Sunday, April 22, 2007

Portugal - Spain 2001 (1)


Hi.. this will be short and sweet. I am safe. I heard last night that we were doing some bombing.. Iwouldn't have known except a group of Spanish lads that I was bar hopping with made some joke about how one of them, Alejandro, had to give Bush the OK to fly through his air space before the bombing will begin.. and I, trying to be the peaceful American, said, oh, we won't be bombing yet, I don't think.. Of course.. they all flipped around and said in seven different pitches.. You already did...today! Well, that just shows you how out of touch I am.


I am in a smaller college town, Granada.. There is little access to media for me.. no news stands near where I am and no TV whatsoever... I just plain had NO F-in' idea and I guess, I am glad that I didn't, cause now that I know, I feel sooooo sad. I keep picturing all those poor refugees and wonder how many didn't flee in time toget out of harm's way.. and of course, I don't even know where we bombed, so maybe people weren't hurt.. again, naive, peace loving, confrontation hating me! Not happy times for anyone!


And me ... I spent that week in southern Portugal with my family, lying by the pool and drinking a lot with my Irish lush of a family.. I even... brace yourself.. got upand sang Respect by Aretha Franklin in Karoke.. I thought it would be a cold day in the Sahara first, but turns out (does the Sahara get cold..) I just needed to drink a lot of Portuguese sangria which is mainly composed of Champaigne. Dio mio! Well, Holland sang with me.. oh, yeah. My friend, Natalie from Holland came to the south of Portugal.. we met in Lisboa.. and she stayed a night with me and the fam.. and that's when we sang... As you would hopefully know, English isn't her native language, so Karoke was funny for her, even though she's highly proficient. Anyway, that part when Aretha says r-e-s-p-e-c-t takeout the t-c-p ... well, what the hell does that spell anyway.. well, when that came on the screen, I only got half way through and then took a laugh attack and she had to do the second part solo.. She sang the following... 'Take out the TOP?' It was the funniest moment in that week! My aunt and uncles were laughing their chaps off! Later we went to a disco with some youths from England and my uncle Louis.. It was a gas and we got back at around 5am! ouch...


From there we went to Sevilla, had an epic time finding a place to sleep and ended up sleeping in the chairs of a hostal lobby for four hours and then hitting the road for Granada.. I never saw more of Sevilla beyond the four hours walking from 9pm til 1am looking desperately for the bed that never came.. We were glad to have made the choice to leave cause Granada is the best! I would move here tomorrow...1st Granada, 2nd Barcelona, 3rd Cinque Terre 4th Paris, 5th Florence..... I love this place. I just had tea in an Arab tea house.. I know! This place was of the Muslims back in the day before Rey Carlos the something took over... hence the Alhambra which was a Muslim fortress that eventually went to Catholics at some point... Needless to say, there are loads of students and lots of other subtle tourists from the likes of Australia, England, Holland, Germany.. but it is not a tourist area.. Everyone is mellow, bordering on super alternative.. lots of dreads, hash, grungie clothes and trendy students.. I love it! Everyone is really peaceful and happy. I did lie a couple of times last night when I walked along the street with all the Arab tea houses.. All the street vendors on that street are from Morocco or nearby... so I was Canadian, Dutch, Irish and Finnish last night! It was interesting.. and then finally, I gave in and felt like an unloyal americana.. so I became American.. I got some looks, but of course when they got to know me, they knew I wasn't that kind of American.. don'task what kind I mean..


A group of fellows that we met dancing in this pub drug us to another pub.. we didn't put up a fight.. it was fun and then to an all night disco where I learned to do the Flameco to house and bass beats.. and I rolled into the hostal at a cozy 7am... ohh god.. That makes three nights in a row that I blew off sleeping and tell me, those of you who know me.. how unlike me is that!? Incredible, no? I know! Well, I'm getting it out of my system cause I know they don't party like this in Salt Lake... 2am is an all nighter there, right!! And I usually only make it to 12am anyway.. Well, you'd be proud of my stamina and the ensuing desire to get back to a mellow life free of partying and full of climbing.. well, not free of partying of course... Holland and I leave tomorrow ...she for Valencia and I for Figueras... I only have 8 days before I fly from Roma! wow. Well, I must go to bed now cause I am again running on 4 hours and I need a siesta.. love and kisses to those who want them! cheers, peace, loyalty, friendship, safety, pride, humility and spirituality... -rai

No comments: