Trip to Tenerife

When I first started my blog back in January, I remember telling my mom one thing - "I just don't want it to be boring." Of course, in her original and sweet motherly way, my mom reassured me "of course it won't be boring." Luckily, this semester, I've had a lot of amazing experiences that are hard for even the most inexperienced bloggers like myself to seemingly increase the weight of your eyelids. This blog post may be the exception to the rule, so, unless you're like my mom and are just absolutely interested about all aspects of my life, this post may not be for you.

I've already mentioned it numerous times, but from last Friday until Wednesday, I was on a trip with my friend Brad in the Tenerife Islands. It was definitely the most overall relaxing trip I've taken so far so there weren't a million events and things going on to write about, but it still had its fair share of hilarious memories and lasting memories. I'm actually planning on writing a whole separate post for our hike up to Mount Teide, so I'm going to basically skip over those days for now. Anyway, a summary of the trip:

What we did:
Brad and I set out to go to the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands located west of Africa, on Friday night. We spent the first couple of days maxin relaxin and looking all cool while getting sunburned at various beaches, climbed a mountain, and hung out by the ocean some more.

Watching the sunset from Puerto De La Cruz

Kite surfers on Playa de Médano.

Brad and I after hiking up to Montaña Roja, or Red Mountain.

Where we stayed:
The first three nights, we stayed at an awesome hostel called Los Amigos backpackers, where we got to meet and become friends with people from Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Mexico, and Finland! We stayed at the highest elevated sleeping quarters in Spain one night, and the next night we stayed in a (generously rated) 2-star hotel in the center of town.

How we got there:
With the exception of the whole "hiking a mountain" thing, the travel stories might be the coolest part of Brad and I's trip.

We underestimated/overestimated certain aspects of the island - we underestimated how huge the island was, and we overestimated how convenient public transport would be...

On the plane ride over there, we started talking to the college-aged student sitting next to us. She explained that she was originally from Venezuela but lived in Tenerife currently. Before the flight was over, she had volunteered her dad (who was picking her up) to give us a ride to our hostel! We had a little bit of trouble finding our hostel that was supposedly 10 minutes away from the airport (it took us about an hour to find) and Brad and I were constantly apologizing, to which her dad would reply "no no no, this is a religious experience for me!" We finally made it and were so grateful for the free ride.

Realizing that the bus near our hostel only came every 2 hours or so, we thought we'd give hitch hiking a try. The first attempt was way easier than we expected (probably because of our beautiful faces), and the very first car I "chucked the thumb up"to pulled over for us. The driver was a Chilean woman and the owner of a bar at the beach that we were headed to. Once we got to the beach and had our fun in the sun, we made our way over to her bar and had a drink with our new friend from Chile.

Hanging out at "Vetusta", the bar that the Chilean woman who gave us a ride owned.

We ended up hitch hiking two more times on the trip - once with a French couple that didn't speak a word of English and very little Spanish, and once with two older men from Belgium driving a rental mini van through the winding mountain roads like we were on the Grand Prix or something.

That's 4 different drivers from 4 different countries - Venezuela, Chile, France, and Belgium.

What we ate:
Brad and I went for the conservative/cheap route. In Spain, supermarkets sell fresh-made baguettes for ridiculously cheap prices, so Brad and I's main diet consisted of a few baguettes, some chorizo, cookies, and strawberry Fanta. Not the best food ever, but when you're paying 2 euro for a hearty meal, no one can complain.

What I'd recommend:
Like I said, we underestimated a lot of things about the island. Even though we had those awesome experiencing hitch hiking and adventuring, the times that we were forced to rely on public transportation were rough. To anyone traveling to the island, I would definitely recommend renting a car. You can get car rentals for as cheap as 65 euro per week, live stress-free, and be the person that picks up the new college-aged Americans blindly trying to get around the Canary Islands!

Why I'll never forget it:
Going on a trip with one other person (as long as they're awesome) is one of the most fun things you can do. The memories Brad and I made by getting in random people's cars, drinking Corona's by the beach, hiking up Mount Teide, and chilling with our bread and chorizo will be fun to look back on for sure.

That's all I've got.

Brad.

B-Side of the Day

Hiking to the top of Mount Teide to see the sunrise. Anything is possible.

The Dirty Tenerife

As I said in a previous blog post, I recently returned from the Canary Islands - Tenerife Island to be exact - and spent the last 6 days with my good friend Brad. We had some great adventures, a lot of Corona-esque relaxing times at the beach, and hiked Mount Teide, the tallest mountain in Spain. More on the rest later...

