Granada!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting this. I have been sick since Monday, and haven't felt up to writing my blog... but more about that later, first the good stuff:

So, last Friday I got on a bus with a bunch of UPV and University of Valencia students and headed to Granada. The trip was a long one, but definitely worth it. We took a break after a couple hours for lunch number one... than a couple hours later for lunch number two [and yes, I ate both times :) ]. When we got to Granada, we got off the bus and started our first tour immediately. It was of a couple of neighborhoods in the center of the city, just so we would know our way around the next two days.

 

The stones on the ground were kind of nice... they gave a nice massage to your feet as you walked. Since I was wearing my Converse All-Stars, I could feel every stone. After walking around for a bit, we got back on the bus and headed to our hostel. It was nice for a hostel, as it was triple-rooms with individual bathrooms (small, but individual nonetheless).

I picked the short straw and had to sleep on the bottom bunk...

Ok, so some went out that night for Botellon and such, but I decided to try and sleep so I could go out the next night. I started going to sleep at 11 pm... and couldn't fall asleep until 6 am!!! Factors: noisy neighbors, snoring roommate, people knocking on walls at 4 am, cars driving by at night, stuffy room, etc...

Whatever. The next day I felt fine even after getting only 2.5 hours of sleep. We ate breakfast, and then left the hostel to visit a couple nifty places. First on the list was the St. Jeronimo Monastery. Sadly, we weren't able to hear the monks singing, but were still able to see some interesting artwork and sculptures... especially in the chapel:

We also got to visit the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral. No photos were allowed inside, but it was interesting because we were able to see the coffins of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Click the following to visit the Capilla Real-Granada Website. Outside of the Chapel and Cathedral we were accosted by old ladies trying to give us Pine or Romero sprigs, saying "It's a gift" but obviously expecting money from you if you let them slip it into your hand. I wanted to yell at them "Stop touching me!!!"

Luckily, there were some people I didn't mind loitering around the Cathedral:

 ¡Abrazos Gratis!     Free Hugs!

That's right, Free Hugs campaigners! I got a free hug... it was great, and I want another! After that, we had lunch in a Minotaur bar, and then free time to see the city. I was in a group with a couple of girls, and they kind of guided us into the shops... maybe next time pick a group with more guys than girls so I can do more sight seeing and less shopping :). There also was a Moroccan street area, with vendors and such everywhere... and we stopped in one of the tea shops. I ordered a "Tranquil" tea, and hated it. Oh well, at least I got to sit for awhile in this cozy nook:

But not for long, it was uncomfortable!

That night, we ate dinner at the hostel and then hung out in one of the rooms for awhile before heading out for some crazy club action. We got to the club just a little before 2 am, which was good because the line was short. They almost didn't let me in, thinking I wasn't even 18! The club was called Mae West, and interestingly enough had Oscar Award Statues outside the place... interesting, because the Oscars were given out less than 24 hours after I was in that club!

 Screeeeeaaaaaaamm!!!!!!

I wanted a bit of sleep, so I left early: around 5:30 am. The next day I got up at 9, got packed, and got on the bus around 10 am. Our last stop in Granada would be the most interesting: The Alhambra. I will spare you the historical details, but the Alhambra is probably one of the most well known pieces of Islamic architecture in the world, or at least in Spain. The massive number of arches, and the amount of detailed carved into the walls and ceilings was amazing.

I found the golden arches, but no Big Mac was in sight...

There was also a bell tower that allowed you to see a complete panoramic view of The Alhambra and of Granada:

Don't' fall!

And that covers about A-Z of my trip. One last thing though: before getting on to the bus to go back to Valencia, I decided to buy a Doner Kebap to eat. It was the fastest thing to get, and I really needed to make sure I didn't hold up the bus. It made my stomach a little queasy, but I thought "Whatever" and finished it. The next day, Monday, I started feeling sick. By the end of the night, I was throwing up everything I had eaten in the past 5 years. So, the rest of this week has been recuperating from what I believe was food poisoning. I am finally feeling better today, although by the end of the day my stomach always starts acting up again. Hopefully I will be feeling completely better by the weekend. I also hope I didn't miss too much in classes, because I was only able to make it to one lab session out of the entire week.

On a final note, March is here, and so in Valencia Fallas have officially started. The craziness wont begin for another couple of weeks, or so I think. As such, I should have some interesting things to talk about over the next month. Until next time!