and so begins the week at sea.....

last night i met my extended family for the first time and i had a great time. students sign up to have a surrogate family on the ship and i was placed with the family of our dean of students. gary, kathy, maddy &harry are so sweet and come from oregon. the kids are in 8th and 5th grade and are adjusting to rooming together - i guess people back home had been placing bets on how long they'd last. the whole family is very sweet and i'm looking forward to more dinners. there are 3 other sas girls in my family so it was nice to meet even more people. funny how i don't even recall seeing them on the ship before, i guess the ship isnt as small as it tends to feel. gary said he'd look into our porthole situation and that he was interested in changing the music on the tv.

the music on the position report has been all early 90's pop -- so many backstreet boys songs! (currently 'larger than life') i like to have the tv on for some background noise while working on homework and things but we could use a little variety. the same could be said for the movies they have been playing -- islam documentaries on 2-3 of the channels for the past week. i can only watch them so many times! i wish they would have at least one channel with fun movies on, like comedies, so that we could all get together and watch.

on a lighter note, my porthole is now open! yay! i have missed the ambient light! i also did a bunch of laundry in the sink so that i can fit all my pants and sweats into my laundry bag. i washed all my tank tops, socks and undies, which will save a bunch of space. i'm looking forward to clean jeans!

we have officially entered the tropics today by crossing the 30th parallel. sad to say its not quite warm enough for bathing suits but its nice to get some sunshine. i was up on the 7th deck reading and it was so relaxing. as the days go by its getting warmer and everyone is getting restless-- we want to be outside! i'm going to give homework a shot, i have a 100 question quiz in nutrition tomorrow! yikes! its easy to forget that this counts as school.

neptune day is fast approaching, i think it is monday. if thats the case, however, we'll need to slow down! we are currently traveling at 23-25 knots, which is the fastest we've done so far. the seas are calmer than before and i believe it is because we are hugging the coast line and were in the lee of the canary islands last night. i wish i'd had my camera, there was such a cool sunset through the clouds over the canaries. i'll just have to remember the mental picture or scope out the picture files on the public folder. neptune day is a silly day where we get covered in oatmeal - 'fish guts' - and have to kiss the sea-captain's ring or something. i'm not sure but it will be fun! this is also the day when people shave their heads. i only know of a few girls who are shaving their heads so i doubt we will break the previous voyage's record. i would love to shave my head but i would only like it for a day and then i'd miss my hair. at least i'd save on shampoo &conditioner, right? faster showers? save water?  ... please don't worry, i'm not planning on taking part... i don't think.

i have heard that we are not going straight to namibia, but that we are stopping in dakar. i used wikipedia to read up on dakar and i think that we may be refueling there, probably tomorrow but i'm not sure. dakar is the capital of senegal and is the western-most city in all of africa. due to its location it is a common stopping point for trans-atlantic travel and trade. the most famous person from dakar, to my generation anyways, is the singer akon.

i recieved confirmation about my safari in namibia and i'm so excited! i am really going on a safari! we are going to be picked up on walvis bay by the tour company to begin our 4 hour trek to etosha national park. we'll be camping (ah! yes, real camping) and going on game drives. i requested to ride with cassie and andrea so that i'm not all alone on my bus! there are 126 kids going so it is sure to be chaotic getting off the ship and away from port. because we are traveling far into namibia we have to take our malaria medications. i will start mine on the 12th and will take it through south africa, i believe. lets hope i have enough! i will also bring my deet, so hopefully i can avoid all the mosquitos!

i think this is all the updates i've got at the moment so i'm off to nap quickly before dinner -- naps have become a way of life! all everyone does is figure out when they can nap! even when we don't change time zones! i think the lack of sleep in ports may have something to do with that.


ps. andrew --- i just want you to know that a girl in class this morning had a snuggie. that blanket with sleeves! so funny. i thought of you instantly!

the moroccan markets.

the market is the cornerstone of moroccan tradition and people spend all their time there. the sights and sounds and smells were overwhelming.

 

the first thing you see entering the market is the large mosque across the street. we used the mosque as our north star, knowing our hotel was in that direction. the entrance to the market was chaos-- public transportation left from one corner and horse &carriages left from the other. the smell of horses and stinky buses burned our noses and we walked quickly from that area. this was also the spot where tour buses parked and a common meeting place for sas kids.

 

venturing further into the market there was a large open square. it was huge. there were snake charmers on carpets playing thier flutes. women on milk crates looked through their veils and tried to sell us henna tattoos. often they had children near them who would run along side and try to get snacks or sell us tissues. some worked selling cookies or would simply stare. little babies were in strollers or tied to their mother's backs and concealed with blankets. the men with monkeys would walk around and if they saw someone take a picture they would ask for money. it was hard to believe that this was how people made a living.

 

on the edges of the square were restuarants. most were open air or had a second story balcony. there were large advertisements for coca-cola as well as for hotel brands. all the menus were written in arabic and french so there was a lot of guessing on our part. we could easily figure out the words that were similar to spanish and just guessed at the rest.

