Its coming to an end :(

This past weekend was so much fun and I have more amazing memories to add to my collection. We went to Nerja for Friday and Saturday and of course it was the most beautiful weather for the beach. The first day we found a smaller beach in a little cove surrounded with rocks with some huge waves. We all eventually ended up in the water even though it wasn't particularly warm. We had a blast tackling each other, dodging waves, and almost peeing our pants (even though we would have been safe because we were in the water :) ) laughing. Then we would crawl back to our towels (cabanna for me because I needed some shade being fair skin and all) soaked up more sun until we were hot again and headed back out to the water. After we were done at the beach for the day we went back to the hostel, showered, and of course being with 2 boys in our group went out looking for some food. We were going to go to a pizzeria but on that day in Nerja there was a feria (a festival) and pretty much everything was closed except a gas station and this one restaurant that we stumbled across owned by a guy from England. So by this time we are all starving and will eat anything. We all ordered little individual pizzas which I'm sure were microwaved but at that point I didn't care. After dinner we walked to the gas station to get more food. What a surprise! I mean actually I'm not surprised at all; living in a Spanish woman's house for the last 4 months of course I would need more food. My stomach has learned to stretch its limit to be able to consume the MOUNTAIN of food that is on my plate EVERYDAY! Then we had a pretty wild night with all our friends that came down to Nerja as well with the drinking age being 18 and all...need I say more? And the next day our plans were another day at the beach. Could it get any better?! It was a nice relaxing day, the waves weren't as big so we didn't play in the water as much but more friends joined us form Granada and we definitely enjoyed our last weekend at the beach. We took the afternoon bus back to Granada so we could get back in time to do some last minute studying before finals. That night (Saturday) we met up with Jeff and Mitch to go up to the mirador to see it one last time at night. It was so nice, all of us sitting on the ledge gazing up at the Alhambra all lit up at night sharing our memories, stories, and what we will miss about Granada. It was really a picturesque night; I felt like I was in a movie and what is the most unreal about it is that my time here in Spain is almost over. The next day, Sunday, I was very productive with getting all my studies out of the way and making last minute plans for when my parents come. After my day of being so focused I just needed some Tagallina ice cream so Tammy and I trekked up to Plaza Real and on our way we saw a procession (like Semana Santa) it was so amazing and unexpected. I love that about Granada you could just be leaving to go on an evening walk and find a concert, procession, or a flamenco proformance in Plaza Carmen. We watched the procession for a while, it was the Virgen Maria. The imagen (the image on top) was beautiful with candles and flowers. We ate our delicious ice cream cones and strolled back to our piso on the warm May evening. Then Monday made my way through 2 finals and then celebrated Jeff's last night in Granada by going to a teteria. I've started to say goodbye to people little by little and Thursday will be the worst because most everybody leaves on that day. Cassandra and I will be making the journey to the airport with everybody with panuelos (Kleenex) stuffed in our pockets to say goodbye. Then it will really set in that the semester abroad is over. 

The tip of the iceberg

So I have been in Morocco for 2 full days and starting a third. I am on the bus on our way to the Rif Mountains. I don't even know where to start! We took the bus from Granada to Algeciras (about 3 hours), got off the bus and waited around for our group leaders. These two young guys walked up to us asking us if we were part of Morocco Exchange of course we all said yes because it was quite obvious as we were the only ones left in the bus station and we are all clearly American. These guys turned out to be our trip leaders, Ben and Rick. So we made our way to the hostel for the night before we headed off to the port to catch the ferry to Africa in the morning. The ferry ride was really nice because it was only about an hour and I stayed out on the deck the whole ride admiring the scenery and watching the land of Africa slowly approach. The closer we got the more excited I became knowing that I was going to have one of the best experiences of my life.

