Home Sweet Home

The past two weeks I have spent here in Granada. After returning from Morocco, it was nice to sleep in my own bed and get back into my daily routine. However, Friday morning I woke up to severe pain in my eyes. I couldn't even open them! I stumbled to the pharmacy that is below my apartment building and they told be that I had an eye infection-great! So for the following week I was stuck wearing my glasses. That weekend I reunited with some New Zealand friends I had made earlier in the semester and the
week consisted of studying for and taking midterms (yes, I actually am going to school here, too.)

This past weekend some friends from DU who are studying abroad in Salamanca, a city in northern Spain, came to visit us in Granada. On friday we took them to the famous botellon, where thousands of students from the university come to pre-game. We took a picture with most of us DU kids all together, and there were so many of us!


Then on Saturday, we took them to different tapas bars around the city and to our favorite discoteca. I think they were very impressed by our wonderful town!

Morocco

Early Friday morning, early as in 3:15 am, we climbed onto a bus in Granada and made our way South. After collecting more students from Malaga, we finally arrived at the Straight of Gibraltar in the early afternoon. There, we boarded a ferry that took us from Algasiras, Spain to the Port of Tanger Med in Morocco. We then continued on bus to Fes where we had dinner and stayed the night at a nice, little hotel. There wasn't a lot of options as far as activities for the night because it was encouraged that we don't wander too far from the hotel, especially the girls. Even just stepping off from the bus we attracted strange looks as a large group of Americans.
On Saturday, we were led on a tour of the Medina. We stopped at a carpet shop that boasted hundreds of handmade carpets of all sizes. We learned about the significance behind some of the different patterns, colors, and materials used in each.
Next, we went to a textile shop where we saw them making scarves, all kinda of clothes, tapestries, and more. There were so many elaborate and beautiful colors and materials it was overwhelming. 

After that, we stopped at a leather factory. There they not only sold a variety of colors of leather backpacks, shoes, jackets, wallets, bags, and more made from camel, sheep, and cow hide-they made everything in house as well! We saw, and smelt, them drying skins as well as coloring them in big bins of color that were built into the ground outside the shop. It was incredible.

Our next stop was lunch where we enjoyed traditional Moroccan cuisine of seasoned vegetables, couscous, and chicken. Delicious! After, we saw some beautiful handmade metal work and witnessed the full process of creating ceramics-the original clay, the formation, engraving, firing, coloring, re-firing, and more. Next was a beautiful palace with huge, golden doors and decorative archways. By this time we were all exhausted and excited to head back to the hotel for some rest before the night's activities.

 That evening, we went to a traditional Moroccan belly-dancing and drum show. The women were dressed in exquisite garments fashioned with dangling strings and jewels. They moved their bodies in ways I could never even imagine doing and pulled some of the students from the crowd up to dance with them. It was quite a scene! In the background, men played drums to lead the beat of the dance. Simply fantastic!

 Sunday morning we were off to the desert! For lunch we stopped at a restaurant in the middle of a beautiful oasis. The food was again spectacular and the view was even better. It was incredible to think that we were on our way to a desert yet in the middle of this great forest. A few hours later, we came to a stop in the middle of a barren, sandy dessert. Here, we transferred onto jeep 4x4s and headed deeper into the abyss. At first, our Moroccan driver proceeded with caution but soon enough we were flying over mounds of sand out in the open land. It was a blast! That night we made camp in large tents and were entertained by a wonderful drum show. And then we slept like babies under the African sky.

The next morning we were awoken by the locals who look us for a walk into the hills of the desert to watch the sunrise. A young boy guided me far from the camp and showed me his favorite view. It was breathtaking. I felt as though I could reach out and touch the perfectly round and glowing sun. We took in the view for awhile before heading back to camp for breakfast.

Next it was time to ride the camels! Each of us were assigned our own camel and were led to the dunes. The ride was bumpy and I could not imagine riding on those humps all day long! We climbed atop a large mound and took in yet another spectacular view. Finally, we arrived at a small town and were shown a local school and were able to shop around for some gifts. By this time it was HOT and we were looking forward to some shade back in the tents.

That afternoon, some boys had rented a snowboard so yet again we headed out into the dunes for some extreme sand-boarding. Along the way, we met some kids who accompanied us and even wanted to carry the board. When we got to the top of a large hill, it was time to put our skills to the test. It was a blast riding down on the board but also just running down the dunes as fast we we could and tumbling into the sand at the bottom. While playing in the sand, I realized that the dunes were home to some of the biggest beetles I had ever seen in my life. And one decided to crawl up my leg! When we were done playing, we watched the sunset then made our way back to camp.