 

throughout the market, motorbikes, taxis and bicycles wizzed by. they wove in and out of pedestrians at crazy speeds, making us nervous. there were also plenty of donkeys pulling carts and women with packages on their heads.

 

situated in the rear of the square were the stalls. they sold EVERYTHING.

 

some were dedicated to leather shoes -- most were handmade and intricately beaded. there were slippers and high heels and flats and sandals. i wanted one of each, they were so beautiful. i ended up deciding on a pair of flats with an intricate brown and tan design (for less than $12 USD).

 

others were all jewelry. i was overwhelmed and did not purchase much, though i should have. beaded necklaces, cuff bracelets, earrings, rings, everything. and it was all reasonably priced between 20-50 dirhams (~$2-6 USD). i purchases a leather cuff and i really like it.

 

some were purses. this would definitely be my weakness -- i won't have enough room for all the bags i'm accumulating! there were the knock-offs that you would find on canal street in new york city and traditional bags. i purchased an across the body purse to wear in my following ports when my backpack will be too big.

 

off the main plaza was a strip known as "the mall," where more substantial shops and higher end items were sold. this mall was the location of the pastry shop as well as the internet cafe and begging children.

 

there were spice shops, henna shops, places to buy woven bags, stores dedicated to soccer jerseys, stores full of scarves and rugs and others with knock-off nike sneakers. other stands were overflowing with nuts, dried fruits, oranges and mint tea. there were little restaurants tucked into small corners and stands covered in glasswares.

 

nearly anything you could think of existed in the market.

 

at night, as i mentioned earlier, the market changed drastically. in the center, where the monkeys and snake charmers were during the day, restaurants popped up. and in the place of the demonstrations, one could sit and listen to a storyteller by candlelight. we strained to listen as we passed but not knowing any arabic made it impossible to figure out.

 

i found it most interesting that english was not widely known but that french was the second language after arabic. most of the men in the stalls -- all the vendors were men, i don't recall seeing any women in the stalls other than the henna artists -- could speak enough english to get along. most assumed we were from great britain and were asking if we wanted fish and chips. it was funny. we were also thought to be australian, though when we said USA their faces lit up and i'm sure they increased the prices. most vendors asked us to bring back friends and asked if everyone was from boston or new york. it seemed those were the only cities they knew.

 

i hope this gives all of you a better understanding of the markets in marrakech though no one will ever understand exactly what it was like unless they have seen it with their own eyes. i enjoyed spending time in the market and am looking forward to more markets in the next countries.

no land, no land

here is a small assortment of thoughts and stories from the two days inbetween spain and morocco.

-----

gibraltar - we spent nearly 2 days docked off the coast of gibraltar, which was neat. it really is just a big rock! we all wished we could get off and explore, but no luck. we just got to look at it from afar. i did take a cool panoramic photo from the 6th deck and i'm definitely going to start taking more.

-----

to enter the port in casablanca, the ship had to endure some serious waves. the captain came on and warned us all to put our valuables away and to take care. well, he wasn't kidding about the swells. the ship felt like it was going to roll over! chairs went sliding everywhere and papers were flying off desks. i was in the computer lab at the time and watched kids sliding around on the hard floor below. i wish i'd had my camera. everyone was laughing and the poor staff was scrambling to clean things up. i guess it was just a little taste of what the students endured in spring 2005 -- if you don't know what i'm talking about, look for it on youtube, there was a storm story from the weather channel on it. similarly, leaving the port, we got to rock and roll again. people went flying this time and several people were injured. some boys, funny enough the boys who were with us in morocco, were running back and forth in the union and ended up messing up their legs, needing crutches and one broke his wrist. i went flying over in my chair without even trying. i got a video this time and it was a big ol' mess.

---
the night before casablanca there was a presentation on safety in port from our security officer. he provided a great deal of information to be aware of and i like to think that the tips helped us to stay safe in morocco. he gave examples, showed us pick pocketing and gave hints on where to hide valuables.

following the security presentation we watch the open mic show. christopher performed again and there was a rousing rendition of "build me up buttercup,"by the boys who i traveled with in morocco. their pink jackets, sandals and plaid shorts were amusing. the best performance by far was a take on the jordin sparks song, "no air."i got the lyrics off the public folder, so here they are:

tell me how i’m sposed to live with no land

it was so tough before cadiz
hitting the walls it hurt my knees
plus puking everywhere was like living in a world with no land
ooooooh

four drinks for me is not enough
i can’t walk when the seas are rough
wish i could steal a boat to get myself to land

but how
do you expect me
to live this life on the sea
all this water all around me is making me crazy

tell me how i’m sposed to live with no land
can’t live can’t breathe without land
les mccabe don’t you understand
there’s no land no laaaand

got me out here in the waters so deep
lose an hour every night there’s no sleep
guess i’ll go watch the MICE band
cuz there’s no land, no laaand

no land land
no land land
no land land

i hopped a train north to madrid
tapas vino I’m lovin it
that spanish gypsie cast a spell on me for real

