Not tired of tapas and vino yet...

We are still in Spain, catching a train tomorrow to France. It'll be my first time there!!

So we spent two nights in Arcos de la Frontera: frontera means 'frontier' or 'border' in Spanish, and the several towns that end in 'de la frontera' are not on any border. It turns out that they were, however, on the edge of fighting lands with Moors, many centuries ago. Most of the castles that we saw were on hills, mountains or cliffs for military and strategic advantages. Arcos had a few very old churches and a castle, and we got to eat dinner in what used to be the dungeon!

We passed through Jerez (and walked around the bullring--a very common sight in Spain), ate prawns and walked on the beach in Cadiz, and toured Ronda. The new and old towns of Ronda are separated by a very deep gulch, connected by the centuries-old 'New Bridge'. The town was much more touristy than we anticipated, but they had good ice cream, spectacular views of both sides of the gulch, and a man playing an accordion. I am lamenting not bringing an audio tape recorder: remind me to pack one next time I travel.

Yesterday we drove north, ending up in the surprise town of Lerma. Surprise both because we didn't intend to stop there (though we really didn't have any destination intentions whatsoever...) and because it ended up being a really adorable, jam-packed-with-historic-buildings village.

We headed toward the tourist office. It was closed, but instead we found the most charming Nativity scene. It filled up a huge train-set table, and had all sorts of juicy scenes. The creator happened to be right there, so he took me for a proud tour of his incredible creation. Thank goodness for this because I would have missed the donkey falling down the hill, the people killing a pig to make chorizo, and both men doing all kinds of bathroom business in dark corners. We all had a good, bilingual chuckle about the man pooing behind his herd of sheep.

This morning, Dad and I walked through Lerma. We stumbled upon no fewer than 5 monasteries and convents, watched pigeons poop on a statue, made friends with a nun, and got weird looks when asking our unpleasant waitress for something other than toast for breakfast.

Then a scenic route through the Sierra de la Demanda mountains, lunch on a cliffside, and we have arrived somewhere near San Sebastian on the Western coast in the Basque region. The language looks like a wild mix of Spanish and German. I've only picked up one word and--surprise surprise!-- it's food related.

I will write more after we cross the border and get some fromage. I'm in withdrawal.

How are things stateside??

Ethtamos in Ethpaña! (and everyone has a lisp...)

So we arrived in Spain safely, though slightly queasy.
It feels great to hear and speak Spanish again, although the accents in Spain sound so different to my latinoamericana ears. In case you´re unfamiliar, almost every ´s´sound is pronounced like a ´th´. Tho thilly, those Thpaniards.
Anyway, we stayed a couple of nights in Arcos de la Frontera, a beautiful old Andalusian white hill town. There is an old section with a castle and churches, etc., and a new town, with more of a nightlife. During the day, the views are pretty sweet, I must say.
Here it seems to be Christmas already! I particularly liked this Nativity scene in a photograpy store where the three very wise men are bringing the new baby Jesus Finepix and Casios.

Bahahahahaha!

There are windmills everywhere here, which makes me really happy (as an environmentalist). There is certainly enough wind here, as is evident when our lightweight European rental car gets on the highway...

Today we ventured to Jerez (where we got lost, then saw a bull fighting ring), then to Cadiz (on the western coast---I walked on the beach in the middle of December!!), and finally to Ronda, another hilltown where we saw this very cool (and old) bridge called the New Bridge. This thing is MASSIVE.

B´Slama, Morocco! L´almarhadar and I love you.

During our day in Fes, we toured the tile district where they make things like this out of tile. Un-freakin-believable. This particular tile is actually in an old madrassa (Koranic school) and depicts a Koranic lesson in calligraphic Arabic. Nope, I can´t read it, either. The tile district (where I got to play in the clay!) involves different people throwing clay pieces, firing them at several hundred degrees Celsius, hand painting with imagined designs, hand-chiseling with very sharp tools into absolutely perfect little geometric shapes (or curves, as seen above), then pieced together upside-down in a mold and cemented together to make the most gorgeous mosaic fountains, backsplashes, countertops, sinks, etc. that you have ever seen. Ever.