 The next two days were filled with nothing but bus rides back through the dessert and then to the ferry to take us back to Spain. Along the way we stopped and donated some items and clothing to local nomads. Overall, Morocco was a truly incredible experience. Amazingly, no one got sick and we all made it back in one piece!

The Weather is Changing

So this past week I have begun to fell the reality of the changing season. Whereas I used to work up a sweat on my way to class, I now need to bundle up wherever I go. Yesterday, it drizzled all day and I was forced to bring out the fuzzy socks. Good thing I brought my winter coat!

Other new things going on this week included Irish Pubs and themed parties. We attended karaoke night at a pub called Hannigans on Thursday night and the boys seemed to enjoy themselves quite nicely.

On Saturday night, we had a little get together at one of our friend's apartments and all that attended were required to wear some sort of crazy headwear. The night began with us chatting over drinks and ended with an intense game of Hearts. Thanks Dad for preparing me for that one!

Up next is Morocco! On Friday I am heading out with my program for a five day adventure in Northern Africa, so look forward to updates about that! That is of course, assuming I make it back alive...

Another Week, Malaga and Ronda

After sleeping for the rest of Sunday once I returned from Barcelona, I began my classes the next day. On Mondays and Wednesday from 10:30 to 12:30 I have Spanish Oral and Writing and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Spanish Grammar from 8:30 to 10:30, Spanish History from 4:00-6:00 and Arab World and the West from 6:00 to 8:00. On Fridays, we switch off between Mon/Wed classes, Tues/Thurs classes, and a day off.

















So that monday I went to class and after went on a walking tour with the DU friends that I had seen in Barcelona who were now staying in Granada. It was a great tour of talented graffiti throughout the city as well as the underground caves that people actually live in. We were able to go inside one that belongs to Santana's cousin and is fully furnished. The owner had traveled all over the world and began a program in India to raise money for the underprivileged children living there. He showed us pictures of his adventures and invited us back to talk more or have a mediation time in the future. It was very interesting. That night, Summer and I spent more time with those boys and another guy from DU who is studying abroad with us in Granada.


Tuesday was filled with more classes and that night we went out to a tapas bar and then a small club because we didn't have class on Wednesday.
That meant that Wednesday was a lazy day and Thursday and Friday just called for some low key tapa bar hopping. It has been fun getting to now where the best tapas are!

Saturday morning we took an excursion with our program to Ronda, a city about 2 hours away from Granada. It was a cute town that hosts a lot of history and beautiful scenery. After a tour of the city, we drove another hour to Malaga and enjoyed a night at a local club. On Sunday, we toured this second city and saw a large cathedral and a beautiful beach. It was a fun, FREE vacation in a nice hotel with complimentary breakfast buffet. Can't really complain about that.

Barcelona

Wednesday night I arrived in Barcelona and made my way to my hostel. There I met up some boys from New Zealand that I had met when they were in Granada a few weeks back. They were visiting in Barcelona at this same time, so it was nice to know people in this new city. That night we went to a club that was a having a special party and was purely filled with Americans. I had a ride awakening when I ordered a Red Bull Vodka and was charged 10 euros!! Nevertheless, it was a very fun night out.

On Thursday morning, I woke up early to take a walking tour of the city. As I came down stairs, I did a double take when I spotted two very familiar faces: two guy friends of mine who just graduated from DU and were traveling through Europe. I knew that they were going to be visiting Granada the next weekend but little did I know that I would see them even sooner at my same hostel in Barcelona!. CRAZY! That day I saw the sights of Barcelona and did some shopping on the main street.

In the evening, my childhood friend Josh arrived from his study abroad in Seville as did my DU friend Nina and Summer from Granada. We had a fairly calm night going to a nearby bar and catching up on each others' lives. We were even lucky enough to be staying in a small apartment right in the city that belongs to a friend of Summer's dad.

