Malaga
Our first stop on our trip in Andalusia was in Malaga. We left Valencia at 2 AM on Thursday morning and had a 6 hour drive to Malaga. During the way the weather started getting worse so by the time we got there it was raining. Our hostel was a backpacker's hostel, which usually means the lowest quality, but we had dry beds and warm showers so I couldn't complain. We were able to tour the birthplace of Picasso, which had some of his sculptures on display. We were also able to walk inside the Alcazaba, a Moorish castle built in the middle of the 11th century. It was a really cool castle built on the side of a hill with many different ways to get to the top. It also offered a great view of Malaga and the Mediterranean.
Picture of me inside the Alcazaba looking onto the Mediterranean
Gibraltar
The next morning we made our way to Gibraltar. It was another rainy and foggy day but still fun. Since we were in a bus of around 50 students we were able to get special treatment by the border patrol. I actually never had to open my passport to get into Gibraltar. Once in the British territory we were given a tour of the Rock of Gibraltar. We saw some really cool caves where the British used to have an army hospital back in WWII. And, of course, we saw the monkeys. There were so many of them and they were all very friendly. I took a lot of good pictures with them but if you really want to see how crazy they are just look for a video of them on Youtube. Since it was a very foggy day we were not able to see Africa, but on a clear day our guides said it is possible to see the coast of Africa.
Another cool thing about Gibraltar is their language. The official language is English, but Spanish is taught as a second language in all schools. The street language is mix of both so everyone in Gibraltar speaks Spanglish. It was really cool to hear our tour guides talking to each other. Definitely a language that would keep me on my toes.
Chipiona
We arrived in Chipiona after our visit to Gibraltar. We actually didn't spend that much time in Chipiona, other than to sleep in our very nice hostel. When we arrived the first night we got our first taste of Carnaval. Everybody was dressed up and drinking in the street. Lots of groups had instruments and they played them really loud. And then it started pouring rain, so we called it a night.
Jerez
Our only nice day of the trip was during our visit to Jerez. Jerez is one of the largest cities in the region with a world renowned winery. Our first tour was of the Ayuntamiento de Jerez. This place was an old castle with Moorish baths and a very old pharmacy. Another feature of this castle was their "camara obsura". I don't think there is a correct translation for this but basically what this camera does is use lenses to project an image of it surroundings onto a white screen. It was a cool invention that has been used for hundreds of years.
We then were free to go out for lunch. We found a great Mexican place that had insanely overpriced margaritas, but that's Spain for you. On our way we encountered a large Spanish wedding being held at one of the churches. It was interesting to see how similar it was to American weddings. The only difference that we noticed were the number of crazy hats the women wore. I probably saw 5 different kinds of mammals and birds on these hats.
After lunch we toured the Gonzalez Byass winery. It is one famous for its sherries and most importantly the Tio Pepe label. It is one of the most widely exported wine in the world. Personally I didn't enjoy drinking the sugary sherry but I guess it is pretty popular here in Spain. The winery also had the biggest barrels of wine I have ever seen with Jesus and the 12 disciples names on the front. So I found my name and there is a picture of me with my personal giant wine barrel.
We then were free to go out for lunch. We found a great Mexican place that had insanely overpriced margaritas, but that's Spain for you. On our way we encountered a large Spanish wedding being held at one of the churches. It was interesting to see how similar it was to American weddings. The only difference that we noticed were the number of crazy hats the women wore. I probably saw 5 different kinds of mammals and birds on these hats.
After lunch we toured the Gonzalez Byass winery. It is one famous for its sherries and most importantly the Tio Pepe label. It is one of the most widely exported wine in the world. Personally I didn't enjoy drinking the sugary sherry but I guess it is pretty popular here in Spain. The winery also had the biggest barrels of wine I have ever seen with Jesus and the 12 disciples names on the front. So I found my name and there is a picture of me with my personal giant wine barrel.
Picture of the countryside from our bus
Picture of Jerez and the Andalusian countryside from el Ayuntamiento de Jerez
Spanish wedding
My own wine barrel
Cadiz
Cadiz = Carnaval. Our night in Chipiona was childish compared to Saturday night in Cadiz. Saturday was the last party night of Carnaval and Cadiz is known for its wild Carnaval parties. So after a quick dinner of turkey sandwiches, the night began. I had picked up some pieces of costumes and in the end it all came together. Since we stand out as Americans wherever we go we thought we might as well embrace it and rep it strong. With our American style Kanye sunglasses and face paint we conquered Carnaval. Our night consisted of drinking in the street and blowing party horns. Another big part of Carnaval are the groups who sing comedic songs. Some of the best live singers I've seen, would've been nice if I could have understood what they said. My video seems to be making fun of the Chilean miners.
The next night we also were in Cadiz to witness the finale of Carnaval. The fireworks were the longest I have ever seen with a music theme in the background. It was also the closest I have ever been to fireworks that size and there were pieces of fireworks following all over us, some still flaming. Check out my video of the finale of the fireworks.
My two Wisconsin friends and I with our costumes
Fireworks in Carnaval
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