Semana Santa

There is no block of chocolate in my hand, but I write to you now because I fear I will soon grow tired of telling this story of Semana Santa.

Cast:
Me, Jessica, Shelby, Katie, Erica (Beaves), Erica (Erutz)

Setting:
Andulucia (Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga)

Exposition:
I came up with the idea, days set in each city and hostels.  Katie organized everything from there.

Tagline:
There are warm people in this world and cold people.  The lives of those of us in the middle often depend on those extreme people's choices.

Thursday April 14th-
We leave Oviedo at 6 in the morning.  Erutz forgot her converter and Katie only slept for 3 hours.  We fly to Barcelona and have a 4 hour layover before everyone (minus Shelby and Katie) arrives in Sevilla.  WE LOVE SEVILLA.  It really felt like Spring Break because there were orange and palm trees all around.  So warm.  So different from Asturias.  We worked together to find our hostel and were only lost about 5 minutes in the neighborhood it was in.  Our hostel is SO COOL.  It's this 4 story bohemian cove for tourists our age.  They have a free food cupboard and shelf in the fridge and you know I took advantage of that (Eggs for breakfast and noodles for lunch!).  We get settled but not for long because everyone (minus me and Beaves) is leaving for Granada in a few hours.  I put Granada on the trip mainly to see the Alhambra, this amazing moorish palace.  However, we did not book tickets enough in advance and we could only find tickets the during a day we were scheduled to be in Sevilla.  Beaves and I didn't want to go through buying 30 euro bus tickets to sleep in a bus station, maybe lose our hostel reservations, and see the Alhambra.  I figured things would work out.  So they left and Beaves and I had a relaxing night walking back to the hostel and playing games.  The next day we left in the morning to find her new shoes (comfort over fashion) and walk around the city.  Katie had everything down to a tee and I asked her what sites that we might not be able to see, since they are losing a day.  We saw some of those things (mostly plazas) and went to the Alcázar.  Amazing.  I did not realize how much I loved gardens until this trip.  I did know that I wanted to see a hedge maze while I was here- and there is a labyrinth within the gardens!  We stayed there for 2 hours.  We lazed about and ended up taking siestas in the hostel.  Then we went to pick up the others from the bus station.  We went to a free Flamenco show that night and on the way accidentally came upon a Semana Santa procession.  Cool!  Eerie.  Then we collapsed in our beds after.  The next day we were down for business.  The people who missed a day wanted to see EVERYTHING they had ever heard about Sevilla in one day.  This was cause for some disagreements.  Anyways... we ended the night watching the Real Madrid/Barcelona game which ended in a tie.  All the while we spotted gypsies and I was often compared to them.  We went to the Plaza de España, which looked different than any other plaza I've seen so far and supposedly part of Star Wars was filmed at?  I have no idea, I'll have to look it up.

At this point I don't know days... Córdoba-
We get to Córdoba and walk to our hostel.  It's supposed to be a 40 minute walk, but it doesn't feel like it because I am taking in all that is around me.  At first I think-this isn't as cool as Sevilla.  Not as much life, not as much orange.  I would soon change my mind.  I LOVE CORDOBA.  I love it, I do, and I think almost everyone I know would too.  They have 1 of the 3 synagogues in Spain, the Mezquita (Amazing mosque, with amazing history [It is now a cathedral]) and of course a mountain of Catholic influence.  That would entice many people.  The streets are beautiful and have awesome names!  I actually took pictures here!  The Alcazar here is BEAUTIFUL.  I realized that something I loved about the alcazares is that you can walk through everything then pick a spot and soak in your surroundings.  I felt no guilt in sitting down closing my eyes here, because I was still taking in what it had to offer- the strong scent of flowers, the warmth of the sun, and the peaceful tinkling of the fountains.  Additionally- they are being used for their intended purpose.  I sometimes feel bad that there seems to be NO church in Spain that is just a church, without tourists.  I think it is hard enough to pay attention, but with tourists walking around and muttering during mass, come on?  That would be so difficult!  But people built these gardens long ago for people to relax in and people are still doing that.   Anyways, Córdoba also has wonderful shops.  Honestly, anyone would love it.  I was a weird person here though.  I showered, bought souvenirs, and took pictures.  We were all confused.  We saw more processions and more people.  I talked to my madre about how much I loved Córdoba and she said that it is place filled with educated people.  Definitely loved it.

