Three days, and a Year's Worth of Adventure

WARNING: This post is rather long. Deal with it.

España. Words cannot really describe how awesome this country is. After arriving early in the morning on September 4th (as read in the last post), a group of us Semester at Sea students set out on an adventure that will be remembered forever. It was a whirlwind to say the least, but the incredible experiences we had made it all worth it.

(The Plans)

        Cadiz, Spain was our starting point. Getting tickets for the bus was a our first plan of action. There were six of us in total: Greg, Allie, Morgan, Olivia, Dallas, and myself. It was a solid group from the get-go. Because the train station was so close to the cruise ship terminal, our group walked and got tickets for a bus at 1500 (that’s 3:00 PM for you American regulars). Our final destination? Grenada, Spain- one of the oldest cities in all of Europe and the last stronghold of the Moor Dynasty. Upon getting the tickets we did what any person in their right mind would do- proceed to the first local bar we saw and get some of the local brew (“Cruzcampo” beer was the only beer anyone drank in Cadiz. Hell, that was fine with me! Give me the good stuff). Luckily, there was bar right in front of our ship. It couldn’t have been better. In the United States, it would have been considered a hole in the wall, but in Spain, this bar was a spawning ground for cultural exchanges. We were six American students sitting amongst eleven Spanish men. Needless to say, we didn’t say much to them, no pun intended, but it was a great way to get cultural immersion. English words were absent from every conversation other than our own.

We were officially in Spain…. and lovin’ it.

(Granada)

        After leaving the bar, we got on our five-hour bus ride to Granada. That’s right. FIVE hours. Typically a bus ride from Cadiz to Granada takes about two hours, but our route took us to Sevilla first, and THEN to Granada. For our group, this seemed completely counter-intuitive because we were heading to Sevilla two days later. But whatever. The bus ride was still sweet. We saw hours of beautiful countryside, everything from the never-ending rows of olive trees to spots of massive wind turbines. The landscape spread as far as the eye could see.  We passed a multitude of “white villages” along the way. These are small, centuries-old communities where every building is dressed in white- our logic being that they reflect the sun and ultimately keep the building cooler. Very smart.
While on the road, we met this awesome young man. His name was Clemont, and just happened to be from France and home of the infamous mustard- Dijon.  He was studying Industrial Sustainability in Madrid through a European Union program. The kid was awesome. He joined us in Granada and accompanied us on our treck through the city. From the Alhambra to nightlife, Clémon was there, and we loved it. In Granada the seven of us (Clémon included) stayed at “The Funky Backpackers” Hostel. Granted, it was my first hostel experience, but I could tell that this place was pretty cool. I mean, how can you go wrong with a Funky Hostel? I don’t think you can.  I mean, any hostel that gives you paella and sangria for free on your first night is pretty freaking cool.
        Staying at the place were three Australians, “Aussies” for short.  There names were Eddie, Eddie (aka Freddie for the time being), and Chris. They were hilarious and taught us Australian slang from words such as “boardies” to “snag.” Come talk to me if you want the  They had an entire conversation purely based on abbreviations and slang. Our group was blown away. It was hysterical.
         Amazingly, the three just met in the hostel, not knowing each other prior to ending up in Granada. That’s the beauty of hostels. You meet people from all over the world. There were French, German, British and Brazilian people all staying there. Most of them our age. We went out together and talked together. It was a community of strangers.
        The nightlife in Granada was great. We went to a few clubs and bars, had “tapas” out the wazoo, and met a number of other students studying abroad (including one from IC!!!!). But what about the day life? Now, that’s where the good stuff was. After a night of heavy “socializing,” we went to one of the most beautiful pieces of historic architecture I have ever seen.  We went to the Alhambra, the last stronghold of the Moors, a Muslim people that controlled part of Spain and were defeated (at the Alhambra) in 1492 by the Spanish Christians. Ever heard of it? I have never seen anything like it. It was a castle, palace, and fortress combined, all on a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Granada. It is truly the landmark of the city and symbol of Spanish history and conquest. 
        The Alhambra’s architecture paired with an incredible Islamic art riddled with precision and care is a major feat, even in modern standards. Every single wall of the Alhambra was meticulously hand-chiseled with Islamic symbols and characters. One again: every single wall was meticulously hand-chiseled with Islamic symbols and characters. It was absolutely breathtaking. To give you an idea of the Alhambra’s scale in size, it took our group four hours to see only half of the grounds. We were blown away. Though this does the monument absolutely no justice, here is the link to the Alhambra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra. Check it out. Pictures will come later. And, yes, they’re awesome. Just so you know.
        The city itself was also incredible. Truly a mix of past and present. It was a mix of ancient cobble stone streets and modern vehicles. I loved every second of it. The culture was alive. 

