A fireman's worst nightmare and a little boy's dream come true...

Yesterday...I embarked on a very interesting journey to Valencia. Our bus left at 8:30a.m. from Murcia and we arrived in Valencia at around 12:00p.m. we were not scheduled to leave Valencia until 3:00a.m. (just so this is clear for everyone it ended up being an 22.5 hour trip)!

A little background information is necessary:

Last week I went to Cadíz with this same group and I had a horrible time. Honestly, I felt tortured. We were on the bus for so long and then when we did finally get to Cadíz we were stuck with no way to get back to our hotel until the scheduled departure time. Everything the group had planned was focused on binge drinking, and they were the most horrendous organizers I have met in my entire life. Why...you ask.... did I go on another trip with them? I almost didn't, but mostly I did because it was such a great deal. It was only 18 euros to get to Valencia when normally it is around 40 euros. BUT...this time I had a plan. My wonderful plan was:

1. Find a buddy
2. Once at Valencia ditch the group immediately with my buddy!

You will be happy to hear the plan worked out fabulously and I had one of my best experiences in Valencia:)

The reason there were 6 huge busses (3 from one group and 3 from another) going to Valencia from Murcia was because of the Fallas. The Fallas is one of the three biggest fiestas in Spain and not to be missed if you have any way to get to Valencia in March. The fiesta consists of huge sculptures made, in honor of San Jose (Saint Joseph), out of foam, cardboard, and papier-mache. Each sculpture is sponsored by a group or neighborhood and they cost a ton of money. This year the most expensive Falla cost 600,000 euros and the total cost of the Fallas surpassed 7.4 million euros. The kicker is...they set them on fire during what is called the Crema...lucky me I not only got to run around seeing the Fallas during the day I also then saw them burn late into the night. I know, I know, it is crazy...who burns 7.4 million dollars worth of art...Valencianos...in a fiesta that rivals anything I have ever seen:)

When we arrived in Valencia I literally did exactly what I said. I grabbed my buddy, Jessica, and we booked it. We didn't stop to take a group picture or stay with the group who was lingering around outside the busses like a massive heard of buffalo...nope we left them in our dust! Before we had walked for more than 10 minutes toward the city center we spotted a Falla. It was extremely exciting! The energy in Valencia was at an all time high. The streets were packed and citizens were tossing around fireworks like you toss out the trash. I said citizens on purpose because I can't decide if I saw more little kids throw stuff at me or more grown men. The smallest pyro I saw playing with a firework was a two year old. I am not lying...a two year old! What parent in their right mind lets there kids play with fireworks...pretty much every single Valencian parent. You would think I would have been scared for them, but I was actually more afraid for me. Those little boys were crazy they don't pay attention they just light and toss. I felt as if I was in a war zone..probably because I was...me against the entire male population of Valencia. Adding to the fireworks are the Mascletas. The Mascletas are loud bomb like fireworks they have no color, no beauty there sole purpose (in my opinion) is to make noise and render you deaf. Almost every Falla had mascletas set up with them and they went off from 1:00-2:00p.m. in a racket that would wake the dead. Here was a small set...yup this is small! (p.s. this is my first try at posting a video so if it doesn't work cut me some slack)


Back to the Fallas:) the best way I can explain how I felt was it was like going on an Easter egg hunt. I would see a Falla run towards the beauty of it and then screech in joy as I saw one down another street. They were everywhere and they were amazing! You cannot believe that they burn these works of art when you first see them! Here are some pictures of the awesomeness of the Fallas!

If only I had a bikini I would've looked just like her with blonde hair...right?

This Falla was in the Plaza del ayuntamiento (the main plaza where city hall is located...it was huge!)

I have no idea what this nun is doing but apparently the words beneath this "ninot" mean don't touch the bell:) I guess that means karate chopping it is ok?

froggies...

