Searching For the Incas

May 14, 2010

I just completed my Peru journey and arrived in La Paz, Bolivia this morning. Peru is a really special place and I loved my time there. The country has it all: spectacular mountain ranges, deserts, beaches, cloud forest, cities, and jungle.

My last update was in Arequipa, so I’ll pick it up there. The highlight of Arequipa was a trip to the massive Monasterio Santa Catalina, a lavish residence that was built for the nuns of Arequipa in the 16th century. It is a large self contained complex—a city within a city. The nuns did not live modestly. The monastery is beautiful, with winding alleys painted in bright blues and reds and decorated with flowers. We toured through the cloisters, living areas, and kitchens. No single room was exceptionally incredible—it was the totality that was impressive. The sun was shining during our visit which made the colours even more vivid. Next to the blue walls, the sky looked dull. Arequipa also has a very nice Plaza de Armas (main square)—a feature of Peruvian cities that I am getting quite jealous of. Every town and city, no matter how small, has a very nice Plaza de Armas, which serves as a meeting place for the people. I wish that this would become a more common theme in North American cities.

From Arequipa, I traveled to Cabanaconde, where I trekked through the Colca Canyon. At 3191m, it is the world’s 2nd deepest canyon, just behind the neighbouring Canon del Cotahausi. I spent three days in the Canyon and absolutely loved my time there. On day one I trekked from Cabanaconde to the picturesque village of Sangalle. The scenery along my hike was beautiful, as I was surrounded by green mountains, sheer rock faces, and many different types of cacti. As you walk along the canyon you have mountains towering above you on both sides and a vertigo-inducing drop to the river 1000m below. It is an awesome juxtaposition. The colours of the canyon rock are vivid, ranging from yellow, to grey to rusty reds. I stayed at a place in Sangalle called the Oasis hostel, which felt like a little piece of paradise. It is located in the heart of the canyon, right beside the calm Colca river, and feels incredibly serene. Also, a swim in the pool felt great after a long hike.

The hike on day two was even more picturesque, but was also probably the most physically demanding of my life. I hiked to the Mirador Apacheta, which had a panoramic view of the canyons and the three rivers that forged them. Standing on top of the lookout was an unforgettable feeling. The impressive mountains and epic drops gave me chills. After about 6 hours of beautiful hiking I came back to Sangalle and decided to start the climb back to Cabanaconde. In the next few hours I learned a few valuable lessons. Lesson 1: don’t leave the 1100m vertical climb for the last portion of your day. Lesson 2: don’t do the toughest climb in during the hottest part of the day and without sunscreen. Lesson 3: bring more than 1L of water for said climb. The climb up the mountain was an absolute physical and mental test, but I made it!

I also visited the Cruz del Condor in the canyon, which is a nesting area for the famous Andean Condor. We got there pretty early in the morning and were able to see some Condors immediately, albeit from a distance. As the temperature warms, the land heats the air and the Condors begin to rise up with the hot air. Before we knew it, there were 10 Condors circling above our heads, sometime as close as 10 feet away! They are incredibly majestic creatures and fly at impressive speeds with seemingly no effort. Condors have a 2m wingspan—easily the biggest I have ever seen. It was amazing getting a chance to see them up close.

After Colca Canyon, I headed to Puno, a city on Lake Titicaca. Puno itself is unimpressive, but the Lake is beautiful and I spent most of my time there. I met up with a friend named Phil from Colorado in Puno and we visited Sillustani, a pre-inca burial ground located on a peninsula of the lake. Sillustani has a collection of large towers that served as tombs, which are located on a plateau overlooking the lake. On our tour we learned about Pachamama—mother earth—which is an important part of Peruvian culture. Pachamama is the belief that man should live in harmony with the earth. It has thirteen components: earth, wind, water, and fire, past, present, and future, the snake, condor, and puma, and love, knowledge and hard work.

Phil and I also took a two day island tour on Lake Titicaca, which was fun. At 3800m Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake (meaning that you can take a boat from it all the way to the ocean). We visited the floating islands, which are an amazing collection of islands made of mud and reeds that literally float on top of the lake. The islands were fascinating, but unfortunately they have been made into a bit of a tourist spectacle, which takes away from the experience. We also visited the islands of Amantani and Taquile, which were extremely beautiful and much less exploited than the floating islands. The air was incredibly crisp and clean and the views over the bright blue lake were spectacular. We spent the night on Amantani with a local family, which was a really interesting experience and felt very genuine. The island life is primarily agrarian and there is beauty in the simplicity with which the people live. We witnessed a huge thunderstorm over the lake, which had some of the most vivid lightning strikes that I have ever seen.

