Malaga

2008, 3.31 Malaga, Spain

In the morning, Wes, Nate and I all woke up and started getting our things together at the condo. Before long, it was time to say farewell to Wes who was catching a bus to Malaga where he would be later boarding a flight back to London. It was strange to say goodbye, as it didn't seem like it would be very long before I would see him again, but I suppose that is due to our many comings and goings at this point--with all of the trips throughout the six and a half months. Anyway, it was sad to see him go. Not too long after he left, Nate and I were ready to head towards Malaga, as well. We checked out of the condo and thanked the staff of the condo (very friendly owner who treated us very well). We were then on our way to catch the bus to Malaga.

The bus ride was not too terribly long. We finally passed by Marbella, which we had been meaning to visit all week long, but never did--the beach was just too wonderful to give up any time away from it. It looks like we didn't miss much, anyway, really. We took the city bus to the bus station in Marbella where we, luckily, were just in time to catch the next bus to Malaga. Pretty soon we were seated on the bus to Malaga. It was a pretty drive along the coast with ocean views along much of the way and mountains on the other side of us.

In Malaga, Nate and I found the train station so that I could buy a ticket for a night train from Malaga to Barcelona. We put our bags in a locker, and then went out to explore the city.

A flower stand on our way to finding some lunch

After wandering a bit, we found a charming little restaurant with outdoor seating to enjoy some lunch. There were street musicians trying to woo the patrons into paying them money. It was rather enjoyable music, but I was short on cash. For lunch, I ordered some cous cous--similar to what I had in Morocco.

Cathedral

Malaga had a Picasso museum; however, it is not open on Mondays, and therefore we missed out on experiencing it. Instead, we decided to check out the parks and the old fortress at the top of a mountain in the city. It was a lot of climbing, but felt good, and was worth it for the beautiful views along the way.

View overlooking Malaga's port from the nearby mountain that Nate and I climbed

View of the bull ring from above--Nate and I could see matadors practicing from where we were standing

Pretty view looking towards the east of Malaga

Park at the top of the mountain in Malaga

Walking back to the train station along the board walk

Before too long, it was time to head back to the train station so Nate could catch his train to the airport. I had a few more hours before my nightrain departed. We found our way, stopped at an ice cream shop to get some yummy coconut icecream, and then got our bags from the locker. We had a nice goodbye and then were on our separate ways.

Time went by quickly and pretty soon it was time for me to board my night train to Barcelona. I found my way to the platform, got my documents (ticket, passport, rail pass) ready and boarded the train. Once settled in, I chatted with my coachmates (four women who all spoke mostly Spanish), journaled catching up on the past several days, and then eventually retired to my bed (it was a sleeper car with a fold down bed complete with pillow and blankets--pretty comfortable, actually). In the morning, I would be in Barcelona for the second time. Malaga was a short but sweet experience.

A lazy week in beautiful Espana

2008, 3.24-3.31 Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, Spain

Nate and I met up with our friend Wes in southern Spain where Nate's family had a timeshare condo. We were spoiled by a comfortable apartment, wonderful sunshine, and beautiful beaches. We cooked homemade meals, wandered along the beaches and basked in the Spanish sunshine, and took in a bit of the local nightlife.

The outside of the condo where we stayed

Our view hanging out on the beach

Beach side bar

It was a very relaxing week and was the last I would spend with my good friends and travel buddies, Nate and Wes. I had the privilege of spending my 23rd birthday with them during this time, as well. We had a nice relaxing week and had a sad, but nice farewell.

Fes

2008, 3.22-23 Fes, Morocco

After our trip on the Road to Zagora and returning to Marrakech, Nate and I decided to take a night train to Fes. We walked to the train station from the medina in Marrakech, at least a half hour by foot. We bought our train tickets and boarded the train within the next hour.

The train's interior reminded me of vintage furniture with baby blue patent leather seats. It was not the most comfortable of rides, but eventually we arrived in Fes at about 1:00 am. It was a very long night train ride from Marrakech to Fes. Thankfully, there was a fairly inexpensive hotel with vacancy right next to the train station, in which we were extremely fortunate to find an affordable room for the night.

The next morning, after a very restful night's sleep, the two of us got ready, checked out of the hotel and headed out into Fes in search of another place to sleep for the night. Before too long, we found a cheap place to stay, dumped off our backpacks, took a brief break, and then headed out to explore the city.

