Hello Bilbao! You really like Abstract Art, uh?

SO! I had a free weekend. So I went to Bilbao with one of my friends, Devon, to see the Guggenheim and other fun things.

Our 5 hour bus ride left Thursday night from the Madrid bus terminal at 1:30am, depositing us in Bilbao before the sun rose. Since we had an hour and a half to kill we walked down to the river and went to see the sunrise behind the Guggenheim museum (which is just as cool as everyone says, Frank Gehry did a great job designing it!)

The Guggenheim had some really great pieces, and some pieces where you just kind of scratch your head and think, "Hm... my 11 year old brother could've done that!"

Here is the basilica up from the Casco Viejo (old city) where I accidently attended mass on Friday... it was a weird service? We just said the Padre Nuestro and Hail Mary over and over. Thank God my 7th grade Spanish teacher had us learn those... But it was kind of nice to have some time to myself in a church.

That evening we went out with another American and some Austrians (one who was living in Bilbao) and we had PINCHOS. Which are like tapas, as displayed below. This was the best thing EVER. Expensive, though, at 1.50 euro each :)

In the pic below: Fred the Californian, Devon my travel buddy, me, and Verena the Austrian. Marco, the one taking the pic, was our guide for the night.

The next day Devon and I joined a group of Spanish and French students on a tour through Bilbao. The most interesting part about the group is the fact that they defaulted to English, since most of the French students didn't speak Spanish and vice versa. But the tour included an hour long trip to the Palacio Congreso, a new-er 81 million euro conference center designed like a boat. It was gorgeous, below is a picture of the main auditorium (also boat shaped).

I know a girl studying in Bilbao right now, and as beautiful as the city is I think it would be hard to stay there for over a weekend... there's not a ton to do. But then again I guess it's like Spokane, where the tourist activities are a little bit limited but it's still easy to have a great time with friends.

Also hostels are growing on me... I am kind of a hard sleeper (okay, "kind of" is false, I am an incredibly bad sleeper) but I'm willing to sacrifice sleep in order to meet new people. Facebook has completely changed the hostel dynamic now; people who in past years would be "weekend friends" now exchange info so we can be facebook friends, even if we will probably never see each other again...

But I won't be in a hostel until mid April now, and I'm okay with that ;)

10 Ways to Tell Katie is 'Merican!

1. I am a fast walker. I walk quite a bit faster than the average American (like mother, like daughter), and the average American walks faster than the average Spaniard. This means I look like I am freaking out whenever I walk anywhere, since I can usually DOUBLE a Spaniard's speed. (Except in heels.)

2. I tend to smile. Not at particular people, but I sometimes smile absent-mindedly when I walk. So this means I creep people out, or look like I am interested in dating them. I mean to do neither, I just tend to be a particularly random-ly happy individual. I am slowly learning to NOT do this at night, when creepers are at their drunkedness and accidently mistake a light smile for a come-on.

3. Sometimes... I sing. Quietly and to myself, but you can hear it if you're close enough. Or I get a song stuck in my head and sing it loudly and encourage others to join in. Note: They usually don't. But that's okay. The most popular songs? "Tik Tok", "Love Me Tender", that song that goes "workin' that back, don't know how to act, slow motion for me, slow motion for me..." or "Parachute" (Cheryl Cole). Sometimes Switchfoot, if I did a lot of HW the night before. Anyway, this singing Katie stands out ;)

4. I dress/look like an American. All the Spanish girls are adorable, in their cute boots and matching purses and skirts or skinny jeans... I like my sweatshirt and converses. Also they wear quite a bit of make-up and do their hair, and I like to go au-natural in the make-up department (though I'll admit I wear more over here) and have a ponytail or sloppy bun. And not a "oh, I'm going to spray this bun and make it look cute and sloppy", but more of a "I have to go to school in a bit, Gosh darn it" bun. Exception: when I go out.

You would think the lack of effort would make the Spanish men ignore me, but instead it seems to point me more out as an American and I guess Americans are hot commodities? I get hit on more on the metro looking like a homeless person than when I dress up...

Bad! No make-up, wearing sweats and sweatshirt, with a ponytail. Do not do this!!!

5. I talk like an American. Not just in English, but louder. Noticeably louder. Americans are notorious for this, and I'm still a bit better then some American groups I meet on the Metro. You can TELL an American group.