Our first stop after the ferry we went to a woman's center, Darna, in Tanger. We met with 3 Moroccan students and had a group conversation over Moroccan mint tea and pastries asking questions about the culture, religion, and their daily lives. They were so curious and eager to share what their life is like because as Moroccans they aren't able to travel as Americans do. The way they travel is through the people that come to their country. This conversation was just a start to all the discovery and hundreds of questions for the trip. We had lunch at the center which was couscous with vegetables and chicken, which was delicious! On Friday's in Morocco it is a tradition to have couscous because it is a nice family meal when everyone gathers for Friday prayer at the mosque. Friday is the most holy day of the week in Islam. After the delicious meal we got onto the bus to Asilah along the Atlantic Coast and we made a stop along the way on the beach the ride camels! CAMELS! I couldn't believe it. Of course everybody said, "Taylor, go first, get on get on!" I didn't even have any time to process that there was actually camels in front of me before I hopped onto the camel's hump and teeter-tottering from side to side as the camel stood up. I have never seen a camel stand up before but let me tell you...hold on for your dear life! And it was especially hard because I was the guinea pig for everybody else so I had no idea what to expect. It was so much fun, you are up so high! Then after I got off, actually it wasn't that simple I didn't just get off. I had to hold on for my life again so I wouldn't flip and roll off the front of the camel. Then after the camel hits the sand with a thud then you can get off. Then I had the pleasure of watching everybody else go through the whole process which was just as fun. There was a baby camel that was a month old and the guy that owned the camels wanted me to walk it. So I grabbed the strap and pulled the baby to walk along with me but it wasn't going anywhere. It was so stubborn; it would bellow/yelp/moan and then finally I just decided to try running. I started running down the beach and the baby camel started to awkwardly run/gallop after me :) I never ever thought I would say that I have run on a beach in Africa with a baby camel! After all of that fun we hopped back onto the bus to the Medina of Asilah where we just took a walk through saw a mosque and wandered through the Jewish part of town which looks just like Greece because all the buildings are white and blue...absolutely beautiful. Since I won't have the chance to go to Greece at least I had a taste of what it might be like. After we made our way to Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco, for the night. As soon we got off the bus we met our home stay families. Tammy, Brigette, and I stayed with a family of 5 people; 2 younger girls, Aya and Zenib, a man, Ahmir, and then the 2 parents. None of them spoke Spanish and very very little English but they did speak French (the second language of Morocco). But they had a nephew, Chafie, who spoke English really well and hilarious! He is 23, a surf instructor, pretty much the best surfer in Rabat, and is known by everyone. You would walk down the street with him and it would take 15 minutes just to get down the street because he had so many to stop and say hi to. He was really fun and always concerned if we were happy and having fun. Everybody in Morocco is so genuinely nice; it is so interesting how different ways of life change how you are as a person. So on the first night Chafie took us around Rabat and showed us some of his favorite stuff. Then the next morning  I woke up and had the wonderful surprise of being sick! :) At first it was just a stomach ache and a little queasy but then it quickly and progressively got worse. It was definitely not fun being sick and I really did not want to miss out on anything so I tried to tell myself that I'm not sick . Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. I was sick for Saturday, Sunday, a little bit of Monday but it's alright it happened and there was nothing I could do about it. It was kind of disappointing because Moroccan food was so delicious but even just walking through the market and smelling all of the spices made me want to puke but I did get one day of eating the food before I got sick. 

On the second day (yes it is only the second day...our days were packed!) we went to a French school and had a discussion with a professor there about "West and Islamic worlds- images about each other." It was more informative than a discussion which I hoped it would be but I still benefited from the meeting. One of the professors published a book called "Requisition of the Arab and Islamic Mind" which I bought and am very excited to read. After we went and visited the Roman ruins (Chellah) and the Mausoleum of Kind Mohammed V. Chellah was beautiful, it was a natural park with Roman ruins (where aren't there Roman ruins?). There were tons of storks in Chellah and the babies just hatched so they were everywhere! Storks in Africa are a protected species so there is definitely not a shortage of them anymore. In Chellah there was also ruins of a mosque with a pond with dark little caves with eels. There is a belief that if you throw pieces of egg in the pond and an eel eats your egg then you'll become pregnant soon. So women who were trying to conceive would come to this pond with this belief and there are still eels in the pond to this very day. The Mausoleum of King Mohammed V was absolutely beautiful, it was supposedly going to be one the biggest mosques but when Mohammed V died it was never finished and throughout the years has been damaged by earthquakes so it is definitely not up to its potential. Then we headed back to our home stays for lunch. Although I wasn't able to eat anything  it still looked delicious; I took a nap while everyone else ate and that helped give me a little boost since I wasn't feeling good at all. After lunch or next thing on our agenda was go experience the Kashba and street life in the medina market. We were separated into smaller groups and paired up with students from Amideast/Rabat University and wandered around Rabat talking with the students asking them questions. They decided to stop and take us to a cafe that had the famous Moroccan mint tea (which is delicious) and pool tables all around. I'm not sure if they call it pool but the game was very similar. That was a lot of fun and it was so interesting to see the differences between our lives with the Moroccan students even though we are all students and the same age. Then later that night the rest of the group went to the Hammam, which is like a public bath where they have different temperatures of water and you scrub your body with different soaps and do different treatments. I didn't go because it is like a sauna in there and dehydrates you and I was already dehydrated and weak as it was; I think I would've fainted if I went so I stayed behind with our group leader Ben and Chafie. We went on a little walk and got some natural yogurt (really natural) with some sort of chocolate sauce on top. Chafie gave me a bracelet and said that if I ever come back to Morocco he'll teach me how to surf. He is so comical; he called me his buddy but the way he said buddy with this accent was hilarious. He was such a nice person; the perfect example of a typical Moroccan person. 

