As for my travels...
I can promise this post will be relatively lifeless. Spring break seems like it was an eon ago so I dread writing about it. Oh, and it poured cats during my 30 minute walk to school this morning so I'm soaked and fussy. I could keep putting this off but it won't happen if I don't do it now.
So I'll start with Spain. We left early Friday morning (March 30) for a four hour bus ride from Rabat to Tarifa, which is on the Mediterranean coast by Spain. Unfortunately, due to high winds, we weren't able to take the 30 minute ferry, and we had to wait a few hours to take a two hour ferry to Algeciras. The ferry was huge; it was a cargo ferry? Was it? I don't know but it could have carried cargo. Along with our group, there was a group of 100 or so Moroccan women traveling to Spain to do seasonal strawberry picking. They had no concept of personal space, common courtesy, or public transport manners. They shoved through us with 100 pound bags and raced up, through and out of the ferry like they were being chased by one of those highly annoying, singing flash mobs. There was one specific woman who shoved her way past me with her bag, causing me to fall forward onto my bag. Later, she couldn't continue on because her bag was too heavy and she sought me out to help her carry it........
Unfortunately, we quickly grew tired of searching the empty city, and we used the cool scenery to take pictures like this! My friend, Chris, apparently doesn't know that YOLO ends with an O, not a Y.
After what felt like no time at all in Cordoba, but no really it was only 16 hours, we hopped on the bus to head to Granada! I was particularly excited because Granada is one of the only remaining cities in Spain with complimentary tapas. We arrived and quickly began getting ready for what seemed to be at the time, the coolest night out of our lives! "Yeah! Lets go out in Spain! We just came from a Muslim country! Lets party!" ...
I will continue this tomorrow. It is time to finish the third book in the Hunger Games series. Go Katniss! Defeat the capitol! Reunite Panem! (and find a way to marry both Peeta and Gale).
I can promise this post will be relatively lifeless. Spring break seems like it was an eon ago so I dread writing about it. Oh, and it poured cats during my 30 minute walk to school this morning so I'm soaked and fussy. I could keep putting this off but it won't happen if I don't do it now.
So I'll start with Spain. We left early Friday morning (March 30) for a four hour bus ride from Rabat to Tarifa, which is on the Mediterranean coast by Spain. Unfortunately, due to high winds, we weren't able to take the 30 minute ferry, and we had to wait a few hours to take a two hour ferry to Algeciras. The ferry was huge; it was a cargo ferry? Was it? I don't know but it could have carried cargo. Along with our group, there was a group of 100 or so Moroccan women traveling to Spain to do seasonal strawberry picking. They had no concept of personal space, common courtesy, or public transport manners. They shoved through us with 100 pound bags and raced up, through and out of the ferry like they were being chased by one of those highly annoying, singing flash mobs. There was one specific woman who shoved her way past me with her bag, causing me to fall forward onto my bag. Later, she couldn't continue on because her bag was too heavy and she sought me out to help her carry it........
I felt like this...
But then I helped her...
We continued on to Cordoba in a bus for about 4 more hours and we really got the short end of the stick. With the time change, the long ferry and the time spent waiting, we arrived in Cordoba around 11:30. So all of our excitement that we had saved up to go out in ESPANA was wasted. Glass half full thought: we were rested for our day exploring Cordoba.
We woke early and walked to an absolutely amazing cathedral. It was originally the San Vicente Basilica, which was destroyed during the Islamic period to build the subsequent mosque. Following the Islamic invasion of Cordoba, the Muslims proceeded to build the mosque. Later after the Christians re-conquered Spain, the Mosque was changed into a Cathedral. It is incredible to see the distinct phases of each period. It was absolutely beautiful.
Afterward, we found lunch on our own and then boarded the buses to go 15-20 minutes outside of the city to Madinat Al-Zahra. It is considered to be one of the most important medieval archaeological sites in Spain and Europe. I feel like I have seen my fair share of excavated Muslim cities, but I have to admit this one was impressive. It was the political and administrative capital of Al-Andalus (Andalusia, Spain) during the majority of the 10th century. Amazingly, considering its size, only a tenth of the city has been excavated.
Unfortunately, we quickly grew tired of searching the empty city, and we used the cool scenery to take pictures like this! My friend, Chris, apparently doesn't know that YOLO ends with an O, not a Y.
After what felt like no time at all in Cordoba, but no really it was only 16 hours, we hopped on the bus to head to Granada! I was particularly excited because Granada is one of the only remaining cities in Spain with complimentary tapas. We arrived and quickly began getting ready for what seemed to be at the time, the coolest night out of our lives! "Yeah! Lets go out in Spain! We just came from a Muslim country! Lets party!" ...
We weren't entirely correct, but we weren't entirely incorrect. It was relatively normal. But we did go to a club, El Cambrio, in a hollowed out cliffside. Which is insanely cool now that I think about it. We stayed out until about 5AM...I hate doing that. I can't sleep restfully if I know I have to wake up in 3 hours. Lesson learned? Probably not...
I will continue this tomorrow. It is time to finish the third book in the Hunger Games series. Go Katniss! Defeat the capitol! Reunite Panem! (and find a way to marry both Peeta and Gale).
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