After Puno, the next stop was Cusco, the former Inca capital that was captured by the Spanish conquistador Pisaro in the 16th century. Cusco is a striking colonial city, with winding cobblestone streets, spectacular churches, and Florence-esqe red clay roofs. It is a tourist hotbed, but still has retained its character. In Cusco I met up with Niall (who is visiting his sister in Quito) and we booked a trek to Machu Picchu. As always, it was great to meet up with a familiar face from home.

We did the five day Salkantay trek and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. We had four tough days of hiking, all of which were leading towards our visit to Machu Picchu on day five. The trek started at Mollepata at an elevation of 2900m and climbed up to 3900m, where we spent our first night. The campsite was picturesque, right at the foot of two huge snow-capped mountains. The sky was clear that night and the stars were incredible—we could even see the milky way. We had a great group for the trek. There were three Aussies: Luke, Bridey, and Scott, two Kiwis: Dan and Cherie, three Irish: Becky, Colm, and Tom, Two Canadians: me and Niall, one American: DeAnne, and one German: Janina.

The next day was a beautiful and incredibly varied hike. We started alongside big green mountains and climbed up to our maximum pass of 4600m, which was surrounded by rocky snow capped mountains. We soaked in the view of the spectacular 6200m Salkantay mountain that towered beside us, the highest peak in the region. The sky was perfectly blue that day—which made the scenery even better. After reaching the high point, we descended into the mountain valley and into the lush and cloud forest and jungle. While we walked through the jungle, it was hard to believe that we had been shivering on top of a mountain just a few hours earlier.

Another highlight of the trek was our fourth day, where a group of us chose to hike a longer route to Aguas Calientes (the town close to Machu Picchu) that took us past some Inca ruins. It was a tough climb, but the views were worth it. We climbed up towards a mountain ridge and along a huge gorge, through cloud forest for most of the way. The best moment came at the top when our guide, Nico, pointed out the direction of Machu Picchu. The clouds broke and we had a couple of quick glimpses of the site. It was completely unexpected and was amazing to see. We could see Wayna Picchu, the famous mountain in all of the Machu Picchu photos, as well as some terraces. After descending, we had a nice walk along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. By the time we finished our hike, we were all completely exhausted and pumped about our first shower and bed in 4 days.

The next morning, we were up at 3:45 to climb up the 1600 remaining stairs to Machu Picchu. (this was even earlier than our typical 5am wake-up). We stumbled up the path in the darkness and reached the gate about an hour before it opened. At 6am they opened the gates and we got in! It was a surreal feeling as we walked into the site and got our first glimpse of Wayna Picchu. I’m so glad that we chose to do the hike to Machu Picchu. It made me feel as if we had worked for it, and now deserved to see it. Seeing Machu Picchu was an incredibly powerful and moving experience—one that I will never forget. I felt different up there—small, humbled, and inspired.

The ancient city at Machu Picchu was quite large, considering that only about 500 people lived here. The city was designed for the most important people of Incan society: priests and heads of government. They also had virgins and llamas there, which they used for sacrifices to the gods. Typically the sacrifices were performed on the winter solstice, likely because they wanted to ensure that the sun and warmth came back to their world. Throughout the site, many elements are centered around the date of June 21st. For example, windows are situated so that the first rays of sun on the winter solstice travel through them. There is some incredible stonework at Machu Picchu. Some of the stones are so smooth and tightly fitted that it looks like they were put together fifty years ago, not five hundred years ago. Machu Picchu’s construction began in 1450 and continued until the mid 1500’s when the Inca civilization was wiped out by Spanish colonists.

We also saw the astronomical temple, which is the nerve center of Machu Picchu. The centerpiece of the temple is a large stone that the Incas used for its energy. The main square is large and well kept and is full of grazing llamas. Considering that we didn’t see a single llama or alpaca for the entire trek, I think that it’s safe to say that they were placed there artificially. The site is also full of fountains, baths, water channels, and living quarters. On almost all sides, Machu Picchu has terraces that were farmed by commoners. The drop off is so steep that it is hard to fathom how these terraces were constructed. I’m sure that a few men were lost in that process. Actually, the fact that someone would see this site and think that it was ideal for the construction of a city is absolutely ridiculous.

