Blog 16: ¡Feria Loca! (Crazy Feria!)

 Blog 16: ¡Feria Loca! (Crazy Feria!)

            After traveling to Morocco and Portugal, I was completely worn out. I just wanted to crawl into a ball on my bed and sleep through my week off school. But this of course wasn’t an option. Spaniards have this huge, cultural fiesta called Feria de Abril (April Fair). If there’s one thing I learned during Feria, it’s that the Spanish know how to throw a good party. And it’s not just one crazy, fun filled night of shenanigans. It’s a week long, non-stop party! Everyone, from babies to eighty year olds are still out at midnight. So let me, to my best ability, describe the craziness that is Feria.

            If you want to see the Spanish culture at it’s best, you might want to come to Sevilla during Feria. Almost all women from Sevilla will wear trajes de flamenco (flamenco dresses), huge flores (flowers) in their hair, and equally large aretes (earrings). When you see a group of them together, it’s like seeing a mass of color coming at you. The trajes de flamenco can be extremely expensive (think about prom dress prices) and women take flamenco dress shopping seriously. The fashion seemed to be mermaid shaped cut with ruffles on the bottom. They have dresses in every shade of color and many have poka dots on them. If you can’t decide which color, no te preocupes (no worries!). I saw a couple dresses that looked like a walking rainbow. As for me, I got extremely lucky and my intercambio lent me one of her old dresses. So for a few days I was able to dress up like a Sevillana. I found the dress incredibly beautiful, but also heavy and hard to walk in since I needed to wear high heels so props to the ladies during Feria. Of course the guys had it much easier and most wore suits.

            The Feria festivities take place in a sectioned off area of the city. Half of Feria is filled with casetas and the other half is a carnival. The carnival side is a typical fair with games, rides, and a circus. But the caseta half of Feria is the unique part. Casetas are basically huge tents that look like a house on the inside. Most casetas have a cocina (kitchen), bar, and salón (lounge). The inside of each caseta is unique and beautifully decorated. There are chandeliers, lanterns, and paintings making some casetas look like they emerged straight of the pages of some home décor magazine. Here’s the crazy part, some families will take up to 2000 dollar loans just so they can have caseta. Told you Feria is crazy! But people can’t just waltz into any old caseta. Most casetas have a guest list and a guard is in the front making sure you’re on the list. So most casetas are private. But there are public casetas which turn into mini clubs late at night. I learned that Fería even has its own specialty bebida (drink). It’s called Rebujito and is a mix of Sprite and white wine (so good). And along with your normal dance music is traditional Sevillana dances that pretty much every Sevilla native knows by heart. I couldn’t partake in this dance, but it was so neat to watch the flashing dresses as the Sevillanas twirled around the dance floor.

Inside of a caseta

            The entrance way into Feria is called the portado and every year they design a new one (this year’s one is inspired by Plaza de España). The streets were lined with white and red lanterns and all this (the portado and the lanterns) are lit up at night. It’s so beautiful at night to see all the lights illuminate the streets of Feria. Finally there are horses and buggies all over the streets. I “risked my life” many a time trying to take a picture and almost getting run over by a horse. Overall Feria was a really unique, wonderful experience. I absolutely loved how passionate the people are and how hard they try to keep their culture alive.  If you want to see Sevilla pride run wild, come during Feria.

Funny bull ride in the carnival

Blog 15: Falling in love with Portugal!

Playa Doña Ana

Ponte de Piedade: Favorite scene of trip!

Blog 15: Falling in Love with Portugal

            I counted down in my head “One, two, three!” and lunged myself off the boat before I could second-guess my decision. My entire body, submerged in the water, went into shock. It was like I had landed in a tub of ice cubes or I was been pinched a hundred times. A few brave souls who had jumped with me were already flailing back to the boat. Survival instincts kicked in and I dashed over to the boat ladder, pushing one of my guy friends who had made it there first out of the way. (Sorry ladies first!) And so I learned that the ocean in Portugal and the ocean in Hawaii during spring are two very different things.

            But other than almost getting hypothermia in the Atlantic Ocean, I fell in love with Portugal. Everything about the trip was so rejuvenating and refreshing after months of deprivation of any sight of ocean. It’s a real shame most people don’t think much about Portugal when coming to Europe. I guess it’s hard competing with big leagues like Paris, London, and Rome. But Portugal really has a lot to offer (a lot of which I didn’t get to see on this trip since we only stayed in the South). As we were driving to Portugal (its only about 2 hours from Sevilla) I learned a little more about Portugal’s history.  This country’s history is very colorful due to its location on the Iberian Peninsula. Many different groups of people set foot and ruled in Portugal.  The Romans, Visigoths, the Moors, to name a few, all had their mark on Portugal. And Portugal had its moment of fame when it was the pioneer of the Age of Discovery during Prince Henry the Navigator’s rule. It was also the playground of pirates and so many seafront fortresses had to be built for protection. I really can’t blame anyone for trying to take over Portugal because it’s SO BEAUTIFUL. From the pictures you’ll see what I mean.

