February 2010
21 posts
Last words
I landed back on US soil on Feb. 15th at 3:30pm. I think the best way to sum up my trip is a top ten list. So, here’s a list of the top ten differences I noticed between life in the US and life in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco:
10. Everywhere: Amazing public transportation
9. Morocco: Children begging on the streets
8. Spain: Ancient cathedrals across from McDonald’s and KFC
7....
home.
:/
Day 41
Sonofabitch, it’s over!
But I’ll write about the last couple of days anyway. I wandered around the Medina (the old part of the city, generally enclosed by an ancient city wall) in Marrakech looking for a cheap place to stay. I found a hotel just off the Jama’lfna square for 60DH a night, so I stayed there. I spent the next few hours wandering around on my own, and I understand...
Big continent begets big post
Just after getting my third stamp on my passport and passing through customs in Sevilla, I noticed a girl with a UW-Madison sweatshirt on. Insta-friend. Her name is Ana, and we sat and chatted on the turbulent trip to Marrakech. The woman sitting across the aisle from me and Ana, who was seated on row in front of me, which is a completely unnecessary detail that ought to be removed but most likely...
Last of Lisbon
I went to dinner with an English guy I met in the hostel I’d checked in to, as well as a German guy who was on holiday. The English guy, Alan, had been in Lisbon for a week or so, and he knew a good area of town to eat in. The general rule on restaurants is this: If the menu is translated in English, the food will be mediocre at best, and if you are the only foreigners sitting in any given...
So much to write...
And no time at all. Plus the keyboard in this internet bar is really messed up… the a q z w and m keys qre in the zrong plqce. Here’s what I need to cover: delicious food and crazy nightlife in Lisbon, UW graduate on my plane, complete culture shock in Marrakech, my unexpected living conditions, eating lamb head, tobacco hookahs and everything that hasn’t happened yet but will.
Frustration
Back to the neglected four and a half hours from my last post. Machado dropped me off by car in a square near the center of town. I walked up to the metro stop that I arrived at my first day in Lisbon; this was close to where I needed to be. I knew the general area, and I remembered seeing a map of the location of the Oasis Backpackers Hostel. It wasn’t far a way, and I figured if I got...
Machado and Lisbon
After I finally connected with my host in Lisbon, we made way back to his place for some dinner and some conversation. Machado knew his stuff. He talked about Portuguese history; how Portugal was a major power back in the 15th and 16th centuries, that it had several territories around the globe, and that since entering the European Union the country has not improved as much as was expected. He...
Welcome to Lisbon
I took the bus to Lisbon yesterday. Randomly I saw an Australian guy from the first hostel I stayed at in Sevilla, so we got to chat about what we did since we last had seen each other. The bus ride was over six hours, but I slept a good portion of it so it wasn’t all that bad. What was all that bad was what happened after I arrived in Lisbon.
My instructions from my couchsurfing host were...
Cádiz
On Monday, I finally was able to break out of Sevilla. I checked in to the one youth hostel. It was a perfect day; sunny and 65 degrees. I was surprised, then, to find I was the only one wearing shorts. Almost no one was at the beach, and everyone walking around was bundled up in scarves and jackets; bunch of wusses! I wandered along until I found a castle with a moat. Took me about five minutes...
Plans
Feb. 3: Sevilla
Feb. 4-7: Lisbon
Feb. 8-12: Marrakesh
Feb. 13-15: Barcelona
Day 28
I suppose I’m due for a post or two. I’ll jump back to Friday night first. The hostel group went to a different neighborhood across the river for tapas and Flamenco; I skipped the tapas since I had already eaten, but met up with the group at the Flamenco bar. I sat with a German kid with crazy long dreadlocks. Remember when I said you’ll never see a Flamenco dancer smile, that...
January 2010
38 posts
Quick bit
Quick update here from Sevilla. Spent last night with Owen and some random Italian guys we met (who were quite gamey). Today we spent the day by the river and Plaza Espana, drinking beer, eating tapas, and generally relaxing. Still trying to solidify plands for Lisbon and Cadiz, and track down a couch here in Sevilla. Oasis filled up, so Owen and I went to the Urbany hostel down the street. It´s a...
More from Sevilla
My Wednesday friend’s name was Owen. He was staying in my room in the hostel. He’s an Irish guy who used to live in Sevilla when he was a student, and he’s back here for a week to relax. I had heard that there was a soccer game, and since Owen was going, I tagged along with him. He gave me a Sevilla flag to wave around so I didn’t look like I didn’t belong. The game...
