Walking Tour of Madrid given by a Local!

Day 19

An amazing tour that started with a bus ride into downtown, past the Royal Palace, drinks in the incredible main square past the Fountain Cibeles and the post office and picked up outside the museum.

Embracing doing Nothing

Day 13

Doing nothing-and that is O.K. in the Spanish culture!

Today I’ve been sleeping. I woke up at noon ate and then went back to sleep until lunch. We had to clean some because Aunt Mary and Uncle Kurt just landed in Madrid. Ian wants to leave Thursday for Bilboa, but we haven’t figured out anything, we’ll probably do that today or tomorrow. I ran out of clean underwear, I could put them in the washer but that would mean everyone would see them on the line outside, I washed them in the sink and put them on a towel outside the window lol. Which will be quite a spectacle considering the back window is at street level haha. Aunt Mary and Uncle Kurt finally arrived and we had a feast of chorizo and jamon, bread wine ect. It is so weird to be doing nothing. In American culture if you are doing nothing you're lazy or depressed, never is it ok to be doing nothing. Here it is perfectly normal to be sleeping, sitting, watching tv or staring into space. No one cares that you're doing nothing. I love it, American culture is too fast and too busy sometimes where everyone gets ulcers at 16 and dies of heart attacks from stress. Its never ok to just be. It make me want to slow down my own life at home and stop to appreciate things before stressing about the next thing- that's no way to live.

Standstill

Day 11

A little frustrated in my travels...

Cesar came and got us from the piso at one -Nayla and I felt the same, there is nothing to do there during the day and it just becomes uncomfortable, we are not the kind of people that can sleep all day and party all night. We had a big lunch and now are taking naps. Ian doesn’t want to go to Barcelona because I guess it is hot and miserable. But we are still thinking about going to San Sebastian this weekend. There is a giant three day concert in Bilboa this weekend with Jack Johnson, 30 Seconds to Mars, Blondie, Coldplay and others and I am really hoping we do that. It’s more fun I think when you have a plan of what you are doing instead of getting to Bilboa or San Sebastian and being like what do we do know? But I would also like to see the Gugenhiem museum.
Cesar and Kerri said something today that has made an impact, they believe that as a kid you should go crazy because it’s the only time you can.
That night we headed back to Soria. Ian and Jim ate dinner for the pena so Nayla and I hung just her and I. We went to the bar and ordered our favorite drink-Malibu con pina. It took about a half hour because there were so many goddamn people. Then we went to the farias and rode the caballo loco ride again and had some churros. Our phone doesn’t make outgoing calls so we didn’t know how to find our friends. Luckily we found Ian’s pena and danced and hung out with them for a long time. After we went to the discotecha. We went home around five I think.

Bull Fights and Transvestites!

Day 9

Bull Fights and Transvestites, only in Spain!

