Thursday, June 11, 2009
Portugal and Sevilla
Hola todos!
So I've just returned from another trip and I might go as far to say that it has been my favorite so far. Close tie with Cinque Terre in Italy. Anyway, a while ago, I found some really cheap tickets to Sevilla and for a while I've wanted to get down there for a couple of reasons. One, a friend of mine is going to study there in September and two, I wanted to see real genuine flamenco. Also since, I've been here, I've wanted to go to Portugal because it's so close. So I figured that I could fly into Sevilla and then bus to Portugal for a few days and then come back to Sevilla. So that's what I did but it was quite an adventure doing so.
The night before I left for Sevilla happened to be one of the last nights of one of our good friends and he was going to spend it in Barcelona because his flight was early the next day. So a bunch of us decided we'd spend it in Barcelona as well and see him off. He ended up calling it a night early so the rest of us just hung around Barcelona for most of the night. It was a fun night but we didn't get much sleep. The next day, we spent at the beach because it was such a beautiful day. Then later that day, I caught a bus to Girona (the airport that I was flying out of) which is about an hour from Barcelona. I get into Sevilla around 8 or so and then spend a couple hours looking for the right bus station (little did I know there are actually two there and only one has buses to Portugal). So after finding the right bus station, I find out that the last bus to where I was going left at 4 pm earlier that afternoon and the next one wasn't until 7:30am. Great I thought, now what am I supposed to do? So after sitting around the bus station for a couple hours, I finally got up the nerve to ask if there were any buses that traveled anywhere close to Portugal that I could get a connection from there. So they sent me on my way to Faro. I figured that sleeping on a bus was better than sleeping in a bus station. So I get to Faro around 3 am and realize that their bus station is closed. At this point, I'm realizing that this trip may not be worth it but I'm too far in to go back now. So I debated about sitting outside the bus station for a few hours until it opened but where the bus station was located, didn't exactly seem like a safe part of town so I wandered around looking for a hotel or hostel to sleep for a few hours. The hotel I found attached to the bus station was 118 Euro for one night and that was something I definitely wasn't going to do. So I headed back to the bus station dreading the long night that was ahead of me. But as I got back, a man (who spoke only Spanish) recognized that I was looking for somewhere to stay and pointed me in the direction of a cheap hostel. I found the hostel, checked in and slept for only three hours. I got back up, checked out and headed back to the bus station to catch a bus to Lagos. Finally after waiting another two hours for a bus, I was on my way.
After finally reaching Lagos, I had to find my hostel, the Rising Cock... great name eh? This was quite a process. I definitely got lost a few times. The thing with the streets in Europe is that they aren't set up in a grid like back home, where they run north-south and east-west. These streets basically go in every direction. But finally, I managed to find the hostel and get checked in. This hostel was amazing. Probably the best hostel that I've ever stayed in. I found out later that it was lucky I got a room at all when I booked. I guess it's the place to stay when you're in Lagos. They have a waiting list of people that want to stay there. I guess I should explain the name before I go on though so you don't think the wrong thing about it. It's named after a story:
At a banquet given by a rich landowner in Barcelos the silver was stolen and one of the guests was accused of the theft. He was tried by the court and found guilty. In spite of the overwhelming evidence against him he protested his innocence. The magistrate granted the man a final chance to prove his case. Seeing a cock in a basket nearby he said "If I am innocent the cock will crow." The cock rose, crowed and the prisoner was allowed to go free.
So anyway, after checking in and showering, I decided to go explore the beaches. I wound up very far away from my hostel but found the most amazing beaches ever. (In my next posting I will put up pictures!) I also found a friend, a dog, that followed me the entire day. I walked on top of the cliffs for a while and he followed me on my hike and then when I found a beach, he dug a whole in front of where I was laying and sat there for the four or five hours I was at the beach and then when I left, he followed me again. At first I thought it was kind of cute but after a while, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't get rid of this dog! He was going to follow me all the way back to my hostel. Luckily, a couple who happened to be at the beach, noticed that this dog wasn't mine and was following me home so they asked if I wanted a ride into town. They said that the dog did the same thing to people yesterday. They seemed like decent people so I accepted and they drove me to a place that looked semi familiar in town and dropped me off.