somehow i’m still awake at five
churros and chocolate keep me alive
i don’t know spanish but the guy in the club didn’t even care

so how
do you expect me
to get back on the MV
cuz sspana all around me it’s so hard for me to leave

tell me how t’m sposed to live with no land
can’t live can’t breathe without land
captain jeremy don’t you understand
there’s no land no land

got me out here in the waters so deep
estrogen everywhere makes me weak
if there are no more men i’m gonna scream
no men no men

no men men
women men
no land land

land

tell me how we’re sposed to go without fuel
can’t see morocco without fuel
wanna ride a camel or mule
no fuel, no fuel

sometimes it gets really hard
that’s what she saiiiiid
i can’t wait to get off
she said she saiiiid


what were doing for six hours last night
i’m sick of card games all night
watched the superbowl until it got light
not tight, not tight

got me out here in the waters so deep
If we don’t get there soon I’m gonna weep
off this ship i might leap
time to sleep time to sleep

no land land
no land land
noooo land
les mccabe

-----------------

and now, i hope this posts. miss you all! more on ship life later, we've got a whole week of classes ahead of us! i think we may have neptune day too!

chicken pastilla - the food dreams are made of.

where to start?

i've been having trouble writing this entry. i'm not exactly sure why. i think that morocco was sensory overload and we packed a lot of things into just 3 days. i wish i could describe exactly how morocco felt, smelled, looked and tasted but words (or pictures, even) wont be enough. i have a sneaking suspicion that this isn't the last time a blog doesn't come easily. this is only the beginning. i think i find it hard to write about because i didn't love it. i felt on edge and nervous the whole time, sort of like the feeling when you first go to new york city or travel alone. i wasn't alone, of course, but i was still nervous. even with the tallest boys - who were mistaken for basketball players - it was nerve racking.

i've also decided that from here on out, i'm not interested in spending every moment in a big city-- i want to see more sides of the story. mckendree was thinking the same thing and so hopefully things begin to head in that direction. i also want to lay off traveling with crazy kids who only want to party because that is not the point of the trip.



---------------------------------------------------------


3 february 2009. first sights of casablanca, morocco.

since we lost a day to refueling, everyone was more than ready to jump ship.

there were six girls: mckendree, kelsey, rennika, cassie, caitlin &myself and we had 4 boys with us: bubber, bobby, jordan &thomas.

we all met at 0800 in the library to get our passports and make our way off the ship. i was glad to have some boys with us for safety's sake but we probably will be traveling just girls from here on out. (where appropriate, of course).

leaving the ship and making our way out of the shipyard was a challenge. there were big trucks, cranes, cargo ships, people everywhere and lots of mud. on top of all that, no one knew where we were headed. we needed to get to the train station for the 1050 train and ended up walking a great deal. walking through the port, taxi drivers were everywhere and trying to get students to take cabs and offer places to go. we opted out of a cab at first as they were very overwhelming. all of the girls were dressed as conservatively as possible which meant lots of layers and long pants. it was cool but all the walking made us too warm. there was mud and dirt everywhere and it got on all of our clothes. we were just a big ol' mess.

we eventually made it to the train station, casa-port. this was the small train station and it turned out that we needed to be at the larger train station, casa-voyageur. we took out money from the atm and grabbed cabs to head across town to the other station. the cab ride cost about 1.20USD each or 10 dirhams. we got our train tickets for 84 dirhams which worked out to be less than 10 USD for a 3 hour train ride, not bad. we went to a small cafe across the street to use the restroom and for the boys to get some food. the bathroom was quite the experience-- a hole in the floor. yeah. after the boys ate some odd looking sandwiches we headed back to the train station to wait and board the train. it seemed that the station had been taken over by sas-ers as the whole platform was filled. once the train arrived it was crazy-- everyone trying to find seats. each train car was made up of compartments rather than rows, for six people each. we all split up and i ended up sitting with a girl from unh and thomas from my group. it was a long 3 hour ride to marrakech but looking out the window made the trip easier. that and thomas's ipod. i've been leaving mine on the ship but i think i may start bringing it with me to pass the long bus/train rides.

at around 2-230 we arrived in marrakech. the station was beautiful and a taste of the juxtiposition of moroccan society, which is going to be a theme throughout the semester. after assembling with the group, we split into groups of boys &girls and took taxis to the old city where the GIANT market is. the market is so hard to describe but i'll try. there are horse &carriages waiting for passengers (like in central park), donkeys pulling carts, motorbikes weaving in and out of pedestrians, street performers, snake charmers, men with monkeys on leashes, henna artists, restaurants, men dressed in crazy outfits and people everywhere. it was overwhelming and all i wanted to do was shop! the most challenging moment of the whole trip was walking through the market and being approached by small children trying to sell tissues. it was heartbreaking and i had to hold in my tears. that image will be in my mind forever.

