then we got some tapas in town and went back to the cottage to eat paella which was super good! =) I feel so lucky that I met Pilar because she is sooo sweet and her friends are all great and this was such an amazing experience!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Morocco!
Hey everyone! Let me just start by saying that my trip to Africa was the best trip I have ever taken in my entire life!! It has truly changed my outlook on life and what I want to do with mine. Ok - now we will start the story telling and get to the life altering parts ;)
Thursday, Feb. 26
We stayed in a hostel in Algeciras, Spain (southern coast) on Wednesday night so we could catch the ferry to Morocco at 8 AM on Thursday. The wind ended up being so bad that day that all of the ferrys were cancelled and we ended up taking a slow boat which we were on for about 3 hours!! We got to Tangier very late, but when we arrived at the DARNA women's center, they were very excited to talk to us and show us around! DARNA in arabic means "our home" and it is a place where girls and women can go to learn different trades. It was a beautiful place with plenty of classrooms and sewing equipment and we ended up eating an amazing lunch there of chicken tagine and really good Moroccan desserts! At lunch we talked to a few Moroccan students who spoke very good English (which is not common in Morocco because the language of business is French). We talked about the U.S. and also about daily life in Morocco. It was very interesting to hear about their views on the U.S. They continued to stress that the American people are not viewed in the same way as our government, and that they had met so many nice Americans. After leaving the center, we drove to Asilah along the Atlantic Coast, and we stopped along the way to ride camels on a beach at sunset!! It was sooo fun and the workers were so nice to us! We then walked through the Medina (old town) of Asilah and learned about the different colors on the buildings. Blue is the color of Judiasm, and the town at one point had a large Jewish population so you will see a lot of blue in my pictures. Green is the color of Islam, so whenever we saw a Mosque, it would have a green door and a minaret (tower) that could be seen from a distance. We also went to the coast and took beautiful pictures, but we didn't stay for long because of our very late start. We then drove 3 hours to Rabat to meet our home stay families! 3 of us stayed with each family, and the minute we walked in the door we were being hugged and kissed and welcomed. We could not communicate at all because no one in our family spoke English except for the 14 year old daughter who spoke very little. We were offered tea and cookies, and met about 15 people that were in the family or just staying as visitors. Our 23 year old brother came home with a girl from Egypt and a guy from France that he had just met and were invited to stay at his house. They all spoke English, so it was easier to communicate with the family. The bathroom in the house had a turkish toilet (which is a hole in the ground) and the house had no hot water so we could not shower (I will tell you more about that later). Even though we were exhausted, we went for a walk with our brother and his guests to the river and saw a beautiful view of the city lit up at night. Dinner was served in one large round bowl and everyone sat around it and ate the portion nearest to them. Most of them ate with their hands, but we were given spoons. We had lamb and potatoes. Historically the left hand was used in the bathroom because they do not use toilet paper at all, so it is very rude to put your left hand anywhere near the table and it was really hard to remember that! It was such an interesting experience!