6. I still get uneasy when people yell "Guapa!" You'd think that after having it EVERY MORNING from the garbage men I would get over it, but I always get flustered. And that is somehow encouraging to them, mostly because that means I acknowledge their existence.

7. I still go to Sol/ Gran Via. Tourist-y areas. But I think it's fun meeting other Americans and Brits and Australians.

8. I am a big arm mover. When I talk my arms tend to go all over the place. This is not something I see a lot of Spaniards do, at least not sober ones.

9. I thank people for stuff. Like the cashier at H&M, the person who hands out free newspapers at the Metro stops, etc. I suppose I could break this habit easily if I wanted to, but I would feel bad just without thanking someone. Same applies for "¿Que tal?" Usually you ask this of friends, but I ask my waiter, my teachers, etc. etc.

10. My dancing. That's self explanatory. I'm ok with it, apparently I'm still a fun dancer. I think it's because I laugh and smile a lot when I dance, and it makes me look like a fun person ;)

This is a candid picture, and look! I'm still smiling! (Like I said before! Smiling attracts creepers! I had quite a few, um, "fans" that night... and that is not a good thing at 3am!!!)

Need More "Dancing Queen", Less "Epileptic Dolphin"

Ha, I'm kidding. Really I'm not that bad a dancer. At least I hope not. But I am still super awkward on the dance floor, especially with an actual man dance partner.

SO there are two types of dancing (actually there are 2532323412 types of dancing, but I will divide them into two general groups): partner proper dancing and club dancing.

I will talk about them here.

Partner Proper Dancing

I really should copyright that title. Anyway. I have a Latin dance class on Monday afternoons with the awesome people in my program (and it is surprisingly evenly matched, boy-girl), and a Salsa class on Thursday evenings with one American and a bunch of Spanish people (of all ages, shapes and sizes).

The teacher in the Monday class is adorable. I definitely have a mini-girl crush because of how happy and sweet and cute-as-a-button she is. Also she is a great teacher- I am sometimes saddened by the knowledge that there is a very high probability that the best batchata (I have no idea how to spell that word and neither does spellcheck) or chachacha partner I will ever have (no offense to the boys! but you guys know how awesome she is). And it's really easy to feel comfortable with her leading; I think most guys underestimate how absolutely confused I can get. I need an aggressive lead or I tend to start leading by accident...

Only frustrating part of that class is we are spending so much time on the Sevillana. The Sevillana is danced in Sevilla on festival days. I am not going to Sevilla (sadly?) so it is wasted on me.

Thursdays class, filled with Spanish people (and more men than women), is a little more chaotic, a little faster paced, even though it is only for Salsa. I know the basic moves now... the Croqueta, the Giro de Rosca... though I will have no idea what to call them in the States, at least I'll know how to do them ;)

Some of the men are good dancers and some are not. But I prefer a bad dancer to a creepy dancer, of which there are always a few. I find it awkward to receive hand massages mid-dance or to have a stranger staring into my eyes without blinking from 6 inches away... and last week one dance partner (new guy) screwed up and attempted to blame it on my lack of Spanish when the teacher asked him. Definitely surprised him when I explained in detail what he did wrong. In SPANISH. Boo yeah, rude new guy with weird glasses.

Club Dancing

Without getting into the nitty-gritty, I am less a "good" dancer and more of a "fun" dancer when it comes to club dancing. For the most part I enjoying laughing with my friends than going one-on-one with a strange man in a club (Mom and Dad, be proud of your daughter). My favorite nights are ones like Saturday night, which I will outline here. Please keep in mind that I wanted to be home by 2am on Sunday morning.

11:30pm Meet up in front of the McDonalds at Gran Via, near the tourist-y/bar area is. We use McDonalds because (a) it is very very easy to find people there, (b) McDonald's are nice in Europe, and have great bathrooms, and (c) if we get bored we just watch the prostitutes pick up random guys, it's essentially red light central near there. I always have to go around 11:30 pm because my host fam eats dinner at 10:30pm, and it takes about a half hour getting from my apartment.

12am Head, everyone in tow, to a bar. 75% of the time this is El Tigre. El Tigre is mostly Americans but has good drinks (6euros for a Mojito which will keep you buzzed throughout the night) and comes with Tapas (appetizers, usually patatas bravas and tostadas but hey, we're not picky).

Some fab friends (Niki and Naomi) visiting me in Madrid, so of course I take them to El Tigre! We are holding the infamous Mojitos ...

