extremadura!

June 5, 2011

HI!

It’s Sunday night and only 10PM but I am soooo exhausted! This weekend my CIEE program had a trip to Extremadura. My friends and I decided the name sounds like an amusement park….but it’s not. It’s a province in Spain (I think I explained this earlier). It was the oldest place I’ve ever been for sure. After four-ish hour buses ride on Saturday morning, we arrived in Mérida. We visited a Roman theater and amphitheater. It looked as if it were straight out of a history book. The ruins were authentic, and the acoustics in the theater were perfect. The theater was used for plays while the amphitheater was used for gladiator fights – where gladiators fought bears, tigers, elephants, or any other wild animal. Insane. Then we went to a museum and after that had free time for lunch. I tried my first gelati/ice cream in Spain! Mmm delicious. I got the flavor strattacchio or some complicated flavor name like that, but it was just vanilla with chocolate chips haha.

Next was Trujillo. This was my favorite town on the trip. It was hilly and so quaint. We went to Francisco Pizarro’s house. He was the conqueror of Peru! (Isn’t that ironic Erinn – you just came back from Peru and I go to the house of the guy who found it! I was telling everyone my best friend just came back with beautiful pictures of Monchupichu (can’t spell it)) His house wasn’t too exciting but after that we went to this Arab Castle and it was straight out of a fairy tale! It had a beautiful view. I took a lot of pictures, but I never feel like asking people to take pictures with me in it, or ask other people to get in them. So when I upload them they are mainly of scenery. Just a warning. But seriously, the pictures might bore you because they do not do the real thing justice at all! Anyway, after the castle we went to our hotel (which was beautiful) and had dinner. It was vegetable pasta salad with shrimp (one of the best things I’ve had here), salmon (worst thing I’ve had here because I just can’t handle fish), and something between a pudding and a flan for dessert (indifferent…). After dinner all of us students all hung out and went to a bar to watch the USA vs. España soccer game, aka Spain dominating entirely. It was cool to be watching the game in Spain though!

Sunday morning we woke up and went to Cáceres. It was a really old city and we went in a church. I had fun, but it wasn’t the most exciting city and it looked just like the last one. I did see a mini-museum of the Semana Santa (holy week) festivities and they had dummies dressed up in traditional clothing. They look like the KKK because they have pointy hats that cover their faces and long robes, but they’re colorful (kinda). I tried one on and I look absolutely ridiculous. And scary actually. That was the highlight of Cáceres. We had lunch, which was delicious, and went home.

Now I’m here. This weekend flew by…it’s starting to really scare me. I adore Spain. I love traveling throughout it even to places I wouldn’t usually pick. The bus rides amaze me every time. The highways, the scenery, the towns – everything is so beautifully different than what I’m used to. Something I’ve noticed is that there’s no traffic on the highways, and most of them run through open fields and we’ll pass rows of olive trees, cows grazing, horses, and the occasional mountains. Even though I’m asleep for most of the bus rides (I’ve always been that way – I’m no fun to be with on long car rides, right mom? I fall right to sleep!), every time I wake up in the middle of the trip I’m looking at something beautiful. I love it so much. I’ve been here for almost three weeks now, and even though I’m taking in every second, it’s going by way too quickly for my liking! Each time I look at the calendar and see the date I am in shock! I don’t know where the time goes!

I also love the friends that I’ve made. Even though only a few are actually Spaniards, I’m appreciative for everyone in CIEE that I’ve become friends with. They make it so fun, and that’s probably why the time is flying by!

Well that was my update. I feel like it was really long and somewhat dull but that was my weekend! I miss everyone at home sooooo much. I think of you guys all the time! Anything new? Remember to keep me updated on your lives

Besos!!!