Torre del Oro, Daytrip to Ronda and Subtle Sevillan Kindness

I have three random entries for the day...

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This is such a rare happening that it’s weird to write about – but one day when I woke up a week or so ago, I was in a terrible mood. I just felt really on edge and every little thing was irritating. I stayed cooped up in my room for a big part of the day, but by afternoon it felt stuffy and I decided to get out for some fresh air. I left the house with my music blaring and stomped around Sevilla for a little while…and found myself back down at the ol’ Río.

One of the things that I had wanted to do since I’ve been here – something on my Spain bucket list - was to go up in the Torre del Oro. We meet at the bottom of the torre every night we go out and I see it almost every day, but for some reason I had never found the opportunity to go up in it. So when I reached the río and I saw the tower, since I had no agenda and needed something new, I decided to go in. I walked in the doors and started to go up the stairs and was stopped – 3 euro entry fee. Forget that! I rolled my eyes and walked out, irritated yet again. I took a few steps away and then looked in my purse – I had 3 euros. I felt kind of dramatic so I went back in, paid the entry fee (with slight disdain) grabbed my walkie-guide and up the spiral stairs I went.

When I reached the top of the tower the sun was just beginning to set. I walked around the tiny dodecagonal top and took some pictures while I was listening to the guide. The historical information was told in a more current style fictional story, and at first I thought it was pretty dumb, but then I kind of got into it. I sat down on one of the top stairs and looked out into the sky and listened.

It turned out to be an awesome night. Watching the colorful, magnificent and peaceful sunset undisturbed at the top of this ancient tower, my entire mood changed. The quiet and the ambiance calmed me down and I got to enjoy a great view of the entire city at sunset. I stayed until close and then walked down the stairs, feeling completely refreshed and burden-free.

(For those that are curious, the Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty in the 13^th century so they could control the river. A big part of it was destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake and it has been remodeled a few times since. It’s an important part of the naval history of Sevilla, which is recounted at the museum that is there today.)

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A few days later, on Friday, our group had an excursion to Ronda, which is kind of close to Málaga here in Spain. The bus ride wasn’t too long, and it was a pretty chill trip - when we got there we had a tour of the bullring (the oldest in Spain) and then had free time for lunch and to explore until departure. Ronda has three incredible bridges which serve for a great view and are very impressive. It was kind of chilly and a bit rainy, so some girls and I went and got some lunch and had coffee and sat forever talking. It was a new group of people that I don’t usually go out with and we had an awesome group dynamic…I had SUCH a great time getting to know the other girls. Ronda was very beautiful and overall it was an excellent day excursion.

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I have been working on gathering my information for my honors thesis here in Spain, which mainly consists of interviewing Spanish consumers about their styles and shopping habits. Until today I had gotten a few interviews but had nowhere near the amount that I needed, so I asked a girlfriend to come with me to venture into the city and interview people (cause I didn’t have the guts to go myself). And today I got all of the rest of my interviews done! Such a huge relief. We approached groups of people sitting on benches, in cafes, and at statues – we chose viable victims relentlessly wherever we went. Every person we approached just stared at us when we walked up and the whole time we talked – no smiles or feedback or anything. I felt pretty insecure a few times when I was feebly trying to describe to them my project and that I needed them to answer my questions. But all of them were actually very nice and we got our responses pretty quickly. Initial impressions were absolutely incorrect with all of them - their scowls turned quickly to smiles after we finished presenting our position. I think they thought we were cute and they all were very happy to help. And thus, we discovered the art of subtle Sevillan kindness. The beauty of Sevilla shines through in new ways every day.

And as of today...I only have 6 DAYS of class left! A little class, a little travel, a little of finals and then back home. Where has the time gone?! The only consolation that I have for myself is simply that I can honestly say I have taken advantage of every opportunity and have lived here exactly as I've wanted to. No holding back, no lost chances and no regrets. I've learned so much about a new people and a new way of life and about myself, and my life is forever enriched with the special charm of Spain.

Sevilla...no me ha dejado.

Marruecos!