We drove through the countryside from Fes to Chefchaouen--the whole drive reminded me of how I mentally picture Italy. Who would think this is North Africa?!?

Chefchaouen is the ´blue city´: all the walls of the city (and all the houses in it) were whitewashed years ago to keep out insects. Now, the same thing is done for aesthetic reasons, and most of the doors, windows, and details of houses are painted in brilliant, different shades of blue. The stairway in our hotel (Casa Perleta, in the medina) was positively ultraviolet when you walked up in mid-afternoon. Incredible.

This was one of our last views from Morocco: we caught a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras, Spain (the whole trip was actually more difficult, involving a cancelled ferry trip that we had tickets for, 10-15 foot high waves on the Strait of Gibraltar, seasickness on the ferry and a bus trip on which the windows were completely whited out with....something).
NEVERTHELESS, we are in Spain.

PS

Bono filmed the music video for "Magnificent" in the riad where we're staying in Fes. Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi52HjJbwVQ

And Bill Clinton went to the herb shop where we shopped for argan oil....

OK, that's all :)

"You stay here one month, you speak Arabic perfect."

An herb man in the Seffarine square of Fes: he had mint, absinthe, lemon verbena...

Goat skins drying on the rooftops of the Fes Tannery District. They are yellow from soaking in a saffron dye for 6 days. After drying they'll be cut and sewn into super-soft shoes, purses, jackets, etc. Wow.

Fes leather shoes--- the man said (quite literally) "We have every size, every color. Go on, pick what you like."
The panoramic view of Fes. Hassan and Lahcen asked us "Where is your riad?" Hell if I know, boys.
Baby sheep!! Wee lambies!! Twins!! You can barely see, but these lambs are brand new: there are umbilical cords!!

One Week, Three Marriage Proposals

I'm riding a camel!! This was in Merzouga, a desert town: we were heading out into the dunes of Erg Chebbi (on the Algeria border) to spend the night in a tent under the Sheltering Sky (go read that book!!) I wanted to name my camel Princess, but the desert people only get male camels, so he became Maalek (king).

Crazy Lahcen got us stuck in a sand dune...

Ammonite fossils!!

The gorgeous Toudgha Gorge. (haha, GORGEous)

Camels crossing the road at the appropriate place. Also, notice the awesome hair on the camel on the sign.

Tonight we are in Fes again, tomorrow we drive to Chefchouen, the blue city, then on to the port of Tangiers Med on Friday to catch the ferry to Spain.

I am finally here!!

So, I'm in Morocco! Everything has been pretty perfect so far (except for me getting sick, but that's another story) and everything is just beautiful. Words don't do it justice, so just look:

Our first Moroccan experience, Djemma el Fna (downtown square) at night. There are snake charmers with cobras, pickpocket monkeys, street vendors with food and lots of people.

Mom getting kohl (Berber eyeliner) at qn herb shop. This guy was really enthusiastic!

Dad got dressed up in a djellaba by a shop owner.

Mom getting fitted for pointy toe shoes.

The Saadien Tombs are beautiful...

Trying to keep away from the edge! This was during our first day drive with our guide Lahcen.

Beautiful view from VERY high.

We had a cooking class with Raja (yes, like Princess Jasmines tiger!!)

Sitting in the window in the bedroom of T'hami el Glaoui's "preferred wife" (he had 3 wives and each had their own gorgeous room in his kasbah)

The view from our drive through mountains and valleys.

The preferred wife's room in Glaoui Kasbah.

Mountains in the background of our lunch in Glaoui Kasbah. People have beehives set up to gather honey in the countryside.

Marrakesh from the air (sorry these are out of order)

The High Atlas mountains sticking up above the clouds as we flew in.

We got on this flight minutes before it left the ground (due to sitting on the Dallas runway for 90 minutes) But the point is we didn't miss it!!

We spent last night in Ouarzazate and are deeper in the mountains tonight at a very cool hotel in the Dades Valley: every room is modeled after a different African country!

The next blog might be a while in coming, and Facebook won't let me log on, so email me please :)

-M.

Heading to Morocco!

Tomorrow morning, I fly to Morocco.

[I wish you could see my shocked look.]