We climbed up Wanya Picchu, which is the incredibly beautiful mountain in all of the Machu Picchu photos. It was a fairly tough walk up, with a great view over the entire site from the top. Niall, Luke, and I sat on rocks at the top and looked over Machu Picchu.

It is hard to put your finger on what makes Machu Picchu so special. The ruins are spectacular, but there are certainly equally impressive ruins in the world. The mountains are beautiful, but there are certainly larger mountains elsewhere. There is something about the entire package that is greater than the sum of the parts.

I really admire the way that the Inca’s approached nature. No natural obstacle was too great and no danger was too great to be overcome. At the same time, they had a great respect for nature and lived as an equal, rather than a superior. Their approach lies in stark contrast to the approach of modern society, which is focused on the dominance and control of nature. It makes you question some of the things we are doing today. What is wrong with respecting nature in the way that the Inca’s did?

Towards the end of the day I found a nice secluded spot on a high terrace and soaked in the view of Machu Picchu. I hope that I can make it back here again.

We got back to Cusco and had a couple of much needed relaxation days. After getting our energy back, we did a white water rafting trip, which was a lot of fun. We managed to survive the grade III rapids, and everyone stayed in the boat, except for when we intentionally tipped it. Despite having wetsuits on, we froze in the river water!

Niall left for Quito yesterday and Bolivia is up next for me! Peru amazed me in so many ways…I hope Bolivia can do the same.

-M

The Air Was Getting Thinner

April 25, 2010

Here we go again! I arrived in Lima on April 12 to begin my last adventure before grad school: South America!

I grew up listening to my Mom’s stories about Brazil. Ever since I watched the Motorcycle Diaries, South America has been my dream destination. It is living up to the hype!

I stated off with a three day stint in Lima. Lima was not my favourite place, but it definitely provided an exciting setting for my acclimatization to the Spanish language and Peruvian culture. Whether I was squeezing into jam-packed collectivos (public buses), stumbling through simple Spanish conversations with locals on the street, or sampling the cuisine of the nearest street vendor, the experience was always exciting and unexpected. It didn’t take me long to receive my introduction to the openness and friendliness of Peruvians. On my first day in Lima I met two locals, Jorge and Lisa, who showed me some of the sights of central Lima and introduced me to Lomo Saltado, a classic Peruvian dish. We also drank the famous Pisco Sour, an iconic beverage here.

The highlight of my stay in Lima was a day of surfing at the Miraflores beach. I had never tried surfing before, so I was a little apprehensive going into it. I found a great instructor named Johnny and he taught me the basics before getting into the water. On my second attempt at surfing I managed to stand up on my board and ride a wave almost the whole way to shore. It was an incredible feeling! My numerous failed attempts later proved that this early success was more a result of beginner’s luck than innate skill. I absolutely loved surfing and did it for nearly the entire day. One of the most surprising things was how exhausting it was. By the end of the day my arms felt like jello. I took a lot a falls that day, but what I will remember is the 4 or 5 perfect rides that I had. I’m looking forward to my next surfing experience in Brazil!

The fun really started after I left Lima and headed to the small city of Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca of the Andes Mountains. Huaraz is at an elevation of 3100m and is at the foot of the highest and most spectacular mountains that I have ever experienced. I met some great people at my hostel in Huaraz (Kimberly, Crystal, Phil, and Ellen) and we decided to do the 4 day Santa Cruz Trek in Huascaran National Park. The trek was amazing: challenging, physically demanding and spectacularly beautiful. It is one of the coolest things that I have ever done.

The trek took place at altitudes ranging from 2900m to 4750m. My previous highest altitude was 3776m on Mount Fuji, so this was definitely an entirely new level of thin air. The scenery was incredible. It ranged from lush green rolling mountains to huge rugged snow-capped Andean mountains to bright blue glacier lagoons. Most of our hike took place in the mountain valley, so when I wasn’t watching my feet, I was staring up in awe at the mountains that surrounded me.