Granada
We get to the Córdoba bus station and think our bus isn't ready yet.  'Uh, that super bus is still at our gate.  I wonder when our bus will come, I hope it's not late...'.  Turns out- we actually got the super bus!!!! YES! I love them.  We got baggies with food and water in them, watched Princess and the Frog, and had plenty of leg room for 3 hours.  Definite highlight.  We got to Granada and decided to take the bus to our hostel because it would be another 40 minute walk.  The bus was packed and so I was very watchful of my things, but I got separated from my group which didn't make me comfortable.  This man kept trying to push through me and I said that I couldn't move, but he kept trying so I told Erutz to sit on her suitcase and let him through.  It was crowded to the point that people didn't make it off at their stops because they couldn't get through.  However we made it out and walked to our hostel.  We start getting our money out to pay and I hear, "Wait, where's my... no not... no... where's my wallet? No! WHERE'S MY WALLET?!".  Everyone scrambles and looks.  Erutz understandable starts to sob.  Shelby and I run outside search the streets and the bus and get the number of the bus company though we know they won't have it.  When we come back we find out that she has canceled her debit and credit cards and that they tried to buy something but her dad is on top of it.  There's nothing we can do now, but try to make light of the situation.  She's feeling better after some comforting and some jokes.  We go out that night because Jessica and Shelby's professor from last semester used to study in Granada and she said to go to this certain pub and say 'hi' to the bartender for her.  We do, he doesn't remember her, embarrassing.  The next day Beaves and I decided to try to get tickets to the Alhambra, we heard that they keep some everyday to sell AT the Alhambra, even if it is sold out online.  The first bus to it leaves at 7 so we leave then.  That was a joke.  The line is 200 some people long.  We get in it for a second and ask a woman in line how long she's been there and how much she's moved.  5 feet in 10 minutes.  Then we hear an announcement that they are only selling 100 more tickets for the afternoon.  Soo.... We ask the people at the very front of the line what time they got there: 5:30 AM.  Ok, we can do that.  We decide to see the free parts of the Alhambra  and walk back to town (The Alhambra is on a hill overlooking Granada) so that we can know our route for the next morning.  There is a wonderful but steep pedestrian path that slowly leads to the city.  We start to see shops and hostels and think, "Wouldn't it be great if our hostel was right here?".  We get down to the main street and Beaves pulls out the map and then I say "No!" we just passed our hostel!  We DO live right here!  Yay!  The next day's trek would not be so difficult.  When we get back everyone is still sleeping so we join them.  We get up and decide to see the city.  Granada is the least like Spain city I've seen.  It has so much Arabic influence that it doesn't really match up to what we have seen before.  The Cathedral and Palace cost money to get into so nobody (but one) wants to go in, after a while a church is a church and a cathedral is a cathedral.  And after someone's money gets stolen everyone thinks a little harder about their own.  The food market is just a meat market, the baths are expensive and only consist of a 15 minute massage, and the street venders are many and creepy.  I am not feeling Granada.  We have until 9 pm the NEXT night (because we thought we'd go to the Alhambra, and I tried pleasing someone by going to each place for the EXACT number of days that someone told them they had to be there... so I had to play with hours).  I throw the idea out that I want to leave Granada as soon as Beaves and I see the Alhambra.  This doesn't go down very well.  We go out that night to see gypsy caves and the Alhambra lit up at night and we keep getting lost, but the person with the map wouldn't let anyone help.  Moods are getting cranky.  We decide to go to bed early even though Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing again.  Beaves and I get up at 4 in the morning and hike to the Alhambra.  We get to the box office at 4:45 after having trouble getting out of bed, walking like zombies, and getting slightly lost.  We are the 4th and 5th people in line.  I REALLY wanted to take a picture every half hour of the line, but she said it would be too weird and obvious with the flash on.  We sit and talk and ration our cookies and chips.  By 8, when the office opens, there are at least 150 people in line.  I whoop when the guard opens the door and people laugh, and then he starts closing it again and people joined me in 'oooh'-ing, and then he opened it again and there was some clapping.  Fun.  We got morning tickets and went right in.  I think this was one of those things in which I got my hopes too high. I had learned about the Alhambra in art, Chris told me I had to go, and I had talked it up in my own head.  It was beautiful, it was exciting to get tickets, but I wasn't falling over in amazement.  I think I was tainted by seeing the alcazares first, and the girls who came to Granada first were the other way around.  We covered every bit of it and walked down to the hostel at 12.  We told everyone we were leaving and they could join us if they wanted.

