Bigger and Better....Las Fallas

First off, my apologies to my faithful followers who have complained about lack of updates..I've been so busy traveling I haven't had the time to blog....actually, I've just been too lazy but to each its own...so here it is, a little delayed, but better later than never...although, as always, words cannot come close to explaining our adventures, clearly you just need to come over and visit us....you only have a few weeks left!

Ngoc and I just returned home from our most recent adventure to Valencia and Alicante. This trip was a little different from previous travels because for the first time we decided to "couchsurf." This decision was, of course, due to the "crisis" that is our 700 euro a month paycheck. When your traveling as much we are on such a limited income you just don't have the type of money to be throwing away on 13 euro a night hostels with complimentary cockroaches as cuddle buddies. Besides the wasted money, cockroaches just don't do it for me in bed, so staying with strangers it is! We were both very hesitant and skeptical about this idea, for the obvious reasons--showing up at some random persons house you found on the internet and crashing on their couch? But it's free, so we thought "vamos!" Lets be honest here, grocery shopping that should take 20 minutes, max, takes Ngoc and I an hour as we ponder what is cheaper, a 1000 ml bottle of milk for 2,99 or buying a pack of five small cartons of 125 ml for 0,67 cents each. If only I were joking. Needless to say, the appeal of the money we could save triumphed over our safety or security. It sounded like a great idea for the poor and adventurous travelers like your truly :)

Let me explain what couchsurfing is for those unfamiliar with the popular website for travelers throughout the world. There is a website in which people list their couches online and travelers can search for people in any given city looking for a couch to crash on for a night or two while traveling aka "surfing couches." Only slightly sketchy and or potentially dangerous....now you know why I saw the appeal of this great idea. I frequently find myself in scary and/or stupid situations while abroad and think "this is gonna make for a great story, if I only make it out alive!" I justified the idea of couchsurfing by thinking, "sleeping with one stranger seems safer than a dorm full of strangers in a hostal," and plus I thought if something bad happens at least I won't have wasted any money. However, God and Buddha were on our sides and we were lucky enough to have 2 very nice places to stay for our first couchsurfing experience! Aw, the advantages of having 2 people up top helping you out. Actually, the two places were like 5 star hotles in comparsion to our lovely closet on Roque Barcia that we call home.



Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, is beautifully situation along the eastern coast on the Mediterranean Sea. Every March the population swells to over 3 million as people from around the world flock to the city to celebrate one of Spain's largest festivals, Las Fallas. In a word, it's chulisimo (super cool). During the day time everyone is out and about checking all the Fallas and setting off fireworks like its there full time job. The noise is incredible....its a testament to my eardrums that I'm not deaf after subjecting myself to that. The city is full of paper mache monuments that are inspired by political satire and are usually commentary on peoples view of the government. On the closing night of Las Fallas all of these monuments (called Fallas) are burned. From up above the city looks like it is being set to flames and the streets are packed with drunken observers. Only in Spain. I had heard about Las Fallas long before I even studied abroad in Spain (2006) and have always wanted to experience this festival after hearing all the hype. Rather than try and explain the atmosphere and sound...just watch the video of the fireworks, flames and crowd and you will have a little better idea of what you're missing out on. You cannot apprecaite what its like to be in Valencia for closing festivals of Las Fallas from pictures but take my word this festival put carnaval in Cadiz to shame. Can't wait to see what Sevilla is like during Semana Santa, Spaniards say its even bigger!


On Friday, once the city returned to normal, we walked around and did some sightseeing. Valencia is home to a world famous science center, housing an IMAX, science museum and aquarium. It always fun to see something that isn't a cathedral, although beautiful, you can only see so many churches before they all start to look the same. Moreover, after going to the Vatican in Rome no cathedral can compare. Nonetheless, Valencia had a beautiful cathedral along with several other buildings which have been standing for quite some time.

