Last Night

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My last night in Spain will also be my last night in Europe. Yes my friends, I'm making a run for the border =).
I have spent the last 2 days in Granada. The city is a mere 3 hour bus ride from Seville, yet it's a whole different world here. I noticed the difference when my very altitude sensitive ears popped in the middle of the bus ride, I looked up, and in the distance is snow-capped Sierra Nevada, against a bright blue sky and behind a endless land of green green grassland. Small orchards dot the landscape, with occasional sheeps and horses wandering around. I'm in a different part of Andalusia for sure.
I checked into a small Pension, as per recommendation of a very sweet and very unhelpful tourist information clerk. The place was cheap though, only 20 euros per night, but this was no 15th century convent. In fact, as soon as I settled down, I noticed that all the people hanging out in the area were kids, with books and backpacks. One look at my map and I realized that I was living in a dormitory building in college town.
Apparently Granada University attracts many international students. For once I'm not the only Asian walking around. There was even a Chinese supermarket nearby! The air was cool and brisk, the trees bare. There was no sound but the chattering of college kids all around. I suddenly felt like I was transported back to the Hopkins campus in Baltimore. Not that this place actually resembles Homewood, but it has been a long time since I've set foot in a real college town (NYU does not count).
And along with college kids and international students, there is definitely a change in the kind of stores around. There is a yellow rat bastard around the corner, every block has a cafe, and the popular restaurants are the burger kings and the falafel joint.
Ok, so the next day I moved. Not because I didn't like the area, but just because I wanted to be physically closer to the Alhambra. Alas, as soon as I moved, it started raining. It was the most depressing thing. So I went up to the palace, the place that inspired Washington Irving, the place that was in the Alchemist, the place that's considered one of the wonders of the world... and it was dark, it was cold; there was no light, and my lens kept getting wet. Given the above conditions, my impression of the place was actually not as great as Alcazar of Seville, but of course, there were intricate carvings, and beautiful gardens, and there is the amazing symetry and the geometric accuracy of the architecture, yada yada yada, dammit I want some sunlight! Yet even in such terrible weather, there were still lots of people there. I quickly snapped a few shots and called it a day. Perhaps I will return another time...
The second day, actually, as I was walking down the street to the travel agency to book my ferry to Tangier, the sun unexpectedly broke through (weather forecast says it's supposed to rain for the next 3 days). I quickly purchased my ferry ticket, and RAN up to the top of the hill (a 30 minute climb mind you) racing with the setting sun (it was around 4:30 by then) and purchased another ticket to the Generalife, which is the garden of the Alhambra, the part I skipped the day before because it was pouring.
"We close at 6PM." The ticket lady said.
"Yeah," I nodded, handing her my money.
"It's already 5PM." She repeated, staring at my money.
"Yeah yeah," I said again, pushing the money a little further toward her.
As if she felt her English was not adequate to convey the message, her friend walked over, and repeated, "you will have only one hour to see everything."
"Yeah," I said, having caught my breath by now, "I want to see it with the sun."
She shook her head, took the money, and handed me the ticket. At which point I took the ticket and bolted for the entrance. I must have been one of the most desperate visitors they've seen...
Alas, it was beautiful in the sun, it really was.

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