Jessica and I went from one Falla to the next. We didn't have a map of Valencia we followed the trail of Fallas and were hopelessly lost in no time. I have to say I have never had such a good time without having any idea of where I was. You couldn't help but stumble upon fallas everywhere you went. By the time it reached 5:00p.m. we were both a little tired so we ended up taking a nap in a park for 45 minutes and then we headed back toward the crazy racket in the city center. They had a fire parade at 7:00p.m. where the women who had won based on their traditional dresses walked with their court. There were dancers in the beginning and in the end there were a bunch of people in fire resistant suits spraying fire everywhere. They even had little boys in the parade spraying fire. We would never be able to do something like that in the United States someone would be suing someone else for getting a scratch in five seconds flat. In Spain I feel like nobody cares, in fact, I am pretty sure some people were purposely aiming at others but they think of it as harmless fun and part of the excitement.

Traditional Valencian dress...I wish you could see their hair close up it was so intricate...it must have taken hours.

Yes...this is a little boy shooting fire out of a dragon...these people are crazy!

After the fire parade we went in search for dinner but before we finally found a place we ended up seeing about 6 more Fallas and having to stop for photos. Weirdly, we also ran into some guys walking camels. I don't have any idea what the camels were for but I rarely see camels outside of the zoo so that was a treat. We ate at an  Italian restaurant and it was delicious. I felt like a grown woman because I ordered wine to go with dinner knowing anything else I ordered to drink I would drink too fast and have to keep ordering more. The wine lasted for the two hour dinner we had so it worked well. I had the Tortellini and since we had walked so much it tasted heavenly.

yummmy!

After dinner we ran to find a Falla we wanted to see torched. We ended up going to a big one and it was  crowded so we couldn't get too close. I then had the bright idea to go wait for a smaller one to burn so we could get closer. That was not my smartest plan. We were in the front row for the next Falla and I am ashamed to say I was shrieking like a little girl. I don't even remember saying half the stuff I said but I happened to catch it all on video because I was recording. This is embarrassing but it is the best way to show everyone how crazy Valencia is during the Fallas so do me a favor and don't laugh at me even though you will want to:)





After that experience where my skin was being singed and my backpack was steaming from the heat my adrenaline was up and my heart was pounding. It didn't help that at night the older guys seem to start playing with their fireworks which are louder and larger. The older guys are also more insidious about throwing them. They drop them sneakily so you don't realize that all of a sudden you are about to step on someone's firework and it goes off right next to you. Being me I jump about 10 feet in the air and hightail it in the opposite direction. Which led me to this tip...

Tip #5: Do not show them your fear. It resembles Halloween in that when the characters know they scared you they are relentless. Unless you want the next five guys that saw you shriek to drop their fireworks around you do not run screaming in the opposite direction. Even though you feel as if you are in a burning city that is being bombed and it is your natural fight/flight response... don't give in! If the Valencian two year old can handle the fireworks so can you!

We tried to go see the firework show in the main plaza at 1:00p.m.  but Jessica and I were having so much fun being burnt by the falla and having fireworks thrown at us that we sort of didn't realize that the fireworks had gone off an hour earlier and our bus was about to leave. Since we didn't have a map we ran around asking for directions until we found someone with a map. Luckily we made it back to our bus and I was back in bed by 7:00a.m. this morning. The Fallas were like going to Disneyland on drugs. Everyone is crazy and the city is burning alive. There is nothing like it and I am so happy that I was able to experience this crazy night that comes around once a year in Spain.

El Escorial (M3...finally)

Hello everyone. I am, I admit, a little behind but I am working on rectifying that so we are back to Madrid. El Escorial is a huge monastery about 45 minutes outside of Madrid by train and it happens to be Connie and I's third day trip. It has been both a royal palace and a monastery and is the burial place for most of the Spanish kings and queens of the last five centuries.

The building is imposing to say the least. It is huge and austere. The day we went it was windy; the clouds were ominous and dark and they added to the atmosphere of power and strength that surrounds the building.

Huge granite masterpiece...

View of the top of El Escorial from bottom of the hill

The building consists mainly of gray granite and walking along the rooms filled with art it was a sight to behold. Some famous works are housed in the building by artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Velázquez, etc. I was not expecting all of the artwork so that was fun to see.

