Norte de África

Although our ferry only took half an hour to cross the Mediterranean, it was clear that we had entered a world very different from our own.  At both ports I noticed ancient cannons pointed out to sea, and I was reminded of all the centuries of history carved out in that part of the world, and everything that is going on even now - what a crazy privileged time to visit.

It feels strange to admit that even though we were given good tourist advice, our group still felt culture shock, which I would describe as being unable to distinguish between being unsure (of your surroundings and your place in them) and being unsafe (which we weren’t). It took a few days to shake, and that’s why there are mainly photos of us, as we weren’t quite sure what was appropriate to point our camera at!

During our short stay we wandered through the Medina taking in the sights and smells, being taken to restaurants (yum!) and pharmacies (where we learnt that Saffron is the ‘King of Spices’). I learnt that the long strings running through the market is the silk used to make the elaborate djellabas and that just sitting around on the grass by the fountain is a perfectly good use of time and a great way to meet people. There were so many families out and about. We even had dinner with a Mexican couch surfer!

I will also never forget that ferry ride back, watching Marc turn white and then hurl into a tiny paper bag with an newly made American friend rubbing his back, just minutes before we reached the shores of Tarifa.

Tips from someone who made it 3/4 of the way..

If you want to climb the Rock of Gilbraltar, skinny jeans are not the dream. As the overcast sky cleared and the queue for the gondola was rumoured to take approximately 3 hours (plus 13 pounds - yikes) I began to fear I had made a huge mistake when I got dressed that morning. Our casual walk to the top …“it can’t really be that far….” turned into a battle against the heat, and minivans full of elderly cruise ship residents.

Also, if you plan on seeing Gibraltarian apes on your day visit to the Rock, it pays to take the path that says ‘apes this way’…. While we saw plenty of evidence of apes (food scraps and so on), we only happened upon one real ape in the centre of town which quickly fled after a tour-guide threw a rock (ha) at it.

And even though this rock is technically ‘British’, the coffee is still served in Spanish quantities = weeny, but the size of the fish on my plate was unconquerable - even after three attempts by some hungry lads!

The Shaw Girls - increasing the cuteness factor exponentially.

The Shaw Girls - increasing the cuteness factor exponentially.

Feria

As a result of our time in Oxfordshire, UK, I was unconsciously expecting to encounter town after town after town while travelling in Spain. Not the case. We drove through vast areas of country, with not much more than wild purple flowers exploding over the surface of the fields.

In order to get a better view, we stopped off at the rural hillside town of Feria which had steely old goatherds steering out from the side of the road, and at the same time, kids with iPod docks blasting out music for their street dance parties. And at the summit, a castle/fortress left over from days long gone.

Feeling a little Indy

Our time in Badajoz (said ‘Badahoth’) was marked by tremendous heat, great hospitality, lively discussions, cute kids, and a certain air of adventure. After a very comfortable night with the Hobbs Family, Team A set out for the old city walls, recently restored and completely lacking in any kind of health and safety restrictions. Scampering about these beautiful ruins sparked some Indiana Jonesish joy in discovering new places. My recently acquired (and culturally appropriate) H&M khaki trousers certainly helped.

Before being totally destroyed by the heat, we found a high point on the walls and took some time to send out blessings to this region where unemployment is such an issue, and to offer up our gratitude for being there.

To top off an amazing day, some locals from the church community took us out into town, and bought us a mitre of Sangria. Yes. A mitre. It was amazing. And I loved the way they laughed and made the effort to communicate with us and share a little bit about their lives.

Storks and Swallows

After a few days at the centre, our team (also known as team ‘A’, or the ‘A’ Team, but mostly team ‘Awesome’) headed off to visit a Salt & Light church in Badajoz for a few nights. Unfortunately the air-conditioning in the car was no competition for the scorching heat as we drove north towards ‘the frying pan’ of Spain. So we stopped along the way for ice-blocks and guided tour of the lovely town of Zafra. 

The first thing I noticed getting out of the car was the GIANT STORK NESTS adorning the city’s towers and steeples. I loved the contrast between these enormous birds nests which can weigh up to a tonne and the grace and agility of the many swallows zipping about.