After Las Fallas ended we headed down south to Alicante. Another beautiful city in Spain. For a country smaller than Texas its packed with beauty. Alicante is also right on the Mediterranean and has a beach in the heart of the city center. We had a relaxing day of sightseeing and enjoyed a lesuirely stroll along the main road lined with palmtrees. We were pretty tired from Las Fallas and weren't up for any more sightseeing by nighttime. As we were sitting on some benches enjoying the view of the ocean we decided to go see Slumbag Millionaire. It was our first movie we have seen in a theather and I understood it perfectly which was so exciting. When I arrived I couldn't understand TV or movies but now I can watch the TV and movies in Spanish and actually laugh when I should (aka, I understand) might not sound exciting but its a milestone in my quest for fluency.


For all of you who are already planning Spring break 2010 forget about Cabo, Cancun or Maui....Valencia is where the worlds biggest party is for March!

Besos

Ally

Fit for a Princess.....

This past weekend I went to Germany to visit my father who was vacationing in Regensburg, Germany. It is a beautiful medieval city situated in the southeast corner of Germany along the famous Danube River. Regensburg was fortunate enough to avoid destruction during the bombings of World War II and many of the buildings and monuments standing today are the same as they were hundreds of years ago. While I’ve seen quite a few cities in Western Europe (i.e. Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Rome, Paris, London...etc) this was my first trip to Eastern Europe. In a nutshell, it’s very different. Not for better or worse. I just couldn't help but notice all the differences between Germany in Spain from the people, food, architecture and most notably the weather...it was snowing and its 80 in Huelva! As I looked out the window from my Dads hotel room I did not see a small pueblo composed a white little houses like any given Andalusia town rather I was looking out at much larger, multi colored buildings and a skyline full of gothic inspired architecture. We went to an old German Beer house and enjoyed a traditional dinner and some great German beer. Regensburg is home to the famous cathedral, the Dom, which is known as one of the main work of Gothic architecture in the Bavaria area. We also walked across the "Stone Bridge" (which was built in an astonishingly quick 10 years) in 1135 and is still standing today, incredible. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land. It is believed that the dent in the bridge is the fault of the devil...gee, talk about not wanting to take responsibility for ones actions. Architects make a mistake and decide to blame it on the devil, what an excuse. We also went to what is known as the Town Hall where political meetings took place. It also houses the torture chambers where torture procedures took place to force confessions from citizens. It was hard not to get the chills just hearing the stories and descriptions of torture procedures. Apparently the idea that confessions obtained through torture are not valid had not been realized. All in all, it was a beautiful city and fun to walk around and admire all the gothic inspired buildings.




Germany is so rich in history, although mostly tragic; there is no shortage of sights to see or history to hear. We took a train over to Munich for some day trips. Being so close to Austria we decided we should go over to Salzburg, Austria. You may have heard of Salzburg before, as it is famous for being both the birthplace of Mozart and also home to the filming of "The Sound of Music." Needless to say, it is another charming city. It the fourth largest city in Austria and known for its world famous baroque architecture, as it is one of the best-preserved city centre’s north of the Alps. With its picture perfect Alpine setting its no wonder why Salzburg is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Salzburg is a tourists dream city given all the much beauty to be seen. My favorite thing we saw the King Arch Bishops’ Residence...its hard to believe someone could call that place "home." Not only was the place enormous with impeccable decorations but also the extreme detail throughout, be it engraving or paintings were incredible. Why can't I meet a Spaniard with a place like that? Oh yeah, that’s right, they all live with their parents until 35.


We spent some time walking around Munich and enjoying all the great sights. Whenever I am in a big city, regardless of the country, I always come to appreciate the size of Huelva more. I never feel lost or like a number in Huelva. Rather I feel like the only tall blonde American that stands out and everyone stares at wondering why I would possibly be in Huelva of all cities in Spain. If only I was joking. Seriously though, as much as a big city can offer, living in a small city gives one the opportunity to really get a feel for the culture and lifestyle. In Huelva you cant live in a "mini America," you are forced to speak Spanish, eat Spanish food, watch Spanish TV and pass the time with Spaniards. That being said, nine months in Huelva is plenty! We went to the cathedral in Munich and saw where the devil stamped his foot. Man, Germany kept the devil busy! In America it’s usually the dog, "dog ate my homework" excuse but not in Germany.

