Trying to get home from Spain......

I woke up at 6am to start gettin got the airport. I had to walk a ways, take a bus to the train station then a train the the airport. We took off just in time and headed for Glasgow. We were just above Glasgow when the pilot came on and said there was too much snow to land so we landed at Prestwick to wait for "a half hour". I sat at Prestwick for almost 3 hour...s trying to get to glasgow then had to stand in the rain sorting our soaking wet bags out on the taxiway THEN took the train into Glasgow where it got stuck a half mile down and we had to walk back to the airport where they got us busses. Was going down the carrigeway just fine, then we went off the road and turned on our side. sat in a freezing cold bus with a lady who had a broken arm, two kids, and tons of old people for two freakin hours. spent the next hour in the hospital.
My nice three hour journey turned into almost a 24 hour disaster. Ignas
and I made cookies and it made me feel loads better. Then he helped me pack for Newcastle. I am glad nobody else got seriously hurt but gosh it was a terrible flight.

Spain Day 5

This morning I woke up and met Arian to go to his leather-booth. Hung out there trying to chat to customers for a while then decided to take Seville by storm! I went to the bull ring, and the waterfront. When I was at the bullring there were a few other girls there and an elderly couple. There was a worker who was cleaning and askedif we would like to go inside the bullring. Of course we said yes and so he let us walk around when it was empty! He also said that we shoudln't take pictures because he is not supposed to let anybody into the stadium and if the pictures were found then he could lose his job. I'm not sure if the consequences are that serious but regardless I did not take any pictures :'( I really should havelooking back on it ugh, now I'm kicking myself for not :( I got to go by the waterfront and see some rowing teams. That was neat and gosh are they ever fast! Just four of them fly down the river.

After a relaxing morning I hopped on a bus and headed back to Malaga. I got here around 4 and started heading to my hostel. Showed up and found that a french guy who was here last time I had gone through was till here! So we had a nice chat. Went to go get free Spanish lessons at this certain school but it turned out that the spanish class was at a party and we couldn't find it so I went swimming! It was awfully late and cold but I can now say I have swam in the mediterranian! Two days before Christmas that is! Tomorrow morning I fly out to Glasgow. I am excited to go back because Lauren and Ignas and I are making cookies before I go to Newcastle but I will be sad to leave Spain. Ahh, all good things must come to and end eh?

Spain Day 4

Arian was the name of the boy that had helped me out the day before and he agreed to help me find my way to city center in the morning.He met me at my hostel in teh morning and walked me to his leather-booth that he worksfor his dad in this gigantic crafts fair. He showed me around the city a bit and gave me some breakfast that his grandparents had given him. I had allready made plans to go climbing in teh Sierra Nevadas with some people from my hostel so I met up with them and we went for a climb. It was perhaps the best climbing experience of my entire life. My first time climbing with belays and ropes and harnesses on rock. I would say it is the best place to learn too. The people I was with were quite good and they helped me out a lot.

We went back to Seville and I went to Arians leather-booth. He asked if I would mind watching it for a minute while he used the bathroom so I got to work a leather booth in Spain! THe leather work was all done by his dad and he did the painting. Some of the best leather work I have ever seen. Sold for absolutely nothing too. Arians grandparents came by and told me that I had to come to their house for Spanish dinner. I agreed and they told me when to come back to the booth. I went to look around seville. Got to see the cathedral and city center. I found out it is the biggest city center in Europe. It certinally is massive. Arian lent me his familys bike card which lets them rent the city bikes so I biked around for a bit. I also got to see a lot of street performers and a small parade going around the city center. I went back to the booth and met up with Arian and his grandparents and we headed to their flat. It was quite late when we got there. They had some mystery-soup and chicken, rice, and corn tortillas. THey also had loads of fruit and veggie dishes. It was a fantastic dinner with a traditional spanish family. even though I could not speak SPanish well and Arians grandparents spoke no english at all Arian translated when needed, I loved it!

Spain Day 3

SO excitment in Spain awaited me little did I know. I was getting ready to leave Malaga which was amazing. I woke up and headed to the cave dwellings. They are the biggest cave dwellings in Europe. Honestly, it reminded me a lot of a trailer park in Alaska. Loads of couches that are mostly broken sitting around everywhere and tires. Everybodys entrances to their caves are made of broken beds, fences, and cabinets. It was still incredible seeing people living like that. They have no running water, electricity, or sewage....bleh! There was an unbelievable amount of dogs running around too. My friend CJ and I joked about how Grenada is separated by this one little stream. On one sideof it is all teh cats and the other side is all the dogs. It is pretty much true too :) We hiked around the cave dwellings and over onto La Alhambra. An epic castle! I got a beautiful view of it from the back of the valley behind it that I hiked into. So I walked around town for a bit. Noticed that the streets are unbelivably little and hardly ever marked on a map. I went to the train station and asked for the next train going to Seville because I had heard that it was just beautiful. I got the ticket and then went to an internet site to look for a hostel. On the way to the train station I got 50 euroes taken off of me by a true-to-form pickpocketer. This left me with next to no money. I figured that since I had allready gotten the hostel it would not be a problem.