we decided the shopping would have to wait and we searched for a restaurant. i don't know the name of it but it was nice and we were all glad to simply be in our destination.there was some bottled water (can't drink the tap water..) and funky food -- we all shared pizzas, pastas and traditional tangine dishes. tangines are cone shaped clay dishes that cook food by convection. yummy. with some tips from other restaurant goers and the staff of the resturant we made our way back to the taxis and headed off to the hotel.

it had been decided, early on, that we would rather pay a little more for a hotel over a hostel. with the fear of theft at the back of our minds, a nice hotel with hot water sounded amazing. the four-star hotel cost each person $35 USD and we got 3 rooms - a double and 2 quads. it was probably the nicest hotel i've ever stayed at and we were nearly the only people there. after choosing rooms - i was with cassie, thomas &jordan - we decided to go explore the area around the hotel. we got some wine, which we were then told could not be brought into the hotel. drinking is not to be the theme of the trip but a bottle of wine wouldn't have hurt. people in morocco simply don't drink as a result of their religion and history. we were able to bring a bottle or 2 into the hotel to save for dinner but no one (the girls, that is) was interested in pushing our luck by getting drunk. we all sat around and got to know eachother a little bit, which was good since i'd just met the boys that morning.

upon recommendation from the concierge we headed out to a very fancy restaurant for an authentic moroccan meal. it was INCREDIBLE. i want to go back. my mouth is watering just thinking about it. it was on the 3rd floor and the entire place was tiled. it was gorgeous and there was only candlelight. it would have been a great place to go on a date. we all chose a meal which came with appetizers, main dishes, sides, dessert, fruit &mint tea. the first course consisted of 12 little dishes of vegetables, salsas, rices, peppers, cole slaw and mushrooms. we all ate family style and it was great to have a little taste of everything. after the appetizers we go our main course: chicken pastilla, tangine chicken, shish-kebobs &cous-cous with vegetables. the chicken pastilla was AMAZING. it was shredded chicken wrapped in pastry, fried and topped with powdered sugar. so healthy? ah, so good though. after stuffing our faces we had a fruit basket with the most amazing oranges i've ever had. i'm not big on oranges generally but this was so delicious. i wish i could have purchased a carton of them but fresh fruit cannot be brought on the ship. its a shame. after the fruit came some almond biscotti and little chocolates to have with our mint tea and coffee. i think we were there for over 3 hours. it was so amazing and such a fun experience. we walked around the market afterwards which was a totally different experience from daytime. there were less monkeys and snakes and more restaurants. at that point i was glad to have the boys with us. we didn't stay long and headed back to the hotel for some bbc and bedtime.

4 february 2009, marrakech.

after little sleep we all headed downstairs to have a traditional breakfast. there was fresh squeezed orange juice (so good, even WITH pulp), strong coffee, mint tea, pastries, fruits and amazing little pancakes. i don't know how to describe them but they were similar to crepes or the middle eastern pan(?) mom sometimes gets. so tastey. we then decided to check out of the hotel and stay where a large group of sas kids were staying - hotel marrakech. after packing up and leaving the hotel we walked around in the rain for a good hour and were soaked when we finally made it to the hotel. it was an adventure and we all tried very hard to not complain. we ended up getting an apartment for 6 people and ended up with 12 in our room. it worked out in the end but it made me nervous. after meeting back up with some of the boys we headed back to the market where we spent the entire afternoon.

bargaining is not one of my strengths but i think i'm getting better. its the name of the game in the moroccan souks and we all tried our best. i got some flats, more bags, a bracelet and some postcards. we also sat for about an hour at a small cafe with a man named steven from san francisco who worked as a chef for a private ship. he was one of the most accentric people i'd ever met - crazy stories. he did reflexology on all of our hands and was spot on with some of the girls. he told caitlin to be careful of her hips and back, to which she confessed she has scoliosis. he was odd so none of us took him too seriously but it was interesting to listen. he invited us to tea later but we politely declined. that would have been no good. we then found the boys - who had gotten lost - and had some lunch at one of the cafes. we then headed back and everyone fell asleep for a while. the girls and i had a great talk about life and traded stories, it was relaxing. its amazing how close people become after just 3 weeks on the ship! i feel like i can go to these girls for anything. (not that you girls at home could ever be replaced!)

we went back to the market for dinner, this time opting to walk because the second hotel was significantly closer. we ate a one of the "pop up"restaurants that appear at night. the night before we'd promised the men that we'd come back and they were so excited to see us. we all ordered small dishes and shared. this dinner was much more of a local experience and it was great fun to eat outside and smell all the amazing food. i had chicken pastilla again with cassie and some of the chicken shish-kebobs. heavenly. i want the recipe! we gave the men working a list of movies to see and had a great time joking around. the girls and i went quickly to get some knock off sneakers before heading back to the hotel. when we left the boys took a video of themselves bartering for us girls. i think the offer stood at some chickens because only curvy girls were worth camels. funny because the boys were kidding but awful because the men at the restaurant weren't and they truly see women those ways.

after some more girl talk and hating on the boys we were with, we took over the one bedroom and shut the door so that the boys would be forced into the living room.