As we wandered, we found some lunch at La Bordeaux restaurant where I tried a Moroccan salad accompanied by, of course, mint tea. Our waiter was a very gentlemanly older man who served us very well, and we sat at a table looking out towards the street, making it great for people watching.

Moroccan Salad-a tasty lunch

After a lovely lunch, we continued to wander the city, going through the new part of the city first. One of the interesting experiences in Fes was stopping for an ice cream treat at McDonald's (something I would never normally do when traveling--I try to avoid American restaurants and chains). Nate and I were the only non-locals in the building and were receiving some very strange looks from the other customers in the restaurant. It was a very odd encounter, but an interesting one, nonetheless. I did notice some of different food items on the menu than back home, such as the McArabia sandwich. Besides the customer population and select few menu items, McDonald's was otherwise about the same as a McDonald's in the US, even the taste of the food.

From McDonald's, we wandered towards the old part of the city, the Medina. This part of the city is arguably the most interesting part of Fes. It is a labyrinth of old buildings, paths, fresh food markets, smells and aromas, beautiful hand crafts, and people. As we moved deeper into the Medina, it felt almost like stepping back in time, yet we did come across a sign advertising an internet cafe at one point.

Gate to the Medina in Fes

Hand-crafted wood carvings. To the right of these was a fairly small room with about 8-10 men standing at tables rigorously hand-carving these beautiful drums.

A few of the many infamous Moroccan hand woven rugs in the Medina, a painting of a Moroccan woman, and a sign in Arabic

Part of a tannery in the Medina of Fes, one of their very popular local trades

The Medina was a fascinating place; however, because I didn't spend a great amount of time here, I feel that my description would not do it justice. Some say that Fes is a city that takes some time to get to know in order to fully appreciate its unique character. After spending only a short time there, I feel I did get a small taste of what the culturally and historically rich city has to offer, but I agree.

After briefly exploring the Medina, Nate and I were lead out on the other side to find a taxi, which turned out to be quite a challenge. We ended up walking for about twenty minutes before getting into a cab that we shared with an elderly person who sat in the front. Before we knew it, the Medina was a thing of the past and we were in the new part of Fes, it was almost like traveling into the future as we moved through the city.

The boulevard in the new part of Fes

After the lucky cab ride (it would have been a long and confusing walk) back to the new part of Fes, we strolled along the modern streets and boulevards and people watched before grabbing some dinner. One thing I noticed as we went along was that, though there were many families on the boulevard wandering about, almost all of the patrons sitting at the roadside restaurants were men. Another notable thing about Fes was that there were few, if any, bars to go to, which, I believe, is largely due to their religious practice of abstaining from alcohol.

All in all, Fes was an interesting place full of many interesting experiences. If ever I get the chance to return to this unique city, I will certainly plan for more time here, especially so I can further explore the labyrinthian Medina.

The Road to Zagora

2008, 3.20-21 Draa Valley, Morocco

After spending a couple of days in Marrakech, Nate and I ventured off on a two-day tour through the Draa Valley of Morocco. We got up early in the morning and met up with our tour group--a van of about 15 or so people from various places around the world. People spoke French, Spanish, English, and Arabic, so it was interesting to hear bits and pieces of people's conversations and learn a little bit about who they were and where they came from. Our driver was a very quiet, gentle man with obvious skill in driving as he took on the steep, sometimes bumpy, and ever-winding mountain roads with the large van in which we traveled. He spoke Arabic and French, so I relied on the basic knowledge of French via my experience with Spanish and the help of other people in the group to understand where we were and what was going on.

From Marrakech, we traveled towards a city named Zagora and the Sahara Desert. I couldn't believe how curvy and steep some of the roads we traveled were. We stopped for a few breaks along the way...


took in the beautiful scenery...

An oasis outside of Zagora--there are youth playing soccer near the edge of the sea of palm trees

passed an oasis or two...

Palm trees, sunshine, and beautiful flowers

...and took in the impressive scenery all around us. Once we arrived in Zagora, we mounted our camels and prepared for the ride to our campsite just on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The camel was a good mode of transportation, a little awkward with the camel's long strides and humped back, but a very fun experience.

On my camel, ready to go

Silhouette and a camel head

Sand blowing at dusk

As we traveled along in our caravan of foreigners and camels, it was quiet for much of the trip. I tried to capture every moment in my memory. I was stunned by the beauty of the desert with wind blowing sand across the dunes and desert ground like slithering snakes, the sun setting behind us slowly as we loped along deeper into the desert, and watched the bright white full moon rise ahead of us over the mountains in the distance. It was a powerful experience.

