Hola amigos. This blog is going to be slightly different than my previous posts (mainly because I’m not in a different country this time). But also, I’d like to share a little more about life at sea and right now we are crossing the Atlantic; from Africa to Brazil. Now I titled this blog “The Stretch” because we are spending seven straight days at sea. Which also means seven straight days of school (actually we have one day off because of Neptune Day but I’ll talk about that in a bit). Anyways, it’s not our longest time at sea because we have another stretch at sea that will be a lot longer. But still, I thought this week would be a good one to talk about.
We were in Senegal on Halloween, so we never really got to celebrate anything for it. But when we got back to the ship after Senegal, we had a Halloween dance party. It sounds pretty lame but it turned out to be really fun. There was also a costume contest that my friends actually won! My friends Allie and Melonie dressed up as a mosquito carrying malaria and Malerone (the prescription medication against malaria). We’ve all been taking our malaria meds every day and we get CONSTANT reminders to take them, so their costume was pretty hilarious. My friends Liv and Kelsey and I dressed up as the waiters that serve us in the dining hall. They’re super funny and nice, and we didn’t have any other ideas for a last minute costume. We made name tags out of paper and just wore white shirts and black pants. I wasn’t really thinking about Halloween when I was packing for this trip. Anyways, we basically just danced until midnight and it was so much fun. Not exactly a normal halloween, but it was a good one nonetheless. The next day consisted of me writing essays and studying for midterms, so I’ll just skip that part. The day after was Neptune Day! For those of you who don’t know what day that is, that’s when we crossed the equator. It’s tradition to have a bunch of festivities and you get fish juice poured on you along with other things. It’s also tradition to shave your head the first time you cross the equator— don’t worry, I didn’t shave my head… well not all of it. I shaved about an inch above my ear for a sort of half shave but it can still be covered by my hair. Not too drastic, but I’m still kinda able to say I participated in the tradition! So I got fish juice poured on me, jumped in the pool, kissed a fish, then shaved part of my head. It was such a fun day and a really nice break from school. The rest of the week was pretty normal and consisted of my friend’s and I trying to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy. Also, we got pooped on by a seagull while we were lounging on deck 7. It was really strange because we don’t see many birds when we’re at sea, usually just dolphins. Despite how disgusting it was, it was so hilarious because basically the whole ship heard about it (nothing really interesting happens on the ship so that’s how we stay entertained).
The week went by a lot faster than I expected, and I was actually sad about it. This trip has been so eye-opening and I have loved every minute of it. Especially our long stretches at sea. Ship days just mean more time to talk to people and have good conversation and just get to know everyone more. I’m looking forward to our future ports, but that also means the voyage is almost over. I miss everyone back home, but I’m not ready to leave the ship. Not yet at least.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Senegal!!!
I can’t believe we’re already on our sixth port! And we just passed our halfway mark which I believe was on November 1st. So our first day in Senegal was actually on Halloween. They don't celebrate it so it doesn't matter much, but I wasn't too bummed out about it. And when we come back from Senegal we have a Halloween dance. BUT I will write another post about “the stretch” for the next post (you’ll see what it’s about).
ANYWAYS, Dakar was our last stop in Africa and I’m so happy we were able to go there. A lot of people on the ship didn’t enjoy Senegal at all and I find that extremely insane. People were complaining about the heat, and the amount of Senegalese people trying to sell us things. It was very overwhelming at times, but not once did I get angry at any of the local people. The locals were also extremely nice to us and welcomed us to their country with open arms. Men and women would call me their sister and tell me how they are people of love and peace. Throughout the day the people were very considerate. However, theft is still very common so I never stayed outside after dark for too long.
The first day, my friends Hanna, Alanna, Kathleen, Steph, Shannon and I just explored the markets in the city of Dakar. Because of the heat and humidity, we didn't stay out too long. Also, it was very chaotic in the stores because the people really try to pressure you into buying things. It was most definitely a culture shock but in the best way possible. I bought A LOT of clothing and gifts and I can't wait to come back home and distribute them!
The next day we went to the Bandia Reserve and went on a safari! We got in these safari trucks and our guide’s name was Mommadu. Mommadu however didn't speak much English so he would just point at an animal and say “okay gazelle, okay”. We saw ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, hyenas, gazelles, buffalo, and crocodiles! The trees were also amazing to look at because of how insanely giant they were. I’m so glad I went because now I can say I stood 5 feet away from a giraffe in Africa. After our safari, we went to a resort to grab lunch and then waked over to a handmade craft market. All these ladies would hold my hand and pull me into their shop and say “good price, buy here, good price I promise”. Sometimes they would ask me my name but they couldn't pronounce it very well. So every time they tried to say “Rachel”, it came out sounding like “Rita”. I bought LOTS of stuff there too. I got myself quite a few dresses and I bought some gifts for other people as well, so I won’t mention what they were.
