Here's a question: What do you do when you're studying abroad in southern Spain and it's your Best Friend Matt's birthday? Well, the prices on Ryan Air's website told us that we should go south. So, we went to Gran Canaria, the main island of the Grand Canaries.
When all your weekend really consists of walking to the beach or searching for a bus to take you to the beach...there's really not a lot to talk about. But I do have some very descriptive pictures.
Day 1
Find hostel. Be impressed that it is not next door to sketchy establishments, has cheery white walls, AND free clean towels. Heart of Amsterdam has been three-upped.
Find grocery store. Buy liter of Melacaton y Uva juice (who would have thought of such a delightful combination?!) and an apple. Then go back for cookies and beer because this is vacation.
Find beach. Enjoy life and be very content watching the sun set by the ocean.
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| Roommates matched in heaven! |
Day 2Hike. The cute* guy at the tourist kiosk told us that Los Jardines Botánicos are incredibly beautiful. He was correct! We hiked all over the botanical gardens. I have more pictures on facebook.
Find bus. Initially we wanted to find a volcano, but after an hour or two of walking around some neighborhoods and highways, my focus changed. Group split, bus stop!
Find beach. "Matt, it's your last time on the beach as a teenager! WOW!!"
*Deal breaker: his ponytail was longer than mine.
Find churros. This place on the pier that had been very giving with their bathroom ("and they even have toilet paper!") had a sign advertising their 14 flavors of chocolate for the churros that have become my official downfall. I mean, you don't just pass an opportunity like that up.
Find airplane. Ryan Air, while being the most convenient price-wise, likes to be ultra-inconvenient with their bag checks. If you would like to bring a carry-on with you and avoid the 40 euro charge, make sure it fits inside the 55x40x20-centimeter box they make you shove your bag into before they let you on the plane. I like to pack for all circumstances (I could totally go running in Grand Canary!) so that always makes me just a bit nervous. That's why I'm glad I've discovered the secret weapon of all savvy travelers: coats. Purses must fit inside your alotted carry-on...yeah right...so I tighten the straps on my backpack and whatever doesn't fit gets wrapped in my coat and carried right on past the Nazis of Ryan Air. Ryanazis. We'll work on the name.
And now, I am back home in lovely Sevilla, and the weather is more or less the same as the Canary Islands. Instead of the ocean, I have the river, and instead of the bus system, I have my own feet. You know, I think my European life is actually less stressful when I'm not on vacation.
*Deal breaker: his ponytail was longer than mine.
Day 3
Find bus. The north side of the island was a liiiiiittle chilly, so we used our previously-acquired knowledge of the bus system.
Find beach. The south of the island is what I had imagined the whole of the island to be: miles of white sandy beaches. The Europeans do appreciate their nude beaches, and a couple of my friends saw the sights nearby. And by sights, I mean elderly Germans vacationing and letting it all hang loose.
Find dinner. We bussed back to the North and found a Sushi place for Matt's birthday. As it happened, they weren't serving sushi (No-Sushi Sunday?) but they did have shark fin available. We felt a tad apprehensive at first because the place was completely deserted, but we knew we had really found a hole in the wall when Sarah and I made the mistake of touching the empty plates set before us. FYI: my hands were clean before this photo was taken.
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| “¡Plato nuevo por favor!” |
But we were very hungry.
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| Life goal: Obtain intricate sand art skills, play on beach for a living. |
Day 4
Find beach. We went to the local beach for our last day and just enjoyed our lives.Find churros. This place on the pier that had been very giving with their bathroom ("and they even have toilet paper!") had a sign advertising their 14 flavors of chocolate for the churros that have become my official downfall. I mean, you don't just pass an opportunity like that up.
Find airplane. Ryan Air, while being the most convenient price-wise, likes to be ultra-inconvenient with their bag checks. If you would like to bring a carry-on with you and avoid the 40 euro charge, make sure it fits inside the 55x40x20-centimeter box they make you shove your bag into before they let you on the plane. I like to pack for all circumstances (I could totally go running in Grand Canary!) so that always makes me just a bit nervous. That's why I'm glad I've discovered the secret weapon of all savvy travelers: coats. Purses must fit inside your alotted carry-on...yeah right...so I tighten the straps on my backpack and whatever doesn't fit gets wrapped in my coat and carried right on past the Nazis of Ryan Air. Ryanazis. We'll work on the name.
And now, I am back home in lovely Sevilla, and the weather is more or less the same as the Canary Islands. Instead of the ocean, I have the river, and instead of the bus system, I have my own feet. You know, I think my European life is actually less stressful when I'm not on vacation.
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| Um, YEAH. |
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