We had an excellent guide named Leonardo, who, despite being 69, could still out-hike all of us. Leonardo grew up in the mountains and his first language is Quechua, the most common indigenous language in Peru. He taught us a few words, including our favourite—“supesicki”—which means upset stomach. Along the trek, he pointed out many plants to us, many of which the locals use for medicinal purposes such as helping with headaches and upset stomachs. The sophistication of their holistic medicine is quite fascinating. Many of our western medicines use ingredients from these plants. We also saw many animals along the trek, including pigs, alpaca, cows, donkeys, sheep, chickens, and goats. The animals simply roam free here. When we would reach our campsite at night, we would often be greeted by a number of cows that had also chosen to make the campsite home. It was a little bit strange at first staring a bull in the face, but I got used to it pretty quickly. The disconnect between man and nature simply does not exist here. The relationship is symbiotic and respectful.


I had a bit of trouble with the altitude on the first day of hiking, but my body acclimatized fairly quickly and I felt fine after that. Our most difficult hike came on day 2, when we climbed up to Punta Union—our maximum pass of 4750m. The view from Punta Union was incredible. Looking out we saw turquoise lakes flaunted by high mountain ridges on both sides. For most of the trek, we had been looking up at the snow peaks, but at this point we were standing level with them. Standing on that peak was an awesome feeling.


We camped at a new site every night, each of which managed to be more impressive than the previous one. There is no better feeling than rolling out of your tent to a blue sky and 6000m peaks. After we finished the Santa Cruz trek, Kimberly, Ellen and I decided to do an extra one day trek to Laguna 69. Laguna 69 is one of the most beautiful and serene spots that I have ever experienced. It is a bright blue glacier lake at 4600m that is surrounded by snowy mountain peaks. The lake is filled with runoff from the mountains. After a difficult hike up, I decided to celebrate with a quick swim. That was a good idea for about 5 seconds—the water was freezing! Now I can say that I have “swam” at 4600m! Our hiking group celebrated that night with a dinner in Huaraz. Huaraz is a magical place that I will never forget.


After Huaraz, I traveled down the coast to Nazca with Phil and Ellen. We went to Nazca with the hope of seeing the famous lines constructed by the Nazca people about 2000 years ago. The lines and shapes are large and in the middle of the desert, which makes things complicated—the only way to properly see them is from the air! We managed to find a reasonably priced flight over the lines in a small eight-seater Cessna plane. It was an awesome experience!

The flight was my first ever in a non-commercial plane. I was definitely a little bit nervous before we started. Before I knew it our pilot was revving up the engine and taking off. Flying above the lines let us truly appreciate the incredible magnitude and detail of them. Not only did we see the famous shapes, but also numerous lines and geometric figures scattered throughout the desert. Flying allows you to experience the lines as a cohesive whole, rather than a group of individual objects. My favourite shapes were the spider, the condor, the monkey, the astronaut, and the hummingbird. The debate over the meaning of the lines and their method of creation is still going on amongst anthropologists. It was great getting a chance to experience such a mysterious site first hand.
I am currently hanging out in the laid back city of Arequipa and planning a trip to visit the deepest canyons in the world!

Thanks for reading!

-Mitch

The Numbers

January 6, 2010

Well, the trip is officially complete and I am back in good ol’ Winterpeg. I thought I would leave you with some of the essential statistics of the trip.

Cities, towns, and villages visited: 61

Languages heard: 16

Overnight bus and train rides: 9

Police fines: 1

New exotic animals: 8 (macaque, orang-utan, asian elephant, yak, sunfish, wild boar, mountain goats, crocodile)

Biggest loss due to theft: $5

Borders crossed on foot: 1

Legitimate fear experienced: 3 times

Countries visited: 16

SINGAPORE

MALAYSIA CAMBODIA THAILANDVIETNAM

CHINA
JAPAN

THE UNITED KINGDOM

FRANCE

POLAND

BELARUS

THE CZECH REPUBLIC

ITALY

SWITZERLAND

PORTUGAL

SPAIN

Most Important Conclusion: The world is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people.

Thanks to everyone for reading and for all of your comments throughout the trip. It was great being able to share the experience with all of you!

-Mitch

Tiles and Laundry

December 13, 2009

My trip in Portugal started in Lisbon, where I met up with Minju for 4 days. We had a great time in Lisbon getting lost in its maze of narrow winding streets, admiring its tiled building façades, and looking out over its sea of clay roofs. We felt very at home in Portugal. The people are friendly and accommodating and always quick to lend a hand. We couchsurfed with two different hosts: Machado and Ricardo. Both guys were great. With Machado, we had many interesting discussions and with Ricardo we shared a lot of laughs.