Day three we went to this monument that was bigger than the statue of liberty. I’m not really sure why it was built or what the symbolic meaning was because I couldn't read French, but we got to see a really nice view of the city. After, we headed out on a ferry to Goree Island, which was formerly one of the biggest slave trade islands in Africa. We toured through a slave house and it was extremely powerful. We were able to see the cells they were kept in and learned about how awful and intense the slave’s lives were. I could not take any pictures because it is considered disrespectful, but it was such a powerful sight to see. We walked around the markets on the island and talked to some locals. We even kicked around a ball with some of the children. Then we just sat on the beach which was so relaxing compared to the rest of Senegal. And the water was very warm. I swear it was at least 80 degrees. If the water wasn’t so polluted I would’ve put more than my feet in.
On our last day in Senegal, we went on a Pink Lake field program through SAS. And that was probably my favorite day by far. We first went to the pink lake, which wasn’t really pink, but beautiful nonetheless. Our guide then took us on these dune buggies where we drove through up and down these giant sand dunes. Have you ever been on the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland? If so, I want you to imagine that, but ten times faster, no seatbelt, and in the hills of Africa. Even the car looks just like the one at Disneyland! We drove through the dunes, then onto this beautiful beach and drove right by the water. It was so much fun, I already miss it. After our near-death dune buggy adventure, we headed back to a small town to have lunch and did some more shopping. Then we hopped back in the bus and drove to a small village where the locals put on a music, dance, and wrestling show for us! A group of men (and boys) were drumming while these ladies in layers and layers of clothing did their traditional dance for us. It was so much fun, and they even pulled us up there to dance with them. These two boys had a small wrestling match and by that time, the whole village surrounded us and was watching and cheering. That entire day was really amazing. I definitely fell in love with the people and the children and their culture. Senegal was such an eye-opening experience and I’m really grateful we went there. Now were back on the ship for quite a while, but then we’ll be in Brazil! Talk to you soon, friends!
ANYWAYS, Dakar was our last stop in Africa and I’m so happy we were able to go there. A lot of people on the ship didn’t enjoy Senegal at all and I find that extremely insane. People were complaining about the heat, and the amount of Senegalese people trying to sell us things. It was very overwhelming at times, but not once did I get angry at any of the local people. The locals were also extremely nice to us and welcomed us to their country with open arms. Men and women would call me their sister and tell me how they are people of love and peace. Throughout the day the people were very considerate. However, theft is still very common so I never stayed outside after dark for too long.
The first day, my friends Hanna, Alanna, Kathleen, Steph, Shannon and I just explored the markets in the city of Dakar. Because of the heat and humidity, we didn't stay out too long. Also, it was very chaotic in the stores because the people really try to pressure you into buying things. It was most definitely a culture shock but in the best way possible. I bought A LOT of clothing and gifts and I can't wait to come back home and distribute them!
The next day we went to the Bandia Reserve and went on a safari! We got in these safari trucks and our guide’s name was Mommadu. Mommadu however didn't speak much English so he would just point at an animal and say “okay gazelle, okay”. We saw ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, hyenas, gazelles, buffalo, and crocodiles! The trees were also amazing to look at because of how insanely giant they were. I’m so glad I went because now I can say I stood 5 feet away from a giraffe in Africa. After our safari, we went to a resort to grab lunch and then waked over to a handmade craft market. All these ladies would hold my hand and pull me into their shop and say “good price, buy here, good price I promise”. Sometimes they would ask me my name but they couldn't pronounce it very well. So every time they tried to say “Rachel”, it came out sounding like “Rita”. I bought LOTS of stuff there too. I got myself quite a few dresses and I bought some gifts for other people as well, so I won’t mention what they were.
Day three we went to this monument that was bigger than the statue of liberty. I’m not really sure why it was built or what the symbolic meaning was because I couldn't read French, but we got to see a really nice view of the city. After, we headed out on a ferry to Goree Island, which was formerly one of the biggest slave trade islands in Africa. We toured through a slave house and it was extremely powerful. We were able to see the cells they were kept in and learned about how awful and intense the slave’s lives were. I could not take any pictures because it is considered disrespectful, but it was such a powerful sight to see. We walked around the markets on the island and talked to some locals. We even kicked around a ball with some of the children. Then we just sat on the beach which was so relaxing compared to the rest of Senegal. And the water was very warm. I swear it was at least 80 degrees. If the water wasn’t so polluted I would’ve put more than my feet in.
On our last day in Senegal, we went on a Pink Lake field program through SAS. And that was probably my favorite day by far. We first went to the pink lake, which wasn’t really pink, but beautiful nonetheless. Our guide then took us on these dune buggies where we drove through up and down these giant sand dunes. Have you ever been on the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland? If so, I want you to imagine that, but ten times faster, no seatbelt, and in the hills of Africa. Even the car looks just like the one at Disneyland! We drove through the dunes, then onto this beautiful beach and drove right by the water. It was so much fun, I already miss it. After our near-death dune buggy adventure, we headed back to a small town to have lunch and did some more shopping. Then we hopped back in the bus and drove to a small village where the locals put on a music, dance, and wrestling show for us! A group of men (and boys) were drumming while these ladies in layers and layers of clothing did their traditional dance for us. It was so much fun, and they even pulled us up there to dance with them. These two boys had a small wrestling match and by that time, the whole village surrounded us and was watching and cheering. That entire day was really amazing. I definitely fell in love with the people and the children and their culture. Senegal was such an eye-opening experience and I’m really grateful we went there. Now were back on the ship for quite a while, but then we’ll be in Brazil! Talk to you soon, friends!