5 february 2009. back to the ship

we got up early and made our way to the train station. we all got some chocolate croissants and cappuccinos for breakfast and purchased first class tickets home. since there were 6 girls we were able to get an entire one to ourselves which was so nice. and much more comfortable than the ride there. we headed directly back to the ship and made it in time for lunch. i contemplated heading back out for a few hours to explore casablanca but the rain and exhaustion kept me in. i learned that there was a place to send postcards from the ship so i quickly wrote some and used my moroccan stamps :)

oh, morocco!

just a very quick hi to let everyone know i'm alive, exhausted and back on the ship in casablanca. though it was only 3 days, morocco was long, if that makes sense. so many sights and sounds and tastes that were overwhelming. it was a great time, spent the whole time in marrakech. i'm going to go sleep now and work on my real entry later. class tomorrow? this sure doesn't feel like school. we leave the port at 2000 tonight and begin our 8 day journey to namibia where i will be going on safari. (!!)

xo xo

ps. teresa-- i saw lots of monkeys on leashes, wearing diapers. sadly, none small enough for my pocket. there were, however, plenty of stray kittens (like the ones from poppa's barn) running around. so cute. will work on a stow-a-way from safari :P

top 15 things to do today

15. free academic presentations. movie: clash of cultures @ 2. intro to islam @4 in the union

14. are you board? check out boardgames at the student life desk.

13. get 'lost' in the union-- season 5 debut @ 5 in the union.

12. learn the safety dance with conduct officer joe

11. listen to christopher ( the little 4 year old )sing his top 40 hit, 3 blind mice @ open mic night, tonight @ 9 in the union

10. ask the field office every 5 minutes if your trip is still on.

9. email your parents about how much fun you are having in morocco.................................. too soon?

8. cuddle up with a good book. like port-to-port or global studies.

7. journal. blog. reflect.

6. "drop it like it's hot" chocolate with norris at the snack bar in the piano lounge.

5. ask a cardinals fan, "hey, who won that game?"

4. lower your self-esteem: go work out with les (mccabe) at today's fitness classes!

3. be the first student to buy a semester at sea hoodie-- oh, wait. everyone has those already.

2. hug your favorite living & learning coordinator!

1. watch groundhog day on cabin tv-- a movie about living the same day twice..



this was found posted in our hallway and it was so clever. mckendree and i especially liked the lowering our self esteem with les. he's in great shape!

we are now just hanging out in our room, reading and watching the news! yes, news! i've missed it! it's cnn from england and its great to just hear whats going on. there is a HUGE snow storm (8 inches..) in london and all they keep talking about is how much of a mess it is. they are going on and on about how everything is closed, taxis cannot work well and public transport is falling apart. heathrow is closed and everyone is trying to get around in other ways. its funny. but its so great to listen to the english accents, to hear things from the perspective of others. there is a much more worldly view and i have a feeling that i would have never heard of any of the stories on news in the states. i also checked out a book from the library, short stories by leo tolstoy-- because my class readings are clearly not interesting enough -- so i may read that. they are much easier to read than war & peace and anna karenina. i may have to revisit those again and give them another try.

there is definitely a sense of cabin fever going on right now, as everyone was only prepped for one day at sea. yesterday was spent journaling, catching up on sleep and reuniting with friends. so now, with all the blogs & journals composed and stories traded, everyone feels like there is nothing to do. the ship is also veryyy rocky. we are traveling fast - 21 knots - and the seas are rough. we keep getting announcements to put away breakables, to secure our computers and to make sure nothing goes flying off the night stand. with our portholes closed, if feels like night time, though its only 1300. i am so fortunate to have a porthole! i just hope that it is only closed temporarily and that we can re-open it soon. it's been a long day thus far and yet i have only been awake for a little more than 2 hours. we are making our way towards morocco and will be there tonight. at best, the ship does not expect to be cleared for disembarkation until the morning. at least they are scrambling to put together activities for us to do. everyone is being flexible, thankfully, and i think we are all just happy to have a little more nap time.

looking forward to open mic night-- i'll bring my video camera this time. i also may attend the intro to islam which should be very interesting. that, of course, if i'm not napping then. 

side notes.

hi all-- i was working on my spain entry both yesterday and today, so here are some of my notes since beginning the entries. i haven't really proof-read any of the entries so i apologize if there is poor grammar or horribly confusing sentences. it was so difficult to knock out the entry while trying not to fall asleep but also get in as much detail as possible. these entries for ports serve as my journal entries, so they are just as important for me to have as they are for all of you to read.

ps. andrew- i ate a ton of churros for you & i don't regret it, they were awesome. no taquitos-- they are more of a mexican thing. but there was plenty of other yummy stuff!

pps. going to try and compress a picture or two to send home. i'll have mom forward them, if possible. i want to get you all pictures but i don't know when. i also don't want to waste time in an internet cafe when i could be exploring! i also have videos but can't work the software yet. must find a computer-minded individual to help me out.