The interior of El Escorial is just as austere as the exterior except when you come to the burial place of the kings and queens of Spain. Walking through the regular halls was a stark contrast from the Pantheon of Kings. Here, no expense is spared. It was the most beautiful place of death I had ever seen. It was a shock going from no opulence to gold encased tombs. I wish I had a picture but you are not allowed to take photos in the Pantheon. However, I did snag a postcard so I could take a little piece with me.

Next stop....Toledo!

Shake what yo momma gave ya...

I had the best time tonight and the best part about it was I didn't even realize it was coming. Nieves (spanish surrogate mother), invited me to go to Carnaval in Cabezo de Torres, a pueblo about 10 minutes from where I live.

It was awesome! I cannot even describe the costumes these people had. I am just going to go ahead and say it, this espactaculo left Halloween oozing pumpkin blood, in other words, it destroyed Halloween. The costumes were so artistic. It was everything I had ever imagined when I thought of Carnaval. I spent the three hours of the parade (yes...you heard me...that was THREE HOURS) alternating between smiles and barrel-rolling laughter. I am pretty sure everybody thought I was a little insane because I had the biggest smile on my face. The environment was just full of life and fun. Everyone was dancing, drinking, and listening to great music while a show played out in front of them. Here are some pics of awesomeness that is Carnaval...

I was barrel-rolling with these guys impersonating Lady Gaga...they were hysterically funny!

Yes...Hellboy is indeed smoking a cigarette:)

The Moroccan Man (M2.5)

It is really difficult to fully describe the experience I had couchsurfing. I can tell you that I feel it was one of the best things, if not the best thing, I have done since I came to Spain. I can also tell you I was terrified before we met who we were staying with.

If you ask your every day person off the street the idea sounds absolutely dangerous and insane. That is because it is. When I told my mom I had signed up for couchsurfers she literally almost had a heart-attack. I remember the night I signed up, it was a whim. I would be traveling so long with my best friend Kristen for spring break and didn't want to spend tons of money on lodging. I told my mom what it was and she turned to me and said,"Sarah, you are going to another country. I need to know you are going to be responsible and make smart choices and this does nothing to convince me that you are going to do that. I would rather pay for you to stay in a hotel than stay with some random person you don't know." If you know anything about me you know that 95% of the time I listen to whatever my mom says because she is generally always right (Don't you hate that about moms?). I remember I answered her by saying, "Mom...this is not just about paying for a hostel. This is about the whole experience...about meeting new people and trying new things. How cool would it be to say that I slept on peoples couches all throughout Europe?" She said, "How cool would it be if you were raped and murdered?" Hahaha she did have a point (an overdramatic one) but, I believe I had one too.

I think that the older people get the more cynical they become about the world. How can you not become more cynical? There is more pain and sadness. You see more horrible things. With couchsurfer the core is about people helping other people. Its about opening yourself up to new experiences and new things...broadening your horizons. I wanted and, still want to believe that most people are inherently good. That is why I didn't want my fear or anybody else's to stop me from trying this experience. Without risk there is no reward. In my case the risk payed off.

As I mentioned in M1 (Madrid part one) I thought we would be staying with a girl but, Connie lied to me (for good reason) and, we ended up staying with a Moroccan man. His name was Ali. We finally got back from Segovia at around 9:00p.m. and then took the metro and a bus to his house. His house was about 40 minutes away from downtown Madrid by metro and bus but, only 10 minutes away in his car. We finally got to his house at about 10:00p.m.

Going up to his apartment for the first time was definitely the scariest part. You have all this fear/excitement jumping around in your gut plus a staccato of "rape and death" in your head (thanks to your mom). I mean...we are taught since we are little not to talk to strangers and here I was going to a strangers house to spend the night. I am such a rebel. Thats right...everyone take note...Sarah Bryan is no angel! I like to live on the edge.

