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

Blog 12: Ronda y Semana Santa

Blog 12: Ronda y Semana Santa

            Not only does Spain have siestas everyday but they also have a weeklong holiday called Semana Santa followed by another weeklong holiday called Feria just two weeks later! After all this pampering I don’t know how I’ll adjust back to my normal life. So I am now enjoying my time off during Semana Santa sipping some green tea and relaxing before my five-day trip to Morocco. This is my last blog to about Spain for the next three weeks. I think to do Morocco the justice it deserves I will write two in depth blogs about my experience there. Then a week after I’m spending a weekend in Portugal so I’ll have a blog about that too. So a short adios (bye) to Spain after this blog!

            Last Friday I awoke to the sound of falling rain. I wasn’t all that happy about the 100 percent chance of rain weather report because today we were going on a day trip to Ronda. Even though I would have rather stayed in my heated room, I tugged on my jacket a grabbed broken paraguas (umbrella). Despite rain, the drive to Ronda was absolutely gorgeous. There were lush green hills dotted with wildflowers everywhere with lakes cupped between them. I wish I could’ve taken a picture of it. Once in Ronda we saw one of the most naturally gorgeous sights I’ve seen since traveling in Spain. There’s a gorge the height of two football fields and the locals built a bridge above the gorge in order to connect both sides of their city. One of our professors said that one of her previous student fell off this gorge and miraculously survived making him famous in this town. Looking down, I couldn’t fathom how living through a terrifying fall like that is humanly possible. But I wasn’t about to prove my professor wrong by giving it a try myself (gulp)! And the rain became a beautiful blessing because a cascada (waterfall) was running in between the gorge. Seeing a waterfall is a rare occasion in Ronda so muchas gracias to the lluvia (rain)!

            After Ronda, Semana Santa finally began. Semana Santa is a religious holiday that is celebrated for a week in Catholic Spain. And I am very lucky because maybe the best place to experience Semana Santa in Spain is Sevilla because the people here go all out during this holiday. Passions run high and hundreds of people flood the calles (streets) to watch the processions. I’ve watched several processions and it was simply amazing. For an outsider the white túnica (tunic) and capirote (hood) that completely covers that face and has slits for only the eyes looks all a lot like the KKK. But this traditional attire predates the KKK (who sadly have made a horrible symbol out of this traditionally religious garb). Each brotherhood from the church walks in this dress holding a staff sized velas (candle). Others hold silver staffs and crests and some carry crosses barefoot show their penitence. In the cover of darkness the procession becomes a line of glowing candles that fill the air with the smell of wax. But the most impressive sights are the pasos (floats) carried throughout the streets.  It takes sixty men to carrying these. Some are golden with beautifully crafted figures playing out the scene of the Passion while others are of the Vigin Mary protected by a palio (canopy) and surrounded by dozens of candles and white flowers. Sweet incense is expelled as she passes and the crowded hushes as she makes her way through the streets. The tears streaking down her face are match by some people in the crowd as the Virgin Mary literally sways away, a beacon of light in the darkness. Even if you’re not religious, it’s impossible to not be stunned by the beautiful pasos (floats) and the fervent love people have for their faith.

Blog 11: Capea (Amateur Bullfight)

Blog 11: Capea (Amateur Bullfight)

            I am looking down at the stomach-churning drop from the top of the sheer faced cliff of the pueblo (town) Arcos de la Frontera. The small, white village is perched on top looking like it popped right out of the pages of a storybook. Ahead of me, flock of black birds battle against the wind and we are so far up that I can only see their backs. I watch as they press on, making their way across the rolling hills of Spanish wine country. Hopefully I have given you a little taste of the picturesque atmosphere of Arcos de la Frontera. While the rest of my classmates were traveling abroad or to far away Spanish cities, my roommate and I took a relaxing day trip to one of the “white villages” of Spain. To be honest, there are not many sights to see in Arcos de la Frontera but the atmosphere and view from the top and bottom of the cliff are spectacular! We also were very fortunate to meet a local guy named Alejandro (I swear there are so many Alejandro’s here) who was nice enough to show us around and drive us to a look out that we couldn’t otherwise have gotten to without a car. We ended the day off relaxing with a glass of “tinto” (they don’t call red wine “vino rojo) before returning to Sevilla.