Day 23
First off, yes, I’m going to Marrakesh, Morocco, Africa. I found a guy through couchsurfing that will host me. He seems even more excited than I am. Alright, I’ll cover the last couple days.
Sunday, the day I arrived, I went with a group of people from the hostel to a tapas bar and a Flemenco show. I know I mentioned tapas, but I feel I failed in conveying the magnitude of...
A Whim
I just booked a flight from Sevilla to Marrakesh, then from Marrakesh back to Barcelona. This will be towards the end of my trip, so I’m still hoping to make it to Cadiz and Lisbon. Unfortunately, financial difficulties will prevent me from seeing Italy during this trip. I’m at least now I’ve already payed for my way back to Barcelona, and therefore back home (money is getting...
All about Granada
I arrived in Granada on Wednesday night around 7:30pm. The bus ride over from Madrid was so scenic with its winding roads and massive mountains. Some random kid sat next to me and shared his candy with me (score!), so I shared my ear-bud headphones when his sister stole his. I arrived to find there’s no metro in Granada, so I took the bus to the address Alice gave me. They weren’t...
Michaela and Laura
I met these two girls in the lobby of Cat’s hostel in Madrid. Michaela is a Boston resident (though surprisingly Boston-accent free) and had just graduated from a university down in Florida. Laura hails from South African and went to live in Ireland after finishing her degree. All three of us were traveling on our own, and it was each of our first times in Madrid. Again, luck struck in my...
Off to Granada tomorrow.
I’ll be staying with someone I found through couchsurfing.com in Granada, and I’ll leave tomorrow morning at 2pm. I’m taking the bus (five hours long) and then I’ll stay with these people for two or three days. I’m not sure if I’ll have internet access there, so if I don’t post for the next few days, don’t go getting all alarmed.
Day 14
Let’s start with yesterday (the sick day). I slept in pretty much all day; being in Madrid is little consolation when you’re sick. I got up at night and went to into the lobby, and ran into a guy I met in Barcelona. I also met a few other people, and collectively they convinced me it was a good idea to go out for some tapas. Tapas (meaning little bites) turned into beers which turned...
Ah where to start… Yesterday I was sitting in the lobby of the hostel chatting with Rich on AIM and I met a girl from Chicago (shout out to all the traveling midwesterners!) We went out for a bite to eat at a place down the street. As an appetizer we ordered Croquetas, a fairly common Spanish starter. These kind of resemble cheese curds, except inside it’s mashed-potatoes-and-ham-ish....
Day 11
Madrid continues to prove itself a good time. I’ve made several trips back to the donor kabeb place, and have finally learned exactly what tapas are (bar food, but better). I’ve learned to say “vale” all the time as a affirmation. Granada may be my next stop, though I’d like to go to Florence, Rome, Portugal, Morocco, Toledo, Sevilla, and about one hundred other...
Doner Kebabs
While reading a book in the common area of my hostel I heard someone say the word, “Wisconsin.” And when you’re in Spain and you hear that word you have automatically just made friends. I met two Wisconsin girls and a guy from Colorado. After chatting for a while, playing rummy and drinking awful boxed wine, we went out for some food.
They were talking about getting something...
travelers
I’ve discovered two things in the past few days. The first is that my hostel sucks. I didn’t know what to expect out of a hostel, so I assumed what I got was somewhat normal. A bed, free breakfast, and internet; what more could I ask for? Much more, turns out. I went with Shawn to meet another one of his friends name Claire. She was staying at a hostel called Kabul. It’s just...
Next!
Not that I’m not enjoying Barcelona, I am, but I’m ready to move on to the next city. I’ve gotten to see a lot of the city, and should I realize that there’s something left to see, I need to come back for my flight anyway.
So, the next stop is Madrid. I bought a train ticket earlier today. I’ll leave on Wednesday for the three hour train ride. There’s a site...
A Strange Coincidence
Three others travelers were in my room in the hostel last night. The were from Uruguay. I told them that a guy I used to work with (Danielle too I think) had moved down there to open up a hostel. They asked, “Is his name Brian?” They continued, “Brian Meissner?” I gasped. I said, “El Diablo Tranquilo?” They gasped.
Turns out one of the girls, Sofia, works for...