After finding my way back to the hostel, I showered and was sitting in the common area watching TV. This hostel was kind of like a party hostel and everyone there was drinking and just relaxing. As a solo traveler, it was probably the best hostel to go to because the atmosphere made it easy to meet people.
The next day, the weather in the morning wasn't that great so I hung around the hostel and then a group of us went out in search of this cliff that we could jump off of. We found it but I guess in order to have a safe jump, it needs to be high tide which is around 1:30 - 2 pm. We were a little late so decided that it was safer not to jump. I was supposed to leave the following day but decided that I was having a good time there that I'd stay another night. The next day there was also a beach party that the hostel was hosting. I'm glad I stayed. I met lots of new people and had a lot of fun.
Because I stayed, I was going to make sure I jumped off the cliff. So at the beach party when it was high tide, we rounded up a group of people that wanted to do it and climbed to the top. From the bottom it doesn't look that high, but when you get up there, it's a different story! But I did it! The minute that I launched myself off though, my heart stopped. The fall seemed to take forever and I was petrified of hitting rocks but as soon as I realized I was okay, I was so happy and so proud of myself. I thought for sure that when I got up there and looked down, I would chicken out! But I didn't, and so we decided to do it again. The second time was better but still scary.
Anyway, so after the beach party was over, I headed to the bus station to buy my ticket to Sevilla for the next day. As it turns out, going to Sevilla is pretty popular and all the buses for the next day were full. So I definitely had a problem. But a group of people from Texas Tech that I met were studying in Sevilla and we're leaving the next day on a private bus so they said I should try and get on their bus. So that's what I did but I don't know what I would've done if it didn't work.
Before I left that day, I was told that I should take a boat or kayak tour through the the grato (caves). I would've loved to have done the kayak tour but it was three hours and I didn't know if I had time so I did the boat tour instead. They took us through the rocks and caves and it was pretty cool. The guy said that all the rock formations were natural and had been eroded over time. Really glad I did it.
Anyway, so that was my time in Lagos and I had a blast. I did everything that I wanted to and left with no regrets! If anyone is planning on going there, I would definitely recommend it.
So! On to Sevilla. Here I had my first couchsurfing experience. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's an online community where you can search for people that will let you stay on their couch for a few days, free of charge. I joined when I got to Spain and after this experience, I wish I would've started couchsurfing sooner. I had a great time. As sketchy as it sounds, it's a pretty safe thing. You can check out people's profiles and people leave references that let you know if a person is safe or not. I ended up staying with a girl. It was a great experience. If I didn't couchsurf, I probably wouldn't have seen flamenco dancing. She called ahead and made a reservation for us and drove us there and did a bunch of stuff for us. It was really cool to have a local tell you things about the place you're visiting as well.
The first thing I saw there was the Cathedral. It's the largest and highest cathedral in Spain, the largest Gothic building in the world and the world's third-largest church in the world. Now I've seen the first and third biggest churches. Inside the Cathedral was really neat. There is a monument to Christopher Columbus (believed to be his tomb). The coffin sits on the shoulders of four kings that represent the medieval kingdoms of Spain: Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarra (thank you my Spain 2009 travel book!). Columbus's son is also burried in this church. Also in this church is the Giralda. It's the highest part of the church (322 feet). Inside, I had to climb 35 ramps (no steps!) to get to the top. I read later that the ramps are wide enough for two horsemen to pass. My guidebook said that Ferdinand III (who conquered the city 1248) rode to the top on his horse to admire the city that he had conquered. The view from up here was amazing. You could see all of Sevilla on all sides of the Giralda.