Like any man who goes on a trip with his guy friends - also known as a "bro-cation" - you know it's fun (and darn near necessary) to grow a little facial hair for the occasion...

Enter in my mustache, aka "The Dirty Tenerife". It's a solid mix of 6th grade Cory Thomason, freshman year Adam Morrison, and 3rd grade unibrow of Anthony Davis. I realize it's everything but beautiful, but after 7 razor-less days it's all I've got.

I have had a lot of facial hair role models in my day throughout my family, and I hope to one day achieve the ranks of facial hair masters like them. Here are just a few of the famed follicle fathers, brothers, and cousins that make me proud, and the facial hair that accompanies them.

The Facial Hair Hall of Fame

Dave Ellis, aka Grizzly Adams - My Dad's beard on his wedding day. Rumor has it he shaved literally 3 hours before this was taken.

My Uncle Ladell Thomason, aka The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.

My brother-in-law, Marc Voth and his goatee, aka The Colt 45 - a smaller piece of weaponry that can still knock anyone to their knees if need be.

My uncle Marty Hunt with his 'stache Frank Sinatra - cool, smooth, and never going out of style.

My cousin, David Ellis, rocking the Appalachian Sensation.

My cousin, Joel Thomason with his famed mustache, The Duke. When I asked him why it was called that, he simply responded, "because it makes a little noise, Colorado."

And last but certainly not least, my brother-in law, Anthony Puryear, sporting his own version of famed fighter Kimbo Slice's beard that he affectionately refers to as Vanilla Slice.

"There are many feats a man can do in his life - ride a unicycle, speak in tongues to wild birds, spin the perfect pot, conquer the Blazin' Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings - but a man who can grow facial hair: that, my dear friends, is a man who deserves the utmost respect." - Pope John Paul II

Fear the beard,

Brad.

Bullfight

Bullfighting is one of the prized traditions of the Spanish culture and is known world-wide. API gave us the opportunity to go with other students in our program and experience a bullfight this past Monday, in what ended up being a very memorable experience for me.

Sevilla's bullfighting ring, Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza, is where bullfighting began. Built in 1749, it's the oldest bullfighting ring in the world, and its atmosphere was second to none. We arrived for the 6:30pm bullfight around 6:20, and before we knew it a brass band was playing to us while all of the matadors came out and were introduced. It was a very traditional ceremony - unlike any American events, there were no microphones, no announcers, simply a band to play in between rounds and a trumpeter to signal when the next stage of fighting would commence.

For those of you who are as unfamiliar with bullfighting as I am, I'll give a brief summary. There are 6 rounds in each bullfight, with 3 matadors competing. Each matador gets 2 rounds to perform, and the matador who the crowd thinks is best at the end wins the prize (which we'll get to in a second). There are 4 stages to each round (or each bull). Warning - the process of a bullfight isn't for the weak at heart.

First, the bull comes out of the pen, angry and ready to run around. The matador and a few other assistants, called banderilleros, get the bull tired while the matador observes the movements and tendencies of the bull.

In between each section, a sound of trumpets signals the next stage by playing a short and simple tune for about 20 seconds.

Second, 2 horses with men and spears come out, and make the first blows to the bull, usually near the bull's neck. This causes massive blood loss in the bull and starts making it weaker.

Third, the 3 banderilleros tempt the bull with their capes again and then attempt to stick the bull with these sticks with sharp metal ends to them, which both angers the bull and causes fatigue to its body from the loss of even more blood.

Fourth, the matador shows what he is made of. With a run-down but angered bull in which he has had time to study its tendencies, the matador uses his techniques to have the bull follow his red cape around him. The longer the bull follows the cape, the better of a fighter the matador is considered to be, and the more excited the crowd gets. In the earlier stages, the crowd remains silent out of respect, but when the matador is up people start shouting "bien...biEN...BIEN!!"

Before you know it, the matador is ready to make the bull his ultimate victim by killing it. The matador takes his sword, lunges towards the bull, and tries to make a clean stab right behind the head. If he succeeds, the bull will quickly fall to its knees and someone will come out and use a dagger to remove it from its misery. If not, then the matador has to try again, losing him dear points.