1-2am Leave El Tigre and walk around Sol until a "club promoter" offers free entry and, sometimes, free shots. These places are never the big clubs (like "El Kapital" or "Joy") but I have more fun there anyway, when I'm not being constantly pushed against and can talk to my friends. On Saturday we went to the "Bourbon Club", which had 70's, 80's and 90's music playing. One of my friends started a limbo line which got a bunch of people in the club super excited, myself included. And singing along to "I'm Too Sexy", "Holding Out For a Hero" and Grease songs resulted in a lost voice for the next 24 hours. But dancing with good friends and good music is definitely a favorite past-time ;)

4am Either leave for another club, or (like me on a long day) head to Plaza de Cibeles in the center of the city to take the night bus home (or you can wait for the Metro to open at 6am...) Since I live relatively far from others in my program usually this is an interesting walk solo. I am one of the few girls who is not a prostitute walking alone at 4am. And you meet some interesting people at 4am downtown!

Here's what I tend to do after 3+ hours of dancing... take a break and sit on the stage while the next club dancers are getting ready ;)

Anyway. That's my summary of the two main dance events I get to partake in every week. Hope it was enjoyable and not scarring in any way.

(I hope I did not overly concern people with my last post, thanks to all who sent emails or messaged me ;) I really am having a great time in Madrid and in Europe, but it's always a little sad to think of life going on as usual back home and not being a part of it... and people in the program, I love you guys!! You have been such a great group of people, I couldn't ask for better)

The Blah Blah Blahs of Katie A's Mind: And it might be the muscle relaxants talking. But probably not.

To start off, I should declare: I am an extrovert. And not in the textbook way (more concerned with practicalities than inner thoughts), but in the social way. I (for the most part) try to surround myself with people, and deal with my emotions and thoughts through them. When sad I like to have someone to talk to, when happy I want someone to celebrate with. And when my friends are sad I'd prefer to be with them than to leave them alone, etc. etc. Studying abroad has somewhat messed with my extroverted ways...

What I really didn't realize while studying abroad is how much change a person goes through. And even harder to accept is how much change occurs back home with friends and family that I have no control over, and in some cases, I will have no knowledge of.

I did not know anyone in my program before coming here, and am the only person from Gonzaga (or Seattle). Fortunately I'm not the only person from Gonzaga in Madrid, and that makes it easier (thank god for miss haley). But really, I could've come to this program calling myself a different name, acting a different way, doing things differently than I do at home and no one here would be any the wiser. There is literally nothing holding me to be the person I was at home. And while some may rejoice in this, I think it's almost depressing. At the risk of sounding corny or whatever, it's nice to have some links to home, and links to who you are at home. I think it's one of the reasons I spend so much money and time traveling to see people from Gonzaga or from my high school. I suck at dealing with emotional turmoil while flying solo.

Unlike at Gonzaga, where most of my time is spent running from one activity or friend to another, I have a lot of alone time here. It's not that I want to spend it alone, but when you have to take a 30 min Metro to get anywhere and you don't live close to friends... you know. And I've done quite a bit of traveling by myself, which (truth be told) kind of sucks. And I'm looking at having to travel some solo this summer, too. But I guess that's part of the experience? At least it's becoming a part of mine.

Our program ends in less than two months, I'll be back in the states in about 2.5 months. And as much as I try to communicate over postcards and skype and facebook and email, I fear many of my relationships back home might change. There will be inside jokes I will have no knowledge of, and people will have, for the most part, evolved. (in some cases de-evolved?)

To those people I haven't talked to while over here? I won't be the same person. Already my religious beliefs, my view of the world, all of that, have changed. Maybe for the better? Or maybe not.

(please note this is my experience, not all your friends abroad have mental breakdowns and revelations or freak out that everything is changing back home. Also, as mentioned in the title, I am on muscle relaxants. They are strong. Also overly emotional for reasons that are TMI.)