We also took a dat trip to the world famous Neuschwanstein Castles in southern Germany. Of all the famous sites I have seen (Eifel Tower, The Vatican, La Sagrada Familiar, etc) the castles hands down were my favorite thing I have seen in Europe. Before so many of my trips I had great expectations and was so excited to go to Paris, for example. However, after finally seeing the city, I wasn't nearly as impressed as I thought. Of course, everything I have seen has been beautiful

but a lot of times it’s not as great as you think it will be. Its like anything in life, when you build it up in your head, you often end up disappointed. However, with the castles, I had no expectations and quite frankly wasn't super excited to go. After walking up a steep hill for forty-five minutes and looking up at these real life castles I found myself in awe for the first time. I had a moment were I was lost in the beauty of this picturesque setting. Jealously immediately came over me as I imagined living here. It had everything a princess could want, winding staircases, beautiful balconies and a drawbridge to keep the unwanted away. There are really no words to describe the beauty of the setting. The castles sit

around 2,000 meters above sea level and are situated in the foothills of the Mountains. It looks over a small town below and has a rich blue-green colored lake perfect for a summer swim nearby. The inside of the house was equally as amazing as the outside. You can't imagine the intricate details that composed these "homes." King Ludwig, the builder, of the Castles is just the type of guy who I would call "husband material," if only he wasn't gay. If you're ever in Germany this site is a must see!

All in all this trip ranked above my top trips I have taken in Europe. I don’t know if it was because after six months in Spain I was a little ¨cathedral out¨" or because it was the first time in six months I have traveled and not been on a budget a homeless person would consider stingy or maybe it was just enjoying the company of my father, but regardless it was a great trip.

I cannot believe we are in mid March! My year of teaching English is starting to come to an end but not before we squeeze in several more trips. Our calendar for the remaining weeks is full of scheduled trips to Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Santander, Toledo, Salamanca, Merida, Albufiera, and who knows what else! The weather is absolutely beautiful and when I’m not traveling I will be enjoying la Costa de Luz where sangria flows freely and sun shines for 12 hours a day!

Besos
Ally

With the sun comes ganas...

Hello strangers... it has been forever since I've written... Ally has been dominating me on the whole writing thing... but I'm back. I guess I haven't written because nothing has really happened or nothing that I had enough "ganas" to write about. However, since the sun has finally appeared in Huelva, I thought I'd take the opportunity to fill everyone in on the happenings of my Spanish life lately.

I just got back from Seattle... it never occurred to me how far away Seattle is from Spain. I KNOW it's on the other side of the United States, but you can't really grasp how far away that is until you've made the trip. I began my trip in Huelva and a 7 hour bus ride to Madrid. From there I hung out with Julio for a bit and then took the flight to Philly which was about 8 hours and then i had to wait 4 hours in the Philly airport and then another 5 hours to get from Philly to Seattle. For those who don't feel like adding up those numbers that is 24 hours of traveling!!!!! That's a day of my life... I arrived in Sea-Tac a little earlier than expected... however without any American money or cell phone I couldn't call my parents. I attempted to use my bank of america card to make a call... but guess what those payphones in Sea -Tac don't take VISA.... who would have guessed that? Either way, after 20 minutes of wondering, trying to figure out how i could get 50 cents to make a call I got up the nerve to ask the this guy to use his cell phone... luckily he was nice and it all worked out. Walking out of Sea-Tac was a shock... it was cold!!!! I know I haven't been gone for that long... but come on i couldn't have gotten a little bit of nice weather. There was also a little bit of snow on the ground and yeah... i'm going to say it's not like being in the 20C in Madrid.

Arriving home it seemed surreal... although I've only been gone about 6 months... it just felt so different... when i'm in Huelva, I can't really remember what my life was like in Seattle. Walking into my house nothing had really changed... Ngu happened to be home the same weekend, and it was the first time we had seen each other in a long time... so it was nice to chat it up with my sisters again. My room was how I left it... although I thought I cleaned it better... but obviously not. It was just so weird to be in my room, with all my photos and my books... it was nice, but at the same time it didn't feel like it was mine... although the walls of photos definitely had my name written all over it.

