The Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was addressing the crowd at the XVII Cumbre Iberoamericana (where all the heads of government within the Hispanic community meet), when Chavez decided to interrupt him and continue to talk over him. That's when King Juan Carlos I, as to defend his president, said, "¿Por qué no te callas?" or "Why don't you shut up?" in English. The king's outburst has become the new catch phrase for songs and T-shirts. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the basis of a skit on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Watch the show and tell me about it next week.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tuesday the 13th
I'm in class right now, so I shouldn't be writing, but my professor brought up the fact that Tuesday the 13th is the day of bad luck in Spain, not Friday the 13th. But nobody's talking about bad luck today. They prefer to talk about (Spanish) King Juan Carlos I telling Venezuelan Hugo Chavez to shut up this past weekend. My señora Inés thinks Chavez is a dictator. I'll refrain from criticizing him now because the rest of the world has already done so. If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the video below.
The Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was addressing the crowd at the XVII Cumbre Iberoamericana (where all the heads of government within the Hispanic community meet), when Chavez decided to interrupt him and continue to talk over him. That's when King Juan Carlos I, as to defend his president, said, "¿Por qué no te callas?" or "Why don't you shut up?" in English. The king's outburst has become the new catch phrase for songs and T-shirts. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the basis of a skit on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Watch the show and tell me about it next week.
The Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was addressing the crowd at the XVII Cumbre Iberoamericana (where all the heads of government within the Hispanic community meet), when Chavez decided to interrupt him and continue to talk over him. That's when King Juan Carlos I, as to defend his president, said, "¿Por qué no te callas?" or "Why don't you shut up?" in English. The king's outburst has become the new catch phrase for songs and T-shirts. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the basis of a skit on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Watch the show and tell me about it next week.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Morocco...can you feel it?!
I can still feel it. Desert sand from the Sahara is still in my hair and great memories and sights keep playing in my mind. Unfortunately, I broke my camera in Granada doing N*Sync dance moves so I have to steal pictures from friends. As soon as I get them, I'll post them. Anyhoo, here are some highlights below.
Things to Know about Morocco:
- Morocco is an Arab, Muslim country.
- Morocco and Spain are separated by the Straight of Gibraltar, which stretches to 27 miles (43 km) at its widest point.
- Dirhans are the Moroccan currency (10 dirhans = 1 Euro = 1.50 U.S. dollars).
- Northern Morocco is 'Spanish Morocco' and southern Morocco is "French Morocco."
- Morocco and Spain have fought in wars, some Spaniards don't appreciate Moroccan immigrants and two Spanish territories, Ceuta and Melilla, are physically located in Morocco.
Highlights of Morocco:
Day 1: Wednesday, October 31
- We traveled from Sevilla to Tarifa, Spain, to catch the 35-minute ferry to Tanger, Morocco, where we met out Moroccan guide, Leila.
- Traveled to Volubilis, a city of Roman ruins dating back to 40 A.D. that still has much of the city intact. The large arches at the entrance, the columns, mosaics and...uh, vomitoriums, were entrancing.
- We hopped back on the bus to take a short ride to Meknes, a former royal city and an iconic city in the Islamic world. It's beautifully decorated Bab al-Mansour gate is simply impressive. Directly across the street stood a huge market, bustling with beautiful people (some women were covered from head to toe while others dressed like kids in America), street performers, restuarants, clothing stores in small alleyways and more. We only had 30 minutes to partake in the wonderful madness.
Day 2: Thursday, November 1
- On on long bus ride through the vast and breathtaking Atlas Mountains, we stopped in Ifrane. Ifrane is called the Switzerland of Morocco. The city, which is home to expensive ski resorts, looks like any other in the U.S. It was our first taste of 'civilization' as we knew it in Morocco and I enjoyed it. Ifrane is also home to a huge statue of a lion called the Lion of Atlas, referring to the mountain range.
- The rest of the day was basically spent on the bus because we had to travel to the Sahara Desert. We ate lunch in Midelt thenm continued toward Rissani. There we hung out at a ranch where Moroccan men showed us traditional rugs and turbans used in the dessert. They also served us a meat and onion-stuffed pizza-like dish and tea. Then we hopped in their jeeps to head to Merzuga, our residence for the night in the Sahara.