St. Patricks Day: Really, it's for the Americans

As mentioned before, alcohol is super cheap in Spain. My mom seems to be under the impression that all I do is drink, but really who wants to be updated in my blog about studying or trips to the doctor? (oh btw I have a pinched nerve, so any typos may be due to drowsiness, the doctor gave me a lot of drugs, incl some strong muscle relaxants)

BUT St. Paddy's day. Back in the States I celebrate St Paddy's day by wearing all green and taking advantage of the fact that it is socially acceptable to pinch people not wearing green. So yesterday, while sporting a green scrunchie (you heard me right, a scrunchie), a green tank top, green sweatshirt, green converses and my green messenger bag, I headed to the street to see people wearing all grays, blacks and browns, like usual. Very disappointing. While some of the Americans were good sports, I felt that I would become quickly hated if I pinched everyone not wearing green. So I kept my pincers to myself.

In the spirit of the holiday I bought a Guinness (and I realllyyyyy don't like the taste of Guinness), a green Bacardi Breezer and white wine (in a green box) with Mandarin/Kiwi Schwepps. All green. I was celebrating my favorite color, all the way. There is a pro to buying this amount of alcohol: it is way cheaper than getting drinks at a bar, and a lot more convenient. There is also a con: this (plus a couple of shots of random hard alcohols) is a lot of alcohol for one girl to handle, despite her German heritage. It was somewhat of a long night...

Here is a man in the vodka/rum/liquor aisle at Alcampo. We think he owns a bar? If not, that is a LOT of alcohol. We admired his dedication. Also the flash went off so it was super embarrassing when he realized we took a picture...

I met Haley, my college friend, and some of her friends from her program at Sol, the traditionally tourist spot, which has 4 or 5 Irish pubs around there. Ridiculously crowded, as you might expect. Still, the weather was good and everyone was in the streets, singing and wearing tall green hats and crazy sunglasses. When I say "everyone" I mostly mean the Americans, British and Australians, who are all great fun (though tend to hit the bottle harder than our Spanish counterparts). It was great merriment and festivities.

A pic that was actually taken later in the night (if you can believe it). Out in front of O'Connells. Or O'Reilly's. Really, some random Irish pub.

As disappointing as it was to see how little enthusiasm the Spanish have for St. Paddy's Day, it was great fun to sport green and go out. Though apparently only one of the eight people in our class showed up for the 9am class this morning... I did have an excuse, however, as my pinched nerve made it impossible for me to walk without wanting to cry. So I went back to bed till my doctor's appointment... and now I have extra strong Ibuprofen, Vitamin B and a strong muscle relaxant to help my back for the next week or so while I heal. Unfortunately no salsa during that time... :(

Museums: Cuz I'm an Artsy Fartsy Badass.

SO. Madrid has 3 main art museums: Museo del Prado (the biggest), Museo de la Reina Sofia, and Museo Thyssen. Museo Thyssen is a privately held museum so, unlike the other two, they do not have free hours (in fact it was a lot of $ for entrance! 7.50 Euros for a student for both the permanent collection and the Monet Exhibit.)

Museo del Prado: as the most well known museum, it has a lot of huge works and incredible Goya and El Greco collections. Goya's "The 3rd of May of 1808" depicts the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's armies (it's probably the most well known painting in the Museum).

Museo de la Reina Sofia: Lots of cool works, quite a few Dalis, etc. Here is the Guernica by Pablo Picasso. It depicts the bombings of Guernica without actually showing the bombings; rather, the violence is represented as if it is a bullfight. The painting is HUGE, taking up an entire room.

Museo Thyssen: Based on beauty of the museum itself, this one was probably my favorite. I was almost heartbroken to realize the painting I was most excited to see was on loan to Dali's exhibit in Girona. I'll include the pic below, even though I didn't get to see it myself :(

Salvador Dali's "Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening" is beautiful, with a contrast of feminine and masculine symbols that I think is absolutely stellar. Hence why the painting is my second favorite painting. ever.

But the painting wasn't there. Here's one that I did see, that blew my mind.

Filonov and Glebova's "Prison".

Barcelona = strange themed bars, Gaudi and the best shot you will ever take ;)

So I took a plane over to Barcelona this past weekend (planes are wayyy cheaper than trains or buses, which is probably not a good sign for the environment, and airports are super stressful) to see some good friends (and celebrate a 21st birthday!)

I arrived there Thursday afternoon and spent a few hours exploring. Bought some food and some drinks for the night- I love how cheap alcohol is in Europe! For less than 5 euros I bought apple liquor, tinto wine, sprite and pineapple juice. The tinto wine and Sprite was used to make Tinto de Verano, which I think is my new favorite drink (but I think if I ordered it in a bar in the States I would get weird looks?) Dinner was super cheap, too, just getting a warm baguette and dipping it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Catalan is the commonly spoke language in Catalonia, or "Catalunya". It's pretty much like a combination of Spanish and French, and fairly easy to understand. And Catalonians like Americans a lot more than they like people from Madrid! Apparently there's tension between Catalonians and the rest of Spain... (see the terrorist acts of the ETA, I guess.)