My favourite parts of Lisbon were the Alfama and Graca districts. These are the old parts of town and many of the buildings are more than a century old. Many of the buildings are decorated in colourful painted tiles, which were extremely popular in Lisbon in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even in the downtown, many of the buildings still have tiled façades. The tiles look nice and give the city a very unique feel. Lisbon is also said to be the laundry capital of the word. Everywhere you look, people are hanging laundry out their windows to dry. Based on our photo habits, we determined that Minju is addicted to the tiles, and I am addicted to the laundry.

In Lisbon, we visited the Castello de Sao Jorge. The castle is built up on a peak and looks out over the city. It closely resembles the type of castle that I used to draw as a kid. We also went to the Belem district, which is home to the spectacular Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a large gothic monestary, and Lisbon’s Discovery Monument. We also ate the Pasteis de Belem, the original version of the custard pie that Portugal is famous for.

We visited the Lisbon aquarium, which was fun. They have a huge centerpiece tank, which houses sharks, sting rays, eels, eagle rays, zebra fish, tuna, and even the huge and grotesque sunfish. When I first saw the sunfish I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I had to check with Minju to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing. It is one of the biggest and certainly the strangest looking fish I have ever seen (see below). The aquarium also had penguins, sea otters, and jellyfish. They also had a fish that is capable of producing its own light. Very cool.

From Lisbon we took a day trip to the magical town of Sintra. Surrounded by high mountains, it used to be the summer getaway for Portugeuse royalty. We explored the grandiose gothic palace of the Quinta de Regaleira and the towers and walls in the surrounding park. It is a spectacular combination of architectural and natural beauty.

After a great stay in Lisbon, I headed up the coast to the city of Porto. Porto’s old town has a very authentic feel and it feels largely untouched. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that it is a Unesco world heritage site. The old town is in a little bit rougher shape than Lisbon but that only adds to its charm. There is a beautiful stretch of the old town along the river that separates Porto from its neighbouring town Gaia. Both towns have houses built into the grassy riverbanks. The scenery is spectacular.

My last stop in Portugal was Geres, the huge national park in Northern Portugal. I absolutely loved Geres and all of its natural beauty. I spent two days hiking and mountain biking around its many trails. My hikes took me across rivers, past waterfalls and lakes, and up rock faces. At times, the trail itself was a small stream, and I would have to hop from rock to rock. I climbed a small mountain on the Calcedonia trail, which was challenging and extremely rewarding. At the start of my climb I was surrounded by lush, thick forest, but higher up there was less vegetation and it became extremely rocky. It was very barren up there, but it had a certain beauty to it. The hike took me uphill to one of the highest peaks in the area. It was one of the most peaceful and serene places I have ever experienced. In two days of hiking, I didn’t see one fellow hiker! For the first time on my trip, I actually felt genuinely alone. It was a cool experience.

On my second day I rented a mountain bike and set out for Spain. Actually. It is only about 12km to the Spanish border. The ride was absolutely beautiful. The leaves are changing to bright yellows and reds and the ground was coated in them. The rocks were covered in a thick layer of green moss. I biked past streams and waterfalls. It was awesome. The only downside was that the trail was muddy and wet so I got absolutely covered. It was a small price to pay. After crossing the border, the trail stopped and I found myself on a highway that went straight downhill. I couldn’t resist the temptation and took off down the road. It was an incredible rush.

Next stop, is another stint in Spain, this time stopping in Madrid and the Basque region. Thanks again to Machado and Ricardo for being such great hosts!

-MB

Avoiding the Barber of Seville

December 4, 2009

I decided to visit Spain in two parts, with a visit to Portugal in between. Spain part one was Barcelona, Granada, and Seville and I absolutely loved it. I was amazed by the warmth and friendliness of the Spanish people and the history, art, and architecture that the country has to offer.

I started off in Barcelona. It quickly became one of my favourite European cities. Barcelona is a lively and vibrant city and is essentially a living museum of the work of Antoine Gaudi. Gaudi’s art, architecture, and legacy pulse through the city, highlighted by his most ambitious and grandiose project: the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia blew my mind. It is a large church that was started by Gaudi in the late 1800’s and it still being worked on today. The scheduled completion date is 2020, but knowing the Spanish it will probably be more like 2050. Despite still being in progress, it is considered a masterpiece. Gaudi takes a completely new and refreshing take on religious art. Rather than doing things in the boring Italian way, he sculptures are modern, edgy, and unique.