            But I absolutely loved Portugal and here is why I hope you will someday too. I stayed for a three-day weekend in the south of Portugal, called the Algarve famous for it’s sun-kissed beaches and aqua blue water. We had an apartment style room at our hotel, which could’ve comfortably fit five people. But my roommate and I were spoiled and had it all to ourselves. It had a gorgeous view of the ocean, a balcony, and best of all we could cook in a large kitchen. I usually don’t have much interest in cooking, but it was actually a lot of fun cooking healthy vegetable pastas and salads. We topped it off with a glass of red wine with a view of the sunset over the ocean. I was feeling very satisfied with life.

Cabo de San Vincente

            We went to several different beaches and lookouts in Portugal.  One of the lookouts, Cabo de San Vincente had a commanding presence. Waves crashed against sheer cliffs and the wind was whipping like crazy. This lookout was nicknamed “The End of the World” by the Romans because they believed that this was the edge of their “pancake” world. It’s hard to believe that there was a time that people thought you would drop right off the face of Earth once you sailed to the horizon. Doña Ana Beach was almost the opposite of Cabo de San Vincente. The water was tranquil and the wind had died to almost nothing. The rock formations and colors of this beach were what made it so special. The water almost looked like aqua blue dye had spilled into it. And cliffs framing the water almost were a vibrant golden color. I absolutely loved this beach and the island girl in me was very happy spending several hours lazing on the silk fine sand. It was so nice because it wasn’t flooded with tourists (*cough* Waikiki). And some people were kayaking around the cliffs, which looked like so much fun. The final stop was my favorite lookout and the city of Lagos. Ponte de Piedade was an absolutely stunning circle of cliffs that created a mermaid lagoon down below. You can climb up to the top of one of the cliffs and daringly look below or you can hike down to the lagoon. I loved this spot because it was so scenic and reminded me of what I might see in Italy (oh the Cinque Terre I can’t wait!). Finally Lagos was a cool almost hippy city with lots of cafes and restaurants to explore. I love how the white washed buildings mask how colorful the life in Portugal is. ¡Viva Portugal!

Favorite souvenir so far!

Keeping out those pirates: Lagos

Streets of Lagos

Blog 14: Shukran (Thank you) to the Wonderful Morocco! Part 2

Blog 14: Shukran (Thank you) to the Wonderful Morocco! Part 2

            There have only been a few moments when my breath has been taken away. Sitting on a sand dune watching the setting sun over the Sahara was definitely one of them. My heart was fluttering against the walls of my chest. My lungs could not seem to take in enough air. I couldn’t believe where I was and what I was seeing. But I’m getting ahead of myself aren’t I? Lets rewind.

            After leaving Fes, we continued our way south to the gateway of the Sahara. We stopped for a night in Erfoud and already I noticed a dramatic change in the geography. Not a cloud was in the sky. The land had flattened and now only a few bushes and lone trees were able to survive the harsh climate. At our hotel, I tried Moroccan food for the first time. There was couscous (steamed semolina aka wheat granules), tanjine (slow cooked chicken and vegetables) and Khobz (a thick, loaf Morrocan flatbread). I love the way Moroccan food is so hearty, healthy, and satisfying. My inner foodie was very, very happy as I gorged on my second loaf of Khobz. But if I had really wanted to ‘go Moroccan’, I should have ditched my fork and ate with my right hand. We also saw a beautiful carpet shop in the town of Rissani, which is near Erfoud. Weaving carpets is considered an art form in Morocco. The patterns and colors were so intricate and delicate. I loved what the shop owner told me. He said “here in Morocco we put our hearts into carpet weaving…it’s our art form.” I wish they weren’t so expensive (though they were rightfully priced) because I fell in love with them. How cool would that be to have a tiny Moroccan carpet in your dorm room? Well, then again I think I wouldn’t want people stepping on it…ever.

Sunrise over Algeria

            Finally we made our last trek to the Sahara. And we did it in style. We took 4x4 SUVs and drove through the terrain to the desert. Yes it was as epic as it sounds. Imagine staring out the window at the emerging sand dunes on the horizon. I felt like I was flying. We were driving maybe about 70mph with the driver literally weaving through brush and trees. He blasted Arabic music and at one point (of course he slowed the speed first)  he JUMPED out of the car and ran along side of us. It was crazy! Then three hours later we were suddenly we there. I had made it to the Sahara.