After that I wandered around some more and wound up outside the Plaza de Toros Real Maestranza (Royal Maestranza Bullring). This is the oldest bullring in Spain that is still being used, with shows usually being held every Sunday. I wanted to see one really bad, but missed it by a day. As terrible as it is, it's an art and part of the culture of Spain. Some people don't understand that and don't agree with supporting it but I think that if it's part of a countries culture, you have to be open to it. I took a tour of the building and was able to see the bullring, the museums that showed pictures and the elaborate costumes that are used as well as the chapel were the matadors pray before the fight. The museums were pretty neat. There are a few heads of bulls that have been mounted on the walls. These bulls were nominated as bulls of the year (don't ask me how they decide which bull). I also learned that if a matador is killed in the ring by a bull, the bull is killed anyway, along with the bulls mother so that she can't produce any more bulls that are capable of killing. One of the most famous bullfighters started bullfighting when he was 9 years old! Can you imagine! That's so young. They had a costume in the museum that he wore when he was 14. I can't remember the guys name though.
I also saw the Plaza de Espana. This was built for the 1929 exhibition. It's in a half moon shape and there is a canal that goes through the plaza. Along the building there are 50 tiled benches and murals. These represent the 50 provinces of Spain. Over the canal there are four bridges. They represent the four kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula.
That night, my couchsurfing host had made us a reservation to go see Flamenco dancing. It was good that I had her because we didn't go to a touristy place where they try and rip off the tourists. It was a very small setting. I loved it! The dancing is beautiful and the music is amazing too. I love the guitar. The guy that was playing that day was amazing on the guitar. We got to see a woman and a man dance and they were incredible! I'm definitely happy I went!
On my last day I saw the Alcazar Palace. This is where King Juan Carlos I and his family stay when in Sevilla. I thought this palace looked very similar to the Alhambra in Granada, but I'm told it's very different. The one part that I really liked was the tour of the Estancias Reales (Royal Chambers).
So that wraps up my last trip! My friend arrives tomorrow! I'm so excited to see her! Then on Monday we're going to Paris, the 20th to Ibiza and then on the 30th I'm home!
See you all soon!
So I've just returned from another trip and I might go as far to say that it has been my favorite so far. Close tie with Cinque Terre in Italy. Anyway, a while ago, I found some really cheap tickets to Sevilla and for a while I've wanted to get down there for a couple of reasons. One, a friend of mine is going to study there in September and two, I wanted to see real genuine flamenco. Also since, I've been here, I've wanted to go to Portugal because it's so close. So I figured that I could fly into Sevilla and then bus to Portugal for a few days and then come back to Sevilla. So that's what I did but it was quite an adventure doing so.
The night before I left for Sevilla happened to be one of the last nights of one of our good friends and he was going to spend it in Barcelona because his flight was early the next day. So a bunch of us decided we'd spend it in Barcelona as well and see him off. He ended up calling it a night early so the rest of us just hung around Barcelona for most of the night. It was a fun night but we didn't get much sleep. The next day, we spent at the beach because it was such a beautiful day. Then later that day, I caught a bus to Girona (the airport that I was flying out of) which is about an hour from Barcelona. I get into Sevilla around 8 or so and then spend a couple hours looking for the right bus station (little did I know there are actually two there and only one has buses to Portugal). So after finding the right bus station, I find out that the last bus to where I was going left at 4 pm earlier that afternoon and the next one wasn't until 7:30am. Great I thought, now what am I supposed to do? So after sitting around the bus station for a couple hours, I finally got up the nerve to ask if there were any buses that traveled anywhere close to Portugal that I could get a connection from there. So they sent me on my way to Faro. I figured that sleeping on a bus was better than sleeping in a bus station. So I get to Faro around 3 am and realize that their bus station is closed. At this point, I'm realizing that this trip may not be worth it but I'm too far in to go back now. So I debated about sitting outside the bus station for a few hours until it opened but where the bus station was located, didn't exactly seem like a safe part of town so I wandered around looking for a hotel or hostel to sleep for a few hours. The hotel I found attached to the bus station was 118 Euro for one night and that was something I definitely wasn't going to do. So I headed back to the bus station dreading the long night that was ahead of me. But as I got back, a man (who spoke only Spanish) recognized that I was looking for somewhere to stay and pointed me in the direction of a cheap hostel. I found the hostel, checked in and slept for only three hours. I got back up, checked out and headed back to the bus station to catch a bus to Lagos. Finally after waiting another two hours for a bus, I was on my way.