In my particular fight, the crowd started waving white handkerchiefs and flags, which I later found out meant that they were petitioning for the last matador to be awarded a high honor. If they crowd waves white flags, it signifies that they want the president to give the matador an ear of the bull. The matador was awarded with two ears, which is a huge honor. After the fight was over, he circled the arena to a standing ovation and women throwing roses into the ring.

I really enjoyed my experience at the bullfight. Some people think that it's simply a bloodbath of torturing animals, but I chose to take the perspective that it's a Spanish tradition and art. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the music, the costumes of the matadors, and seeing something that is so popular around the world.

Brad.

Trip to Ireland

The last part of my journey throughout the United Kingdom ended in Ireland. I boarded a bus to the Edinburgh airport at 4:15am, and hopped on a plane to Dublin at 6:20. The early morning plane ride didn't make my first day in Dublin any less eventful, though.

Trinity College

After getting to Dublin, dropping my bag off at the hostel that I was staying at - U2's old recording studio for the first 15 years of their career - and experiencing a "breakfast roll" (a conglomerate of meats, eggs, potatoes, and sauce in a baguette made and served from local Irish convenient stores), I set out to see the city. Similar to Edinburgh, Dublin was a very walkable city, especially because my hostel was right in the city centre.

I kept walking, and luckily there were signs to the main tourist attractions around the city. My first main trip was to visit Trinity College. Trinity College is the most prestigious college in Ireland, the college of Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Jonathan Swift, over 40o years old, and the home of the famous Book of Kells (they were available to see, but no pictures were allowed to be taken).

Front Entrance of Trinity College.

After learning how to do it in Edinburgh, I quickly became a pro at joining tour groups. I overheard a student giving a tour, and jumped in easily. It was fun hearing about the student life both historically and in the present day, and to hear all the random facts about the university. And, as if there needed to be any more reason to visit, the campus was absolutely gorgeous.

Dublin City Walking Tour

I continued on my trek by following the tourist's signs to Dublin Castle. After seeing Edinburgh's, the Dublin Castle was a little bit of a letdown (although it was still pretty awesome!), but the tour that I quickly joined and laughed with was definitely not! The tour told us all about Dublin's history, both in the ancient times and more recently, and took us all over the city. I learned that Dublin is named after the Irish words "dubh linn", which means "black pool". The picture taken below, right outside of Dublin Castle, used to be a black pond that was useful in trading way back when...? I don't know if that all makes sense, but I promise it's something close to that!

Area outside of the Dublin Castle that used to be underwater, giving the city its name.

We also got to see the building where U2 used to practice as teenagers, the beautiful Christchurch Cathedral and the infamous Temple Bar district. We also saw a demonstration of what it looked like to live as a Viking, with up to 20 people living in a small house and "spooning" in one or two different beds. Glad I didn't volunteer for THAT demonstration!

Christchurch Cathedral.

Viking "spooning" simulation. Woof.

Project Arts Centre, where U2 got their start.

For the sake of comfortability (and not getting caught), I ended up leaving when the tour group split for lunch, but really enjoyed my second bummed tour of the day.

Guinness Storehouse

Possibly the biggest tourist attraction in all of Dublin is the Guiness Storehouse, where Guinness brewed all of their beer from 1902 to 1988 before opening it up to the public. It was a great place to learn about the history of Guinness (for anyone who thinks that God doesn't work through the beer industry, check this link out) and try a pint of beer on the top floor of the Storehouse overlooking Dublin. I also got to learn how to properly taste beer and pour the perfect pint. Awesome stuff.

Guiness Storehouse.

Arthur Guinness - the man with the plan.

Top floor view of the city with a pint of Guinness.

Irish Bar Scene

That night, I hit up the Temple Bar district and enjoyed a few drinks with the locals. Irish bars are always really fun because, similar to the stereotypes of the movies, there is live music everywhere and everyone is singing the native songs. I just stood there and took it all in.

Irish folk music's rendition of U2's "With Or Without You".

Easter Day Ceremony

Of all the days since I've been abroad, Easter Sunday might have been the day that I missed my family the most. Easter is one of the many holidays in which my family has pretty set traditions - sunrise service at church, Easter lunch, celebration of my sister and cousin's birthdays, and an Easter egg hunt for all the kids. It was hard knowing that I couldn't be there for the celebration, but it was fun to be able to take part in the Dublin Easter festivities.