            Capea was pretty much the opposite of the relaxing day at Arcos de la Frontera. My roommate’s intercambio invited her to go to this event where people talk story, eat good food, drink, and dance. We invited one of our friends to come along too. It took place in this rustic farm on the outskirts of Sevilla. This might sound weird but it was nice to be out of the city and with the air smelling of fresh grass and animals. We also had awesome gamaba (shrimp) paella as well. This was the first time I saw it being cooked in a huge, steaming pan. An elderly man was cooking it and this was apparently his 1000th something time cooking paella like this. Bluff or not, the smell of paella being cooked like that is mouth salivating.

            But the main event is when people can have a go at being a “matador.” For those of you that don’t know, in Spain a strong cultural tradition is corrida de toros (bullfighting). Apparently it’s banned in certain parts of Spain and Andalucia is one of the few places left in Spain where bull fighting is still practiced. Personally I don’t know if I could enjoy watching a traditional bull fight because the bull almost always dies in the end. But I also understand that it is an engrained part of Spanish culture. In Capea, the bull is only a calf (because the people at the event are not professional matadors) and the bull is not killed. Well, I was all ready to be valiente (brave) and get into that ruedo (bullring) and give it a try, but maybe from the pictures you will see why I chickened out. Firstly, the bull was not that small. I can’t imagine how scary it must be looking straight into the face of a full-grown bull. Secondly, I watched as even some of the men there didn’t even go into the ring and everybody (all thirty or-so Spainards) watched intensely and made lots of noise as someone made an attempt. And then some brave soul would go in and stamp around or sweep the bright pink and yellow cape across the floor before getting run over and head butted by the bull. I can’t really blame the bull though. If I had a bunch of people running around, yelling at me I’d be pissed off too! But it was very exciting to watch. I really really regret not being brave and just trying. If there’s one thing I’ve learned being here it’s to take every unique opportunity that comes your way because you might never get the chance to experience it again.

Blog 10: Dinero, Dinero, Dinero (Money, Money, Money)

Blog 10: Dinero, Dinero, Dinero (Money, Money, Money)

Panoramic view of Córdoba

Arcos de la Frontera

            In the past week I’ve gone to two more Andalucian cities. First I went to charming Córdoba and then peaceful Arcos de la Frontera. I will talk about my trip to Arcos de la Frontera next time but these pictures are like a preview. Doesn’t the town and dramatic cliff look like a scene from a movie? I went to Córdoba as another college trip. There we saw the Mezquita, a beautiful mosque turned church that had endless rows of rusty red arched columns.  Walking in there is like stepping back in time. The lights are dimmed and if you have a good imagination you can almost hear the low hum of the Imam (Islamic priest) and the swishing their ropes. The ocean of graceful arcs above seems to whisper the secrets of the past. It was yet another beautiful Islamic treasure. But one of the most fascinating things in Córdoba, for me anyways, is that it has one of the three last Jewish synagogues in Spain. . It was so small and simple it was easy to forget that it is now a reminder of a dark past. During the Spanish Inquisition, many Jewish people fled Spain. Many people were burned on stakes or tortured and synagogues everywhere were destroyed. The fact that this synagogue in Córdoba survived because it was so well hidden is remarkable to me.  The humble white washed walls of the synagogues insides are so starkly different from the grand, golden altars in the cathedral of Spain. Yet I found this little synagogue to be just as profound.

            Next topic. The thought has probably crossed your mind, “how in the world is Terah paying for all this!” That’s a very good question. Spending a semester traveling around Europe might not seem all that possible for us college students sitting in our cramped dorm rooms religiously eating microwaved cup of noodles and pop tarts. I’m not going to lie, studying abroad (or going on your dream trip to Europe) can be cara (expensive) but if your smart about budgeting you can have the time of your life and not break tu cartera ( your wallet). I have three simple suggestions. One, unless you have the means it will be impossible to go out every night. I go out when I feel 100 percent in the mood for it or when my friends are planning to do something different. For example, I really wanted to go to my intercambio’s barbeque and they asked everyone coming to pitch in money for the bebidas (drinks) and comida (food). Since I hadn’t gone out the night before, I didn’t feel bad spending the money. And it was well worth being able to practice Spanish for seven hours! Two, remember to convert euros to dollars in your head. Currently one euro is about one dollar and 30 cents so cuidado (careful)! That cheap twenty euro bolsa (bag) is actually about 27 dollars. Three have a game plan. I have a scholarship that helps pay for this study abroad and I’m planning to work again once I get back to Hawaii. But all this icky money-talk aside, for me, the life experience you get from living abroad is priceless. You will come back as a more confident, worldly person if you truly immerse yourself in a new culture and lifestyle.