Morocco!!!
Salam!! I am currently writing to you from Africa! Today is our last day, and right now I'm on a train ride back to our ship.
So we ported in Casablanca, Morocco three days ago. Day one we spent exploring Casablanca and all the markets and streets. This was a really huge culture shock for all of us. So far on the trip we've only been in European countries and we had gotten used to the similar cultures in those places. Africa however... It's slightly different. Walking through the bazaar was absolutely insane. The first day my friends and I got lost in them because the alleys are narrow and it's difficult to remember which shop is which and they eventually all look the same. But I think getting lost in there was a fun experience. They sold everything you could imagine; clothes, pots and pans, selfie sticks, they had them all. Oh and you had to negotiate. All the SAS kids stick out like a sore thumb, so everyone knows we're tourists and tries to sell things for more money than they're worth. But I'm pretty sure I've mastered the strategy. You look at something you like and you ask the price and if it's too much you give them the price you want for it and if they don't go for it, you set it back down and walk away. Pretty soon they'll be running back to you saying that price is okay. Works [almost] every time. You even have to negotiate for cab rides. (But just letting you know the dirham is very weak compared to the dollar so everything was relatively cheap here). After, we went to the Hassan II Mosque and had a guided tour inside. The mosque was absolutely breathtaking. I've seen lots of Cathedrals and Basilicas but no mosques. And I was amazed. Everything was hand carved into the wood and everything had a certain purpose and meaning behind it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts about Morocco. Day one I didn't really buy anything because I wanted to see everything before I made my final purchases. It was a great day to start to get comfortably in Morocco.
Day two we also spent in Casablanca and we again went through the twisty maze of the bazaar and through a residential area that led to a light house. It was truly shocking to see the difference of lifestyles compared to Moroccan people and myself. The area my friend Hanna and I walked through was filled with tiny shacks right next to each other for such a large community. We walked through the neighborhood to get to this lighthouse we had seen earlier. An old man who couldn't speak any English led us up to the top and posed us for pictures. And when I say he posed us, I mean it literally. He would stop us every now and then and say "picture" and made us stand and look a certain way. It was slightly strange but really funny looking back on it. And we got a great view of the city. After we decided to head to Rick's cafe, which is the famous cafe from the movie "Casablanca". Great atmosphere, and even better food. Also, Morocco has a trademark for having amazing mint tea, and they really do. I had tea with almost all of my meals and I actually already miss it. After our late lunch, we walked around the bazaar again and then had an early night because I had a train to catch in the morning!
Day three at 8:50 we hopped on a train to Marrakech. It's a four hour train ride and I slept for most of it (maybe I should've wrote my essay, oh well). Once we arrived, we went straight to the hotel we stayed in and dropped our stuff off. Our hotel was a four star resort with a huge pool area and huge rooms. And it was so cheap!! I stayed with Brian, Justin, and Harrison and we loved it. We went out into the bazaar in Marrakech after and it was even more confusing than the markets in Casablanca. We were trying to find our friend's hotel but we eventually gave up and just got lost in the maze of stores (which was so much fun).
Day four we began at the Majorelle gardens which were absolutely breathtaking. We walked around all kinds of plants and bamboo and the most beautiful flowers. And of course, we sat down in their cafe and had more mint tea. After, we went back into the old town with all the markets and spent a few hours there. Being blonde(ish), you really stand out in these kind of places so my friends and I were catcalled quite a bit. Im pretty sure some of them said to me “hey nice white chicken”. I’m not really sure what that means and I’m confused as to why they find “white chickens” appealing, but to each his own. Oh and also, I was cussed out (in English) by a five year old little boy because I wouldn't give him any money. Talk about an authentic experience. After our time in the markets, we went back to our friends hotel where we got ready to go ride camels! They picked us up at 5:00pm and drove us out to this desert area with camels lined up for us. They gave us all these traditional moroccan dresses to wear and wrapped scarves around our heads. Camels are definitely a lot of fun to ride, but slightly difficult to get on and off of. Once you climb on, they have to stand back up, which is a lot of rocking and holding on for dear life. But once you're on, IT'S SO FUN. And it was extremely beautiful because we were able to watch the sunset while we rode the camels. This experience really made me appreciate morocco and their culture and also how beautiful the world is. If you told me a year ago that I would be riding a camel in Africa, I wouldn't believe you. Anyways, we got all our pictures taken and we headed back to the hotel for a homemade traditional five course (and three hour long) Moroccan dinner. The food was INSANE. I had never eaten so much good food at once in my life. I would try to list the specific names of the foods but: One, I don’t know how to spell it, two, I could barely understand our server because she didn’t speak any English. But, wow I will be dreaming about that dinner for days!
The next day we had to head back to the ship, which meant an early morning four hour train ride back. During the train ride, these two ladies got into a fight (not sure what it was about) but they were yelling extremely loud at each other and then other people joined in and it got pretty hectic. It lasted for about ten minutes and my friends and I just sat in silence. That was definitely a time I wish I knew the language.