- I had the best time in Merzuga. At the hotel/restuarant, we were served tajine, a North African dish made of slow cooked-meat with vegetables and sauce made in the ceramic pot also called the tajine. Young musicians sang and played music for us as we ate, then we all went to an outside patio to enjoy more song and dance numbers. My friends and I ended up clapping and dancing with them. I felt so free...free enough to belly dance and fling my hair around like a rock star with the female dancer.
- The night was not over. My friend Micheal and I became friends with two Swedes, Jonas (the 'j' is pronounced like the English 'y') and Magnus. We, at the behest of our lively tour guide, Mónica, ran up and down the sand dunes in the backyard to watch the moon rise. Michael had the great idea to roll down the sand dunes, so we all ended up eating dirt rolling down them individually and with partners. Needless to say, we had sand coming from every orifice. And that's why I still have sand in my hair. This sand is very, very fine, so I have a feeling I'll be home for Christmas with these little treasures from the desert.
Day 3: Friday, November 2
- The next day, we woke up at 4 a.m. That's right...4 a.m. to ride camels over the dunes to watch the sunset. I was super excited to ride the camel. The camels sealed the deal on paying a ton of money on the trip. But, camels don't look so friendly. I think they were just waking up, so they were making ungodly, throaty noises and the grinding of their teeth is quite unattractive. And once I sat atop a camel, you realized I was in for a bumpy ride. The camels rise on their feet by first lifting up their front legs and then the back legs. Can you say scary? But it was pretty much smooth sailing after that (They slid down a little bit going down the sand dunes.) And the initial scares were worth the view of the sun rising over the large, caramel-colored sand dunes. It's indescribable.
- We soon rode our camels back to hotel to eat breakfast, to ride the Jeeps back to Rissani and get on the bus yet again. We the entire day on the bus, but I didn't mind. I caught up on sleep and knew that we were headed to Fez, one of the largest cities in Morocco. Fez is a city which is made up of the old medina and the modern part of town recently constructed by the French.
Day 4: Saturday, November 3
- We woke up bright and early to tour the famous medina in Fez. Like the tour guide said eight million times, the medina "is a city within a city. It is comprised of thousands of little shops connected by narrow alleyways. We almost were ran over by the donkey's carrying merchandise, though. That was not fun, but visiting some of the quintessential shops in the medina was amazing, for example, we visited a legendary leather shop in the Tanneries Quarter. From its terrace rooftop we could view the huge, circular dye pits, in which the workers dye the animal skin after it's been cured and softened in pigeon dung. Oh yeah, the shop smelled like the poop, but the handmade purses, luggage and shoes were gorgeous. We visited a textile shop where people were working on the loom to make beautiful, multi-colored scarfs and blankets. Of course, I had to buy one. The next shop sold traditional Moroccan apparel, such as the robe-like kaftans and hooded djellaba (the 'd' is silent). We exited through the Bab Boujloud is considered the main entry to the Medina because of its beautiful and impressive door that is blue on one side and green on the other.
- Once the tour ended, we had the entire afternoon free. So my crew and I headed off to lunch in the modern part of Fez. Again, we hit a language barrier. Monica, the guide, had to translate our orders from Spanish to French. After eating our pizzas we just walked through the city, which looks like any large American city. The older people wore traditional robe-like attire, while the younger folk wore blue jeans and knit tops. We eventually spotted a McDonald's, which advertised the new McArabian burger, but we were harassed by these little eight-year-old girls. One actually hit Michael after he refused to purchase a leaf. Yes, a leaf!
-After our run-in with the diminutive beggars-in-training, we went back to the hotel to journal, use the Internet and rest before dinner. We had to eat dinner quickly because we all headed out to a show, which boasted performers from different neighborhoods in Fez. Performers included singers, musicians and a fire-eating belly dancer. People from the audience, included my roommate, Kareemah, joined the performers on stage. Kareemah was one of four women who reenacted a wedding reception, in which the brides were lifted up into carriages and doted upon. It was awesome! If I had the time and money, I would definitely hit up Fez again.
Day 5: Sunday, November 4
- We woke up early again to eat breakfast and check out of our hotel. This day was to be our last in Morocco, but on the way back to the ferry to Spain, we stopped at a few more sites.
- We visited a market, which is only open on Sundays. The market is not even located in a city, but rather is in the center of neighboring communities. Here, the neighbors gather to sell and buy clothes, fruits, vegetables or whatever else is needed. Michael and I were broke, so we were trying to find some good bargains.