Friday, Feb. 27
We woke up early to eat breakfast which was big pita-like bread with jam and more tea. (We drank the traditional Moroccan hot tea for every meal.) Then we met at the Agricultural building of the university with a Moroccan professor to talk about "West and Islamic worlds - Images about each other." It was sooo interesting to hear from her about life in Morocco and again her views on the U.S. I think for the most part she tried to be politically correct, but I certainly learned a lot about Moroccan culture and how progressive it is! She talked to us about women wearing the veil and women's rights and about culture. None of the daughters in the family I was staying with wore the veil, and they were much less conservative than I was expecting. There was a wide variety of degrees of conservatism in the people I met, and I was not expecting that. After the visit with the professor, we went to Chellah or the Roman Ruins and they were absolutely gorgeous!! There were hundreds of storks nesting there which I thought was so cool for some reason! haha and along with the storks there was a fertility pool there where women were feeding hard boiled eggs to the eel in the pool to bring fertility and easy childbirth. A few of us threw eggs in so we can have babies some day ;) There were also TONS AND TONS of stray cats there along with everywhere in Morocco. It was very strange because they were not scared of people at all and they were just everywhere. After the ruins we went to see the most famous Mosque in Rabat and the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V where he and his two sons' tombs reside. I have a million pictures from there because it was so huge and cool. Then we went back to our homestays and ate lunch which was couscous! I really liked it, but I guess it expands in your stomach and I ate a lot! haha After lunch we met with some students in Rabat who studied English and we talked to them about their views about the U.S. Almost all of them were males and we asked one of them about stereotypes they had witnessed in Americans. He said he didn't like to listen to stereotypes and most of the Americans he had met were really nice...then he went on to tell us about how Americans are "closed" and how it is not a stereotype, it is a fact. At first, I was really offended, but as we talked about education systems and culture, I stepped back and looked our similarities and differences on a larger scale and compared our perspectives. I thought about that conversation a lot afterwards, and I think I am still going to continue to think about it as I meet new people and learn new things about them. The cultural exchange that I experienced on this trip seriously changed my outlook on life. I think it is so important to learn about other people and experience new things in their environment. The first-hand experience taught me so much. We went to a pool hall with the students and drank more tea and talked more about culture and language and interests we had. It was truly a learning experience. After we said goodbye to the students, we met in someone's homestay to talk to a peace corps volunteer and a fullbright scholar who was studying in Morocco. After everything that had happened so far, and the cultural awareness I was feeling, I was really able to connect with the peace corps volunteer, and I am now looking into joining the peace corps after I graduate. After the discussion and getting all of my questions answered about peace corps, we went to a public bath called a hammam, and on the way we stopped and saw a celebration for Mohammed's birthday. There was music and people dancing, and everyone looked genuinely moved and happy. =) They have hammams in Granada as well because of all of the moorish influence, and they are kind of like spas (Ryan and I are going to one when he visits!) but this was an actual bath for bathing purposes because most people do not have hot water in their houses in Morocco. This was also a very cultural experience! We had our skin exfoliated by a moroccan woman. (She literally exfoliated our entire bodies - I have never felt so clean! haha) We wore our bathing suits, but we were the only ones who did. At first, I felt really uncomfortable, but by the end I didn't even think about it. Thinking about our reactions to nudity showed an apparent cultural difference and how our perspectives are shaped and formed. After the hammam, I felt greatttt! And we went back to our homestays and ate dinner with our families. It was some kind of noodles with meatballs, but when we asked our mom what kind of meat it was, she started cooing like a pigeon and saying chicken, so I still don't know what kind of bird we were eating! haha After dinner, our sister gave us henna tatoos. She was soooo good at it, and she told us (the Egyptian girl was our translator) that she used to work at the royal palace as a henna artist! Our one year old sister or cousin or something was adorable, and of course she wanted henna too! So she drew a small design on her hands and 10 mintues later she was holding up her hands asking for more, and it was all over her face which will now be orange for a whole month! haha - This was another moment that I stepped back and saw that laughter and kids and art and family are all the same. We all have them and value them in our culture, and despite our differences, we have so many similarities.
Saturday, Feb. 28
We woke up early, had a quick breakfast, said goodbye to our families, and drove up to a village in the Rif Mountains. We were supposed to hike for 30 minutes to meet a family, but the rain made it almost impossible for us. It was so muddy! Little kids with no shoes or socks were running around with goats and chickens. Women were picking vegetables, men were bringing goods to the market to sell on donkeys, and groups of people were standing around talking. I felt like I was in another world. We were invited into another home which housed many families and 3 generations. We went inside and sat down in a kind of living room area where we were accompanied by three men. The translator that we had picked up on the way as well as our tour guide were outside, so we had no way of communicating with these people. All of a sudden one of the men (who was grinning at us the entire time) starts asking us if we speak French and saying any English words he knows, and before we know what is going on he is teaching us how to count to ten in Arabic. It was absolutley hilarious! We were all repeating him in unison, and then we taught him 1-10 in English. (There were 9 of us girls) It was a great icebreaker! haha Once the translator and tour guide came in, (The translator was a second cousin of the two brothers who owned the house and land and our tour guide was a 24 year old from Atlanta who is studying in Granada as well) we started talking about our time in Morocco and about their jobs and daily life in the village. They told us about farming