I feel prepared, with more-than-enough reading and listening material for my 2 full days of travel, comfortable shoes and warm clothes, 1/2 a suitcase specifically for souvenirs, a fake engagement ring (I was warned about being approached by men in Morocco---though I could've used this faux-jewelry in Ghana, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and occasional places in the US, too. Thanks to an ex-boyfriend for giving me something that came in handy so many years later! After a few days, though, I will surely have a green "tattooed" ring on that finger. Hopefully it will deter just as well.)

Anyway, our flight will arrive in Marrakesh on Weds afternoon: from there, I will let the other blog entries describe things as they occur. Wish me luck!

Though I may not have much internet access, feel free to email me!

[deep breath]

Camp is over.

It got pretty stressful towards the end (as seen in the lack of blog entries), but

I survived. Not that there was ever any question as to whether I would survive or not. I have noticed that I tend to think that my problems are quite difficult (living in a 20'x20' cabin with four eight-, ten-, or eleven-year-old girls for anywhere from 2-5 weeks), but REALLY they aren't. Once everything is put into perspective, my "problems" are pretty tiny.

So, one of my favorite aspects of this summer was actually the stressful nature of it: I got stressed with no way out, therefore I had to really examine myself and ask, "Why are you so angry? Why has this job got you so upset? What can you do to make yourself feel better?" A little self-exploration never hurt anybody, right?

I've always been known as an extrovert (which actually means you get your energy from other people, not necessarily that you're talkative or outgoing). But in the past year or so I've wanted to become more introverted, to get my energy from myself and be more independent in that aspect. I wasn't quite sure how to go about doing this, but I knew that it would really benefit me, especially in some of the things I'd like to accomplish later in life (Peace Corps,

independent travel, etc.) I didn't want to be less friendly or outgoing, but just to be able to talk myself up when I'm feeling blue, or to feel even more comfortable in silence with my own thoughts.

So, while this summer job as a camp counselor didn't necessarily help me with that (there was FAR too little alone time), it certainly showed me how much work needs to be done in this department. If I want to do things away from my family and comfort zone, to help people in need and to be in other sides of the globe, I will really need to become accustomed to being with myself (check) and to encouraging myself (this is where the work needs to be done.) I'm certain that everyone has this issue, but I tend to be so great at encouraging other people and noticing their gifts---but my own? Another story.

All in all, the job was rough but the experience was well worth it. I've almost filled up my first journal (I've been writing for years, but never stuck with it enough to fill up a whole book... until now!), I met some great friends who I think I will really keep in touch with, and--my favorite part--I learned a lot about myself. Seeing all these wealthy children being spoiled and clueless sparked a conversation with my mom about what I was like as a child, since I can't seem to remember. It also gave me some information that will be extremely useful in a few years: what qualities do I want to pass on to my children? What lessons should I reinforce daily? The answers I can provide because of this job are respect and manners manners MANNERS! As well as chores. No 10-year-old should be clueless about how to make his or her bed. Really??

Today I will leave you with two photos of me at the Balsam Mountain Trust Preserve Nature Center outside of Sylva, NC (aka my new favorite place and my dream job):

Holding Cornelius, the [gorgeous] corn snake.

The largest pieces of mica (my namesake) I have ever seen.

Main Session, Sailing in Clemson, Thoughts.

Ok, now for the blog part: since I've been here, my favorite parts have been the evening programs and the days off. Seriously. Every evening program is something different, with the exceptions of Thursday night movie nights (though I could have done without seeing the Hannah Montana movie, and it made me homesick for Tennessee!) and Sunday night cookouts and campfires. The camp is pretty good at finding the balance between variety and tradition, which I really appreciate. Almost everything has a dress-up theme, which is tons of fun. I wasn't told to bring ridiculous costumes, but I've been able to scrounge up some awesome costumes out of the clothes I've brought so far. Also, the extensive drama program at camp has a Costume Shop that campers and counselors can peruse for their dress-up needs.

My first day off was spent camping in Panthertown. After that came Brevard, then Asheville, then Atlanta (where we got SuperLost but ended up staying in an awesome hotel and going to a Latin night club!), then Clemson, SC, and now Brevard again. I just love this little coffee shop with wi-fi that I found :) Currently drinking a mango-strawberry smoothie, blogging and skyping with the twin. How does life get any better?