All that fear drained away when we met Ali. Ali was 35 years old and from Morocco. Surprisingly, he just had this air about him of calmness and tranquility. When you are around him you can't help but be relaxed. His house (apartment) was beautifully decorated. He was very artsy and had some of the most relaxing music I have ever heard. I am of the opinion that all of his furniture was so comfortable since he was from Morocco and apparently natives of Morocco are experts on comfy furniture. He had little poufs and such a great sofa/bed and chair. He also had masks for decorations! Let me just say it was a big step up from a hostel and I automatically felt at home in his house.

About five minutes after we walked in he said he was going to go out and meet some friends and asked if we wanted to come. Of course we both automatically agreed. After a quick shower we were on our way to downtown Madrid in his beautiful car.

*Side note...I miss my car. After taking all these planes, trains, buses, and metros it was so nice to be in a car listening to good music! When I get home I am going to plaster kisses all over my baby and apologize for taking her for granted.

We parked and then Ali took us to Plaza del Sol where they have the bear and Madroño tree statue (symbol of Madrid) and ground zero. All distances are measured from this point in Spain. It was one of the things on my "to see list" and I was so happy to be taken to it with a Madrileno!

"El oso y el Madroño"
*the statue weighs almost 20 tons

Left to right: Ali's foot, my foot, and Connie's foot
*All distances in Spain are measured from this point!

After doing the tourist thing we walked to a bar that Connie and I never could have found on our own. The bar was called, "Costello". We had to walk down Calle Montero to get to the bar and crazily enough the family I am staying with had warned me about this street. Why you ask? Well, it was because Calle Montero is the street where single men go to pick up prostitutes. Of course, after they told me I shouldn't go...shhh...don't tell... I secretly wanted to go. I was so happy that by chance I ended up walking down that exact street. There were quite a few hookers but, the police station is on this street so I felt safe. It was interesting to see that prostitution does exist outside my protected little world.

We stayed in Costello for about two hours drinking and listening to the music just getting to know each other. My dad would like the music at this bar and I can't wait to take him when he comes to Madrid. The nice thing about being with Ali was that we got to try out a bar that was all locals and, I felt like I experienced a side of Madrid that I never would have seen as a tourist. Being with Ali made me feel like I was living in Madrid, not just visiting to snap a few photos.

We left the bar and went to a discoteca (dance club) called El Sol. Normally there was a 9 euro cover but because the bouncers knew Ali all of us got in free. Just another perk of couchsurfing:) The music here was also great. They didn't really play pop music but instead music from different time periods. The most interesting thing about this discoteca was that there were people of all ages. I had never seen anything like it. There were 20 year olds, 30 year olds, 40 year olds, and 50 year olds all coming together and having a great time. We danced for hours and didn't leave the place until around 5:30a.m. Again, I felt like a real madrileño...I partied all night and into the morning.

Connie, Ali, and I in the crazy club lights...

When we got back to the house Connie passed out and Ali and I talked for another hour while he showed me pictures of his house in Morocco. I finally made it to bed at around 7:00a.m. (yup...I take my dancing/party time seriously). Connie and I still managed to wake up the next day at 10:00a.m. (at least I managed to wake up and then bug Connie until she got out of bed). I only had three hours of sleep but I didn't want to miss anything....next up El Escorial!

I had such an amazing time and it had only been a night/morning of couchsurfing. There is, of course, more to come on this subject...

The fairytale...(M2)

For getting to the hostel so late at night Connie and I managed to wake up pretty early at 7:00a.m. to start off our day. We decided to take a day trip to Segovia which is about 2 hours by Renfe outside of Madrid. While eating breakfast at our hostel we met a canadian who decided to join us for the day. Anna was traveling for 6 months by herself. That is brave! We all jumped into the crazyness of the metro and made our way to the train station where we bought our tickets to Segovia.

When we arrived we headed to the information desk (which is fast becoming my best friend in every new city) and oriented ourselves. The thing about taking the train is that some of the stations are a little farther out of downtown but, we started walking toward the city center and finally came upon this gorgeous sight...

Little me and the big old aqueduct

It is really hard to describe what I felt when I saw it but, I had to stop and breathe it all in. Here are some fun facts about the aqueduct...

