A Quest & the Low Season in Granada

Well at least I can say that Granada was an experience. After catching the city bus to the city centre and actually getting off at the correct stop, I managed to wander in the wrong direction, which lead to quite the adventurous route. As my research and use of maps in the previous cities hadn't steered me wrong, I thought I would be fine here too, apparently I was mistaken. So I scampered up the hill (also everything on this route was uphill and steep), weaving my way up, up and around until I reached a quasi dead end. Thankfully some bus stops have maps and even indicate which stop you are presently located at. I ended up using two different ones to give me a sense of where I was - very far west of my objective, I was. Finally, the last part of my quest was to follow a hiking path that opened up to a really good panoramic view of the city, as well as an apparent dead end, again. In reality, it was a group of hillside, gypsy homes that are caves and yards on very steep ground, just above the more typically built homes (still steep and hippy-esque).

I realized as I walked back and forth along the same route (u-turns) that bringing a neon, yellow jacket might not have been the most subtle idea for being lost. Despite all the stories that are told about gypsies/Roma (they could be true as well) I didn't have any issues despite feeling as if I were trespassing and most of the dogs held discontent attitudes towards me. I even ended up going back to one of the homes to ask one of the women how to get myself off the hill. As she had already seen me go by once when I wandered back she beconed me to come in (through the fence) and then pointed me in the right direction of the stairs down. In reality, I was practically on top of the hostel, but it still took me a good while to weave my way through the alley roads and ask for directions a few more times. In the end, I wandered for two hours across an unknown amount of kilometres with an unknown amount of kilograms stuck to my back through both a pristine, posh community and a neighbourhood of gypsy, cave homes (more like dwellings). Despite having a background that makes backpacking easier, or more usual, that trek was the closest I've dragged myself to a breaking point (that I can remember at least). Also it took me a few days to realize that I am "backpacking" because to me, I am just travelling. No heat, no problem; shared room & facilities, I have a bed with blankets and a kitchen; carry all my stuff, pack what I want; no laundry machine, soap and a sink; no dryer, use spare laces as drying apparatus; no cell plan, use Wifi for everything. All in all, it's good.

Typically to go see the Alhambra, tickets must be booked and bought in advance. I had tried to book one, but their website (well, ticketmaster) was being finicky so I chanced it and went relatively early the next morning. Thankfully, between the weather (rainy, cold), the weekday (Wednesday), and the season (low/winter), I was in luck. I was even able to get the time slot that I wanted! My plan was to join the walking tour of the city in the morning and make my way back up to Alhambra in the afternoon; however, I never managed to find the group so I went and checked out the cathedral. It is a very impressive structure, but also very cold. Every time I would run into a ray of sunlight I would pause and attempt to say in the heat - at least Granada didn't have the howling wind of Madrid. Before I went inside Alhambra, I stopped part way up and had a midday picnic. I got a few weird looks but enjoyed the sights and watched an older, gypsy lady try and sell sprigs. I even managed to both not give (say I didn't know) and give directions to people in Spanish...why those who can actually read the signs and directions need assistance was beyond me  (tourist area with lots of maps and signage). Once inside, I visited the palace, alcazar, and gardens - the latter being the least impressive, probably because by that point I was rather soggy and tired. The Alcazar provided fantastic views of the city and it's surrounding areas. The palace was an impressive Moorish styled construct and they provided information on the manner in which restaurations had been completed and the way that those currently under progress were being done.

After another day of walking and taking in the sights, I decided to take it easy and ended up reading on the couch with the dogs. The hostel was a very stereotypical backpacker lodge, not quite the chill vibe I was looking for, but overall it was good. My first night, I ended up going to see a flamenco show with one of the Aussies. It was a good time, there was one singer, one guitar player, and one dancer. The setting was pretty neat as it was a tiny white cave (typical of the area) that was only about 7 or 8 feet high.

My diet has gone somewhat downhill, I think. Between the ease of pasta and pastries, and accidently buying fruit bread for my meat and cheese sandwiches, it's been a good stack of refined food (carb/wheat). To try and compensate, I've been carrying around mandarins, and either buying baked goods or adding spinach to my food. I'm hoping  that once I get to Morocco that my diet might consist of more beans, meat, and produce.

We are now driving between Malaga and Algeciras, which is quite a scenic drive as it is along the Mediterranean coast with a number of white towns and the North African coast line in the background. I will be staying in La Linea de la Conception tonight and then walking briefly across the border to Gibraltar where I'll be spending the day before I cross the Straight into Morocco - here's to smooth sailing, in a variety of ways.

-Alex