On Thursday night we went to the Chupitos Bar (called Esprit?) and ordered numerous weirdly named shots. One shot, the "Harry Potter", was an orange lit on fire on top of a shot of triple sec. The group favorite, I think, as displayed below, was the "Boy Scout", which required the bar to be lit on fire, we (the bar-goers) roasted the marshmallows over the fire, took the shot of triple sec (I think?) and ate the marshmallow. I want to do this back at college but fear my aversion to lighting things on fire might be an obstacle difficult to overcome...

Friday morning I explored the Sagrada Familia while my friends all had class. Gaudi's artwork for the Sagrada Familia is beautiful and unique from everything else in Barcelona. He uses a lot of spirals and nature-inspired pieces. There are huge scenes from Jesus' life with beautifully done faces, and the shapes of the people are great (though the centurions at Jesus' crucifixion look very similar to the cylons in Battlestar Galactica).

On Saturday evening we went exploring the parks of Barcelona, starting with the Parque de Laberinto de Horta which was beautiful and had a labyrinth in the center. Then we went to Parque Guell, which Gaudi designed a lot of (the bridge and what not). From the top of the mountain you can see all of Barcelona, we really lucked out with the weather ;)

Finally on Saturday night we went to a bar called "Dow Jones"(near Diagonal) which has a super unique theme. Drinks are priced at a certain level and the price fluctuates based on demand. Once an hour there is a "crack" (I think it's supposed to be "crash") where the drink prices "plummet" (really they go down to a normal price, like 2 euros for a Heineken or 5 euros for a Sex on the Beach).

Overall, Barcelona was a great experience, especially the company and the outings. I definitely plan to go there again, though I'll wait for swim suit season. At least I got good weather though! The day after I left there was a bunch of snow; I guess the city misses me.........

Lisboa. Obrigada. Adeus.

Obrigada = Thank you. If you are a girl (or talking to a girl?) Otherwise it's Obrigado. Never before have I spoken a language where the word for "thanks" changes based on gender.

Adeus = Bye. Kind of like Adios in Spanish, but Portuguese is spoken with a "sh" sound.

When I asked people if they spoke English, French or Spanish (I think that's enough options? If you are in the hospitality business in Portugal I don't think it's absolutely ridiculous for you to know at least one of these three languages), they (the people) would always choose English (or insist on speaking Portuguese, which essentially meant I spoke Spanish with a lisp). I thought that interesting.

Lisbon has a lot of transport. Weird, I know. Trams, trains, buses everywhere. Which is appropriate because it's all hills. Like San Francisco hills on speed.

The drink I am holding = masked strawberries and vodka. Like 6 shots of it. And it tastes like fresh strawberry. I am bringing this ingenious discovery back to the States.
Belem is apparently THE place to go, though it's mostly museums. I will admit that the Pasteis de Belem (pronounced "Pash-taysh") were delicious. It's like a cream tart. Or heaven.

On Saturday the girls wanted to go shopping. Being broke, adventurous and slightly idiotic, I decided to take a ferry (Solo) to the island across the river. Please note it was one of the windiest days of the year and half the ferries were not operating because it was too dangerous. Parking lots were flooded. Still.

This is the Christi Rei statue. It's pretty much a copy of the one in Brazil (same idea, where the Church wanted to have more of a constant Jesus reminder near the city), but Portugal had a huge earthquake on All Saint's Day in the 80's and essentially much of the Catholic faith (or Christian for that matter) went out the window. Mostly it's tourists who come here, though it is a sanctuary saying all hearts are welcome.

Lisbon = amazing. And seeing BFFs in Lisbon is even better ;)

MOROCCO (its Arabic for "The Shizznit")

So, to begin: Three friends from my Madrid program and I were in Cadiz on Sunday and took a bus down to Tarifa (which is like the Spanish version of Laguna beach? I think... it was rainy so everyone was inside) and took a ferry (37 EUROS!!) to Tangers, Morocco. (35 min) We spent one night in a cheap hotel in Tangers, took a bus/train to Fes and spent the night in a Riad (like a bed and breakfast, but Arabian; lots of couples, esp. from Australia, France and England), took a 8 hr train to Marrakech and spent two nights there before flying back to Europe.