            We rode on camels for about an hour during the sunset to our tents in the middle of the Sahara. We were lead by local tour guides. Camels are much taller than I thought, and they move so that you are whipped back and forth. I felt like a yoyo and I’m not going to lie it was a little painful at times. But riding on a camel through the endless maze of sand dunes was like living in a dream. What shocked me the most about the Sahara dunes is the absolute peace and simple beauty it holds. Be silent and stare around you. The dunes rise and dip like the humps of the camels. The only sound is that of blowing sand. It was so surreal. As the sun began to set, we dismounted the camels to watch the sunset. I kicked off my shoes and buried my feet in the warm desert sand. I was sitting on a sand dune in a state of complete serenity, watching the sunset over the Sahara when I heard a noise. Our camel guide suddenly whips out a cell phone from his robes and we all stare at him like he just pulled out a grenade. And I’ll never forget his amused smile as he said to us “technology in the desert.” Only in the Sahara.

            That night, as we slept in tents in the desert, I saw the brightest, most beautiful stars and moon. They were as clear as a National Geographic Photo. I couldn’t help but think of the star of Bethlehem because they were so brightly painted against the canvas of black. That night our camel guides played on Moroccan drums and we danced around a bonfire. Writing about my trip now makes me realize how lucky I was to go on this incredible journey. I think the Sahara will be a memory I will hold close to my heart forever. Shukran Morocco!

This little guy is called a sand fish...and they eat them

Blog 13: Salam Morocco! (Hello Morocco) Part 1

Blog 13: Salam Morocco!  (Hello Morocco!) Part 1

I really like this picture...Nat Geo worthy?

World's oldest tannery

            If living 8,000 miles from home wasn’t adventurous enough, I decided to embark on my first trip to Africa. I went with a tour but was traveling without a friend from school. I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous to be traveling without a friend or family for the first time. The night before my stomach was doing somersaults (I said I prayer it wouldn’t be doing the same after I ate the food in Morocco!). I could almost feel the Sahara sand seeping through my toes and smell the desert air as I packed my bag the night before. I was certainly in for an adventure.

            After a three hour bus ride from Sevilla and a hour ferry ride across the calm Mediterranean Sea, I finally set my eyes on the third continent I will have set foot on. And this was honestly the first (highly educated) thing I thought…holy shit it’s Africa! Give me a break I’m from Hawaii. Never in my life had I thought that I’d be traveling in Africa. That was the first of many surreal moments I had during this trip. What I didn’t know was that Ceuta, the city where we landed, is still a part of Spain. As soon as we drove from Ceuta to the border I got my first dose of culture shock. There were people waiting around in the streets trying to cross the border into Ceuta. I saw two woman hunched over so that their chests were almost parallel to the ground. I watched as they carried who knows how many pounds of stuff on their backs. They both wore hijabs (head scarves) as many women do in Morocco. Then I saw a fight almost break out between some men, which had to be stopped by a border control police. Needless to say, I was relieved to be in the bus. Finally we got our passports stamped and we left the border, making our way into Morocco.

            First thing I learned about Northern Morocco…it’s not dry plain lands (thanks Disney for giving me the impression that all of Africa is like the Lion King). In fact it was overcast and raining as we drove through the rolling green hills and gulches of Northern Morocco. We finally arrived in Fes under the cover of fog. Fes was by far one of the most interesting places I’ve been. It’s actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site and called the “Mecca of the West.”  The city truly transports you back in time. In the Medina (the oldest part of the city) I felt as if I was whisked back to biblical times. Imagine you are walking through a maze of unpaved, narrow streets filled with small shops. Each shop has a specialty whether it be jewelry, pottery, meat, vegetable, leather hides, traditional wedding clothing, or weapons. At one point, I was staring at one of the shops that had live chickens in cages. Suddenly the owner grabbed a poor, squawking chicken by the neck and turned it upside down. I fled the scene, but still saw the man swiftly snap the chicken’s neck. There were also donkeys with packs on their backs being led through the streets. It took talent to avoid getting smashed against the wall by one. I also learned that people wash their vegetables and fill water bottles in public fountains since some houses don’t have running water. Oh yeah and forget about washing machines. Instead people wash their clothes in brackish looking water on the streets. We also saw a school where anyone can come to learn how to read and write. Can you imagine living in a country where learning how to read and write is a privilege? Finally we saw one of the most famous sights in Fes, the oldest leather tannery in the world. The strong odor of animal flesh drifted up to the balcony where I was staring down, in total awe. I wondered if I really was in the 20^th century as I looked at the stone vessels filled with dyes. Fes opened my eyes, but I had yet to see the Sahara desert.

To be continued….

King's Palace

Chickens