Every time I talk to my family back home they always tell me that I say every trip was the best trip of my life. It’s crazy but I honestly feel like every trip that I take tops the one before it. Morocco was definitely in keeping with the trend!!! I loved being there so much. The Medina at Fes took me back to my time in India, and brought back a lot of great memories from when I went last winter. All of us here find ourselves comparing every new place to something we’ve seen before, just to neatly organize and box our memories I think, and though in my mind India was the most comparable to Morocco it was still very unique and very much its own experience.

The one unfortunate thing about our trip was that most of it was spent in-transit. We left Sevilla at 4am on October 28^th, took the bus to the ferry, and then crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the Spanish port in Tarifa and entered into Tangier, Morocco. It was pretty cold outside when we got on the boat but we bought some steamed milk, toughed it out and went up on the top – and watched the sunrise over the Rock of Gibraltar! (The “mythological” rock was known to the Romans as one of the Pillars of Hercules – the other pillar is on the African side of the strait and together the two rocks supposedly marked the limit to the known world). We were caught off guard because we didn’t expect to just walk out and see the rock right there, but it was a very pleasant surprise and the sunrise was beautiful. The ferry ride wasn’t too bad, but then we had another looooong bus ride to Fez, our first destination. We stopped half way for lunch at a pretty little restaurant in the woods – on the way out we gave some little girls a few lollipops that we had and they gave us some flowers they had picked from the trees :) When we arrived in Fez, we went for a walk around the city and then had a nice buffet dinner at the hotel (as similar as the city felt to India, the food was NOTHING like Indian food…Morocco is considered to have one of the most diversified cuisines in the world and everything was delicious!!!)

Our second day we walked around the Medina of Fez, which is another UNESCO World Heritage Site (first was the Aqueduct in Segovia). It made world heritage status because the city is an excellent example and preservation of traditional Moroccan settlement. While we were there, we saw the extremely diverse mix of culture that Moroccans are so proud of. They have lots of Eastern influence (Jews and Arabs), Southern influence (sub-Saharan Africa) and Northern influence (Rome, Andalucía – Moors and Jews) and their beliefs have infused and evolved from Paganism to Judaism, Christianity to Islam. Moroccan literature is mainly written in Arabic, then Berber and French, and there is (of course) also some Andalucían influence.

We had a tour guide who took us around the city into a weaving factory, a spice shop, a carpet factory, a leather tanning factory, and a ceramics shop. Bargaining is customary, and because I had some experience with it already in India, I was bargaining hard and LOVING it! I bought a beautiful leather purse for my brother’s girlfriend from the leather factory, and I worked the price down really low and the man told me I was a “hard bargainer.” I was so proud! I think it’s so much fun...and I got some pretty great deals :) As we were walking around the city we noticed a huge amount of stray kittens running everywhere - very different from the emaciated stray dogs that are a rampant problem in India. We also saw lots of donkeys carrying big loads of wood and other materials. We even saw a trash donkey stationed in a corner street with a big trash bin attached to his back. We watched a man with a bunch of chickens weigh one and then kill it (he slit its throat right in front of us - blood everywhere) and we also saw a huge bucket of live and squirming snails. Quite the experience. In the ceramics shop the man at the pottery wheel let me try it, and I was pretty terrible but it was tons of fun. When we were in the spice shop, I volunteered to let the shopkeeper demonstrate some of his product on me (soothing oil, eyeliner, bright lipstick that doesn't wash off = not super attractive) and he drew a Berber symbol on my forehead that gained me lots of attention. It also gained me a few marriage proposals. One man offered me 5,000 camels and all the desert of Morocco if he could marry me. Another man offered 10,000 camels and a donkey. I told my dad about the offers and he said he would have preferred to have a little gold thrown in there as well. Thanks, Dad. Glad to know where I got my hard bargaining skills from.

Our last stop for the night was a belly dancing show! There were maybe 5 women that performed with a few musical interludes and performances of men beating on drums in between. It was interesting to notice that actually none of the women were skinny, but all of them went out there quite scantily dressed and shimmied and strutted their stuff like there was no tomorrow. It was tons of fun and refreshing to see. They got a lot of people in the crowd to go up and dance with them and we all had a really great time!

