When the family came to stay!!

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lalalala...

So the family came to visit me!!!! It was Grandma, Grandpa, and Mom, and it was awesome. I loved having them here, even if they did wear me out. We ate at some great resturants, one not so great one, bought too many souveneirs, and walked more than I can measure. I loved it. It was so cool being able to actually show them everything that I see here in malaga, especially the things that are harder to explain. And I loved playing travel guide.

This will probably be a short entry, because they would definitely tell our stories better than I ever could. Anyway, the hotel was great, even with seagulls (or whatever they were) screaming out the window and no air conditioning. Mom even made a friend one night while smoking out the window, and the bartender thought she was "beautiful." The hotel was in just the right location too: in the very center of everything (so easy access), but not on the main drag which during this particular week saw thousands of people and all of the religious procession.

The meeting of the two families was great. They all really hit it off. They all loved the presents they received, and I don't think that they wanted us to leave after desert. It also reinforced my opinon that my host mom is very much like my real mom. She even told my family that she was looking for a boyfriend for me. Now, who does that sound like? Yeah. My friends also really liked them, we actually were able to hang out a few times during their stay (as you'll see in the video).

Grandma was such a trooper through it all, too. I was getting worn out by the walking, so I can only imagine what she was going through. Although if you ask the family, they will tell you that my feet got disgustingly dirty from my sandals during our walking ventures. We also went to a little town called Antequerra where we walked even more, and ate at a resturant with really bad service, and faced a huge hill that tested Grandma's ankle. You can see that hill in the pictures. Because of the time constraint we also didn't get to see anything of the things that Antequerra is known for. It was kind of a bust, but at least we were together and Grandpa got to see more of the Spanish countryside. The bus stop there also had some of the worst bathrooms I have ever been in, and since I have been here in Spain and Morocco, I have seen some pretty bad ones.

All in all it was a pretty awesome spring break for me, and I think that they enjoyed it too. They got to see Malaga as it normally is and also some of the big Holy Week festival (which I will post more on later). I loved having them here, and I miss them already. Also, of course, right after they left I thought of more things that I needed for them to take home. Mom also brought me my favorite blanket, and I am very appreciative.

I'm glad they made it home safe. I love you guys and thanks for coming to visit me!!!! Enjoy the pictures and videos!

love jamie


**note for mom:
Thanks for the cold. I got it about two days after you left, and have been carrying around my own roll of toilet paper as kleenex.

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Photos

Sitting at the bus stop.
...something they got very used to.

Their wonderful smiling faces.
Poor Grandma has already given that ankle a workout.

Mr. Tan Man
He actually got a little burned after this. I tried to warn him that this wasn't anything like Indiana sunshine.

the beginning of semana santa
malaga actually has the biggest holy week festival in Spain

these guys are actually called "repentientes"
not klu klux klan