Today we got up and went to the Plaza de Toros which is where they do the bull fights. We got there at like 10 and just hung out a little. On our way there Nayla and Ian mentioned that everyone dresses up I got worried because I didn’t look nice enough-little did I know they meant costumes, everyone dresses up in costumes. All the guys that we had hung out with last night were dressed up in short wedding dresses, they had fishnet tights and wigs. It was so funny, other people were dressed as nuns, lifeguards, cartoon characters and other things. It is strange here because all the guys dress up as women, I am not sure if they are more open to cross-dressing or just love the attention. Ian bought a dress too and a wig and wore it all day. I hate crowds, I hate crowds because I hate people and crowds are just lots of loud, sweaty, drunk people-the worst kind. It got hot-really hot, I was in my peto and felt disgusting. We started to make our way into the plaza to see the bull fight. In the plaza you can go up to the bleachers or stay in the coral-when a bull dies all the people rush into the plaza and just dance and hang out until the next bull fight is ready. Ian thought it would be a good idea to go in the coral. I was so gross just hot and sweaty and then people were spilling drinks and had water guns filled with wine to shoot you with. When we first made our way into the coral this guy dressed as a cowboy behind me started squirting me in the back. I tried to ignore him but he kept doing it for like 30 seconds right on my neck and in my hair. I turned around and finally grabbed the damn gun from him, I should have hit him with it, I wanted to say something but he wouldn’t understand anyway, I started squirting him in the face with it. So I was already mad because it was hot and gross, I hate wine in my hair and all over and now I was going to be forced to watch a bull die-it was not a good way to start the morning. I have super mixed feelings about the bull fighting. In my opinion if I was a bull I would not want to be made a spectacle of or have my death be entertainment for a bunch of drunk people. You should see the bull, he looks so confused and scared. I wouldn’t want to die asking what is happening, you know? But here they believe that the bull dies a valiant death because he fights til he dies and takes out as many people as he can. Ian said he would rather die fighting than get shot in the head like they do in meat factories in America. He also says that in most places there is a huge respect for the bull, they lead really great lives, are given names and are honored before and after the fight. But that’s not what I saw today. All in all, I think the matter can only be solved if you asked the bull- we are going to eat you, do you want us to shoot you and die quickly or die fighting in a plaza full of people watching? Anyway though, we finally got out of the damn coral when it opened and went up to the stone bleachers. I watched the first part when they did the artistic portion of it but put my eyes down and didn’t watch when they started stabbing it (they do that so they can weaken it for the real matador who does the final kill). I guess some guy came out and grabbed one of the things out of the bull, the bull got him pretty bad-I wish he killed him, I wish the bull killed all of them- I know that's bad to say but I am rooting for the bull!! Ian and Nayla were ok leaving before the real matador came out-I didn’t want to see anything by mistake. We made our way to the park where we met Kerri and Cesar for coke (I have been drinking a lot of coke) and tapas. It was amazing to see the difference, two blocks away there are at least 1000 people in the streets and here older people are in a quiet setting enjoying lunch. Afterwards Nayla and I went back to the piso to shower and rest. It was so tiring and I didn’t want to do anything but sleep.
That night Cesar and Kerri took us all out to dinner. I forgot what I had but I remember being stuffed! The place was called Don Quiote and I would go back just for the rum cake I had for dessert. Nayla and I went to the park to meet up with her friends, we sat in the grass again and drank and talked-I didn’t drink much and I definitely didn’t talk. It got more fun though when we met up with the boys, Ian’s cousin Javier came and was so funny. He is a giant goofball and knows some English so I never feel left out. Jim went home pretty early, he took the keys and said he would let us in (the cell phone doesn’t work so there is minimal communication). When Nayla and I decided to go home we rang the bell for at least 20 minutes and no answer. We had to go all the way back to the discotecha to get Ian and get the other set of keys. When we finally got back Jim was passed out on the bed and apparently didn’t hear anything. When we finally got in, I took a shower and crashed. One of the phrases I learned last week was Estas Como un Tren (you are like a train). Nayla, Ian and I all thought it meant like your handsome or you’re built. I said it to Javier and he looks really blushed and embarrassed and he says to me, you have a boyfriend. I was confused and say yes but I can still tell you youre handsome. Apparently, Estas Como un Tren means something similar to I want to make out with you. I was so embarrassed but Javier was a really good sport about it and just makes fun of me for it. Once he explained it to us we all laughed. I have to admit I was more than a little embarrassed and I didn’t want him to think I liked him! Funny the things that get lost in translation. The other day a boy told nayla in Spanish that she dropped her paper, Nayla and I were confused and started looking all around us. We found out later that that means he thinks she’s cute and that she dropped her wrapper- like she is sweet like a candy bar and has come out of her shell (or wrapper) lol. The things you learn!

Heaven Lost Now Found

Day 5

Laguna Negra

Today we went to a restaurant in a park in a nearby town for lunch called Valonsadero. I had pollo with a special sauce and was surprised when it was cold-Cesar says they serve many meals cold during summer you can even order soup cold. Then we went up the hill and saw the bulls that will be in the fiesta next week, there are twelve of them all black and apparently about 200 horses follow them out of the gates, Nayla says it’s really pretty but the bulls are dangerous-we will have to get there early and find a big rock to stand on. After Nayla got some pictures there we starting making our way to Laguna Negra (the black lake). It’s at least an hour drive and we passed lots of rolling hills and big farms with hay rolls. We passed the plantano which is a big weird shaped lake. There was a town there where the lake formed so a bunch of buildings are actually under water. Kerri showed me the steeple of the town church that now sticks out of the top of the water, isn’t that awesome? We got to laguna negra and had to take a hike up to the viewing area, it’s a little lake surrounded by huge-huge cliffs, it is really really gorgeous, and lots of people were having picnics. We walked further and came a baby waterfall, we took pictures and put our feet in the water, it was very relaxing and tranquil. We made our way back down and on the side of the path, literally, were cows! Really really big cows! We took pictures and tried to feed them but had to be careful because here the cows have horns too just like bulls! Cesar says that one was pregnant, he knows lots about cows because his father owned several. Something else cool was that the surrounding town owns the mountain and lake, so if they have to chop down trees for safety and they sell the wood, the townspeople get a check in the mail not the government. Cool huh? We left and then drove around a cute town called Vinuesa. Then we stopped at a bar in pita plantano and had some sodas and talked. That’s really it, now im in bed-in a very uncomfortable position because that’s the only way I get internet. Just waiting for a good time to go to bed. :] Now that I am here I feel like it was impossible to live the last 19 years not knowing any of this existed, how incredible to be here.