The Church has 12 large towers (8 complete) that stand out from the city skyline. The size of the Sagrada is incredible, and as you stare up you cannot help but be amazed by the amount of work that has gone into it. Inside, Gaudi built columns that were inspired by trees and the roof resembles a thick canopy of leaves. The light in the church is supposed to mimic the light one would experience in a forest. Gaudi’s work is an incredible fusion of geometry, nature, and art. I love the way that he manages to integrate these three components so seamlessly. His designs utilize paraboloids, caternary curves, and helicoids as well as many other geometric notions. For example, when you look down his staircase you see the spiral that occurs in a perfect snail shell, a pattern that inspired the development of the golden ratio.

I also visited Gaudi’s Park Guell, which is a park full of fantastical and slightly goofy, but certainly unique, Gaudi creations. The houses in the park look like they are straight out of Hansel and Gretel. When standing below one of his many bridges, I felt that I could have been in prehistoric times—or an episode of the Flintstones. I really enjoyed his tunnels and bridges in the park; they were built with shapes and structures that I had never seen used in architecture before. The park is strange, but it is also a lot of fun. While I didn’t love all of it, I certainly had a good time there. Half the time I was amazed by the work, and the other half I was amazed that he had the nerve to do the work.


I went to the Picasso museum, which was cool to see. The museum takes a chronological approach to Picasso’s work, starting with his work at the age of 14 and working up to Picasso’s later years. It was very interesting, and humbling, to see that even Picasso started out by doing very literal and simple paintings. His first works are something that any artist could do. Over time, you see his progression into more interpretive paintings, and eventually, the birth of cubism. My favourite works of Picasso are the paintings he did during his “blue period.” My art tour continued with the Joan Miro Museum, which was quirky and fun.

Some other highlights of Barcelona were napping and reading in the beautiful palm-lined Ciutadella Park, walking through saltwater at the Barcelona beach, eating many tapas meals, and hiking up to Tibidabo and enjoying the view over the city. Barcelona manages to be cultured without feeling pretentious. I love this city!

From Barcelona, I headed south to the historical city of Granada. Granada is famous for the Alhambra, a huge fortress and palace built in the 8th and 16th centuries by Spain’s muslim population. It did not disappoint. The Alhambra’s Palace of Nazareth is probably the most intricately detailed palace that I have ever seen. It is full of stone carvings, whose shapes and designs look very similar to the written Arabic language. The palace has many beautiful colonnades, reflection pools, courtyards, and gardens. It is a spectacular sight.


My favourite parts of Granada were the Albaicin and Sacremonte regions, located on the city’s highest peak. Albaicin is an incredibly beautiful area full of cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses. It feels authentically Spanish and has clearly been untouched by modern development. Walking through the Alcabain felt like going back in time. It has a lookout with a great view of the Alhambra. Sacremonte is the home of Granada’s gypsy population. Many of the gypsies still live in their traditional cave houses, while others live in houses that have literally been built into the side of the mountain. It is amazing that they have managed to preserve this way of life.


My last stop in Spain was the wonderful city of Seville, with its abundance of oranges and palm trees. In Seville, I took in the Spanish art form of Flamenco dancing. While I can’t say that I will ever become a fan, I certainly enjoyed the spectacle. Flamenco is kind of like graceful tap dancing, but rather than tapping the dancers are stomping. The show consists of a guitarist, a singer and the flamenco dancer. There is a slow buildup in intensity of the music and dance and the set culminates with about 5 minutes of flamenceo. All the performers were incredibly emotional and expressive during the performance. It was clear that they cared a lot about what they were doing. I also saw some Spanish guitar, which was excellent in the live setting.

In Seville I also visited the world’s third largest cathedral and the city’s famous bullfighting ring, where they hold bullfights from May to October. After learning about what actually happens in a bullfight I was thoroughly repulsed. The “sport” is disgusting and I find it very difficult to consider the matadors heroes. The matador is given every advantage possible in the fight, and only appears after the bull has been significantly injured. Moreover, the bulls that are chosen to fight have been separated from their mothers shortly after birth. Bulls are known to learn their fighting instincts from their mothers, thus, the matadors are essentially fighting the easiest fight possible. Like myself, many Spaniards have a serious problem with bullfighting and its abolishment is currently a hot topic of debate.


I loved Spain for the warmth of its people, its cozy restaurants, and spectacular art. Next, I am heading to Portugal and then back through Madrid and the northern part of Spain. Buenos Dias!

-M