The next morning we left Rabat and made our way to the Rif Mountains. We hiked into a village to have lunch in a house of a family and to have a conversation with the family about their life in this small village. The whole speed of life changed going from Rabat, the busy capital of Morocco, to this small mountain village. We all squeezed into their living room and enjoyed a traditional meal of couscous and mint tea. After we finished we asked the family about their daily activities, their farm, religion, economic challenges of rural areas of Morocco, etc. I really enjoyed how Morocco Exchange incorporated many different perspectives from the Moroccan people. I really got the sense of the culture as a whole form many points of view. We hopped back onto the bus to drive to Chefchaouen (our final stop). When we arrived we settled into our hostel and then walked around the Medina and did some souvenir shopping. After we had dinner altogether in a restaurant in the Medina as it was our last night in Morocco. To finish off our night we met as a group up on the roof terrace of our hostel to reflect about the trip. It was really cool to hear what other people had to say about being in Morocco. Even though we all did the same things and were in the same places we all experienced it differently and absorbed different aspects from the trip. What I absorbed form the Morocco trip is that the people here take you for you not for where you are from and open up to you regardless what's happening in the media. They form their own opinions about people not letting the news and media shape their views of you. They are truly and deeply interested in you and they will do anything in their power to help you. They are hands down some of the most honestly nicest people I have ever met. It amazes me because they have so many reasons why they could not be so kind; the fact that they can't easily get out of their own country to travel or find a job, their financial situations, or the stereotypes held on them by people who don't even know them. But the kindness of their hearts pushes all that aside and treat you how they would like to be treated. Morocco really put things into perspective for me because as Americans we take every little simple aspect of our lives for granted. We were passing over the border between Chefchaouen, Morocco and Ceuta, Spain (Spanish city in Morocco) and there were hundreds of people crowding around border control windows trying to shove their way to the front to get their passports cleared so they could cross the border. Many people were getting denied and here we are having no trouble getting across because we are Americans. Why is it so easy for us and not for them? We have so many privileges that they would be so appreciative for and yet it doesn't even come to mind that it is not the same for other people. I want to go back to Africa after I finish med school and do Doctors without Borders. I want to give people something from me that they rightly deserve just as any other person in this world deserves. People as what was your favorite part about Morocco? I don't respond with the delicious food, riding camels, or the Roman ruins in Chellah but the people. The people of Morocco were my favorite part.

I was sad to leave Africa. It was such a rich and memorable experience that I wanted more and I didn't want it to end. With our groups we talked about experiencing some culture shock going back into Spain because its almost like two different worlds. And as soon as I stepped out of the bus station I could already see the differences; people bumping into you not saying excuse me or even a warm smile as you passed like what was experienced in Morocco. Here's a poem that I really like that Ben (our group leader) gave us along with some tips on how to continue your experience ad deal with the differences in culture.

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.  -Oriah M.D.

I won't forget who I met and what I experienced in Morocco and I plan to have the opportunity again in the future because I know I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg. 

Off to Africa!

Getting ready for Morocco...can't wait!!! I read the itinerary and watched the documentary on the website and I am so excited. I have a feeling that the expectations that I have are going to be blown out of the water by what I'm actually going to experience. :)  Can't wait to write about it! Then right after Morocco I'm off to Ireland. It's crazy how many trips I have coming up and how many countries I will be going to in the next 3 weeks (Africa, Ireland, and Portugal!) A different country every week. Miss you all and talk to you soon!

p.s.- I just posted a whole bunch of pictures if you want to check it out!

for pictures... http://photobucket.com/taylorspain

itinerary and documentary of Morocco... infomoroccoexchange.org

Barcelona

Thursday March 27th

It was so nice taking the plane straight from Granada to Barcelona with no long 5 hour bus ride to Madrid for our flight. We found our hostel after a few trial and errors but we did it. When we walked through the door both Tammy and I looked at each other, it was as if we had went back in time into a ancient Spanish hotel; very high ceilings, antique furniture, and that old, beachy smell. It is run by an old couple who live here and the whole place in furnished like a house; very homey and cozy but odd at first. Dropped off our stuff and headed out to explore and get the feel for the area. We got ice cream close to our place which was DELICIOUS then just took in the liveliness of Las Ramblas at night.