Extended Family, Petos and Party OH MY!

Day 4

Language troubles!

I woke up around 11, got some breakfast and helped Kerri clean a little because family was coming to the house. Nayla and I got our petos ready for the fiestas, they are a bright green (not neon but bright) color and look like cotton overalls. I expected them to be much less flattering but I think they are kind of cute. All the girls decorate theirs in different ways Nayla and I traced bulls all over them and are going to paint them black, I am still coming up with ideas but I was thinking I’d put USA le encanta (loves) Soria, but I am not sure yet. We sat out on the patio when family arrived, Ian came with them. We had a really good drink its martini mix with sprite and I enjoyed a glass. Tio Rodolpho (Cesar oldest brother) was so nice; he told me I was beautiful a thousand times and actually talked to me-he is the only adult I’ve met that knows I am trying to speak Spanish and asks me questions, not my aunt or Nayla, but me. It was nice having Ian because I spoke English with him. We had a great meal lamb, chorizo, bacon, crawdads, asparagus and salad, bread and cheesecake. I pretty much just sat there because there were too many people to understand anything or I would talk to Ian and Nayla in English. Rodolpho, ate the tail of the lamb-just nawed on it like corn! After lunch Nayla and I went to the pool with Camino and Lowda, we met up with some of their other friends, I went in the pool once but mostly just read my book and worked on my tan (which didn’t work!). It was fun but I felt left out even more, the girls would just talk and talk, Nayla translated sometimes but I mostly just looked at the person talking and after not being able to understand just thought of other things. We played volleyball, Spanish girls aren't very good or just don't care about sports-at least out of all of Nayla’s friends I was like the best one at volleyball and at soccer when we played-sad considering I suck at both those ha! Then I was silently attacked by mosquitos- I have bites everywhere and there is no anti-itch cream anywhere to be found. When we came home I checked my computer and uploaded my pictures. When I got so frustrated about the internet I took a nap (maybe 20 minutes) and cried a little from being so homesick. That's the culture shock kicking in so don't feel sorry, it will be over soon. Kerri made soup and salad for dinner and I felt a lot better, but I still didn’t want to go out with Nayla’s friends that night knowing I’d be left out the entire time. Nayla and them left and Ian and I started cleaning up the kitchen, Ian got a call from his other cousin who was with Nayla and said she wanted to see him. He wanted me to go with him but I said no because I always get left out, he said he gets left out too and that he’d buy me a drink. I felt better and knew sobbing in bed wouldn’t help my mood. When we got to the hotel I was totally left out. They just sit around a big table with drinks and talk, which I am sure they enjoy but I don’t. I basically sat at looked at the stars for an hour, I didn’t drink. The bar closed and they wanted to go to a different bar, I didn’t want to but Ian had a friend who was going to meet us there and he hadn’t seen him in a long time (ian didn’t go to spain the last two years), I don’t know how to get home and didn’t want to go alone so I went thinking it would only be a while. Then we sat at that bar and I got left out. I was complaining but then Ian gave me a shoulder massage if I promised to stay and shut up. At three they wanted to go to another bar and I said hell no, but again no one would take me home. I told Ian he owed me two drinks now and another massage, jerk. We went to a nearby town and went to a bar there. I got a drink-malibu con pina-it’s a little rum with pinapple juice, it was really good! We played phosball and I started having fun. The girls drank and they started speaking in English with me which was very nice. I had a really light girly beer (and looked like an idot when I asked for ice-I didn’t know you weren’t suppose to have beer with ice!!) then ian and I did a shot of this weird Nariz tequila that tasted like black liqorice- Ian thought it was gross and I hate black licorice but I liked it because it was sweet. We then just talked and laughed. We all got really tired but the boys were assholes and wouldn’t take us home because they were still talking. Nayla finally stole the keys and convinced them to leave. On the road back to Abejar they kept trying to hit deer-like they would see one and purposely sped up. I got so mad, what gilipollas (assholes)! I finally got home and crashed.