As the sun continued to set on the horizon, we made our way to the desert camp. When we arrived, we dismounted our camels and were lead to a tent. Here, the group sat down on mats and mingled while our tour guides got organized and prepared dinner. We had some time to sit and relax, rest, or wander around the campsite (not much there, really, besides camels, tents, sand dunes, and a donkey wandering around). Nate and I chatted with one of the guides and got to know a little bit more about the people with whom we were traveling.

It was soon dinner time and they served us a large clay pot full of couscous, vegetables, and chicken. We sat on the floor of the tent at a short table and shared our meal with two young women friends from Australia who were living in the UK and working. They were very nice and made for good company. The food was delicious and very filling.

A few of our guides playing drums in the tent where we ate dinner and socialized, and in the background the Australian young women with whom Nate and I shared dinner.

One of the younger guides danced and clapped his hands to the strong beat of the hymn-like music in unfamiliar Arabic words that the older guides played. It was very enjoyable and engaging.

After the wonderful dinner and entertainment, the group was tired and most people decided to head to their own tents and have some down time before going to bed. Nate and I wandered outside of the tent around the camp site and check out some of the dunes by the light of the full moon. It felt very surreal, almost like magic.

In the middle of the night, I awoke to the winds blowing one corner of the tent door open. As I wrestled with the flapping tent door and tried to secure it, I could hear sand thrash the outside of the tent as the wind continued on. I was able to improve the door situation slightly and returned to my bed. Looking up at the tent ceiling from my mattress pad, I could see the full moon above through the thinning canvas material. I noticed the feeling of sand in my mouth and teeth as I dozed off into the depths of sleep.

In the morning, the guides woke us as the sun began to rise. The group gathered again in the tent where we had dinner the night before and enjoyed some breakfast. I wandered a bit around the sand dunes, taking pictures and enjoying the last few minutes of my time in the desert.

Desert camping

Saharan Sunrise

With the rising sun at our backs, we were soon on our camels, traveling in our caravan, loping back towards the van and Zagora. We reached the van, dismounted the camels, and were then on our way back towards Marrakech--an approximately four hour drive headed northward.

My ride and his friends

Along the way back to Marrakech, we stopped to have lunch, to take pictures of the scenery...

Architecture in Ouzarzarte on our way back to Marrakech

...and to do maintenance on our broken down van. As we were maneuvering around the winding mountain roads, we were headed down slightly around a curve and heard a loud noise from beneath the vehicle. Our calm driver slowly pulled over as best he could with limited space available and the mountain edge to one side of us. Without a word, he got out and checked the vehicle.

With some confusion, patchy translation, and a few minutes of theorizing within the group of what was happening, it was determined that something had supposedly happened to the axel. I saw the driver cross the street to pick up a few medium sized rocks and return to the rear of the vehicle. After several minutes, he returned to his driver seat, started the engine, and put the van into gear. We rolled about ten feet foward and then heard the same noise that we had heard the first time. About half way along our return journey to Marrakech, it would appear we were out of luck and about two hours away from anywhere we wanted to be. As we sat there, people began to alight from the vehicle, gather their things, and wave down other travelers journeying along the road to hitch a ride back to Marrakech. As the group rapidly decreased in size, including the number of people who spoke both French and English--in other words those able to communicate with the driver, we had to make a decision.

Before too long, nearly everyone from the group was gone. Thankfully, our driver hailed another small tour group traveling in a mini-van back to Marrakech who had two seats available. Nate and I jumped at the opportunity and were soon heading towards Marrakech with a new travel group dominated by four Germans who spoke very good English and their also English-speaking tour guide. We were very happy that they were kind enough to give us a ride. I had lovely conversations with several of the group members and enjoyed the last couple hours of the winding roads, desert sands, mountain views, and palm tree oasises.

Eventually, we made it back to Marrakech and without any more challenges. It was quite a relief. Back in Marrakech, I saw the two men get dropped off who had shared our tent with us in the desert the night before and was glad they made the return. I am assuming everyone else made it back safe and sound. Nate and I thanked the tour group for the ride and the company and were dropped off near the tour bus stop next to the Djeema el Fna. We had made it.

Looking back, it is fun to remember the impressive scenery, riding camels, sleeping in tents, the world travelers I met, the feel and taste of Saharan desert sand in my mouth, and the magic of the whole Moroccan desert experience. The trip to and from Zagora was one incredible journey. But we weren't done with Morocco, yet.