- Then we finally arrived in Chauen (or Chaouen). The town came out of nowhere. Chauen, which sits in the Rif mountains, is a well-preserved medina from the15th century. It was the Muslim civilization of Andulucía, the province in which Sevilla resides. The town is famous for its relaxed atmosphere, narrow streets with blue-white walls and its adorable children who greet you in Spanish. The blue and white colors alternate to reflect sunlight and repel mosquitoes. And all blue streets or steps indicate that there is only one way to enter and exit.
- I had the best chicken tajine ever at a little restuarant in the city's market. My friends and I ate on the terrace wo we could see the Rif Mountains in the background.
- Then we went back on the bus to travel six hours to the ferry. The ferry from Tangier and Tarifa made Michael and I nauseous, but our new Spanish and Swedish friends thought it was hilarious. Of course, we didn't, but I took the time to enjoy their company for the last time.
- We took a bus from the ferry to Sevilla and landed in Sevilla's center at 11:00 p.m. on the dot. And I was already pining for another trip to Morocco.
Things to Know about Morocco:
- Morocco is an Arab, Muslim country.
- Morocco and Spain are separated by the Straight of Gibraltar, which stretches to 27 miles (43 km) at its widest point.
- Dirhans are the Moroccan currency (10 dirhans = 1 Euro = 1.50 U.S. dollars).
- Northern Morocco is 'Spanish Morocco' and southern Morocco is "French Morocco."
- Morocco and Spain have fought in wars, some Spaniards don't appreciate Moroccan immigrants and two Spanish territories, Ceuta and Melilla, are physically located in Morocco.
Highlights of Morocco:
Day 1: Wednesday, October 31
- We traveled from Sevilla to Tarifa, Spain, to catch the 35-minute ferry to Tanger, Morocco, where we met out Moroccan guide, Leila.
- Traveled to Volubilis, a city of Roman ruins dating back to 40 A.D. that still has much of the city intact. The large arches at the entrance, the columns, mosaics and...uh, vomitoriums, were entrancing.
- We hopped back on the bus to take a short ride to Meknes, a former royal city and an iconic city in the Islamic world. It's beautifully decorated Bab al-Mansour gate is simply impressive. Directly across the street stood a huge market, bustling with beautiful people (some women were covered from head to toe while others dressed like kids in America), street performers, restuarants, clothing stores in small alleyways and more. We only had 30 minutes to partake in the wonderful madness.
Day 2: Thursday, November 1
- On on long bus ride through the vast and breathtaking Atlas Mountains, we stopped in Ifrane. Ifrane is called the Switzerland of Morocco. The city, which is home to expensive ski resorts, looks like any other in the U.S. It was our first taste of 'civilization' as we knew it in Morocco and I enjoyed it. Ifrane is also home to a huge statue of a lion called the Lion of Atlas, referring to the mountain range.
- The rest of the day was basically spent on the bus because we had to travel to the Sahara Desert. We ate lunch in Midelt thenm continued toward Rissani. There we hung out at a ranch where Moroccan men showed us traditional rugs and turbans used in the dessert. They also served us a meat and onion-stuffed pizza-like dish and tea. Then we hopped in their jeeps to head to Merzuga, our residence for the night in the Sahara.
- I had the best time in Merzuga. At the hotel/restuarant, we were served tajine, a North African dish made of slow cooked-meat with vegetables and sauce made in the ceramic pot also called the tajine. Young musicians sang and played music for us as we ate, then we all went to an outside patio to enjoy more song and dance numbers. My friends and I ended up clapping and dancing with them. I felt so free...free enough to belly dance and fling my hair around like a rock star with the female dancer.
- The night was not over. My friend Micheal and I became friends with two Swedes, Jonas (the 'j' is pronounced like the English 'y') and Magnus. We, at the behest of our lively tour guide, Mónica, ran up and down the sand dunes in the backyard to watch the moon rise. Michael had the great idea to roll down the sand dunes, so we all ended up eating dirt rolling down them individually and with partners. Needless to say, we had sand coming from every orifice. And that's why I still have sand in my hair. This sand is very, very fine, so I have a feeling I'll be home for Christmas with these little treasures from the desert.