Málaga
We changed our bus tickets for one euro and then waited for an hour in the bus station.  Quick anecdote- At many bus stations there is a restaurant called 'exit'.  I was walking behind Beaves and she kept turning around and trying other doors.  I didn't know what she was doing until she asked, "How are we supposed to get into this cafeteria?!".  HAHAHA I asked her what country we are in, and how do they say exit?  Funny.  We get to Málaga at 4 and decided to take a taxi to our hostel because we are TIRED. We get there and the lady asks if we are the Italians.  I thought oh no oh no, she lost our reservation but then I remembered that my name is Andino and it confuses people.  We laughed.  So we get ready and I told her we are early, but are wondering if we could leave our stuff there or anything.  She's smiling, being friendly and then stops and frowns.  "You're 22 hours early.  I have no room for you".  What?  22 hours?  If anything it's 10 hours.  We're coming at 2 am.  "2 am? Come on, I have to sleep at some point".  You offered 2 am as a check-in time! "2 PM"  (All the while she is saying mañana which can mean morning or tomorrow, but she is saying 2 in the mañana which would mean morning, but she really means the tarde....)  You offered military time, so 2 in the tarde would be 1400.  "No no no, regardless I don't have room for you".  Crap.  We ask her if she knows of any other hostels nearby.  No. We ask her if we can pay the same and all sleep in one bed, or on couches.  No.  We are scared that all the girls will hate me.  We find out that Jessica and Katie are coming one hour after we came and then Shelby and Erutz are coming one hour after that.  So we are trying to come up with ideas before everyone comes.  The lady lets us use her computer and we find two hostels, no one could fit 6 but each could fit two.  We decided to walk back to the bus station to tell the other girls to their face because this would not be a good phone conversation.  Surprisingly, Kate (the planner) doesn't seem angry, she is in her element.  We are going to fix this.  We will go on a day trip somewhere near hear and come back tomorrow.  She and Beaves go to the 2 computers offered at the bus station and start working.  I feel as though more input would just make things confusing so the four of us are standing around talking.  We have all of our things on us but Jessica has her purse and bag at her feet along with the Erica's big suitcases.  We are talking in a circle around our stuff and just goofing off, I'm glad that no one seems angry with me and then Jessica looks down and says, "Fudge!".  Fudgefudgefudgefudgsicles.  Her purse is gone.  We were all right there. We look around, run around, no where.  We talk to security, they have it all on tape but they won't take the time to show it to us.  "They're probably gone, it happens all the time, tough luck".  I ask a couple people to open their bags, knowing I'm being judgemental and rude, but I'll never see these people again.  We decide we are done with Málaga and Semana Santa and cancel our hostel and instead buy bus tickets home.  Jessica goes to the police station to get a form for her passport.  And we wait in the bus station until our bus leaves.  We suspect this guy who was sitting near us at the time and know that they often work in groups.  We're just sitting around and we see two other guys walk up to him and they all have walkie talkies (same word in Spanish) and are transferring things! I run to the Security office bang on the door and say that we are seeing something suspicious!  They come out and talk to those guys and say they are police.  We didn't see them show any evidence and we don't understand what the police would be transferring or why they would have 'undercover police' if they don't even care if someone gets robbed.

The return
We get on the midnight 6 hour bus to Madrid.  We have a 3 hour layover there before our 6 hour bus to Oviedo.  I get home and am able to cancel our other bus tickets that we won't be using and I talk to my Madre about the trip.  Jessica is figuring things out and I'm going to go with her to the embassy on Wednesday.  Chris says she should be able to get a new passport in two weeks or so.  So that was the trip.  A lot of fun, a lot of frustration, and then a lot of sadness.  It was comforting coming back to Oviedo, our second home where we know we are safe.  But I'm sure I wasn't the only one last night wishing I was sleeping in my home in Iowa.