---
we are currently in gibraltar which is owned by england but on the iberian peninsula, close to spain. we have been anchored beside the big rock since about 0900 this morning and will be here for a while longer.

as a result of the current rain and rough seas, we were unable to fuel up. usually this process takes about 6 hours but they were unable to safely connect the fuel lines this afternoon. this means we are not leaving, as planned, to arrive in morocco tomorrow. we are now going to wait out the storm in gibraltar and hopefully fuel up when the seas are calmer in the morning. which means no morocco at 0800 tomorrow. they are estimating that we will be there in the evening, leaving us with only 3 days. we are all disappointed, trips need to be re-scheduled and plans re-drawn. i, however, am a little greatful for the delay, i'm exhausted!

on a lighter note, they are working on a feed for the superbowl. there will be at least an audio feed and they are workin on video. there are a LOT of pittsburg fans on the ship, including the dean, and i've seen a bunch of those yellow towel things.

also, my phone is working here in gibraltar, so i may give a ring home a little later. i've used farrrrrrrr more minutes than planned so i may have to add more credit and be more careful about just calling. it has been wonderful to hear voices from home, though!

they are playing casablanca on our tv's today and i was instantly brought back to my high school history days. :) it’s a great movie & i’ve loved watching it while typing.

they have informed us that the 2nd deck must close their portholes because of the rough seas. mckendree and i are sad that we will lose our ambient light, but we don't want to see the rough waves either. they came in to close the porthole while i was in the shower and all i heard was a lady yelling "please don't come out!" and then i got all clear letting me know the men had left.

word on the ship is that no-one recieved dock time for being late, no one was left behind and only 1 person lost their passport in spain. there was dock time to those found sneaking on alcohol, so they have 8 hours of sitting on the ship whenever we make it to morocco.

plans are in the works for morocco & we are planning a trip to marrakech. there will be camel riding, visits to the markets and apparently... skiing?! i don't know but i'm up for new things! hopefully that pans out, unlike the soccer game which i am still sad we missed.

and after all that, the best thing about today: we are gaining an hour tonight!! yay!

love & miss you all!

food in spain

tapas: appetizers. these consisted of little plates of olives, small portions and creative dishes.

churros: fried little sticks of dough, similar to a donut. they are served hot with an 8-10 gram packet of sugar. i liked them plain but they were good with the sugar, too.

cafe con leche: strong coffee with hot steamed milk. served in a small glass, what we would consider a juice glass. also served with 8-10 grams of sugar. so delicious and the best coffee i've had since leaving home.

chocolate: hot chocolate so thick your spoon nearly floats. it was very rich and i'm glad that i never ordered my own. the best was when you dipped a churro into it, heavenly.

paella: every night at the hostel, there was a giant pan of paella. a mixture of rice, chicken, meat, vegetables and spices cooked in a giant pan. it was delicious. for 5 euros we got a huge serving as well as a side salad. it was so delicious and very filling.

potatoes & ham: patatas y jamon. i dont know that this is the true name for what i was eating but i wish i got the recipe. it was potatoes cooked in a creamy sauce with chorizo in it. there was definitely a ham taste to it and there were tomatoes. definitely the perfect food to eat for a hangover from too much sangria.

sangria: wine mixed with fruit pieces, sugar & juices. so incredible. each place had a house sangria but my favrite was the one i had the first night; probably because it was the sweetest.

vino rioja: wine from the rioja region of spain. so cheap but yet so good. franzia has nothing on this stuff

bocadilllos: sandwhiches on french, crusty bread. i had a jamon y queso and it as the driest sandwhich i've ever eaten. still tasty but it needed a little oil or something.

pizza margherita: a typical pizza, far too similar to what i could have on the ship. still heavenly, however, and hit the spot.

pan tostada: a big, english-muffin type of bread that was served at breakfast.


i think thats all i ate as i tended to order the same things: paella & churros. we were mad that we kept eating such unhealthy foods but the rationale soon became, "i won't be eating like this in morocco on my camel, so i may as well eat them now." so delicious.

spain

to start, i am in love with spain. and from here on out, i think i may say that about every port, so it may get repetitive. i'll apologize in advance :)

i'll do a little day by day recap though its hard to truly describe how spain felt, looked or tasted in a way that would do it justice. some things in here may already be up in previous posts, but this will be a quick overview.


tuesday, 27 january. anticipation.

there was definitely a feeling of nervous energy permeating the ship on tuesday night, just like the day before christmas break or a long weekend. everyone was restless. after our logistical pre-port we all scurried back to our rooms to pack, plan meeting spots, figure out our game plans and charge all of our electronics. mckendree and i were excited, having fun trying what to pack in our backpacks and what style of clothes to bring. it was well known that spain would be our most fashionable country and we all wanted to try and look the part. i must say, i'm impressed that all the girls were able to pack in just a backpack and purse for 2 nights. i guess the mentality quickly became, "if i truly need something, i'll buy it!" this will not be the same in all the countries but it was okay for spain. mckendree and i then spent some time with our neighbors kelsey and ren. they are so fun to be around and it was fun to have a sleepover party. we all agreed to but up and ready to eat breakfast at 7, to see the ship pull into the port. 