Friday March 28th

We got a pretty early start to the Broqueria market which is the largest fresh market in Spain (definitely not anywhere close to Pike Place) with tons of exotic fruit, EVERYTHING from animals  (sheep heads complete with teeth and eyes, everything inside and out) which is considered just meat or types of meat here in Spain, breads, and candy (which was way too expensive which I learned from experience). So here's my candy story...so I put all the little candies in a bag that I wanted of course all of the different flavors mixed because that is how you do it in all the rest of Spain! Well the vendor put it on the scale and said, "6 euros". I was like 6 euros?! What?! and the lady acted like it was nothing and nodded yes and her reasoning was because it was mixed. And I refused to pay that much money for stupid candy so then the lady asked me to put each and every kind back into its little place. It was so ridiculous I wanted to set it down and walk away but I nicely stood there and sorted it all out for her. The market also had seafood (all different and tons of types) including sea urchin, huge eels, and baby octopus. We also got to experience Las Ramblas during the day which was just as lively and entertaining as the night. Tons of street performers were getting ready and putting on their face make-up for their costumes. Flower and pet kiosks also lined the sides of the strip. In my Spain book it said that kids bring their parents to Las Ramblas to buy them pets on Sundays. There were even little baby sea turtles in water swimming around! They were so cute. :) Barcelona had a lot of big commercial streets, black and yellow taxis instead of green and white ones like in Granada, different language (Catalan) even though there was still a lot of Spanish, not as many dogs as Granada, not a lot of tapas :(, and tons of tourists (a lot of English being spoken). So it was very different form the rest of Spain.

Saturday March 29th

Went to the Broqueria Market for breakfast and met Tammy's friends that are studying abroad in Wales. It was really cold and rainy which was kind of a bummer but we still got a lot of sight seeing in. We saw Columbus' statue where he is pointing to the "Americas" but technically he is pointing the wrong way because the statue is pointing east out to sea but America is to the west inland of Spain. We saw all of the Olympic buildings from the 92 Olympics and then to finish off our day we saw the Magic Fountain show in front of the Catalan Art Museum which was so amazing, colorful, and so much fun!

Oh you know...just travelin around Spain :)

Wow I am so lucky! This popped into my head when I was sitting in a plaza in Cordoba eating a delicious ice cream cone in the warm sun with the infamous Mezquita in the background.  This weekend we went to Salobrena, which is a beach about a hour away from Granada. It was really fun; our search for a frisbee finally ended when we found one in Salobrena. So we spent the day playing frisbee , soaking up the sun, and might I add I swam in the Mediterranean! The water was too cold last weekend in Almunecar but this weekend I ventured out into the sea several times, it was so refreshing! :) Then we cam back to Granada and left for Cordoba the next morning, The first thing we saw in Cordoba was The Mezquita. The Mezquita is an extraordinary figure mixed with Islamic and Christian influence. It was first a Visigothic church built in the 5th century then when the Moors ruled Abd Al-Rahman bought the church, leveled it to build the mosque but there are still ruins from the church below the mosque today. The mosque contains 850 columns topped with double arches to reflect the immensity and complexity of God's creation. Then in 1236 Christians conquered the city and turned the mosque into a church. Most of the mosque was kept intact except in the middle where 16 columns were removed to make way for a Gothic chapel. It was amazing to walk through and see the different styles and types of architecture all in one place. Also in Cordoba believe it or not there is also a Jewish Quarter form the late Middle Ages and has one of three synagogues in Spain. This synagogue that we saw was the last and only one to still be preserved in Spain today. All in all the day in Cordoba was perfect!  

March 12th

The weather is fantastic and it is supposed to continue to be so keep your fingers crossed! Last night we had our first soccer game and it was so much fun playing again! Of course we WON!!! Lol jk, the score was 3-2. It actually got pretty aggressive. I know I am very competitive but I thought that would build up as the games went on, only being intramurals, but nope as soon as I stepped on the field I was full throttle. J It was so fun and I have missed it so much. The field was cement and smaller so it was an indoor field outside, which was interesting but fun cause it was quick and fast paced. The next morning I was a bit sore having used some muscles that I haven’t used in a while. Lol Tammy and I were talking how it makes us feel old when we are sore the next day from just playing one soccer game. Compared to when we were much younger we could just go out and play no matter what sport it was and play without any soreness afterwards. Yes yes…now I know all you ol’ folks reading this are laughing because you’re thinking what is she talking about she is only twenty! I’ll you keep you updated with the status of my team and how we do in the league. I’m goin for the big win of the whole league!

 

Segovia

This past weekend we went to Segovia from Madrid and again as I always say in every journal entry...it was beautiful. The Roman aquaduct towered in the middle of the city, standing tall for 2000 years and counting. The aguaduct was made without mortar or anything, just support and balance from the stones themselves have kept this piece of ancient history standing. And until this day it can still hold a stream of water and function as it did 2000 years ago. The cathedral was also a sight to see with the rich, cream color of the stone against the bright blue of the sky. It was a perfect day; no clouds and warm sun. On the other side of the city was the Alcazar. Primarily was a palace, prison, and artilerary school but burnt down and was rebuilt to be a museum that is somewhat Disneyesque looking like a castle on a cliff. Like yesterday  we started to roam and wader wherever the wind took us; stopping and sitting on an ancient Roman wall and watching the geckos scurrying around. I love not having any time restraints or rushing from sight to sight because then I believe you miss all the details and real beauty of the city.