The Battle with the ATM

ATMs don't like to be bothered at 7 O'Clock in the morning either. I had to stop by an ATM, I was low on cash for the trip to Córdova and Sevilla.

The first time I put in my card it rejected the card. "Fine I'll try again", I thought. Nope, REJECTED again. "Third time is the charm." You know what the ATM did: TRANSACTION FINISHED! STEP INSIDE FOR MORE ASSISTANCE! NO Money and a receipt for the transaction. Scared shitless, no money, and with time against me (the Bank was closed) I left to try and catch the bus that would most probably leave me. My trip to Córdova and Sevilla had started.

When talking about Euros, ATMs and wee hours in the morning you never want to piss off an ATM... just wait... cause you just have to remember Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong; your best bet is not to tempt faith...

Good times on the road!

Just a Brief Hiatus

I'm back...

Sorry for the long hiatus but I was just making sure there was enough content available to be documented.

Trips:
Sevilla, Spain
Córdova, Spain

Rome, Italy
Florence, Italy
Venice, Italy

In the past week (Italy trip) I took about 1,000 pictures. Something tells me I should have truly bought that external hdd before I left. So I'm gonna walk my happy ass to 'El Corte Ingles' later on today and see how much they are...hopefully I dont have to give up my first born child and a shitload of euros for an external. Let's see how that wonderful adventure goes!

Thank God for Shawarmas!

So far three people have asked--"Have you had one yet?" I somehow ate this within hours of arriving in Granada. It's called a shawarma, its only 2.25 Euro, and its a godsend! This could possibly be the best drunken food too! I am currently craving one...

Disclaimer: The only downside to this is that you have to be careful where you buy it. Some places keep the same meet on the slab for 4 days and the less the meat the longer its been sitting out. This means that you colon might be siphoning through some rough waters... Thank the high heavens I haven't gotten a bad shawarma.

A Fresh Start

Im really excited for the month of October. It seems like new air has come through the city of Granada. Excited.

Fixating on what ROW-C-O has said: I will try not to be so negative and or be so bitter with Spain. I'm hear at least to escape from other things!!

On a good note Ive lost 5 kilos. About 11 pounds.

Hurah for Spain!

Last Day of the Month

Its the last day of the month so I guess I'm going to do some self-reflecting.

It's been great to leave home and travel. By coming to Europe (Spain) I've had a lot of fun, but at the same time I feel like I'm ready to go home.

The system here is so different and I have yet to get accustomed to it. I hate the fact that my Spanish is kinda looked down upon because I have a neutral accent. I don't have a lisp and people here fixate on that, if they only knew that back home the same would happen to them. The egotistical Spaniards think that their way of life is so superior to that of Latin America and even the United States. Yet the biggest or funniest contradiction is that they themselves are moving to be more like the United States. By emulating another country's customs deteriorates from your own social and ethnic difference and makes you a hypocrite.

I'm already tired of the Southern Part of Spain.

The great thing about the experience of traveling abroad has been the ability to learn about another place or actually familiarize myself with the area. No fuck it, I really do hate the southern part of Spain. I really am bi-polar right now.

Damn the month of September has come and gone. Kinda happy about it. Next month...more traveling!

Chronicles of Conchi

Volume III

Conchi went to the botellon this past weekend. I didn't know of this before I left... She said she tried looking for me. She didn't come home until 9 am. She put out everything for my Spaniard breakfast and went to bed.

Morocco--As a Reality

I went to Morocco, so that means I've been on the Continent of Africa.

Morocco is a beautiful country surrounded by poverty. Not sure if the trip was as great as anyone had made it seem but at least I didnt have to travel by myself to this part of the world.

I was scared in Morocco ...not because of Islamic terrorism or safety, I was scared because I look muslim! 5 different vendors came up to me and asked me if I was Arab, or Muslim? I told them politely, no, 'I'm from El Salvador.' Then they would leave me alone. I found Lucy and told her to make sure I was on every boat, bus, and ferry ride until we got back to Granada. I clinched on to my passport EVERYWHERE!

First day we got to Ceuta (A Spain city in Morocco), then headed over to the hotel. It was a long day of traveling but exciting.

Saturday, we got breakfast and headed over to the Medina. If you have ever been to a market in Latin America you can figure out what a Medina is, and you've experienced it. It was a long walk through it, and you got to see everything, from chickens with their heads being cut off, to a donkey, to a shark. It really made me appreciate grocery stores back home!

Sunday, was our trip to Chef-Chaouen. I think this was the best part of the whole trip. It had the best views, less people, and most of all free time.

All in all it was a great time... I'm dead tired from the trip still. Waiting for the next adventure. It looks like it will be Italy! Planning the trip soon.