(Sevilla)
        Though we had some more awesome memories created, I’ll spare you more random pieces of information about Granada. After saying goodbye to our friends at the Funky Backpakers Hostel (especially Clémon), we made our way via train to the lovely city of Sevilla (spelled Seville in the US), and decided to change our living arrangements to a slightly different scene. We stayed a hotel. Scratch that, a “Palace.” The name currently escapes me at this time, but for approximately 102 euro, we were able to get a room for three people…. but ended up shoving six of us in there. Totally against hotel policy, but totally awesome at the same time. In total- seventeen euros a pop. Not bad at all.
        Like Granada, we went out and took in the scene.  On the first night, our group explored the city.  It too was an incredible city, and boasted one of the most beautiful river scenes I’ve ever seen- truly European, truly remarkable. Bars, otherwise known as “Cervesarieas” were scattered along the edge of the River Guadalquivir. We of course stopped at different ones, getting a taste of local sangria, tapas, and (most importantly) people. We also ran into fellow SASers and spent some time with them. It was good to see some familiar faces and hear some English from a different crowd…. But not too nice ;-)
        The next day, Morgan and I awoke early to see if we could catch our FDP (Field Directed Practica- a SAS sponsored fieldtrip) for Sevilla. We of course could not find the group, but that’s OK. We made it up in other ways. Because we got to the heart of Sevilla early, before any tourists arrived, Morgan and I got to experience something that not a lot of tourists have ever been able to say they’ve done. At the center of town stands one of the most magnificent pieces of architecture I’ve ever seen: The Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea). Because we arrived early, Morgan and I were able to enter the building free of charge. In fact, mass was even going at the time, and the sound of the priests’ hymns echoing through the massive building made the experience come alive. I was alive with the Spirit. Not to get too preachy, but I could feel something more than just of the chill of the morning breeze. It as a feeling from generated from the inside. It was refreshing. It was beautiful. Morgan even had the same experience, and she claims to have never been a person of faith- one who often feels uncomfortable in places of worship.  Not this time. She said she felt there was a reason for her being there and that she was calm and relaxed- something she has never felt before. She doesn’t know exactly why. She just was. There is something comforting in that. 
        Starting construction in 1184, the building stands today as the third-largest cathedral in the world. Like the Alhambra, words cannot describe what we saw.  It is still mind-blowing to think that people had the power to create structures so magnificent back then. I can’t even imagine how they did it. But they did, and that is awesome.
        By the way, Christopher Columbus is also buried there. You know, the guy who found the “New World” in 1492. Yeah. That guy. Remember him? Not knowing this fact, Morgan and I literally stumbled across his tomb by mistake. Can you believe it? We were at a loss for words. I was stunned and literally felt like I could die. I could not believe my eyes. Sevilla truly is the gateway to the world...
        After seeing the cathedral, Morgan and I found our group and headed back to Cadiz by train. Our time in España was almost over. We spent our last night in Cadiz and simply relaxed and enjoyed the local attractions. The group was safely back on the ship by 1800 hours on September 8.

I finish this blog in the port of Casablanca, Morocco. Tomorrow- desert, camels, and stars for 2 days and 3 nights. Let the good times roll. Adios, Europe. Hello Africa.



Thanks for reading. Much peace, love, and happiness to you.