Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Barcelona

The next stop on the list, Barcelona. A beautiful city. Our time in Barcelona was very short but I had a wonderful time. The afternoon we got in we relaxed for a very short time and then got some food from a grocery store and made a lunch. We got ready for the night and went out with some friends to a little underground bar. It was called the black sheep and it was really neat inside. We just sat and talked for awhile and drank some sangria. Then we went to a club called Duvet. It was really nice and we stayed for a couple hours after which we went back to our hostel. The next morning we rose early and headed out for some sightseeing. Sadly it was our only day to see the sights. We went to three of Gaudi's buildings. They were absolutely beautiful. I would love to go back some day and see more of his work in Barcelona. We walked down Las Ramblas which is a main street in Barcelona. During the day it is filled with entertainers and people selling animals and all sorts of things. At night it turns into a place of prostitutes and drug dealers. Crazy, I know. We walked along the water and just kind of explored the city some more. It's a very beautiful place with lots of things to do. That night we went out with our friends again to a small bar and then we tried to go to a nice club but were turned away because we weren't dressed appropriately. Apparently our touring clothes aren't good enough. Haha. No big deal we just went down by the water for awhile and hung out. Then it was late enough where it was time for us to head to the bus station so we could make it to the airport for our flight. It was a wonderful place and my only regret is not staying longer. Next stop, the Eiffel Tower.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Walking Like an Egyptian

So I know it's been awhile but I've been having the most amazing experiences of my life. Spring break began about 3 weeks ago and I started my vacation off right. I took a little trip to Cairo, Egypt. It was probably one of the most amazing places I've ever been and definitely my favorite place that I went on break. We got in to the airport around 1 in the morning and people from our hostel were there to pick us up. The ride to the hostel was one of the scariest things that's ever happened to me. I thought they were crazy in Greece, well I was wrong. They are absolutely insane in Egypt. It was fun though :) We got to the hostel and we talked with our hosts for awhile and then we went to bed, definitely the most comfortable bed on spring break. The next morning we got up and headed towards the Pyramids. We stopped at a stable and we took camels out into the desert. I had so much fun. I cannot even explain the feelings I felt when I got my first glimpse of the Pyramids. All I could think was how did someone build this. It was AMAZING! We also saw the Sphinx which is really cool too. The camel ride was really fun but oh so interesting. They are quite the creatures. Their teeth are so disgusting and they make funny noises but I had a blast. Then we went to the Pyramid at Saqqara. That was also awesome because it's a little different looking than the Pyramids at Giza. That night we went on a Nile dinner cruise. There was wonderful food and great entertainment. There were two men who danced and kind of did a routine together and then the belly dancer came out. It was so nice and very relaxing. The next day we went to the citadel and saw some mosques. We had a great view of the city from the citadel. The mosques were so beautiful. We also went to a military museum. It was actually quite interesting and it was well presented. The third day we went to the Egyptian museum which by the way you actually could spend all day in. It was filled with so much and it was all amazing stuff. Unfortunately you could not take photos so I can't share any photos with you. Sorry :( After awhile at the museum we went to the bazar or market. It was HUGE and so busy. People were everywhere and they were selling almost anything you could imagine. The fourth and final day we slept in a bit and then finally meandered out of the hostel and wandered around the area of our hostel for awhile. That night we went out to the Pyramids of Giza again to see them at sunset. It was beautiful and we got to take more pictures [we took the camels out again ;) ] Sadly it was time to leave the place I enjoyed so much, but it was on to another adventure. Next stop, Barcelona! See ya there :)