As I was walking throughout the city in the morning, I heard a band playing on the main street near my hostel. What proceeded was a long ceremony commemorating Easter and remembering both Christ's death and the death of Irish soldiers in history. There were multiple bands, an Air Force flyover, and many more. Plus, I got to see the president of Ireland, something you don't get the opportunity to do every day!

President of Ireland walking next to a general in the Irish army.

Overall, it was a day of rest and relaxation - humbly reminding me of the eternal life that I have but don't deserve through Christ's sacrifice, and reminding me how fortunate I am to have a God and a family that loves me so much.

Cliffs of Moher

The last full day I was in Ireland, I decided to take a day trip to Western Ireland and see the more genuine, original side of the Irish countryside. Since the climate in Ireland is so mild (around 50-70 degrees year-round), the grass everywhere was so green and gorgeous. I actually got to drive through and see where parts of the movies "P.S. I love You" and "Braveheart" were filmed.

I decided to take my tour through a family touring company, MacCoole Tours. My tour group consisted of 8 people - 4 from China, 1 from Malaysia, 1 from Spain, and 2 of us from the U.S. It was fun getting to talk to the girl from Spain in Spanish (one of very few times on my trip that I able to do that), learn more about the guys from China and Malaysia, and connect a little bit with the guy from the United States.

Our first stop on the tour was to the MacCoole family farm. We got to see their cows, newborn baby lambs, and took a guide hike with one of the family members up to the top of the Burren Hills and enjoy a magnificent view of the valley and ocean. When we got done with the tour, we got to go inside and get a homemade taste of Ireland through their mom and aunt's apple pie or carrot cake and some coffee.

The foothills of the burren, MacCoole Farms.

Our tour through the Burren.

My new friends Chekfoung (Malaysia), Disi (China), and Lara (Spain)

MacCoole Cottage, home cooking.

After visiting the farm, we made our way to Ireland's main attraction - the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher are giant cliffs located off of the Atlantic Ocean, and stand over 600 feet high and 5 miles long. Our tour bus was hurrying to get there, because the extent of visibility was uncertain - when we got there, it was windy and spitting rain. Even though the weather was rough, it couldn't stop me from enjoying the breathtaking view of the cliffs. I'm not one for extreme statements, but the Cliffs of Moher were the coolest things I have ever seen. The sun ended up coming up near the end of our time there, and the views were even more beautiful. I must have taken a hundred pictures there. It was just one of those times when I would look around, be amazed, and have to take another picture.

After the Cliffs of Moher, we went to a small town known for being the originator of Irish music, saw a couple of great views of the ocean and the countryside, and ended our time at a pub in Galway City before heading home.

I'm so glad that I decided to tour the other side of the country - it was a long and exhausting day full of amazing views and new friends.

St. Stephen's Green

To conclude my trip, I went and hung out at one of Dublin's famous parks, St. Stephen's Green. When I got done with my time at the park and was walking towards the airport bus, I ran into the same study abroad students that I had just met a week earlier in London! Small world.

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So, there ended my two week long trip: I took the bus to the Dublin airport and got back to Sevilla around 8 that night. Reflecting on my trip, I don't think I could have asked for a better experience. I got to experience a great mix of bustling cities and tranquil countrysides, 19 hour days and relaxing days at a coffee shop, of new friends and established community.

Overlooking the Celtic Sea.

Now I'm back in Sevilla, with a refreshed appreciation for the city and culture of southern Spain, ready to make the most of the last month that I have here.

Brad.

Trip to Edinburgh

As if a weeklong trip to London wasn't enough, I embarked on the next leg of my journey - Edinburgh, Scotland. My mom's side of the family immigrated from Scotland, so I was excited to see a bit of my ancestor's history.

Edingburgh is the capital city of Scotland. Unlike London, Edinburgh is close enough together that it was walkable and, although still lively and populated, didn't seem at all intimidating to a tourist like me. One of the first things I noticed when taking the bus from the airport to the city centre was how ridiculously green Scotland is. I'm a fanatic of well-manicured and beautiful lawns, so seeing a country whose climate made it near impossible not to overflow with luscious greenery definitely brought a smile to my face. I must warn you, I didn't take quite as many pictures in Scotland, so my selection wasn't quite as vast to choose from.

Chillin With The Bros

Thanks to my buddy Knox, I had a connection with an American student, Caleb, who is studying at the University of Edinburgh this semester and offered to let me stay with him in his flat. He lives with two Scottish students and a student from Slovakia. It was fun being able to relax with them, get to know a little more about the Scottish and Slovokian cultures (and try to understand their accents). Caleb was a friendly and generous host, and we had a lot of fun together. Being from Texas, Caleb wanted to show his Edinburgh friends a little taste of home, so we even had a fajita fiesta one night, complete with homemade guacamole! Too sweet.