It was epic. Favorite was Fes, then Marrakech, then Tangers. I definitely want to go back, but it seemed like the Riads (gorgeous, and about the same price as a European hostel per person even though you live like a queen) would be more ideal for couples on their honeymoons than 4 college kids trying to explore on the cheaps.

I'll try to tell stories/things through some pics?

This is Mike, one of the guys, sitting on the "dock" in Tangers. I use the term "dock" loosely, as this "dock" was comprised of enormous blocks of vertical concrete which were placed about 2-3 feet from each other. Meaning you have to jump from one to the next, and they are not even, half of them being completely crooked and dangerous. I have a mini fear of heights (more specifically falling from a height), and at 1am it was extremely scary. I had to use my PHONE as a flashlight.

Have to admit, however, the view of the city was gorgeous.

Also this is where we had our run-in with the Moroccan police. I guess they thought that 4 college students taking pictures off a dock at 1am was very suspicious, so they came to investigate. Very freaky, esp. considering I was the only one who spoke French so I was explaining all we wanted to do was take pictures (this is apparently forbidden?). We think they were looking for pot, since Tangers has a pretty big reputation for hashish (and lordy we saw where that reputation comes from), and apparently Moroccan police have a thing for arresting tourists who are smoking pot (which is illegal) and then taking bribes for release. But no pot, so no problem.

View of Fes from our riad. (Riad Hala = amazing, if you go to Fes stay there!!!!) The white mass is apparently cows grazing in the cemetery. Gorgeous views, 360 o.

Also here's pic with me and the guys wearing their new Djellabahs, a traditional Moroccan outfit that they received "compliments" about the entire time we were there. (Still not sure if these compliments were sincere, my sarcasm-detector is permanently off)

I think the facial expressions are the most "hostage situation" like thing ever; I think it would be racist to say that I look like a hostage if it wasn't for the sunglasses.

For the most part I was not worried about kidnapping. And this is coming from the girl who spent a couple hours by herself in downtown Marrakech, exploring and shopping, late at night.

One of the best parts about Morocco:

FOOD.

food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food food

And it was cheap, too. Only one meal did I spend more than 10 dollars, and that was a huge meal, and I was almost pissed about having to spend that much.

Best parts of the cuisine:

Pastilla- the thing above. It is really hard to explain, it has dough, chicken, spices, honey, etc.? The goodfood website describes it as a chicken "pie" but this is a blatant lie. It is DELICIOUS. I am going to learn how to cook it so when I can cook back home I will be a Moroccan chef.

Mint tea- for less than a dollar (tops $2, if you are at a fancy restaurant), you can get a little silver tea pot of green tea, strongly sweetened, with tons of mint leaves in it. It's delicious!! I think I'm buying a mint plant when i get back...

Tagine- Best one = Chicken with almonds and golden raisins. Almost like a chicken stew, but better, cuz it's sweet. Actually almost everything is sweet over here. So maybe that's why I like it so much? I have one mean sweet tooth.

Fruit juices- Usually no more than $2 tops (and that's for the fancy one, you can find street vendors who will squeeze fresh orange juice in front of you for 30 cents), it's uber fresh and delicious. Usually more of a smoothie than anything. They have it in almond (YUM), avocado (YUM), banana (actually just mentally add "YUM" to everything I describe/name, it'll save time), grapefruit, pineapple... the list continues.

Cous Cous- My mom makes a mean cous cous back home, but it's enough of a staple where I feel it is worth mentioning.

Dates- No cooking involved. I'm sure I should've cleaned them or washed them or something, but it is so great buying a pound of dates for a dollar and just eating them your entire vacation.

In Tangiers people were gathering around this one street vendor whose cake-ish stuff was absolutely swarming with flies. Or bees. We couldn't decide. So we bought the cake-stuff (10 cents each for a moment of adrenaline-packed adventure). It was relatively disgusting. I don't think any of us finished ours.

Also the Riad we stayed at for 20 euro a night (each) included breakfast, which was huge and yummy. Lots of honey stuffs.

In Fes, which like I mentioned before was a universally agreed upon "favorite city", there is a huge leather trade. This is where they soak the leather in plaster, then dyes, so it comes out weeks (days?) later ready to strip and make into clothes, bags, whatever. It was awesome.