After finally reaching Lagos, I had to find my hostel, the Rising Cock... great name eh? This was quite a process. I definitely got lost a few times. The thing with the streets in Europe is that they aren't set up in a grid like back home, where they run north-south and east-west. These streets basically go in every direction. But finally, I managed to find the hostel and get checked in. This hostel was amazing. Probably the best hostel that I've ever stayed in. I found out later that it was lucky I got a room at all when I booked. I guess it's the place to stay when you're in Lagos. They have a waiting list of people that want to stay there. I guess I should explain the name before I go on though so you don't think the wrong thing about it. It's named after a story:
At a banquet given by a rich landowner in Barcelos the silver was stolen and one of the guests was accused of the theft. He was tried by the court and found guilty. In spite of the overwhelming evidence against him he protested his innocence. The magistrate granted the man a final chance to prove his case. Seeing a cock in a basket nearby he said "If I am innocent the cock will crow." The cock rose, crowed and the prisoner was allowed to go free.
So anyway, after checking in and showering, I decided to go explore the beaches. I wound up very far away from my hostel but found the most amazing beaches ever. (In my next posting I will put up pictures!) I also found a friend, a dog, that followed me the entire day. I walked on top of the cliffs for a while and he followed me on my hike and then when I found a beach, he dug a whole in front of where I was laying and sat there for the four or five hours I was at the beach and then when I left, he followed me again. At first I thought it was kind of cute but after a while, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't get rid of this dog! He was going to follow me all the way back to my hostel. Luckily, a couple who happened to be at the beach, noticed that this dog wasn't mine and was following me home so they asked if I wanted a ride into town. They said that the dog did the same thing to people yesterday. They seemed like decent people so I accepted and they drove me to a place that looked semi familiar in town and dropped me off.
After finding my way back to the hostel, I showered and was sitting in the common area watching TV. This hostel was kind of like a party hostel and everyone there was drinking and just relaxing. As a solo traveler, it was probably the best hostel to go to because the atmosphere made it easy to meet people.
The next day, the weather in the morning wasn't that great so I hung around the hostel and then a group of us went out in search of this cliff that we could jump off of. We found it but I guess in order to have a safe jump, it needs to be high tide which is around 1:30 - 2 pm. We were a little late so decided that it was safer not to jump. I was supposed to leave the following day but decided that I was having a good time there that I'd stay another night. The next day there was also a beach party that the hostel was hosting. I'm glad I stayed. I met lots of new people and had a lot of fun.
Because I stayed, I was going to make sure I jumped off the cliff. So at the beach party when it was high tide, we rounded up a group of people that wanted to do it and climbed to the top. From the bottom it doesn't look that high, but when you get up there, it's a different story! But I did it! The minute that I launched myself off though, my heart stopped. The fall seemed to take forever and I was petrified of hitting rocks but as soon as I realized I was okay, I was so happy and so proud of myself. I thought for sure that when I got up there and looked down, I would chicken out! But I didn't, and so we decided to do it again. The second time was better but still scary.
Anyway, so after the beach party was over, I headed to the bus station to buy my ticket to Sevilla for the next day. As it turns out, going to Sevilla is pretty popular and all the buses for the next day were full. So I definitely had a problem. But a group of people from Texas Tech that I met were studying in Sevilla and we're leaving the next day on a private bus so they said I should try and get on their bus. So that's what I did but I don't know what I would've done if it didn't work.