 

 

The next morning was another long bus ride, but it was well worth the sore necks and cramped legs because we got to see some amazing views of hills and valleys, dune-like formations, random oases and the snow covered tips of the Atlas Mountains. As soon as we arrived to our destination we were hustled into jeeps where, full of spirit and clapping and blaring Moroccan music, the drivers whipped us away into the desert. We randomly stopped after the sun had set completely and everyone got out of the jeeps; free from any visible light and away from all the noise of the world we took our first of many stares into the pure and vibrant Saharan night sky. It was stunning.

We slept for the next two nights in an awesome and surprisingly comfortable tent system in the middle of the desert that the Berbers constructed just for us. We ate delicious food that they prepared at the camp and sat by the fire and listened to them play music at night. The first morning they woke us at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise. It was a struggle but a bunk mate and I finally forced ourselves awake and stumbled bleary and disoriented out of the camp grounds. The Berbers couldn’t actually come into our tent area but the second we walked out of it they grabbed us by the hand and dragged us for miles out into the desert. I couldn’t wear my shoes because someone spilled water all over them the night before so the sand was FREEZING in the morning - I struggled to keep up, big time. We finally reached a good enough spot and he looked at us and said “sit.” We talked to him in Spanish and he taught us how to draw our names in Arabic and in Berber and to draw footprints in the sand as we waited for the sun to rise. The sky turned a million colors and the sun peeked slowly over the dunes before flooding the sand with radiation and luminosity. 

Again, one of the best and most peaceful moments of my life. 

Halfway back to the camp the Berber again pointed and told me to “sit,” so I plopped down and he grabbed my feet and pulled me quickly down the edge to the bottom of the big sand dune. My first time “Berber Skiing!” He then took us back to the campsite and before releasing us he tried to sell some of his desert “fossils” (not actual fossils, they make them from stone I think). He was so kind and such a fun companion that I had to buy a couple (after bargaining, of course). Pretty good gifts, I think :)

After breakfast, we went for a camel ride. Mine was tiny and very uncomfortable, and the initial excitement wore off after enduring about 20 minutes of volatile jerking and realizing that I still had over an hour ride left. We spent that second day walking around a small (and incredibly deserted) pueblo and then hanging out back at our campsite and playing with the Berber children. The Berbers were SO NICE!! One time I ventured out into the dunes to sit and enjoy the peace and the view, and one came and sat with me to talk and see what was up. What else is there to do when you live in the desert? They all speak like seven languages, simply from meeting travelers from all over and sitting down and speaking with them. They love to get to know people, and just completely and thoroughly enjoy having company. It was heartwarming.

We spent another night lying in the dunes and looking at the stars. Everyone else wanted to go to bed but I wasn't tired yet, so a group of Berbers stayed up with a friend and me and sat with us by the fire and taught us some words in Berber and in Arabic. When we were finally ready to sleep, they warmly said good night and walked off into the black abyss of dunes and nothingness.

- (OH, by the way, about the stars…I saw the Milky Way every night and so many shooting stars that I lost count!)

The rest of our trip was basically spent in transit again. Normally I never get motion sickness, but thank God for Dramamine cause on that trip back I definitely needed it. We stopped in Meknes with just enough time to eat dinner and go to sleep and then were on the road the next day back to Sevilla.

Morocco, for me, was the total experience. I loved being in the city and seeing such a different way of life, I got to sleep under the stars in the Saharan desert, and I met some incredibly unique and kind people. All with the awesome students and directors in my program whose company I enjoy immensely.

…Yep, life is good :)

La Corrida, Viejos Verdes y Chocolate con Churros

(I meant to post this on October 21st and just realized I didn't...)

This morning the group had an excursion to Malaga – and I missed the bus. Oops. But it’s beautiful in Sevilla today! I got to sleep in and have an awesome lunch and now I have time to write in my blog, go for a walk, maybe watch a movie…what a great day!

There are a few random things I want to write about today.