It was sad leaving Morocco because I loved it so much, but I’m still extremely excited for Senegal! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you again in Senegal!
So we ported in Casablanca, Morocco three days ago. Day one we spent exploring Casablanca and all the markets and streets. This was a really huge culture shock for all of us. So far on the trip we've only been in European countries and we had gotten used to the similar cultures in those places. Africa however... It's slightly different. Walking through the bazaar was absolutely insane. The first day my friends and I got lost in them because the alleys are narrow and it's difficult to remember which shop is which and they eventually all look the same. But I think getting lost in there was a fun experience. They sold everything you could imagine; clothes, pots and pans, selfie sticks, they had them all. Oh and you had to negotiate. All the SAS kids stick out like a sore thumb, so everyone knows we're tourists and tries to sell things for more money than they're worth. But I'm pretty sure I've mastered the strategy. You look at something you like and you ask the price and if it's too much you give them the price you want for it and if they don't go for it, you set it back down and walk away. Pretty soon they'll be running back to you saying that price is okay. Works [almost] every time. You even have to negotiate for cab rides. (But just letting you know the dirham is very weak compared to the dollar so everything was relatively cheap here). After, we went to the Hassan II Mosque and had a guided tour inside. The mosque was absolutely breathtaking. I've seen lots of Cathedrals and Basilicas but no mosques. And I was amazed. Everything was hand carved into the wood and everything had a certain purpose and meaning behind it. It was definitely one of my favorite parts about Morocco. Day one I didn't really buy anything because I wanted to see everything before I made my final purchases. It was a great day to start to get comfortably in Morocco.
Day two we also spent in Casablanca and we again went through the twisty maze of the bazaar and through a residential area that led to a light house. It was truly shocking to see the difference of lifestyles compared to Moroccan people and myself. The area my friend Hanna and I walked through was filled with tiny shacks right next to each other for such a large community. We walked through the neighborhood to get to this lighthouse we had seen earlier. An old man who couldn't speak any English led us up to the top and posed us for pictures. And when I say he posed us, I mean it literally. He would stop us every now and then and say "picture" and made us stand and look a certain way. It was slightly strange but really funny looking back on it. And we got a great view of the city. After we decided to head to Rick's cafe, which is the famous cafe from the movie "Casablanca". Great atmosphere, and even better food. Also, Morocco has a trademark for having amazing mint tea, and they really do. I had tea with almost all of my meals and I actually already miss it. After our late lunch, we walked around the bazaar again and then had an early night because I had a train to catch in the morning!
Day three at 8:50 we hopped on a train to Marrakech. It's a four hour train ride and I slept for most of it (maybe I should've wrote my essay, oh well). Once we arrived, we went straight to the hotel we stayed in and dropped our stuff off. Our hotel was a four star resort with a huge pool area and huge rooms. And it was so cheap!! I stayed with Brian, Justin, and Harrison and we loved it. We went out into the bazaar in Marrakech after and it was even more confusing than the markets in Casablanca. We were trying to find our friend's hotel but we eventually gave up and just got lost in the maze of stores (which was so much fun).
Day four we began at the Majorelle gardens which were absolutely breathtaking. We walked around all kinds of plants and bamboo and the most beautiful flowers. And of course, we sat down in their cafe and had more mint tea. After, we went back into the old town with all the markets and spent a few hours there. Being blonde(ish), you really stand out in these kind of places so my friends and I were catcalled quite a bit. Im pretty sure some of them said to me “hey nice white chicken”. I’m not really sure what that means and I’m confused as to why they find “white chickens” appealing, but to each his own. Oh and also, I was cussed out (in English) by a five year old little boy because I wouldn't give him any money. Talk about an authentic experience. After our time in the markets, we went back to our friends hotel where we got ready to go ride camels! They picked us up at 5:00pm and drove us out to this desert area with camels lined up for us. They gave us all these traditional moroccan dresses to wear and wrapped scarves around our heads. Camels are definitely a lot of fun to ride, but slightly difficult to get on and off of. Once you climb on, they have to stand back up, which is a lot of rocking and holding on for dear life. But once you're on, IT'S SO FUN. And it was extremely beautiful because we were able to watch the sunset while we rode the camels. This experience really made me appreciate morocco and their culture and also how beautiful the world is. If you told me a year ago that I would be riding a camel in Africa, I wouldn't believe you. Anyways, we got all our pictures taken and we headed back to the hotel for a homemade traditional five course (and three hour long) Moroccan dinner. The food was INSANE. I had never eaten so much good food at once in my life. I would try to list the specific names of the foods but: One, I don’t know how to spell it, two, I could barely understand our server because she didn’t speak any English. But, wow I will be dreaming about that dinner for days!
The next day we had to head back to the ship, which meant an early morning four hour train ride back. During the train ride, these two ladies got into a fight (not sure what it was about) but they were yelling extremely loud at each other and then other people joined in and it got pretty hectic. It lasted for about ten minutes and my friends and I just sat in silence. That was definitely a time I wish I knew the language.
It was sad leaving Morocco because I loved it so much, but I’m still extremely excited for Senegal! Thanks for reading, and I’ll talk to you again in Senegal!
