La Mezquita, Cordoba

Granada and the Alhambra

Unfortunately we were still on a time schedule, all thanks to the Alhambra tickets selling out for the following day which was the day that I actually wanted, giving us more time in Almeria and less of a rush to get to Granada. BUT, being Semana Santa and all, those tickets sold out at least 2 months in advance. So Thursday it was, and we had to drive 2 1/2 hrs, get the rental car back, get checked into our hostel, and catch the bus up to the Alhambra by 6pm. When you buy tickets for the Alhambra, you buy for a time slot. The disadvantage of having the 6pm slot is that the Alhambra closes at 8pm and they say it takes at least 2 1/2 hrs to see the whole thing with the gardens and palace included. So, once again, I was feeling that damn, looming dark cloud of having to hurry in a country that's not exactly set up for the face paced life. And it wasn't helping that Granada was bigger than I thought, I was driving in Spain without a valid driver's license and a rental car, and Juliana kept calling and calling my phone while I was trying to navigate. We were meeting her in Granada and she was impatiently waiting for us at the hostel and we had to return the car to the airport on the outskirts of the city and then take an expensive taxi ride to get to our hostel. But I would be damned if we were gonna miss the Alhambra having bought 5 tickets just in case and having to book them months in advance. When we finally got to the point where we were on the bus up to the Alhambra, the streets were so narrow and jam-packed with people from Semana Santa that the bus had a hard time getting through the crowds of people in the streets.

When we finally arrived, we were perfectly on time, thank goodness, but it was only Juliana, my mom and I, and I had bought 5 tickets just in case other people wanted to go. I tried to sell my tickets at the door to people who hadn't booked in advance but there were only people who were humming and hawing over the idea and I just finally said "screw it! I lost some money". I didn't want to miss a minute more of the Alhambra.

Let me tell you, the Alhambra does not disappoint. It is an enormously gorgeous, immaculate oasis of a place. Its located up in the green hillside scattered with palm trees, overlooking the whole valley of Granada. Between the gardens, the fountains, the Arabic decor and architecture it is surely fit for a king. There is absolutely no question as to why a king and queen would choose this as their kingdom. The location is lush and dramatic yet tranquil and dreamy. You can't help but fantasize about living there on the grounds of the Alhambra. Something that should not be missed if you're ever in the south of Spain.

After the Alhambra the rain started to poor. We stood in the rain getting soaked until the bus came. We met a couple from Seattle that we chatted with in the rain(go figure). And on the bus we chatted about life, work and travels while the bus driver was aggressively yelling at someone on the phone while driving crazily through the downpour and heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

When we got back to the hostel, Makuto Backpackers Hostel if I remember correctly, we finally had a chance to look around. It was a super-cute, bohemian-style hostel with hammocks, a tree house, 2 kitchens, a bar and a chill out room. In the chill out room there was a tv, bean bags, a coffee table and 2 crappy guitars for whoever wanted to play. They sold meals there for a decent price, drinks and even had a hookah that you could buy smoke for and use for a cheaper price than the teterias (tea houses). We ate dinner there that night and were pleasantly surprised to have some spicier food cooked by a Mexican guy who worked there. Me and my mom decided that we needed to try the hookah. We puffed on and off for a few hours while mom sat in the gravel by the hammocks playing one of the crappy guitars and singing.

The people who worked at the hostel were really nice, open people who had done their fair share of travelling and some were also learning the language like me. There was a guy from Germany who was Filipino, a guy from Mexico, another girl from Holland I think, and a woman from Galicia working there. They all spoke English and their native language and two of them were there trying to learn Spanish. They were all very hospitable and friendly.

Lets see, what else did we do in Granada? We spent quite awhile walking up and around the gypsy caves that are now plastered and made into homes, restaurants and clubs. We went to a Moroccan tea house. We did lots of shopping as there is a lot of cool Arabian, Moroccan, hippyish stuff to buy there for a decent price...things like beautiful jewelry, leather goods, cloths and textiles for drapes and scarfs, paintings, lanterns, boxes, mirrors, etc. I wanted it all. In Granada I kept thinking "man, I just wish I could buy more stuff. It would look so great in my house someday. But how on earth would I get all this stuff back with me?" I had to really keep a tight rein on my spending there in Granada because I really could've boughten a million things. Our hostel was close to the famous St. Nicolas Mirador, so went up there to catch the sunset with the Alhambra as a backdrop that we had heard so much about. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy and we didn't see much of a sunset at all. But the Alhambra looked gorgeous once again from this view point and there were lots of peddlers selling there wares which made for a fun, lively vibe there at the lookout. The mirador was full of interesting hippyish people, gypsies and artists. We even got to hear some gypsy tunes on the guitar while a small group of people clapped to the rythm.

What Juliana and I noticed about Granada was that the people seemed much more open, friendly and cultured as opposed to Cordoba. There was a much more international vibe there in Granada than in Cordoba. We both kinda had the feeling that we think we may have enjoyed living in Spain a bit more if we had been placed somewhere like Granada with its bohemian vibe and higher level of acceptance and appreciation of other cultures. But you never know till you're actually living there day in and day out I suppose.

Also, Granada is known for the fact that at almost every bar or restaurant, when you order a drink whether it be a beer or a coke, they give you free little tapa. This is pretty cool indeed, although, depending on where you go, they can be a delicious little morsel or a something hardly edible. You do not get to choose what the tapa will be, its whatever the cook is doing at that moment and everyone gets the same thing who is dining there at that time. Either way, its a nice gesture I suppose. We really enjoyed one of the places that was suggested by a friend, called Recas(I think). While my mom and I wanted to check out more tapas(of course), Juliana wanted to do more shopping(of course). So as me and Juliana have spent much time travelling together over the last 9 months, she lets me eat (smart girl) and I let her shop (she really doesn't spend any money, so I haven't had to intervene) and we both stay happy that way and have become good travel partners because of it.

In all the rush to get to the Alhambra in time, I forgot my camera at the hostel. So, for now, there are no pictures :( Once I get back home in the U.S. I will get the Granada pics from my mom's camera and include them in this post. So, for now you will just have to read about it and envision it for yourself :)