In Fes we did some shopping. Tips when shopping in Morocco:

-Bargain. The prices they start at are RIDICULOUS. do not pay them. For American tourists/French tourists the sales people start especially high.

For example (my friend, L, I am sorry I must tell this story): A hookah (small one, worth maybe $20 in the States) will be offered at $75. You then say $8. After much debate and your attempt to walk away, you can probably get it for $16. You do not "Bargain" down to $65, because then you shake on it and you have been properly screwed over.

-Do not shake on a deal if you do not want it. I do not want to tell this story, as the Berber man still gives me nightmares. They (the Moroccan people) turn violent when a deal falls through. (Fortunately the only time I was hit was when I refused to give an obnoxious beggar girl more dates after I already gave her 3)

-Window shopping is dangerous in the "you WILL spend $" sense, especially if you enjoy bargaining (which I think I do?). I bought 1 outfit, 2 shirts, little gifts for people back home, a belly dancing skirt and a handle holder for my host fam in Spain. I intended to buy maybe half of that. And definitely did NOT plan on getting a belly dancing skirt. Esp. considering I don't belly dance.

Train from Fes to Marrakech. Literally hanging out of the cabin while it is going fully speed.

At one point train security saw what I was doing and rushed over. I was slightly worried I would get yelled at (and I hate being yelled at), so I start moving back inside. The man asks, "What on Earth are you doing?!" and I reply, "Well I wanted to take a look out the door, the countryside is so pretty..." and he responds, "But you have to open the door wider! You're not doing it properly"

In the States this would never have occurred, not because Americans are worried for each other's safety so much as they are worried they will get sued. This is not a concern in Morocco (or really any other place in the world except for the US?)

Also. I got to practice my French for 4 days. While some Spanish is spoken in Tangers and some English was spoken in Marrakech (less in Fes), French and Arabic are spoken everywhere. So I learned some arabic ;)

For example, you greet with "Salam alaykum" (I don't know if this is how you spell it, but it's how you say it). It's like the same thing as "Shalom" in Hebrew.

Anyway Morocco was great. It was warm (75 oF in some places), the food was spectacular, the company was great. Definitely going back, though maybe not for a while, I have so many more places that need to be adventure-ized!

Carnaval: Like Halloween, but it doesn't start till 2

Carnaval began years ago, when people would dress up in order to disguise themselves from the wicked vampires that would try to hunt them down, and engage in very un-Catholic practices right before Lent ("Cuaresma").

K most of that is a joke; I have no idea why we celebrate Carnaval, but I do know a lot of it has to do with the same idea as "Fat Tuesday": engorging yourself on all the things you will be denied during the Lenten season.

Spain, however, removes the Lent part and adds more alcohol and lots of costumes. I felt underdressed- for someone who spent about $70 on her Halloween costume (after all, Halloween IS my favorite holiday), I feel like the 5 Euro mask I bought (add high heel boots, bikini top and matching purple sweater) didn't do the celebration justice. Just look at what other people wore!!! (and in the pic, you can see most of the central square and its insanity, SO many people (most of them drunk), SO much fun!)

The gorgeous girls wearing a pink feather boa and a pirate hat are friends from college; I was lucky enough to meet up with them in Cadiz!

The Three Musketeers and all of their friends were our dates (and in many cases our food sugar daddies) for the night...

My USAC (program) travel boys (apparently the fact that I call them "boys" when I need them makes me a maternal figure?). Epic costumes. Epic 20 minutes meet up (which was fine because I spent the next 4/5 days with 'em).

I have no idea who these people are, but they were staying at my hotel and were leaving as I was going in, so I asked for a pic. They're all like 40, 50 + and about to party until 6am. Got to admire their spunk ;)

The worst/potentially most hilariously memorable part was the weather. Cadiz is in the south of Spain, and home to the biggest carnaval on the mainland (Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, is actually bigger, but a program out of Madrid was offering hotel, bus, etc for 125Euro)

But while the weather on Friday night was fine, on Saturday (the real big party night) it started POURING at around 2am, so even though everyone stayed pretty close to the center, we were all huddled under little roofs, in bars, etc. And it just made it all the more hilariously insane.

Totally recommend it. I love dressing up. Should've gone much bigger, in hindsight. Though the mask adds a certain element of mystery, ¿si?