* constructed in 1st century AD, over 2000 yrs old
*875 yards long, 98.5 ft high
*built from mortarless granite has stood firm all these years with no cement or mortar
*still functions!

After we saw the aqueduct we headed further into Segovia and stumbled upon this cathedral. I didn't know this was going to be here before we came so it was a wonderful surprise. Work started by the order of Charles V began in 1525 and it took over 200 years to complete. You can see why...

Cabildo Cathedral de Segovia *fun fact: Isabella I was proclaimed queen of castile in this spot

I have to admit that the main reason I wanted to go to Segovia was for the castle. I know, I know... I did say I wanted to shoot myself if I saw anymore castles but, this is different. This castle is the one that girls dream of being whisked away to when they are little. This castle was home to kings and queens and, this is the castle that was the model for the original Disneyland castle. The happiest place on earth has a castle modeled after the one I visited. Wow. Behold the Alcázar...

Finally, found the castle I was dreaming of:) notice the birds above I captured for dramatic affect

Not only was the castle amazing on the outside it was fantastic on the inside. The ceilings were all intricately decorated and so were the windows. The stain glass was beautiful. Here is one of the ceilings...

I know I look kinda creepy but take a look at that ceiling

We ate our lunch on the tower of the castle which was 141 steps to the top. I have it pretty much down to a science now. I go to the grocery store and buy fruit, bread, salami, and cheese (usually spliting with someone) and then I spend 2 euros or less and, get to eat at some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Me, Connie, and Anna on top of the world!

We later had a café con leche in a little shop and that is when Connie found out that we had someone to stay with for the next four nights. This was great because the hostel cost us 12 euros the night before and for four more nights it would have cost us more especially since they charge more on the weekend. We made it back on the train to Madrid and that is when we met the man we would be staying with for the next four nights...

Lets go surfing now...everybody's learning how (M1)

I don't even know where to start with this one guys...I had the best time in Madrid! The funny part is I only spent half of the time I expected in the actual city. I think it's too long to put in one post so I am going to split it in to parts (M1=Madrid part 1). LETS DO THIS ThiNg!!!

The trip started somewhat tumultuously when my partner in crime thought she didn't need her passport. What was she thinking (oh wait...she wasn't)? I had to call my host family to bring her passport to the airport. They took a taxi at the night rate...lets just say it wasn't good for her. However, we shook that off and boarded the last flight out of Alicante at 11:55p.m. We arrived in Madrid around 1:00p.m. and had to learn how to navigate their metro quickly. I have to say I was a little awestruck by the metro system. I have never seen anything like it and my mood immediately perked up because it was something new to me.

Yup...I have no shame...I did the tourist thing in the metro.

Connie and I...my first sighting of the metro

This bad boy was not easy to handle. There were about 10 different lines in 10 different colors and after begging a map off of a lady (who knew you needed a map for the underground metro?) who laughed at me for being so excited to ride the metro, I was set. I did my directionally savvy dad proud and got us to our hostel stop.
I am sad to inform you that after you ride the metro about 20 times that happy, free kind of feeling wares off. So here is my shout-out to all you newbie metro riders:

Tip #4: When riding the metro for your first few times do not let the creepy, zombie like stares of the citizens stop you from enjoying your moment to the fullest. Jump up and down, try no hands, initiate conversations, take photos, do it all because one day with no warning you become the zombie too.

Enough about public transportation.

The hostel we stayed at was clean and the staff were kind. I have to say, I used to be a kid who loved to get dirty. I could go out to the desert to camp for days on end without a shower but, sadly just like the abrupt end to my fascination with the metro, there was an abrupt end to my fascination with dirt. I am going to place the blame for this one on my dad and grandpa. Those two decided to get a motor-home and once accustomed to the sweet life it is hard to let go. While hostels are a step up from tent camping, they are not nearly as nice as the privacy of a motor home. When you have 8-10 girls sleeping in one room there isn't any privacy. This is when, as Janet Evanovich would say, "you put your big girl panties on." Luckily, right when I was about to give girly me a nice strong kick in the a**, fate intervened. Actually, it was mostly my partner in crime, Connie. Connie, a member of couchsurfers, had sent out requests searching for a free place to stay for the four nights we were in Madrid and, she got an answer when we woke up in the hostel the next day. She replied to the man and we had a place to stay for the next four nights. Whoops, I am getting ahead of myself, so I will leave the description of couchsurfers for a little later and start with Segovia. Segovia, about an hour and a half by train outside of Madrid was like a fairy tale. You will soon see why.