Monday, October 26, 2015
Spain!!!
I can’t believe we’re already on our fourth port!! This trip is going by way too fast… BUT I still miss my friends and family back home. Anyways, Spain was absolutely amazing. I really need to find a different adjective to describe everything, but that’s all I got right now.
So we ported in Valencia, Spain for the first two days. Day one, my friends Liv, Hanna, Kelsey and I walked through the markets of Valencia and we bought some really great fresh fruit and saw other interesting items that they sold. At one vendor they were just selling piles of snails. One of the locals noticed us taking pictures and he started to laugh and picked up one of the snails and posed for a picture. We definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. After, we went and ate A LOT of tapas (which are absolutely delicious and I already miss them) and we had churros with chocolate dipping sauce. Then we went to Oceanographic which is one of the largest aquariums and science centers. We saw a huge variety of oceanic animals and we even saw a dolphin show that was surprisingly a lot more fun than you'd think. Unfortunately, soon after we got back to the ship I started feeling really horrible and I had to go to the medical clinic to get some medicine and I had to stay in day two of Spain. But it wasn’t a complete waste because I found some wifi and got some work done, so it was a productive day.
That night, the ship left that port, and we sailed to Barcelona. We arrived in the morning and I was starting to feel better so we made a great day out of it. In the morning we HAD to go to Dunkin’ Donuts (for Liv because that’s her thing) and then we walked around Las Ramblas and the markets in Barcelona which was awesome. We bought our postcards and our gifts for friends and family and we had Paella and sangria! When I get back home I’m gonna have my dad figure out how to make paella the way they do in Barcelona (get ready Dean). Then we went to the Segrada Familia which is one of Gaudi’s famous works that is actually still being built. It was started over 150 years ago and they're still working on it! It was honestly one of the most beautiful sites to see. I also got my mom one of the most beautiful crosses I've seen thus far on this trip. We also bought futbol (soccer) jerseys because that night we went to a Barca game!! It was the largest field program in semester at sea history. So basically over 300 college students flooded three sections of seats in this game and we were absolutely the loudest and most obnoxious people there. Im not gonna pretend like I know a lot about football in Spain because I know it’s a big deal to them, but I think I understood most of it and I actually got really into it and had a lot of fun. (They sold hot dogs but they really weren't that good :/). Liv and I were still feeling a bit under the weather so after the game we headed back to the ship and watched a movie.
The next day I had a field lab in Barcelona for my Popular Musics class. I’m pretty sure that day had to be one of my favorites. We went to this different part of Barcelona that was by Las Ramblas but it had a whole other feel to it. It almost felt like the San Francisco of Spain. We walked through these tiny alleys down streets where cars couldn't fit and saw so many interesting locals. We went to this recording/dance studio that had a front door that was only four feet tall and we listened to three artists play instruments and sing for us. All three artists were so interesting and it was so amazing to be able to talk to them about their lives and how music plays a huge role in their lives. After we went to a record store and talked to other local musicians who showed us this small little club where they have parties every weekend and they just play original music. I recorded almost all the songs they played for us and now I can’t stop listening to it.
Later in the evening, my friends and I went to this fire running festival that was… interesting. I say that with hesitance because it really wasn't what I expected. We were thinking that it would be a huge festival, but it just turned out to be a bunch of semester at sea students. The beginning was slow but then all these people in devil costumes came out with sparklers and fireworks and we had a really great time. I have a video of myself running through it that I will post eventually. After the festival we went to a local bar with a huge group of friends and had a relaxed night.
The next day was our last and I spent half of it with Liv shopping and the last half we had to be on the ship. Overall, Spain was absolutely amazing (despite being sick a little). Europe has been awesome but I’m pumped to finally change continents. Morocco here I come!!!!
So we ported in Valencia, Spain for the first two days. Day one, my friends Liv, Hanna, Kelsey and I walked through the markets of Valencia and we bought some really great fresh fruit and saw other interesting items that they sold. At one vendor they were just selling piles of snails. One of the locals noticed us taking pictures and he started to laugh and picked up one of the snails and posed for a picture. We definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. After, we went and ate A LOT of tapas (which are absolutely delicious and I already miss them) and we had churros with chocolate dipping sauce. Then we went to Oceanographic which is one of the largest aquariums and science centers. We saw a huge variety of oceanic animals and we even saw a dolphin show that was surprisingly a lot more fun than you'd think. Unfortunately, soon after we got back to the ship I started feeling really horrible and I had to go to the medical clinic to get some medicine and I had to stay in day two of Spain. But it wasn’t a complete waste because I found some wifi and got some work done, so it was a productive day.