wednesday, 28 january. arrival in spain!

up early, before our alarms, mckendree and i looked outside and saw lights! and other boats! and people! the immigration boat was coming up along side the ship and the men on the ship waved to us. it was definitely a rush to see land! after dressing up warmly and grabbing our cameras, we made our way up to the 6th deck to get some breakfast, coffee and a view of spain. its surprising how many people were awake for 0700 when no one can seem to wake up for 0920 class. after eating quickly we went up to the 7th deck to watch our backing into the slip. i use the word too often but it was so surreal. we were in spain! after a quick wardrobe change, packing our purses and getting cleared, we made our way off the ship. the gangway was off the 5th deck, so there was quite a flight of stairs to climb down. people were so happy to be on land, there are several pictures of people kissing the ground. once we were all assembled we headed out of the port and made our way to the train station and bought tickets for thursday morning to sevilla @0850. we took our time heading back towards the ship and found a wonderful little cafe for some food. we all had some churros which were so amazing. greasy, covered in sugar and so incredible. the "churros" in the states have nothing on these. we also had some cafe con leche (coffee with milk) and its the best coffee i've had since leaving the european shoppe behind. there were a ton of little shops, street vendors and people off of work. spain works on an entirely different schedule and the party doesn't begin until at least 0200, but more on that later.

from 1200 to 1600 was the sas trip, "cadiz city orientation." i am actually very happy that i did this tour even though it was cheesy. the premise of the trip was a walk around the city, several museums and then a panoramic view of the city. we hopped onto the tour bus, drove around for about 5 minutes and hopped off in the city center. we visited the cathedral, a few museums and took lots of pictures. it was nice to hear the history of cadiz which is one of the oldest cities in the developed world. the name, cadiz comes from the roman word gades, but i don't know exactly what it means. i think it refers to the walled city, which still exists today. the old portion of cadiz is where we spent all of our time and the new part is overly developed and organized for summer tourism. regardless, i took a whole ton of pictures and had a great time getting to know andrea from san diego. we happened to meet some boys who we decided to meet up with later. i have a weakness for old, historic places and cadiz fit the bill perfectly. we then re-boarded the tour bus and drove around cadiz. this, of course, was also when i finally discovered how to use my international phone and connect with home. it was so overwhelming and i didn't know what to say but i was just so happy to hear everyone's voices. we then focused on our little driving tour of cadiz. it was so neat to see the beach, the old mosque, the ampitheater and the high-rise hotels in the distance. i definitely was suprised to love cadiz so much and would love to spend more time there. we had a little free time to walk around and picked out shops to return to.

after a lot of walking, we worked our way back towards the ship and waited to get back on the ship. because of the tide we had to climb the gangway to the 5th deck, which was very steep. in order to get back on the ship we had to wait in line, let them search our bags and swipe our id cards. the whole process is lengthy but i happened to always make it back at a low-traffic time. andrea and i made plans with two boys from the orientation to meet up in 2 hours to head out. there were not that many people were left on the ship and everyone else was out on the flamenco night field trips. after a few phone calls home and a little down time, i went out for bocadillos and shopping with the girls. we ran into a bar, asked for jamon y queso bocadillos and hurried back to the ship. along the way we stopped at a little grocery store for snacks and a shop with purses. it was a quick little excursion but we saw another side of the city.

ran back to the ship and met up with andrea, josh and max. found a little restaurant, got some dinner and the most amazing sangria. i wanted an iv line of it :) it was great to get to know the two boys, who i had never seen on the ship and to talk about life. it was so relaxing and then we decided to head over to the 1 euro restaurant. everything: beer, wine, french fries, montaditos (little sandwhiches), everything. perfect for college students :) we kept running into other sas kids and went around to another 2 bars and made a trek back to the ship. before the evening ended, we sat outside of the cathedral listening to some people singing and playing guitar. it was the most calming way to end the night.


thursday, 29 january. off to seville!

woke up far too early to shower, finish packing, collect my passport and find my traveling companions. we had a simple breakfast and made the 20 minute walk to the train station. there was definitely and air of excitement that overshadowed our sleep-deprived states. it was the first time the other girls had ever taken the train, which is such a crazy concept to me. the train was nice and became increasingly crowded as we neared sevilla. i felt like i was on the metro north or amtrak to boston and fell asleep instantly. after a nice 2 hour ride we were in sevilla! the train station was gigantic, though hardly ornate like grand central. definitely modern. we walked for a short while, in desperate need of some coffee and a nap. we settled for simply coffee and took a taxi to the plaza nearest to our hostel. sevilla has no city planning and has developed as it became popular which means no straight streets or clearly marked buildings. after wandering for a little while, knowing we were very close, we found our hostel and ran inside. checked in with an english speaking girl who got us some maps and showed us to the room. there were 7 girls and 1 boy in the room, a kid named antione who was working in spain. he kept to himself and we tried to be as quiet as 7 silly college girls could be. we then spent the majority of the day wandering through the little streets filled with clothes, accessories and souveniers. it was a wonderful and colorful afternoon.