Black Medicine

My first full day in Edinburgh was a rude awakening. I had been fortunate to have amazing and mild weather in London all week, and my first experience with Edinburgh was a rain-snow mix. I used the weather as my excuse to chill for a morning in a local coffee shop recommended by Caleb, the Black Medicine Coffee Company, which I enjoyed greatly. It was one of my many trips to coffee shops in a week that would prove to be relaxing, to say the least.

The Elephant Bar

One of Edinburgh's more recent claims to fame is that J.K. Rowling wrote the first of the 4 "Harry Potter" bestsellers at a coffee shop in Edinburgh called the Elephant Bar. I went late one night, drank a cup of coffee while overlooking the Edinburgh Castle, and imagined to myself the amazing thoughts and motivations that Rowling must have had when she was writing her book, and the doubts that may have gone through her head as well. Needless to say, her confidence overcame her doubts and she wrote one of the most popular books of all-time, and I got to go to the place where it all started.

My view from the Elephant Bar - overlooking the Edinburgh Castle.

Arthur's Seat

A cool thing about Edinburgh is that it has an extinct volcano right in the middle of town. My first day there, although it was windy and snowfall was flirting with Mother Nature all day long, I decided to hike up the extinct volcano, called Arthur's seat, to get a better look at the city. The view of the city was absolutely gorgeous, and I couldn't get enough of the beauty that was the Edinburgh Castle. I would have taken one more picture with me in it, but when I turned around to ask the lady behind me if she would mind taking a photo (amidst the cold and heavy wind), I noticed that she was crying and seemed like she was ready for the descent.

Arthur's Seat.

View of Edinburgh atop Arthur's Seat.

Ghost Tour

I don't know if it was the fact that it was cold and overcast all day, the architecture, or a combination of the two, but Edinburgh had a sort of creepy sense to it. There are actually ancient underground cities within Edinburgh that were completely closed off without warning during the Black Plague. Combine that with a history of people being unfairly hanged, and there's a certain sense of historic spookiness that comes out during the moonlit night.

The Tollbooth Tavern. Intangible spookiness.

While I was roaming around one night taking pictures of the city, I decided to go up to the Edinburgh Castle. When I made it to the top, I overheard a group of people that seemed to be on a tour. When I looked over, I noticed that the tour guide was dressed in all white make-up and a cape, and that these people were on a ghost tour. I continued to take a few pictures, and when I heard the tour guide say "alright, let's go ahead and make our way to the next stop..." I jumped right in the tour group, blending in with all the other tourists just fine.

The tour itself was great! The ghost tour guide was light-hearted and funny, and every once in a while a "ghost" would come out and try to startle us. I learned about different stories of Edinburgh's history, different ghosts that supposedly still wander the streets, etc. The best part of it all was that I got it all for free. Holla!

Pre-Approach to the tour group..

Our lovely tour guide and assistant.

National Museum of Scotland

Unbeknownst to me, the University of Edinburgh is actually a very prestigious and successful university. With the likes of Charles Darwin, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Graham Bell, and countless others, the Scotland had a lot to offer. I went with Caleb and Matt, his Slovakian roommate, and we had a blast. We checked out everything from ancient battleships to animal skeletons to racecars and more. We even saw Dollie the Sheep, the world's first successful mammal ever cloned, which happened right there at the university.

Dollie the Sheep.

Edinburgh Castle

The most popular and well-known thing in Edinburgh is the Edinburgh Castle. Towering high above the city on Castle Rock, the castle dates back to 9th century BC! Although I didn't tour the castle itself (I heard that it wasn't worth the 22 pound price), I took enough pictures to last a lifetime.

View of Edinburgh atop Edinburgh Castle.

Basketball in Kilts

Okay, so I didn't actually do this. But, I did play basketball with Caleb against the University of Edinburgh basketball team. Although 4 or 5 of the guys we played against were at least 6'6" or so, Caleb and I kept up and actually won almost every game. It was a fun time and a good way to end the trip with Caleb.

All in all, Edinburgh was just what I wanted it to be - a time of relaxation and community with new friends while getting to explore a country that has helped shape my life through my family.

Brad.