That night, the ship left that port, and we sailed to Barcelona. We arrived in the morning and I was starting to feel better so we made a great day out of it. In the morning we HAD to go to Dunkin’ Donuts (for Liv because that’s her thing) and then we walked around Las Ramblas and the markets in Barcelona which was awesome. We bought our postcards and our gifts for friends and family and we had Paella and sangria! When I get back home I’m gonna have my dad figure out how to make paella the way they do in Barcelona (get ready Dean). Then we went to the Segrada Familia which is one of Gaudi’s famous works that is actually still being built. It was started over 150 years ago and they're still working on it! It was honestly one of the most beautiful sites to see. I also got my mom one of the most beautiful crosses I've seen thus far on this trip. We also bought futbol (soccer) jerseys because that night we went to a Barca game!! It was the largest field program in semester at sea history. So basically over 300 college students flooded three sections of seats in this game and we were absolutely the loudest and most obnoxious people there. Im not gonna pretend like I know a lot about football in Spain because I know it’s a big deal to them, but I think I understood most of it and I actually got really into it and had a lot of fun. (They sold hot dogs but they really weren't that good :/). Liv and I were still feeling a bit under the weather so after the game we headed back to the ship and watched a movie.
The next day I had a field lab in Barcelona for my Popular Musics class. I’m pretty sure that day had to be one of my favorites. We went to this different part of Barcelona that was by Las Ramblas but it had a whole other feel to it. It almost felt like the San Francisco of Spain. We walked through these tiny alleys down streets where cars couldn't fit and saw so many interesting locals. We went to this recording/dance studio that had a front door that was only four feet tall and we listened to three artists play instruments and sing for us. All three artists were so interesting and it was so amazing to be able to talk to them about their lives and how music plays a huge role in their lives. After we went to a record store and talked to other local musicians who showed us this small little club where they have parties every weekend and they just play original music. I recorded almost all the songs they played for us and now I can’t stop listening to it.
Later in the evening, my friends and I went to this fire running festival that was… interesting. I say that with hesitance because it really wasn't what I expected. We were thinking that it would be a huge festival, but it just turned out to be a bunch of semester at sea students. The beginning was slow but then all these people in devil costumes came out with sparklers and fireworks and we had a really great time. I have a video of myself running through it that I will post eventually. After the festival we went to a local bar with a huge group of friends and had a relaxed night.
The next day was our last and I spent half of it with Liv shopping and the last half we had to be on the ship. Overall, Spain was absolutely amazing (despite being sick a little). Europe has been awesome but I’m pumped to finally change continents. Morocco here I come!!!!
Greece!
Okay my friends. Get ready for a long post, but don't worry it's pretty interesting (at least I think so). So I spent the first day of my trip in Greece in Athens. We went to the Acropolis and Parthenon, Hadrian's Arch, the Temple of Zeus, the National Library, and the University of Athens. We were really trying to hit all the tourist spots before we did anything else. While we were walking around we happened to pass the Parliament and got to see the changing of the guard! And to top it off I had an AMAZING Greek salad.
Day two was definitely not my favorite due to the fact that I had a field lab for my environmental studies class and we went to a water treatment plant and a wind mill farm. Despite how boring it was, I got to eat Gyro for free. And when is free food not good?!
Okay here's where it gets interesting.
That night my friend Liv and I were supposed to take an overnight ferry to the island Crete. However after really thinking it through and getting slightly lost to the port station, we didn't go to Crete. Instead we met up with some other friends who were taking a 5:30am flight to Santorini. So Liv and I bought our tickets that night, walked to the airport in the pouring rain (and when I mean pouring I mean POURING), and slept in a McDonald's booth in the airport. We only got an hour and a half of sleep there until the McDonald's worker woke us up and said we weren't allowed to sleep there. It was about 3:30 by then so we just stayed up with our friends until the flight. I would've slept on the plane but 45 minutes wasn't enough time for me to really catch some rest. Once we arrived in Santorini it was 6am and we realized we had no idea what we were going to do and we had no place to stay. So we sat on a rooftop and watched the sunrise trying to figure it out. We then decided to go to a beach and take a nap because we were all extremely exhausted. We went to the black sand beach and took a good hour long nap. Still not knowing what to do with ourselves we decided to go to a cafe and grab some food and wifi. By that time we figured out a villa we were going to stay in with 14 people that had the most beautiful view of the island and had its own private pool! We headed to our place to lay by the pool and relax and get ready to go out to the town. We shopped a bit in Santorini and had an amazing dinner. Oh and we also got fish pedicures?! (That’s when you stick your feet in a tank with a bunch of fish that eat the dead skin off your feet). For the first minute I couldn't stop laughing, but after it actually was really relaxing and I enjoyed it. I am recommending this to all my friends! It was definitely something I crossed off my bucket list. That night I went out with my friends and again didn’t get enough sleep. However, it was actually a really cool time and I got a lot closer to my friends Liv and Brian.
Day two we didn’t get up ’til it was time for lunch. So we went back to town to have our last Santorini meal before we had to take an 8 hour ferry back to Piraeus. The ferry ride really wasn’t that bad. I had originally planned to sleep the whole time, BUT my friends and I were a little sidetracked. The majority of the time was spent playing this card game called “Hearts” and it was the most confusing and difficult game to learn. After a few rounds, I got used to it and I loved it. Basically our ferry ride consisted of really intense card games, mediocre burgers, and random tv shows and movies. We got back to the ship around 12am and somehow still had energy. So, of course my friends and I decide to go out. It was a pretty fun night and we sat by the water for a bit and just talked. We didn’t get back until around 3am-ish. Now that would be okay if we didn't have to wake up early the next day, but we did. So after about 3 hours of sleep we’re back out in Athens trying to do some last minute shopping before the ship left. Thinking it was going to be a warm day, Liv and I wore our summer clothes that both included a white shirt. Yet we didn’t know it was going to rain that day. White. Shirt. Rain. Not a good combination. It was still pretty funny, but we went back a bit early and got ready for the ship to depart Greece.