and the funny guy told us about how his father was a musician and about being a soldier (he was retired). They all seemed genuinely happy with the simplicity of life and they all said they were happy to live in their village. We asked them about economic challenges and they told us that everyone helps everyone else out. We asked them about marriages and they talked about how a guy has to ask a girl's parents to talk to her, but parents will rarely force their daughter to see someone she does not want to date. We asked them about education and the translator told us about how hard it is to go to college even though it is free, it is almost impossible to pay for living expenses (because there is obviously no university in the mountains). He was the first person in the family to get his degree and he was extremely intelligent. We talked to him about his masters thesis which was on the U.S. war on terror and about peace corps and other organizations. He was not for peace corps or any organization that has someone telling you what to do, so it was good to hear both sides of the spectrum even though I still think it is an absolutley amazing organization. We ate couscous and sandwhiches for lunch which were delicious, and we ended up talking to the family for 3 hours! Our tour guide told us it was the longest and most successful talk he had ever had because they usually last 45 min to an hour before people run out of things to say. The family was soo nice and welcoming and they even asked us to stay with them. The hospitality that I experienced throughout the whole trip was like nothing else I have ever seen or experienced. After saying goodbye to the family, we drove to Chefchaouen which was absolutely GORGEOUS! It was a very touristy area and many people spoke Spanish and English as well as Arabic. We went to our hostel and then went souvenir shopping before going to a nice dinner where I had a chicken shishkebab which was awesome and very different from the kebabs we have in granada! After dinner, we went back to our hostel and had a reflection time where we shared our favorite experiences and talked about where to go from here and what we can do to make a difference. We talked about not getting offended by the things people say to us about the U.S. and looking at things from different perspectives. One of the girls said something that I really liked and kept with me. She said something along the lines of, "We can't expect to get answers right now, or today or even tomorrow. We have to just swallow it and think about it and come back to it as life hands us new experiences." I totally agree with her, and I now know how much more there is to do and see and experience before settling down in the U.S.
Sunday, Feb. 29
In the morning we were supposed to go on a hike to see a view of the city, but it was pouring when we woke up so we just walked to the van and started driving to Ceuta which is an autonomous city of Spain located on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar which seperates it from Spain. It was really pretty and we had to cross the border on foot here in order to take the ferry back to Algeciras. We talked a little bit about immigration and compared it to the U.S. The disparity in income is the greatest in the world at the Spanish-Moroccan border. Many people die trying to get to Europe on rafts or boats. Every minute of this trip was eye-opening for me. I learned so much about another culture who already knew so much about mine. It truly amazes me how little I know about the rest of the world but how much the rest of the world knows about me. I feel like I have so much to learn, and there are so many ways that I can help people and make a difference, and this trip made that such a reality.
Thursday, Feb. 26
We stayed in a hostel in Algeciras, Spain (southern coast) on Wednesday night so we could catch the ferry to Morocco at 8 AM on Thursday. The wind ended up being so bad that day that all of the ferrys were cancelled and we ended up taking a slow boat which we were on for about 3 hours!! We got to Tangier very late, but when we arrived at the DARNA women's center, they were very excited to talk to us and show us around! DARNA in arabic means "our home" and it is a place where girls and women can go to learn different trades. It was a beautiful place with plenty of classrooms and sewing equipment and we ended up eating an amazing lunch there of chicken tagine and really good Moroccan desserts! At lunch we talked to a few Moroccan students who spoke very good English (which is not common in Morocco because the language of business is French). We talked about the U.S. and also about daily life in Morocco. It was very interesting to hear about their views on the U.S. They continued to stress that the American people are not viewed in the same way as our government, and that they had met so many nice Americans. After leaving the center, we drove to Asilah along the Atlantic Coast, and we stopped along the way to ride camels on a beach at sunset!! It was sooo fun and the workers were so nice to us! We then walked through the Medina (old town) of Asilah and learned about the different colors on the buildings. Blue is the color of Judiasm, and the town at one point had a large Jewish population so you will see a lot of blue in my pictures. Green is the color of Islam, so whenever we saw a Mosque, it would have a green door and a minaret (tower) that could be seen from a distance. We also went to the coast and took beautiful pictures, but we didn't stay for long because of our very late start. We then drove 3 hours to Rabat to meet our home stay families! 3 of us stayed with each family, and the minute we walked in the door we were being hugged and kissed and welcomed. We could not communicate at all because no one in our family spoke English except for the 14 year old daughter who spoke very little. We were offered tea and cookies, and met about 15 people that were in the family or just staying as visitors. Our 23 year old brother came home with a girl from Egypt and a guy from France that he had just met and were invited to stay at his house. They all spoke English, so it was easier to communicate with the family. The bathroom in the house had a turkish toilet (which is a hole in the ground) and the house had no hot water so we could not shower (I will tell you more about that later). Even though we were exhausted, we went for a walk with our brother and his guests to the river and saw a beautiful view of the city lit up at night. Dinner was served in one large round bowl and everyone sat around it and ate the portion nearest to them. Most of them ate with their hands, but we were given spoons. We had lamb and potatoes. Historically the left hand was used in the bathroom because they do not use toilet paper at all, so it is very rude to put your left hand anywhere near the table and it was really hard to remember that! It was such an interesting experience!