Friday was a day of rest as well as more exploration of the city including a huge market and many little shops. That afternoon another DU friend, Jillian, arrived and that night we all hit up The Dow Jones Bar, where the prices of drinks depend on their demand and every half hour the stock market "crashes" and all prices return to normal. It was an extremely crowded place though, so we did not stay very long. Instead, we went to a discoteca on the beach and passed the night dancing our hearts out. Saturday we slept in as well and then I spent some time at the beach before beginning to prepare for the big night ahead. We all got decked out from head to toe in white and, after only a few complications involving getting locked out of the apartment and having to break back in through the 3rd story balcony, we headed for Sensation White Barcelona, an all night rave that happens once a year. We had a blast dancing and walking around the huge venue that was decked
out with multiple stages all decorated with bright lights and great effects. All too soon, 4 am hit and it was off to the airport to catch our early morning flights. Needless to say, it was a sleepless night, but very very worth it.

Italia!!

With our exams finished, we celebrated the end of our first month in Spain on Thursday night by hitting up our favorite Discoteca, El Camborio. On Friday, we took it easy in preparation for our big trip right around the corner. Saturday afternoon, I headed to the Malaga airport with Caiti, Hillary, Kenzie, Tara, and Angie to catch our flight to Pisa, Italy. That night, we ate authentic Italian pizza at a little local pizzeria.
On Sunday morning, we woke up nice and early in order to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. As we rounded a corner and scanned the street for a hint as to what direction to head in, we spotted a very tilted building right in the middle of a group of perfectly constructed ones. It was quite the sight to see. After taking a series of pictures with the famous monument, we headed to Florence.

We met up with Summer and our friend Cammi, who is from DU and studying abroad in Florence, for lunch at another small pizzeria. That afternoon, we saw the Duomo, also called the Basilica di Santa Maria del Flore, which is the cathedral church of Florence saw, the Piazza Michelangelo, which boasts a gorgeous view of the city, walked around the local market, and enjoyed some delicious Italian gelato. That day, I came away with a new Italian leather purse, some jewelry  and a white dress for the Sensation festival that weekend. For the night, we met up with another DU friend, Lizz, and she took us to a local American bar.
On Monday morning, we met up with Cammi and Lizz for coffee before heading to the train station to make our way to Venice. After some slight transportation mishaps, we made it to Venice along with a new Italian friend that decided to come along. The next bump in the road came when we arrived to discover that the main mode of transportation, water buses, were on a strike, meaning that we could not get to our hostel. Once again, we handled the situation and found a hotel near the main part of the city before heading out to experience the night life. Luckily, we met some friendly Italian boys, as well as a pair of traveling Argentinean cousins, and they toured us through the Venetian sights until 3 am.

The next morning, we reunited with our new friends from Argentina and explored Piazza San Marco. The main attractions were a beautiful cathedral and rows of artsy tents along the water. Then, it was off to the airport to catch our plane to Rome-however upon arriving I was informed that my reservation had not gone through. Fortunately, I found a train that was to arrive not much later than the rest of the girls' flight.

So that night, we explored the city of Rome until the early hours of the morning. We visited the Spanish Steps, large Trevi fountain, famous Piazza Navona, and more. On our walk home, we passed the ancient Roman ruins surrounding the Colosseum. Wednesday morning, we headed to the Vatican City to discover that the Pope was giving a speech at 10 am. This meant that the place was beyond crowded, but we got to see the Pope! He rode around in the Popemobile and spoke inside the Apostolic Palace. The amphitheater was incredible with so many intricate carvings and statues. From there, we visited the Vatican Museum which holds thousands of old Roman artifacts and is the home of the Sistine Chapel. The artwork covered the halls, wall to wall, and was absolutely magnificent. Later that day, the other girls in my group headed home to Granada and I explored more of the city of Rome. I went to the Colosseum and walked up and down hills and hills of ruins. Around 7 pm I caught a flight to Barcelona, where my next adventures began...

More Granada Experiences

I finally feel like I am fully experiencing and getting to know Granada! This week I went to the main discoteca THREE TIMES, each time staying out until at least 4 am. Not only is it an extremely fun club, but it has the absolute best view of the Alhambra and it is incredible to sit outside and take it all in during the wee hours of the morning.

On Thursday I also went on a hike through the Sierra Nevadas with my program. There were some gorgeous views as we climbed through mountains and hills and passed along a small stream.

On Saturday, I also went to a bull fight with some friends. At first, I thought it was more like a fun show of running bulls and waving red flags. NOPE. In reality, it is a cruel, drawn out taunting, torturing, and murder of the poor animals. It was a good cultural experience, but I definitely do not need to return ever again.

Today, Sunday, there is a festival for a big holiday that they celebrate here. There will be a procession through the main street and tons of vendors along the way. It should be fun!