I've been journaling a lot, and although this job may sometimes be stressful and I feel like quitting, I think about all the awesome people I've met here. We've only been together for a month, but I'm amazed at some of the deep relationships I've created with my fellow counselors. I'm also glad of this job because it makes me appreciate these mountains, my family's heritage, and all the adventures on my days off that much more. Additionally, I'm learning (and proactively changing!) a lot about myself. Less judgmental, less elitist, more perseverant, especially with projects I start. I'm typically a starter but not a finisher. I've never finished a scrapbook, I've never filled up a journal. This is a summer of self-reflection and subsequent change :)

Kudzu "forest" in a forgotten South Carolina town

Helena and me at the Luau themed cookout

"Tall Katy" and me at Grimshaw's, the sliding rock near CMW

It rained at the Nature Nook, but some dry spots were left where cool-shaped things were sitting

Precious snail, climbing in a Fairy High Ropes course made by some campers

View of the mountains from somewhere near Pickens, SC

Graffiti on the power building on Paris Mountain, SC/NC border

Chris' vintage sailboat on Lake Hartwell, SC, with the storm approaching (don't worry, we had a wooden mast)

Have you ever looked closely at the stitching on a sail? It's beautiful...

Oh, Nature, I Love You!

Recently, the 2nd of 3 camp sessions started. The girls in my cabin are great, and we've been having lots of adventures in the Nature Nook.

Callie, holding the resident green frog at the Nature Nook

Candles floating on Lake Fairfield during Merrie-Woode's "Follow the Gleam" ceremony, where the light of all the campers' good times at camp remains forever with the Lady of the Lake.

I got a candle, too :)

I knitted a "herbie". He's a pterodactyl named Jethro. Jethro the PterodacTull. Bahahahhahah! And he's staying hydrated. Good boy.

Snuggling with new baby chickens, by far the girls' favorite part about Nature.


Our sunflowers emerged from their seeds: the seeds were preserved from last year's sunflowers, in the same way that you would make a seed bank to protect an heirloom species from endangerment or extinction.

Thanks for reading!!

~M.

Camp Merrie-Woode

I haven't blogged in a year and a half and I'm really sorry, for anyone who may have been reading this and who have given up on me ever remembering about my poor lonely bloggity-blog.

Quick re-cap since my last post:

• I returned home from Ghana safely (so long ago!!)
• Went to the Florida Keys for spring break '09
• I've stayed in the US for the longest consecutive amount of time since I've been in college (going on 16 months!)
• Graduated college
• Started a summer job as a camp counselor/ environmental educator at a camp in the NC mountains. That's what this post is about.

I am the "Nature Girl" this summer, a fitting job that I am really enjoying so far. I have been teaching nature activities for a little over 2 weeks and we've decorated nature journals, creek stomped, caught tadpoles and learned about the life cycle of a frog, planted a garden, listened to a lecture by Blair the self-acclaimed "Bird Nerd" from Balsam Mountain Trust about AWESOME birds of prey, and done a natural scavenger hunt.

First, my summer home. Sapphire, NC, on Lake Fairfield:

My "office", the brand-new Nature Nook:

some Nature photos:

Fire Laurel in Panthertown Valley

Fern Forest in Panthertown Valley

Inchworm at the Nature Nook

Sid the Banded Water Snake

Mountain Laurel is in bloom

Butterfly on Butterfly Bush in Nature Nook Garden

Dog Penis Mushroom. Try explaining that to a bunch of girls....

The little building is where I make phone calls home!

Damselfly at the Nature Nook creek

Sunflower sent to my by my best friend for my birthday :)

Water Lily on Lake Fairfield

Bird of Prey shots:

Rusty the American Kestrel

Rasta the Eastern Screech Owl

Honto the Barred Owl

Pablo the Peregrine Falcon-- so handsome :)

Well, digest these photos and enjoy. Hope to read your comments sometime, I'll post again soon (much sooner than the last time, haha!). Enjoy your summer :)

~M.