Friday, Feb. 27
We woke up early to eat breakfast which was big pita-like bread with jam and more tea. (We drank the traditional Moroccan hot tea for every meal.) Then we met at the Agricultural building of the university with a Moroccan professor to talk about "West and Islamic worlds - Images about each other." It was sooo interesting to hear from her about life in Morocco and again her views on the U.S. I think for the most part she tried to be politically correct, but I certainly learned a lot about Moroccan culture and how progressive it is! She talked to us about women wearing the veil and women's rights and about culture. None of the daughters in the family I was staying with wore the veil, and they were much less conservative than I was expecting. There was a wide variety of degrees of conservatism in the people I met, and I was not expecting that. After the visit with the professor, we went to Chellah or the Roman Ruins and they were absolutely gorgeous!! There were hundreds of storks nesting there which I thought was so cool for some reason! haha and along with the storks there was a fertility pool there where women were feeding hard boiled eggs to the eel in the pool to bring fertility and easy childbirth. A few of us threw eggs in so we can have babies some day ;) There were also TONS AND TONS of stray cats there along with everywhere in Morocco. It was very strange because they were not scared of people at all and they were just everywhere. After the ruins we went to see the most famous Mosque in Rabat and the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V where he and his two sons' tombs reside. I have a million pictures from there because it was so huge and cool. Then we went back to our homestays and ate lunch which was couscous! I really liked it, but I guess it expands in your stomach and I ate a lot! haha After lunch we met with some students in Rabat who studied English and we talked to them about their views about the U.S. Almost all of them were males and we asked one of them about stereotypes they had witnessed in Americans. He said he didn't like to listen to stereotypes and most of the Americans he had met were really nice...then he went on to tell us about how Americans are "closed" and how it is not a stereotype, it is a fact. At first, I was really offended, but as we talked about education systems and culture, I stepped back and looked our similarities and differences on a larger scale and compared our perspectives. I thought about that conversation a lot afterwards, and I think I am still going to continue to think about it as I meet new people and learn new things about them. The cultural exchange that I experienced on this trip seriously changed my outlook on life. I think it is so important to learn about other people and experience new things in their environment. The first-hand experience taught me so much. We went to a pool hall with the students and drank more tea and talked more about culture and language and interests we had. It was truly a learning experience. After we said goodbye to the students, we met in someone's homestay to talk to a peace corps volunteer and a fullbright scholar who was studying in Morocco. After everything that had happened so far, and the cultural awareness I was feeling, I was really able to connect with the peace corps volunteer, and I am now looking into joining the peace corps after I graduate. After the discussion and getting all of my questions answered about peace corps, we went to a public bath called a hammam, and on the way we stopped and saw a celebration for Mohammed's birthday. There was music and people dancing, and everyone looked genuinely moved and happy. =) They have hammams in Granada as well because of all of the moorish influence, and they are kind of like spas (Ryan and I are going to one when he visits!) but this was an actual bath for bathing purposes because most people do not have hot water in their houses in Morocco. This was also a very cultural experience! We had our skin exfoliated by a moroccan woman. (She literally exfoliated our entire bodies - I have never felt so clean! haha) We wore our bathing suits, but we were the only ones who did. At first, I felt really uncomfortable, but by the end I didn't even think about it. Thinking about our reactions to nudity showed an apparent cultural difference and how our perspectives are shaped and formed. After the hammam, I felt greatttt! And we went back to our homestays and ate dinner with our families. It was some kind of noodles with meatballs, but when we asked our mom what kind of meat it was, she started cooing like a pigeon and saying chicken, so I still don't know what kind of bird we were eating! haha After dinner, our sister gave us henna tatoos. She was soooo good at it, and she told us (the Egyptian girl was our translator) that she used to work at the royal palace as a henna artist! Our one year old sister or cousin or something was adorable, and of course she wanted henna too! So she drew a small design on her hands and 10 mintues later she was holding up her hands asking for more, and it was all over her face which will now be orange for a whole month! haha - This was another moment that I stepped back and saw that laughter and kids and art and family are all the same. We all have them and value them in our culture, and despite our differences, we have so many similarities.
