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Nite out
We went to a jazz bar Sunday night. We drank beer that was called Alhambra that was most likely locally brewed. Grand time...interesting stories that I will probably never tell you. No hablo español = I don't speak spanish. This blog entry is entitled this phrase cuz me don't. This is relevant information because I decided to go and visit my best friend in Granada, ESPANA where she lives, parties, studies and speaks tons of espanol last weekend. It was awesome to see my best friend in a place where I haven't seen anything familiar in about two weeks. Someone who I am extremely close with, who I have known since age 8 and been friends with since age 10, in a place that was so foreign. Although this isn't the first time Maria and I have met up in obscure locations---some others include Glacier, Missoula, San Francisco...but it was the first experience abroad with my compadre. We talked for about three days straight--just like the old days.
I flew out of Dublin Friday morning into Malaga (MAL-AH-GAH) which is a city very far to the south central of Spain right on the Mediterranean Sea. I didn't actually get to see the sea (!) but it's there, according to a map. Malaga, like Granada, is located in the Andalusia region of Spain and it is known to be hot and sunny
la feria
Maria a la feria most of the time. That is was, as I landed I could see many mountains and it wasn't particularly green like the emerald isle I had just left. When I got off the plane it felt great to feel hot just because lately Dublin has been a little overcast and in the '60's
I took a bus from Malaga to Granada that night. After communicating with the people in the bus station/airport in Malaga I have a new found respect for international students. I used to work in a post office in the union (holler) on campus and we had a lot of international students who could speak little to no english. I would speak to them normally and probably many times too quickly because I think now that I didn't fully grasp the concept that they HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS SAYING. Well, I'm sure the students at MSU could speak much better english that I can speak Spanish, like I said, I didn't know any phrases and I didn't even think to learn some before going. So, I go up to the counter and made did with awkward hand gestures and sounded like THAT american. "Um,
excuse me, do you speak english?" It was so frustrating, I couldn't read any of the signs, and I was confused about where to go. When we figured out the whole ticket exchange the woman told me how much it was and I couldn't understand so I just gave her my debit card. Throw money at the problem and it usually is fixed. This whole experience just reminded me of myself at the post office, being frustrated at the person who couldn't understand ME when I asked them questions that were relevant. It was a learning experience.
Later I was waiting for the bus and I heard some French people speaking to each other, and since French is a language I can (sort-of) speak, I decided to say something to them. They understood what I said, responded in French, and then said, "Est-ce qui parler l'anglais?" and some girl started to speaking to me in English. The feckin french.
The ride from Malaga to Granada was grand. It was still light out but the sun was beginning to set slowly. I just sat there the entire time with my eyes glued to the scenery outside my window. It's
mountainous but the mountains aren't huge, it reminded me a little of appalachia only browner but also with all kinds of wildflowers, it was unlike anything I had ever seen. I listened elliott smith albums for the full 2 hour bus ride. A true fan of elliott smith doesn't find his music depressing at all, it was such a happy time.
That night we went out to the feria, which means fair, it was a huge party time in the city because of it. We put on our party hats so to speak and played until about 3am!! (which is weak--grandmas and three year olds were out until 6). We drank some wine, then beer then had some shots of REALLY BAD tequila and danced to spanish music in these huts were dance parties were going on all night. Then we decided we wanted to go on a carnival ride. Not anything TOO scary, maria and I are wimps when it comes to rides. We don't want to do roller coasters or anything that goes massively high up into the air and lets you drop wicked fast. We came around the corner and after maria shot down the ferris
wheel idea (which was a really fast ferris wheel, thank you) we both just saw IT. What's it? This big spinning frog that was green and it lit up! WOOHOO! YAY! So yeah, we rode that, and laughed and screamed harder than I have in a few months. Just like when we were kids. Even though we didn't have tequila when we were kids.
The next day (Saturday) was for exploring and talking. We city hiked all around Granada which is beautiful. Part of the city is quite modern and then the other parts looked so old. I am not trying to sound like Foder's tourist book or something, sorry if this is getting annoying, I will try to describe what I saw in the least cheesy way possible. We hiked up the winding roads that you would imagine Spain looks like, it's cobblestone roads and stucco buildings and windows with flowers on them and art on the walls everywhere. It's very hilly so we got a little work out that left us slightly out of breath, kind of reminded me when I hiked in Glacier when I wasn't in shape. There are women on the streets who will
try to put herbs into your hand so they can read your palm for 9 euro. Maria just told me, DON'T TAKE THE HERBS. So, I listened.
At night we visited La Alhambra. La Alhambra is the main tourist attraction in Granada--it's this ancient palace that was built by the moors in the 13th century or so. The spanish kicked them out of course, but left this mosque/palace standing because they thought it was so beautiful. Charles V (wikipedia for the actual Spanish name) built his own palace on the grounds and took over la alhambra. It was so popular that we were lucky to get tickets. Inside the palace it is absolutely breathtaking. Many of the rooms have this stalacite ceiling, and there is all kinds of intricate patterns on the tile and engraved in the wall. Pictures are coming.
Later in the night we went to listen to Flamenco music which is the music native to Granada and that area. It was at this little bar in a cave. That's right, a cave. It was authentic alright, walking up to the place we passed by a minnie temple or something with a bunch of candles lit
in this cave around a picture of jesus and a crown of thorns. When we got to the flamenco bar the musicians played while drinking passing joints around. It was great. The music was latin sounding with the drums and guitar and very crusty deep spanish voices that echo in the cave for this affect that consumes you. Soon maria and I were the only ones there because the group of other people that were sitting toward the back all left at once. I'm not gonna lie, I started to feel uncomfortable when these five spanish guys who were sitting about 5 feet or less away from me in a cave started asking us to dance in spanish. They knew I couldn't understand when I sat there with a blank look on my face so they communicated with Maria. Then we went home, and since I am tired I don't feel like writing about the rest of what happened--but this is the highlighted version. SALUD!
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