This trip is definitely gonna be one to remember and I’m so happy with how it turned out. However, I had to pay the price for the lack of sleep I got. Whenever I don’t get enough sleep, I get sick. So, I got sick, and I still am sick. I got a nice fever with congestion and a cough. Now I’m finally getting some sleep and a LOT of medication. Trying to get better before Spain (I’m so stoked for Spain).
Also, a reminder for people; if you need to contact me, please email rachel.richens.fa15@semesteratsea.org
If I’m on the ship I respond pretty quick BUT remember I’m about 9 hours ahead of you guys until I move closer west (and I’ll let you know my time changes as they occur).
Thanks for reading the super long weird post!! Time to say Hola to Spain!
Day two was definitely not my favorite due to the fact that I had a field lab for my environmental studies class and we went to a water treatment plant and a wind mill farm. Despite how boring it was, I got to eat Gyro for free. And when is free food not good?!
Okay here's where it gets interesting.
That night my friend Liv and I were supposed to take an overnight ferry to the island Crete. However after really thinking it through and getting slightly lost to the port station, we didn't go to Crete. Instead we met up with some other friends who were taking a 5:30am flight to Santorini. So Liv and I bought our tickets that night, walked to the airport in the pouring rain (and when I mean pouring I mean POURING), and slept in a McDonald's booth in the airport. We only got an hour and a half of sleep there until the McDonald's worker woke us up and said we weren't allowed to sleep there. It was about 3:30 by then so we just stayed up with our friends until the flight. I would've slept on the plane but 45 minutes wasn't enough time for me to really catch some rest. Once we arrived in Santorini it was 6am and we realized we had no idea what we were going to do and we had no place to stay. So we sat on a rooftop and watched the sunrise trying to figure it out. We then decided to go to a beach and take a nap because we were all extremely exhausted. We went to the black sand beach and took a good hour long nap. Still not knowing what to do with ourselves we decided to go to a cafe and grab some food and wifi. By that time we figured out a villa we were going to stay in with 14 people that had the most beautiful view of the island and had its own private pool! We headed to our place to lay by the pool and relax and get ready to go out to the town. We shopped a bit in Santorini and had an amazing dinner. Oh and we also got fish pedicures?! (That’s when you stick your feet in a tank with a bunch of fish that eat the dead skin off your feet). For the first minute I couldn't stop laughing, but after it actually was really relaxing and I enjoyed it. I am recommending this to all my friends! It was definitely something I crossed off my bucket list. That night I went out with my friends and again didn’t get enough sleep. However, it was actually a really cool time and I got a lot closer to my friends Liv and Brian.
Day two we didn’t get up ’til it was time for lunch. So we went back to town to have our last Santorini meal before we had to take an 8 hour ferry back to Piraeus. The ferry ride really wasn’t that bad. I had originally planned to sleep the whole time, BUT my friends and I were a little sidetracked. The majority of the time was spent playing this card game called “Hearts” and it was the most confusing and difficult game to learn. After a few rounds, I got used to it and I loved it. Basically our ferry ride consisted of really intense card games, mediocre burgers, and random tv shows and movies. We got back to the ship around 12am and somehow still had energy. So, of course my friends and I decide to go out. It was a pretty fun night and we sat by the water for a bit and just talked. We didn’t get back until around 3am-ish. Now that would be okay if we didn't have to wake up early the next day, but we did. So after about 3 hours of sleep we’re back out in Athens trying to do some last minute shopping before the ship left. Thinking it was going to be a warm day, Liv and I wore our summer clothes that both included a white shirt. Yet we didn’t know it was going to rain that day. White. Shirt. Rain. Not a good combination. It was still pretty funny, but we went back a bit early and got ready for the ship to depart Greece.
This trip is definitely gonna be one to remember and I’m so happy with how it turned out. However, I had to pay the price for the lack of sleep I got. Whenever I don’t get enough sleep, I get sick. So, I got sick, and I still am sick. I got a nice fever with congestion and a cough. Now I’m finally getting some sleep and a LOT of medication. Trying to get better before Spain (I’m so stoked for Spain).
Also, a reminder for people; if you need to contact me, please email rachel.richens.fa15@semesteratsea.org
If I’m on the ship I respond pretty quick BUT remember I’m about 9 hours ahead of you guys until I move closer west (and I’ll let you know my time changes as they occur).
Thanks for reading the super long weird post!! Time to say Hola to Spain!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Croatia!!!