Saturday, Feb. 28
We woke up early, had a quick breakfast, said goodbye to our families, and drove up to a village in the Rif Mountains. We were supposed to hike for 30 minutes to meet a family, but the rain made it almost impossible for us. It was so muddy! Little kids with no shoes or socks were running around with goats and chickens. Women were picking vegetables, men were bringing goods to the market to sell on donkeys, and groups of people were standing around talking. I felt like I was in another world. We were invited into another home which housed many families and 3 generations. We went inside and sat down in a kind of living room area where we were accompanied by three men. The translator that we had picked up on the way as well as our tour guide were outside, so we had no way of communicating with these people. All of a sudden one of the men (who was grinning at us the entire time) starts asking us if we speak French and saying any English words he knows, and before we know what is going on he is teaching us how to count to ten in Arabic. It was absolutley hilarious! We were all repeating him in unison, and then we taught him 1-10 in English. (There were 9 of us girls) It was a great icebreaker! haha Once the translator and tour guide came in, (The translator was a second cousin of the two brothers who owned the house and land and our tour guide was a 24 year old from Atlanta who is studying in Granada as well) we started talking about our time in Morocco and about their jobs and daily life in the village. They told us about farming and the funny guy told us about how his father was a musician and about being a soldier (he was retired). They all seemed genuinely happy with the simplicity of life and they all said they were happy to live in their village. We asked them about economic challenges and they told us that everyone helps everyone else out. We asked them about marriages and they talked about how a guy has to ask a girl's parents to talk to her, but parents will rarely force their daughter to see someone she does not want to date. We asked them about education and the translator told us about how hard it is to go to college even though it is free, it is almost impossible to pay for living expenses (because there is obviously no university in the mountains). He was the first person in the family to get his degree and he was extremely intelligent. We talked to him about his masters thesis which was on the U.S. war on terror and about peace corps and other organizations. He was not for peace corps or any organization that has someone telling you what to do, so it was good to hear both sides of the spectrum even though I still think it is an absolutley amazing organization. We ate couscous and sandwhiches for lunch which were delicious, and we ended up talking to the family for 3 hours! Our tour guide told us it was the longest and most successful talk he had ever had because they usually last 45 min to an hour before people run out of things to say. The family was soo nice and welcoming and they even asked us to stay with them. The hospitality that I experienced throughout the whole trip was like nothing else I have ever seen or experienced. After saying goodbye to the family, we drove to Chefchaouen which was absolutely GORGEOUS! It was a very touristy area and many people spoke Spanish and English as well as Arabic. We went to our hostel and then went souvenir shopping before going to a nice dinner where I had a chicken shishkebab which was awesome and very different from the kebabs we have in granada! After dinner, we went back to our hostel and had a reflection time where we shared our favorite experiences and talked about where to go from here and what we can do to make a difference. We talked about not getting offended by the things people say to us about the U.S. and looking at things from different perspectives. One of the girls said something that I really liked and kept with me. She said something along the lines of, "We can't expect to get answers right now, or today or even tomorrow. We have to just swallow it and think about it and come back to it as life hands us new experiences." I totally agree with her, and I now know how much more there is to do and see and experience before settling down in the U.S.