Marrakech, Morocco

2008, 3.18-19 Marrakech, Morocco, North Africa

After a fun trip in Ireland, my friend Nate and I said farewell to our other friends and traveled to Morocco, North Africa. We flew from Dublin to London Heathrow Airport where we had a short layover before flying to Casablanca, Morocco and had another short layover, where, thankfully, we didn't have to get off of the plane. We finally arrived in the small, quiet airport in Marrakech late that evening. We found our way through passport control, stopped at the ATM to get some Dirhams, Moroccan currency, and then took a taxi into the city.

We had the taxi drop us off close to the Djemaa el Fna, the square and market place in the medina quarter, or old city, of Marrakech. It was dark out, yet busy with people, bicyclists, and vehicles. We learned quickly to be aggressive and very careful when crossing the streets. We had a map, but it was a challenge to find our way to our Riad (a fancy name for our hotel-like accommodation- so, we accepted an offer from a local boy to guide us on our way for a few Dirhams. The boy was very nice and showed us right to our Riad without any problems.

When we arrived, the manager of our Riad told us that there were no more rooms available at that location, but he had arranged another room for us around the corner. I was a little unhappy that our reservation had not been met; however, it turned out okay. He showed us to our room, gave us a map and some brochures with information on Marrakech, and made sure that we were comfortable. It was a pretty nice place.

The lobby area of our Riad

The next morning, the owners of our Riad showed us to an outdoor terrace where they served us breakfast--pastries served with mint tea, a very popular drink throughout our Moroccan experience. After breakfast, Nate and I wandered a little bit in the city to see what we could find. We spent most of the day exploring the city using the Marrakech bus tour as our mode of transportation to go beyond the medina.

The busy Djeema el Fna

Looking towards the Koutoubia Mosque and one of the busy roads

Theatre Royal in Marrakech

Interesting architecture and some of the locals

Snake charmers in the Djeema el Fna

Koutoubia Mosque and the Djeema el Fna

After a full day of exploring the sights of the city, Nate and I spent the evening wandering through the Djeema el Fna. We walked through the markets where we found plants and flowers, colorful glass lamps, stalls with baskets filled by mounds of dried fruit and nuts, and an impressive open-air restaurant. We tried some fresh squeezed orange juice, very sweet and tasty, and bought some delicious dried apricots and dates.

Eventually, we made our way back to the Riad and got our things packed before catching some zzz's. Early the next morning, we would be venturing on a two-day tour through the Draa Valley towards the Sahara Desert.

Dublin and St. Patty's Day

2008, 3.16-17 Dublin, Ireland

When we arrived in Dublin, we found our hotel, dropped off our bags, and then returned the car to the car rental at the Dublin airport. Our road trip had officially ended, but luckily the fun was not over. In fact, the weather had improved, we had a hotel to stay in for the next two nights, and it was St. Patrick's Day weekend, so we were all excited to explore the city and have some more fun. After walking from the airport back to our hotel (about 20 minutes) and getting somewhat settled, we caught a bus into central Dublin. It was a beautiful afternoon in Dublin! We checked out some of the local famous landmarks on our way to the Guinness Storehouse where we met up with a few of our other friends.

Statue of Daniel O'Connell looking towards the River Liffey on O'Connell Street

The Irish flag and some Irish adverts

O'Connell Bridge and the River Liffey

At the Guinness Storehouse, we learned about the history of Guinness to present times and all that goes into producing one of the most popular beers in the world. We then sipped a free pint of the dark, thick beer while taking in an aerial view of Dublin from the top floor of the brewery and enjoying some live Irish music.

The Guinness Storehouse

After our Guinness experience, we all headed back towards central Dublin and stopped for dinner at "Ireland's oldest pub," The Brazen Head. Here, we feasted on their famous Traditional Irish Stew as we enjoyed the atmosphere of their upstairs restaurant. It was lovely.

The Brazen Head Pub

To end the evening, we headed to the Temple Bar area and checked out some more live Irish music in the famous Temple Bar pub. It was a fun and lively Irish experience.

The Temple Bar
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March 17th, St. Patricks' Day in Dublin

The next morning, Nate, Steve, and I went to get some good spots to watch the parade. We met up with Lauren and her friend Anna, as well, and watched the parade.

Getting ready for the parade

Float in the parade

After the parade, we wandered through the masses of people and found some peace near the Dublin Castle in the Dubh Linn Gardens. We stayed here for a short while, enjoying the quiet, bright colors surrounding us, and taking in the sunshine.