Our Hostel Las Musas..it was on a sketch street but right in the center of Madrid and clean:)

To be continued...

Vale la Pena, Cartagena!

I went on another day trip...wooohooo! I am enjoying my ability to hop on a bus, and in under an hour, be in a completely new place with wonderful things to see and do. This trip...the city was Cartagena, the day was warm, and the water looked perfect. What more could you ask for?


We started with a group of around 17 people and, we looked like a class taking a field trip. It was so weird to have so many people and the large number was a little unmanageable. We all went to tourist information together to figure out what sites we needed to see in Cartagena. Of course the first thing out of the woman's mouth was (yup, you guessed it) a castle. I admit, I cringed a little inside when she said it. This time, however, there was the addition of an elevator to get to the castle and things started looking up. Boy... was I wrong in thinking that. Guess what? We paid 3.75 Euros to get into that darn castle and it was probably the most modern looking castle I have ever seen. The best thing about the castle turned out to be the view...here are some pics from the top:)

Jessica and I with the port in the background...

View of Cartagena

After the castle, our big group muddled are way down to the port...the sun was shining, the water was glistening, and it was a great day to be in Cartagena. Once we were at the port people started splitting up into smaller groups that were much more manageable. Trekking from one place to another was a lot easier after we split up. I decided to go to the Maritime and Naval museum they had on the beach. It was free for students and, turned out to be the best museum I have seen while in Spain. It was extremely interesting. It had two sections. One was about shipwrecks and the other focused on shipbuilding and navigation. They had interactive consuls and excerpts to read about and look at. I felt the museum made up for the money I lost on the castle.

Posing with the museum letters....

Right when you walk out of the museum there is a submarine. I didn't realize it at the time but that submarine was the first prototype submarine designed by a local engineer, Isaac Peral. It was built in 1884 and launched in 1888. Its crazy to me that I saw the first prototype submarine...that just blows my mind.

First Prototype Submarine

Then the small group I was hanging out with stopped to eat at this café right on the beach. I had brought a sack lunch and turned my chair to face the ocean. It was stunning! There was a man playing a guitar near us. Between the view and, the chords from the music I was in seventh heaven.

Left to right: Me, Jessica, Carly, and Connie having lunch

After lunch we headed to the Teatro Romano...this ancient theatre in Cartagena was built near the end of the First Century B.C. Its hard to explain what it felt like to be in such an ancient place with so much history. The design was such that whatever was said on the stage would be amplified and, the people in the farthest, highest seats would actually hear the performance the loudest. The theatre in ancient times was a very political and classist venue. Depending on where you sat marked the class you were in. The theatre could hold up to 6,000 spectators. The museum before you reached the actual theatre was very interesting and their were some beautiful statues and ancient artifacts.

Teatro Romano

After leaving the theatre we went back to the port to take a boat ride. There was a tourist boat similar to many whale watching boats I have been on and then there was a catamaran. While we were at lunch one of my friends asked the catamaran crew if we could have a discount since we were students and surprisingly, they said yes. The catamaran which was huge and played great music ended up being an hour in comparison to the 45 minutes on the tourist boat and it only cost 1.75 Euros more. It was the best 1.75 I spent all day long. The boat ride was exhilarating and perfect. We danced, took pictures, let are hair blow in the wind, and did all the things you are supposed to do on a catamaran. The best part was that we basically had a private charter because it was only the three of us and two other couples on this huge beautiful sailing vessel!

I'm on a boat!

beautiful Cartagena!