Sunday, Feb. 29
In the morning we were supposed to go on a hike to see a view of the city, but it was pouring when we woke up so we just walked to the van and started driving to Ceuta which is an autonomous city of Spain located on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar which seperates it from Spain. It was really pretty and we had to cross the border on foot here in order to take the ferry back to Algeciras. We talked a little bit about immigration and compared it to the U.S. The disparity in income is the greatest in the world at the Spanish-Moroccan border. Many people die trying to get to Europe on rafts or boats. Every minute of this trip was eye-opening for me. I learned so much about another culture who already knew so much about mine. It truly amazes me how little I know about the rest of the world but how much the rest of the world knows about me. I feel like I have so much to learn, and there are so many ways that I can help people and make a difference, and this trip made that such a reality.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Cadiz
Hey!!! So yesterday about 11 of us went to Cadiz for Carnival. It was quite an experience!!! Carnival is a big celebration in Spain and other countries that is similar to our Halloween but for adults and like 12 million times bigger. There are people dressed up in extravangant costumes EVERYWHERE (literally) and people come from all over Spain to go to Cadiz. It lasts all week long, and there are parades and music contests and lots of fun!!! Cadiz is near Portugal on the southern coast of Spain, and we left Granada at noon yesterday and arrived in Cadiz around 7:00 PM. There were 500 people going with the program we were with (which included just the bus ride for 20 euros! lol) We were dropped off right by the Atlantic Ocean and we watched the sunset on the beach - absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Then the nightlong party began!! We basically just walked around the city watching live bands, eating baked potatoes, and having a good time :) Some people slept on the beach and others (like myself) enjoyed Cadiz for a full 12 hours before reboarding the bus at 7:00 AM. This festival was so unlike anything else I have ever experienced. People are just so laid back and there to have a good time. I didn't see one police officer until we were walking back to the bus, nor were they needed! It was really amazing to be a part of something so different than what I am used to. You guys should totally check out our sweet masks in the pictures! haha we were probably the most underdressed people there!! And today, Katie's parents arrived in Granada!! So even though I am exhausted, I went out to dinner with them and talked about their travel and our life here in Spain :) It is soooo nice to see people from home!! Mr. Szafranski tipped the waiter almost 6 euros and the guy was so happy that he shook all of our hands (which they dont do here haha) and gave us a round of shots! (Waiters/waitresses are paid salaries here and a 20 cent tip if anything is sufficient in Granada) Then they went back to their hotel to try and adjust to the time change so they can enjoy the city for a couple of days before heading to Poland. I myself am headed to Morocco on Wednesday night, so my next post will probably be next Sunday when I get home! Miss you guys!
Friday, February 20, 2009
La Alpujarra
Hey everyone!! Sorry the posts are coming slower now...School is taking a lot more energy than I expected because I ended up taking 5 classes so I will be coming home with 18 credit hours!! The overachiever in me couldn't resist taking advantage of the lower tuition and more liberal class settings :) I also am pleased to announce that I have an intercambio!!! (which means I meet with a Spanish speaker and we practice our Spanish and English with each other) And she is soo fun, and I have been spending quite a bit of time with her. Also, this week I have been fighting a nasty cold...Katie went to Ireland with only hoodies (and it was snowing!) and she got me sick :( but I am feeling better today. I ended up having my second pharmacy disaster this week - the cold medicine I bought is prescription strength and it makes me very drowsy and what not - and apparently I am allergic to something in it - so my face is itchy and red like it gets when I wear makeuppp!!! Haha i am seriously having no luck with European pharmacies. But on to happier things - I went to La Alpujarra last weekend and it was amazing!!! It is a district of granada in the mountains right next to the Sierra Nevada. We traveled through the three white villages Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira, and we ate lunch at a traditional Alpujarran restaurant in the last village. I ordered a vegetarian plate because every dish had ham in it....apparently they are famous for their ham - whoo hoo! ;) It was really beautiful and interesting to learn about the history on the way there. I guess a lot of famous people have houses here because it is so private and secluded. (Like U2 and Steven Spielberg - P.S. some Indiana Jones scenes were filmed up there bc Steven loves it so much!) We did a little bit of hiking but nothing compared to the mountain hike I did in January. It was very fun and relaxing and beautiful. Take a look at the pictures and see for yourself!! Miss you all dearly! <3
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