Got to Seville around 5 in the afternoon and started looking for the hostel. After a good hour and a half oflooking I finally came across it and started ringing the doorbell...ten minutes later and no answer I figured it must be closed down. Assumming that they close in the winter is the only answer that I can come up with. I thought it wouldn't be too hard to find another hostel because most towns they are sort of all over the place. Turns out that Seville only had hostels upwards of 50 euroes. I started getting pretty worked up when 9 and 10 rolled around and it was dark and I was alone. I was pretty freaked out. I was asking everybody for directions and either nobody coudl speak english or they just didn't care. I had been praying constantly for 5 hours just asking God to send somebody to me that could help me or that I would be able to find a hostel. I was also praying that God would tell somebody else to start praying for me. Turns out that my pastor back in my hometown just got a feeling right then to start praying for me, God is amazing. I was asking a guy on the street for directions and this random other guy starts talking to me in flawless American-accent English. He asks what I am doing, if I am lost, and if I would like him to show me to my hostel. I was so exausted, we, and tired, and desperate that I told him allright and he took me right there. It was probably a horrible idea to trust him but the combo of him speaking perfect english and me being exausted made it seem like a good idea. He ended up being a lifesaver for the next few days and a complete God-send.

Spain Day 2

This morning I woke up and headed out by 10 am. I was well proud of myself. Got a ride up to Granada and ended up arriving at 3:30. It was quite a while. Headed up to a hostel that I had picked up a fliar for at the previous hostel. The scenery was georgeous. We are just on the side of the castle which is totally epic. THe hostel we are staying at has a treehouse, chillout room, kitchen with loads of free food, and they are having a BBQ celebration just because it is Friday. It was slightly pricey, 18 euroes but totally worth it. We went out around 5 and headed up to the castle. It was almost like stepping back in time. There were stray cats everywhere that come up and rub up against you. THere was also a lady just singing in a stone hallway. The acoustics are great but it was just out of a storybook. She was a complete hippie from head to toe. We went around the castle until well after dark. I just keep imagining what it must have been like hundreds of years ago. Stumbled upon a crazy art museum that was attached onto the castle. It had a bunch of modern art that was all about babies, birds, Jesus Christ, and death. It was really quite strange. In Granada all of the pubs serve tapas with drinks. So we got a few mojitos and had a fantastic meal all for 5 euroes. We headed back to our amazing hostel and now I´m sitting here waiting for the burgers to get done cooking then we´re having a party!!!

Spain Day 1

So yesterday I arrived in Malaga greeted with intense sunshine. I was walking around in a tshirt and skirt the whole day! How bout that, it is 7 days til Christmas and I am in a skirt!!! (and not freezing that is). I got royally lost and walked around for about 5 hours before I found my hostel. I found the beach though, and it was beautiful. I am going to go swimming on my way back through. Arrived at my hostel late afternoon, it is the most interesting hostel ever. I walked in and this massive dog greeted me. He is a sheepdog but he is just enourmous. Then while I was checking in I heard a drum circle in the living room that was sort of constant until I checked out the next day. The hostel was just as if I was staying in somebodys house. The people there were all so fantastic and there was murals in every color of every thing you could ever imagine. I went out with a few of the people from the hostel to the Camerata Salzburg Salzburger Bachchor. It was an orchestra with a choir singing in the biggest cathedral I have ever seen. It is Malagas main cathedral. Absolutely Immense! I was just amazed by it the whole time. There were so many people there that we ended up sitting on the floor next to the wall BUT we were also just to the side of the orchestra so we got to have a pretty good view (I am working on that recital attendance even when on holiday!). Then we went back to the hostel for a birthday party of somebody who was there (I think he works there every now and then). Spanish birthdays are hilarious. Loads of singing and dancing. Then a Iranian, Australian, Barcelonian, and I went out to a few pubs around Malaga. We were pretty beat when we got back. Loved it though! I think I´m falling in love with Spain.

Heading to Spain!!!!!

I am all packed and ready to go to Malaga, Spain. Can't wait at all. I'm spending the first day just hopping around the town then I am going up to Grenada. Can't wait!!!!! I'll keep you posted :)