Before I left that day, I was told that I should take a boat or kayak tour through the the grato (caves). I would've loved to have done the kayak tour but it was three hours and I didn't know if I had time so I did the boat tour instead. They took us through the rocks and caves and it was pretty cool. The guy said that all the rock formations were natural and had been eroded over time. Really glad I did it.
Anyway, so that was my time in Lagos and I had a blast. I did everything that I wanted to and left with no regrets! If anyone is planning on going there, I would definitely recommend it.
So! On to Sevilla. Here I had my first couchsurfing experience. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's an online community where you can search for people that will let you stay on their couch for a few days, free of charge. I joined when I got to Spain and after this experience, I wish I would've started couchsurfing sooner. I had a great time. As sketchy as it sounds, it's a pretty safe thing. You can check out people's profiles and people leave references that let you know if a person is safe or not. I ended up staying with a girl. It was a great experience. If I didn't couchsurf, I probably wouldn't have seen flamenco dancing. She called ahead and made a reservation for us and drove us there and did a bunch of stuff for us. It was really cool to have a local tell you things about the place you're visiting as well.
The first thing I saw there was the Cathedral. It's the largest and highest cathedral in Spain, the largest Gothic building in the world and the world's third-largest church in the world. Now I've seen the first and third biggest churches. Inside the Cathedral was really neat. There is a monument to Christopher Columbus (believed to be his tomb). The coffin sits on the shoulders of four kings that represent the medieval kingdoms of Spain: Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarra (thank you my Spain 2009 travel book!). Columbus's son is also burried in this church. Also in this church is the Giralda. It's the highest part of the church (322 feet). Inside, I had to climb 35 ramps (no steps!) to get to the top. I read later that the ramps are wide enough for two horsemen to pass. My guidebook said that Ferdinand III (who conquered the city 1248) rode to the top on his horse to admire the city that he had conquered. The view from up here was amazing. You could see all of Sevilla on all sides of the Giralda.
After that I wandered around some more and wound up outside the Plaza de Toros Real Maestranza (Royal Maestranza Bullring). This is the oldest bullring in Spain that is still being used, with shows usually being held every Sunday. I wanted to see one really bad, but missed it by a day. As terrible as it is, it's an art and part of the culture of Spain. Some people don't understand that and don't agree with supporting it but I think that if it's part of a countries culture, you have to be open to it. I took a tour of the building and was able to see the bullring, the museums that showed pictures and the elaborate costumes that are used as well as the chapel were the matadors pray before the fight. The museums were pretty neat. There are a few heads of bulls that have been mounted on the walls. These bulls were nominated as bulls of the year (don't ask me how they decide which bull). I also learned that if a matador is killed in the ring by a bull, the bull is killed anyway, along with the bulls mother so that she can't produce any more bulls that are capable of killing. One of the most famous bullfighters started bullfighting when he was 9 years old! Can you imagine! That's so young. They had a costume in the museum that he wore when he was 14. I can't remember the guys name though.
I also saw the Plaza de Espana. This was built for the 1929 exhibition. It's in a half moon shape and there is a canal that goes through the plaza. Along the building there are 50 tiled benches and murals. These represent the 50 provinces of Spain. Over the canal there are four bridges. They represent the four kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula.
That night, my couchsurfing host had made us a reservation to go see Flamenco dancing. It was good that I had her because we didn't go to a touristy place where they try and rip off the tourists. It was a very small setting. I loved it! The dancing is beautiful and the music is amazing too. I love the guitar. The guy that was playing that day was amazing on the guitar. We got to see a woman and a man dance and they were incredible! I'm definitely happy I went!
On my last day I saw the Alcazar Palace. This is where King Juan Carlos I and his family stay when in Sevilla. I thought this palace looked very similar to the Alhambra in Granada, but I'm told it's very different. The one part that I really liked was the tour of the Estancias Reales (Royal Chambers).
So that wraps up my last trip! My friend arrives tomorrow! I'm so excited to see her! Then on Monday we're going to Paris, the 20th to Ibiza and then on the 30th I'm home!