Dubh Linn Gardens next to Dublin Castle

We then moved on to find lunch at a pub down the street where it was packed with people looking for beer and food. We stood sipping drinks and enjoying live Irish music until we got a table and finally some food. With food out of the way, we headed out to find another pub and ended up at a place across from Christ Church called "The Lord Edward." We had planned on staying only for one drink, but befriended a seventy-some-year-old gentleman who introduced us to his friends and family who were very kind and friendly people, and so we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon and much of the evening there. We had an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day singing Irish tunes, sharing stories, and getting to know our new Irish friends.

After The Lord Edward, we headed down towards the Temple Bar area where we spent a little more time before cabbing back to the hotel. We found our way through crowds of people and enjoyed more conversations with the locals and other tourists also enjoying the holiday festivities. It was a great St. Patrick's Day.

Temple Bar celebrating St. Patrick's Day

On the Roads of Ireland

2008, 3.13-15 Shannon, Sixmilebridge, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Tralee, Dingle, Slea Drive, Killarney, Macroom, Blarney Castle, Cork, Kilkenny, and on to Dublin

On the 13th of March, my BUNAC work visa expired, which meant that I had to leave the UK. My six months of work eligibility ended and they were kicking me out of their country as a resident, so I gathered a few friends--Nate, Ami, and Steve--and we flew to Ireland for a road trip. The four of us flew from London Stansted airport to the Shannon, Ireland airport near Limerick (only 13 GBP=$26 USD for a one way flight!).

Welcome to Ireland!

We took a cab from the airport to our hostel, the Jamaica Inn, in the small town of Sixmilebridge just outside of Shannon and spent one night there.

Sixmilebridge, the small town near Shannon where we stayed for the first night before picking up the car for our roadtrip. The next morning, we took a cab from our hostel back to the Shannon airport to pick up our rental car. As soon as we took care of all of the paperwork and got the keys, we found our car and were on our way!

Nate, Ami, Steve, Heidi

Starting off on our road trip!


St. Patrick's day cake in a bakery window in Galway

Home of the Claddagh Ring in Galway

Driving along the Irish coast on our way from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

Turner's Lounge Bar in Tralee where we ate dinner on our way to Dingle Bay

When we arrived in Dingle that evening after Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, and lots of driving. We had discussed sleeping in the car that evening to save on money for accomodation, but also for the experience, so we drove around Dingle a bit checking it out and settled on staying in the car for the night in a parking lot in front of the water of Dingle Bay. It was not a very restful night; nonetheless, it was a fun experience. I really didn't sleep much and when daylight arrived just before 7 am, I suggested we start on the road again. We took a scenic drive from there before heading out of Dingle and onto Killarney.

Scenery on an early morning venture on Slea Head Drive near Dingle

The sign for Dingle coming from Slea Head Drive, view of Dingle Bay

Beautiful scenery and view of Dingle Bay on our drive from Dingle to Killarney

Main Street in Killarney where we ate breakfast at Humble Pie Restaurant

Killarney was a lovely small town with a national park nearby; however, with the rain, we decided to pass on exploring it more and move on towards Cork and Blarney Castle.

Traffic jam due to a fundraising walk we came up to as we inched through the small town of Macroom

Before too long, we arrived at Blarney Castle, a lovely Irish experience.

Beautiful daffodils on the Castle grounds

I kissed the Blarney Stone!

One of the many humorous signs at the Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

From Blarney Castle, we drove through Cork and decided not to stop, as it was raining and we were determined to have some time in Kilkenny, so on we went.

As we had heard, Kilkenny was a neat little city. It had a lot of charm, pubs, shops, and lots of young people. We stayed at Daly's B & B on the main street, which had free parking and decent prices for the four of us to stay in one room. It was comfortable and conveniently located. Most everything was within walking distance, too. That evening, we went to a pub for dinner, had a drink and relaxed. It was wonderful to have a comfortable bed to sleep in after our long night sleeping in the car in Dingle.

Castle in Kilkenny just down the street from our B & B

The final stretch: On the road from Kilkenny to Dublin

We spent a lot of time on the road and saw a whole lot of Ireland. It was raining for a lot of the time, as is expected in Ireland in March, but it was beautiful and fun to see so much of a country from which my ancestors migrated. It was also fun to drive on the left side of the road.

And then it was onward to Dublin to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!