First – I went to a bullfight! I keep wondering why on earth I forgot to write about it after it happened, but I think it was such a traumatic event that I repressed the memory for a little while. Basically, it was awful. We were so naïve about it when we went! The tickets were about 25 Euros and when we got there the stadium was PACKED. I remember being so excited to be taking part in such a traditional part of Spanish culture. The “fight” began with the bull running out into the arena – it was wild and vigorous and somehow drove its horns into the ground and flipped completely over. It was crazy! We watched the matadors with their colorful clothing do their moves with the capes, testing the bull for ferocity. Some of the moves were actually pretty impressive (at times the matadors were SO close to impalement). A couple times the bulls went after the horses that came out, who were wearing thick mats so they aren’t caught by the horns...the bulls would ram them pretty hard. I felt so bad! Before 1930 the horses didn’t wear the mats (called “petos”) and the bull would often disembowel the horse – during the fights there were usually more horses killed than bulls. After the testing, the picador (lancer on horseback) stabs the bull on the neck, which disorients the bull and makes it focus on one thing instead of charging at everything. Then there are banderilleros that come out and make the bull charge at them and try to stick two banderillas, or sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders. You could see the blood dripping down the backs of the bulls. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to watch. The matador came back in with his red cape and did some more moves (bulls are actually colorblind so the cape isn’t red to anger them – the movement of the cape is what provokes the charge of the bull). A couple times the bull got VERY close to the matador, and when the pass was over, the matador would flex and yell and walk with extreme pride. Once the bull is too weak to continue, it lays down on the ground. Then the matador stabs it in the head. The bull we watched twitched once and then stopped moving. Everyone cheered and they tied a rope from the bull to the back of a chariot cart and drug it around in a big circle before taking it out of the arena. I just stared for a second, speechless, and then looked to my friends and told them I was leaving. They wanted to wait for just a little longer so we had to sit though another one…then finally everyone was ready to go and we got out of there as quickly as we could before the next round started. I think they do 6 bulls in all.

Bullfighting has become quite a cultural conflict within the past few years, and after a petition that 180,000 people signed, it has been banned in Cataluña (which is Barcelona – it takes effect January 1^st). We’ve talked about it in my family and in my classes, and people seem pretty divided about it. Some of the people in class really enjoyed it and appreciate it as part of the culture. It seems like here the older generation is what is keeping the tradition alive – the younger and upcoming generation doesn’t enjoy it in the same manner. So we’ll see where bullfighting goes from here. But as for me…I am glad I went but would never, EVER consider doing something like that again!

My second topic for the day = viejos verdes, an expression that we learned in class to signify “dirty old men.” Here in Spain, men LOVE to stare at girls. It’s like they make it their mission to comment on women every time they walk by. When I first got here I didn’t really like it, so I just ignored it and didn’t dwell. But some days, when I’m feeling testy or homesick or just a little off, it is one of the most frustrating things in the world!! I just want to slap them in the face. I’m so sick of being oogled at and commented on right to my face. What a strange part of culture. And it’s never guys that are close to my age…it’s always the dirty old men. Sometimes even with their women right by them! Everything I have found suggests that this is because older generations see foreigners, typically British or American women, as being “loose,” or in extreme cases, little better than prostitutes. One site said “blonde foreigners still get more than their fair share of unwanted attention and older Spanish men still think foreign girls are only after one thing.” It’s so irritating! They have forever ruined the word "guapa" for me. This is definitely going to be the one thing that I don’t miss about being in Spain.

My final topic is a little more enjoyable than the first two. One of the big food traditions in Spain is the merienda, or snack, usually eaten around mid-afternoon. And a typical food of the merienda is the delicious and infamous "chocolate con churros." I've been in Spain this whole time and, until last night, I had never tried them!! All of my friends rave about them but I just hadn’t been in the right place at the right time to get them. (None of us actually eat them for an afternoon snack…we changed it into a little more of an American tradition and they have become a final stop after a long night on the weekend). So last night we went out to a dance club that I had never been to and when we were walking back we found, in front of us, a CHURRO STAND!!! Had to have been sent from heaven. We bought a couple batches of fresh churros and steaming hot chocolate syrup and enjoyed probably the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. Now that I have experienced chocolate con churros, my Spanish life is complete.

On a completely new note...late last Wednesday night we got back from an awesome trip to Morocco! So next entry I'll have to fill you in on the amazing time we had sleeping under the stars in the Sahara desert :)