after such little sleep, a siesta was in order. some down-time was overly needed and we all felt recharged for an evening out. the hostel had a fun bar with a fun bartender. he looked so familiar and gave us tips on where to go and what to do. we had wanted, so badly, to see the soccer game. there were conflicting reports as to start times, we heard it was 8 and also 10. unfortunately, however the game was at 8 and we arrived neat the stadium (on the local #32 bus) as everyone was leaving the game. sevilla won in the last 40 seconds and it was crazy. everyone was dressed in their red and white and everyone was beeping their horns. we headed back to the hostel and there were a ton of semester at sea kids. a lot were staying in our hostel but it was nice to meet other kids who spoke english and who we had not run into on the ship. it was a fun night but it ended early as the monstrous group left 3 of us behind at the hostel. i was upset at first but i can't be mad-- they didn't return until 0400. too late for me. the three of us: cassie, andrea and myself decided to get up early to see the sights.

friday, 30 january. day two in sevilla.

up early, out by 1000 and ordering coffee and churros. we attempted to read the spanish newspapers, which i took for my scrapbook. we then asked for some directions and headed towards the cathedral and giralda. there was no rush, we got some souveniers from a very touristy shop and took in la avenida de la constitucion. there was a train connecting the major areas of the center and people on the way to work. we were looking at postcards when a man came up to us and asked in english where we were from. after stupidly saying, "ah-mer-i-cah," it turned out that the kid was from fresno, CA and had bought a one way ticket to spain after graduation. he wanted to go out with us but we were leaving in the morning so he stopped trying. still nice to speak english! finally seeing the cathedral in the distance we hurried to see it and were speachless. it is the largest cathedral by square footage, according to the guiness book of world records. we tried to go inside to see the actual church but the woman at the desk said we did not have sufficient id to be considered a student and would have to pay 8 euros. apparently it would have been worth it, but we didn't want to push it. we had some potato dish and were full. after walking around what felt like the entire city, we found the most incredible restaurant i'd ever seen. it was a fancy place and we ordered pizzas with spanish names. we all kept saying that it would have been the perfect place to have a romantic dinner and a bottle of wine. i grabbed a brochure for my scrapbook so those pictures will do it justice. after wandering around and making our way to the ship, it was decided that a siesta was in order. after a couple of hours changed and bonded with antoine who we learned was having a going away party. a little email/facebook time with our free internet and then all the girls were ready to head out. we went to plaza alfalfa with the help of a little handrawn map and met up with antoine and his friends. it was so much fun and we were the only american girls there. the little caravan headed out to another club and the night went on from there. we had a great time and i now have "un amigo mejor de espana" (best friend from spain), ben, who was actually french but living in sevilla. it was a fun last night in spain.

satuday, 31 january. back to cadiz & pulling out of port.

a long day. after waking up at 0700, rushing to clear out our room, pack and check-out, we arrived at the train station feeling rough. we took the 0900 train and fell asleep within seconds of sitting down. the 2 hours passed by instantly and we were soon back in cadiz. when we saw the ship in the distance it felt like we were back to home base. it was a relief to know that we'd made it back to the ship with all of our belongings and more importantly, our passports, and could breathe easy. we went through security, again, and changed quickly to head back out to cadiz. we planned to find a grocery store and to spend our remaining euros. i got some nutella, elephant ear cookies and some ritz crackers to minimize my snack-bar attendances. the supermarket was so incredibly tiny but we were still able to find american snack foods. i was so sad to not be able to bring fruit back to the ship, but international trade prohibits it, i guess. we then had a far-too-greasy pollo empanada and one last coffee. i think purchased a few "going out" tops and spent my remaining euros. one last lap around cadiz and it was back to the ship. i tried hard to nap but was nearly too tired to do so. it was so fun to see everyone back on the ship and trade stories. i think everyone was simply waiting for dinner and a nice shower so that we could all pass out. we began pulling away from the dock at around 8pm and it was the strangest feeling. i nearly cried.



i am sad that our first port is over but i now have morocco to prepare for. this morning we had global studies and i fell asleep. i tried my hardest to stay awake but it was nearly impossible. when i woke up this morning i saw ships all over and at lunch i saw gibraltar! we are actually currently docked in gibraltar and are refueling. we are all trying to see the gas pump but we're not sure how it all works. we are simply parked out in the ocean, less than a mile away from gibraltar and we can see africa. its near impossible to do work and i have been struggling to write this entry. we have all decided that it is too hard to truly describe everything we have seen and done in the past 4 days and do it justice. we are all sleep-deprived, sensory overloaded and overwelmed by morocco tomorrow. i wish that i was doing a semester at sea trip so that i wouldn't have to plan so close in advance but i'm going to have to make do.