Over the weekend, I hung out with my family, Nhan came home from Western and it was a Nguyen family reunion. I didn't really realize how much I missed my family until we were all there, laughing, joking, and being loud (our specialty). It felt nice to be myself again... here I feel so grown up living my life, making my own decisions, at home I'm just another kid... I don't need to cook, clean or do anything... life is GREAT! We went to play lazer tag with Ni (my cousin) and our new friend, Dung. He's a foreign exchange student from Japan, but get this he's Vietnamese!!!! He's the son of my mom's friend, but yeah, he's cool. We definitely introduced him to our family and how it functions... if you don't grab what you want to eat, it's going to be gone. If you don't make your intentions known, no one will wait for you!!! Apparently there is no lazer tag in Japan, and he loved it. But I have to say lazer tag is the favorite hobby in the Nguyen household. I will never get tired of the game... chasing people in the dark shooting lazers at them. It seemed that everyone and their mom was at Family Fun Center, and so we had to play with other people... when i say other people I mean little 8-9 years-old kids... and there were tons of them. However, as a Nguyen we don't take the age in consideration when playing lazer tag... we show no mercy for anyone. So imagine us... Ni (17), Bi (16), Ti (19), Dung and me (22) and Ngu (25) running around, chasing the little kids, it's very funny. I think it came to the point where we scared a few of them... but no one cried so i guess we didn't bring our A-game that night! :)

Apart from spending quality time with my family I got to do things that I couldn't do here... like eat food that i really, really like.. for example Thai food... going to Thai Tom's was amazing... and i should have eaten more because i will definitely not be having any good Thai food anytime soon. On the subject of food... I'm going to say that I all the weight that I lost in my time in Spain was quickly gained back from all the food I ate at home... It's a little sad, someone should have said, "Ngoc, step away from the food". It was sooo hard to say no, although my stomach was about to explode... I kept thinking, I could be like a bear and eat tons of food and then when I'm in Spain go into hibernation mode... yeah that doesn't quite work... but in the end, when I think back on my one week trip to Seattle... i was in a complete stage of food coma.

Besides food I got to indulge in my other favorite past time... shopping... I have missed Nordstorms so much... they need to bring it to Spain. As always I had no self control, but I felt that I had been doing a good job since being in Spain, so I deserved to treat myself. Besides, what was I going to do when the whole world was busy with work, or school... and I had absolutely NOTHING to do...????

Driving my car was also a nice thing, it felt so liberating, to be able to go where ever i wanted without having to look up the Damas schedule or walking miles and miles. I don't mind walking in huelva, but imagine walking in Seattle... yeah you can't! I didn't realized how much I missed the Honda CRV until I got in there... I thought I wouldn't be able to drive... but i was fine, no one was harmed while I was on the road... unfortunately I still suck at parking, but i guess that will never change.

All in all my trip was a great, however, without anytime to do during most of the day, and being unable to hang out with my friends during the day because they worked was kinda boring. After a week i was ready to get back to Spain and go to my current "home". It was weird when I said I'm going "home" and I was referring to Huelva.

It was nice to see my family, and my friends. It was nice to be back in my city, but I feel that for right now my life is here in Spain. I only have 3 more months before I'm back in the states and I'm just trying to make the most of it... improving my Spanish, enjoying this opportunity (who knows when I'll be back to Spain) and enjoying my freedom from real responsibilities and life. With the sun finally out... I'm looking forward to going to the beach... getting tanner than Ally (sorry Chica, I just had to put that in there), seeing more of Spain and finishing off this experience with fond memories.

I promise to write more, but if not there's always Ally's amazing blogs to entertain the masses. As always, I'm sending hugs and kisses to everyone at home... I miss you guys, although I just saw you. I always wished you were here enjoying this experience with me... and hope all is well.

Besitos,
Ngoc :)