Hello again! We just got back from Dubrovnik, Croatia yesterday evening and it was absolutely amazing. I know on my itinerary it says that Istanbul was supposed to be our second port, but due to safety reasons we had to change our destination to Croatia. At first, I was slightly bummed out because we were really excited to go to Istanbul, but Dubrovnik turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Our first day in port, I was able to walk the famous wall around the Old Town of Dubrovnik and was able to see some amazing views. The old town (where we spent most of our time) had plenty to do and we were busy almost every minute we spent there. We went snorkeling by a nearby island where we saw an old shipwreck and all types of fish and octopi. Afterwards, we swam in a small lake that housed a cave. It was pretty fun, although I worried I'd step on a sea urchin the majority of the time.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the beach and we were able to watch a sunset along the water, in addition to visiting some of the islands of Croatia. BUT, we did get stranded on this beach. The boat (which we paid for) that took us to this small beach, was scheduled to pick us up at 6:30pm. Turns out they forgot about us, leaving us stranded. We ended up just calling a taxi and later demanded a refund for the boat ride we never received. They only gave us half back but it was still pretty funny.
Our Air B and B had a HUGE number of stairs and we basically walked up and down those stairs several times a day. And they were literally called the “stairway to hell”. Like it actually read that at the top of the stairs. I better have some great legs by the end of this trip.
Over the next few days we went kayaking, swimming, and out to some really great restaurants in Dubrovnik. Along with that, we spent a day in Montenegro, which is actually a completely separate country from Croatia, but only a two hour bus ride. It was a very scenic, peaceful place and a good change of pace compared to the business of Dubrovnik.
On our last day, we spent time on the island of Lokrum which I think was my favorite part of Croatia. It was a peacefully cute island (it also had a nude beach but we don’t have to get into that).
Overall, Croatia was amazing and I’m actually really bummed that we’re leaving. BUT we’re now on our way to Greece, so I’m extremely excited. We only have two days to plan for our time there and I’m trying to write an essay. Wish me luck!
Crazy dreams and peanut butter?
Life on the ship has returned to normal since we left Italy. It’s smooth sailing from here to Croatia despite the thunder, lightning, rain, and wind we going through right now. I thought today was going to be a great day to lay by the pool ,and do some homework, but it is actually the coldest day we have had on the ship. I would drink some warm coffee, but their version of coffee tastes like watered down coffee beans.
Sleeping has been exceptionally weird lately. My cabin has no windows. So when you turn off the lights, it’s pitch black. Sometimes I can’t tell if my eyes are opened or closed. Because of this extreme darkness, I tend to wake up very disoriented and I’m never sure which way is up or down. So basically, every morning, I have a small panic attack because I forget where I am. Last night the weirdest thing happened to me. I had this crazy dream that I was locked inside a box, banging on the door trying to find a way out. When I woke up, I was surprised to realize that I was out of my bed banging on my own front door.
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?! I don’t think I've ever slept walked in my life, so I guess this is a first for me. I don't think I mentioned in my last post about how I was stuck in an elevator while in Italy. It was an EXTREMELY small elevator with a cage around it and my friends and I were stuck on it for a few minutes because it stopped in the middle of two floors. Luckily, we were able to get out. But maybe this experience had something to do with my dream….probably.
Despite the weird dreams, I always have my peanut butter to look forward to. The food on the ship isn’t necessarily good or bad, but the giant pan of peanut butter and bananas they keep out are my favorite. Peanut butter is my new desert. Maybe the peanut butter is causing the weird dreams?
I’ve also begun taking yoga every morning on the deck, while watching the sunrise. I wish I could describe the experience, but it’s one you have to experience for yourself.
I am very excited to go to Croatia and have already planned to go snorkeling and take a day trip to Montenegro! I’m still trying to figure out the rest of my trip but I am sure it will all work out!
It’s so crazy to think that we’re already onto our next country. See you in two days Croatia!
Sleeping has been exceptionally weird lately. My cabin has no windows. So when you turn off the lights, it’s pitch black. Sometimes I can’t tell if my eyes are opened or closed. Because of this extreme darkness, I tend to wake up very disoriented and I’m never sure which way is up or down. So basically, every morning, I have a small panic attack because I forget where I am. Last night the weirdest thing happened to me. I had this crazy dream that I was locked inside a box, banging on the door trying to find a way out. When I woke up, I was surprised to realize that I was out of my bed banging on my own front door.
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?! I don’t think I've ever slept walked in my life, so I guess this is a first for me. I don't think I mentioned in my last post about how I was stuck in an elevator while in Italy. It was an EXTREMELY small elevator with a cage around it and my friends and I were stuck on it for a few minutes because it stopped in the middle of two floors. Luckily, we were able to get out. But maybe this experience had something to do with my dream….probably.
Despite the weird dreams, I always have my peanut butter to look forward to. The food on the ship isn’t necessarily good or bad, but the giant pan of peanut butter and bananas they keep out are my favorite. Peanut butter is my new desert. Maybe the peanut butter is causing the weird dreams?
I’ve also begun taking yoga every morning on the deck, while watching the sunrise. I wish I could describe the experience, but it’s one you have to experience for yourself.
I am very excited to go to Croatia and have already planned to go snorkeling and take a day trip to Montenegro! I’m still trying to figure out the rest of my trip but I am sure it will all work out!
It’s so crazy to think that we’re already onto our next country. See you in two days Croatia!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)