Day 3: Friday, November 2
- The next day, we woke up at 4 a.m. That's right...4 a.m. to ride camels over the dunes to watch the sunset. I was super excited to ride the camel. The camels sealed the deal on paying a ton of money on the trip. But, camels don't look so friendly. I think they were just waking up, so they were making ungodly, throaty noises and the grinding of their teeth is quite unattractive. And once I sat atop a camel, you realized I was in for a bumpy ride. The camels rise on their feet by first lifting up their front legs and then the back legs. Can you say scary? But it was pretty much smooth sailing after that (They slid down a little bit going down the sand dunes.) And the initial scares were worth the view of the sun rising over the large, caramel-colored sand dunes. It's indescribable.
- We soon rode our camels back to hotel to eat breakfast, to ride the Jeeps back to Rissani and get on the bus yet again. We the entire day on the bus, but I didn't mind. I caught up on sleep and knew that we were headed to Fez, one of the largest cities in Morocco. Fez is a city which is made up of the old medina and the modern part of town recently constructed by the French.
Day 4: Saturday, November 3
- We woke up bright and early to tour the famous medina in Fez. Like the tour guide said eight million times, the medina "is a city within a city. It is comprised of thousands of little shops connected by narrow alleyways. We almost were ran over by the donkey's carrying merchandise, though. That was not fun, but visiting some of the quintessential shops in the medina was amazing, for example, we visited a legendary leather shop in the Tanneries Quarter. From its terrace rooftop we could view the huge, circular dye pits, in which the workers dye the animal skin after it's been cured and softened in pigeon dung. Oh yeah, the shop smelled like the poop, but the handmade purses, luggage and shoes were gorgeous. We visited a textile shop where people were working on the loom to make beautiful, multi-colored scarfs and blankets. Of course, I had to buy one. The next shop sold traditional Moroccan apparel, such as the robe-like kaftans and hooded djellaba (the 'd' is silent). We exited through the Bab Boujloud is considered the main entry to the Medina because of its beautiful and impressive door that is blue on one side and green on the other.
- Once the tour ended, we had the entire afternoon free. So my crew and I headed off to lunch in the modern part of Fez. Again, we hit a language barrier. Monica, the guide, had to translate our orders from Spanish to French. After eating our pizzas we just walked through the city, which looks like any large American city. The older people wore traditional robe-like attire, while the younger folk wore blue jeans and knit tops. We eventually spotted a McDonald's, which advertised the new McArabian burger, but we were harassed by these little eight-year-old girls. One actually hit Michael after he refused to purchase a leaf. Yes, a leaf!
-After our run-in with the diminutive beggars-in-training, we went back to the hotel to journal, use the Internet and rest before dinner. We had to eat dinner quickly because we all headed out to a show, which boasted performers from different neighborhoods in Fez. Performers included singers, musicians and a fire-eating belly dancer. People from the audience, included my roommate, Kareemah, joined the performers on stage. Kareemah was one of four women who reenacted a wedding reception, in which the brides were lifted up into carriages and doted upon. It was awesome! If I had the time and money, I would definitely hit up Fez again.
Day 5: Sunday, November 4
- We woke up early again to eat breakfast and check out of our hotel. This day was to be our last in Morocco, but on the way back to the ferry to Spain, we stopped at a few more sites.
- We visited a market, which is only open on Sundays. The market is not even located in a city, but rather is in the center of neighboring communities. Here, the neighbors gather to sell and buy clothes, fruits, vegetables or whatever else is needed. Michael and I were broke, so we were trying to find some good bargains.
- Then we finally arrived in Chauen (or Chaouen). The town came out of nowhere. Chauen, which sits in the Rif mountains, is a well-preserved medina from the15th century. It was the Muslim civilization of Andulucía, the province in which Sevilla resides. The town is famous for its relaxed atmosphere, narrow streets with blue-white walls and its adorable children who greet you in Spanish. The blue and white colors alternate to reflect sunlight and repel mosquitoes. And all blue streets or steps indicate that there is only one way to enter and exit.
- I had the best chicken tajine ever at a little restuarant in the city's market. My friends and I ate on the terrace wo we could see the Rif Mountains in the background.
- Then we went back on the bus to travel six hours to the ferry. The ferry from Tangier and Tarifa made Michael and I nauseous, but our new Spanish and Swedish friends thought it was hilarious. Of course, we didn't, but I took the time to enjoy their company for the last time.
- We took a bus from the ferry to Sevilla and landed in Sevilla's center at 11:00 p.m. on the dot. And I was already pining for another trip to Morocco.
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