See you all soon!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Just checking in :)
Well school here in Spain is finally DONE! I finished my presentations last week and had my last two exams yesterday. Now all I have is my class from Calgary which will be finished by the time I get home on June 30. The presentations we had to do were interesting to say the least. Not so much the topics, but having to do them with people that don't speak English as their first language is a group experience that I found to be extremely challenging. Lots of the students here are good with English but in my one class, I was in a group with two girls (one from China and the other from France) that didn't speak English hardly at all. We were trying to translate our idea to the Chinese girl and it was quite a task! First, I tried in English. That didn't work. Then we tried in Spanish. That also didn't work. Then she found another girl from China who we spoke to in Spanish and then she translated what she could understand in Chinese. Which also didn't work very well. It was probably the single most frustrating time I've had in a group before. As frustrating as it was, it was hard not be understanding. One of the things I've learned here is to be accepting and patient with cultural differences. Some of my friends are the same way with me and my Spanish.
In other news, the goodbyes have started. We had a Finnish friend leave yesterday and another good friend is leaving on Wednesday. And more are just to follow. It's really sad knowing that I've spent four months with these people, seen them everyday, and now I probably won't ever see some of them again. Especially the Europeans. But, as I learned a couple weeks ago, a friend from Vic, is actually going on exchange to Mount Royal next year! It'll be kinda nice to have a reminder of my exchange. Plus, I can practice my Spanish!
Anyway, as for what I'm doing in June since there is no school, I'm traveling! On June 3, I fly into Seville and am hoping to catch a night bus to Portugal until June 6 and then back to Seville to see some flamenco dancing and eat some tapas! Tapas in the south are the best. If you go to a pub/bar and order a drink, you get a free tapa (which is like an appetizer). It's definitely a way to eat cheaply, dinner and a drink for around 2 or 3 Euro. Then on June 9, I fly back to Vic. On June 12, I have a friend that's coming to visit and we're going to go to Paris from 15-18 and then Ibiza from the 20-25. Ibiza is the last Balearic Island that I need to visit so that I've seen them all! All this traveling will make June go by super fast for me. I can't believe I only have a month left here. I'm excited to come home but at the same time, I'm going to miss it here a lot. It's going to be really strange coming home.
Anyway, at this moment, I'm laying in the sun on my balcony and the thermometer reads 33C! I'm going to go enjoy this weather while I can!
Adios mis amigos!
In other news, the goodbyes have started. We had a Finnish friend leave yesterday and another good friend is leaving on Wednesday. And more are just to follow. It's really sad knowing that I've spent four months with these people, seen them everyday, and now I probably won't ever see some of them again. Especially the Europeans. But, as I learned a couple weeks ago, a friend from Vic, is actually going on exchange to Mount Royal next year! It'll be kinda nice to have a reminder of my exchange. Plus, I can practice my Spanish!
Anyway, as for what I'm doing in June since there is no school, I'm traveling! On June 3, I fly into Seville and am hoping to catch a night bus to Portugal until June 6 and then back to Seville to see some flamenco dancing and eat some tapas! Tapas in the south are the best. If you go to a pub/bar and order a drink, you get a free tapa (which is like an appetizer). It's definitely a way to eat cheaply, dinner and a drink for around 2 or 3 Euro. Then on June 9, I fly back to Vic. On June 12, I have a friend that's coming to visit and we're going to go to Paris from 15-18 and then Ibiza from the 20-25. Ibiza is the last Balearic Island that I need to visit so that I've seen them all! All this traveling will make June go by super fast for me. I can't believe I only have a month left here. I'm excited to come home but at the same time, I'm going to miss it here a lot. It's going to be really strange coming home.
Anyway, at this moment, I'm laying in the sun on my balcony and the thermometer reads 33C! I'm going to go enjoy this weather while I can!
Adios mis amigos!
Monday, May 18, 2009
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