Vanessa Santana

As with any study abroad, there comes a time to say goodbye. Although today was not our last day on the trip, it was our last chance to take time to appreciate the company, friendships and memories we have made with one another before the chaos of the journey back home.

If you've ever been to Meknes, you know the Medina is a must. The Medina is a bustling square in Meknes filled with vendors, shops and everything and anything you could want.

A group of the students, me and some locals took today, our free day, to venture out into the Medina to look for last minute souvenirs and treasures. I'd like to note that looking for something in the Medina is never just an 'in and out' process that your dad requests when going into Walmart for butter. Going into the Medina is an adventure in and of itself. The streets become mazes, with walls composed of shoes, clothes, tapestries and anything else able to be sold The streets vary in noise -from music to hammering- and smells from meat, spices and old clothe. The Medina is not a high end mall, but rather an upscale shopping plaza that's environment could never be replicated.

I should add that the Medina is notorious for bargaining. You must must must bargain at the Medina. The bargaining is a culture. It is a language of the Moroccans, one that must be learned to navigate the merchandise and laws of the Medina. Without it, you may walk away with a rug for 600 Dirham, when in fact it's only worth 200, or with it, walk away with a tapestry being sold for 800 Dirham to walk away with it for 180 ( true story!).

This dinner being our last one together, absolutely required some dressing up. We had some dresses, and running up and down the halls asking for hairspray and straighteners! At not too long past 8:30 we began our dinner at a single long white table, dressed in glasses and cutlery for the 24 students, 3 Purdue teachers, Moe, our guide, Yayah, and Daniel, both a part of the ISA staff, and two Moroccan locals. Our dinner consisted of, of course, a three course meal that we have been pampered with throughout our stay in our hotel.

The most important part of our dinner, however, was not the meal or the fancy table clothes, but the speeches given by each and every individual at the table. Now, these speeches weren't those given at a soccer banquet, but rather filled with the emotion and sentiment given at a wedding by the best man. Personally, I am not one for public speeches, but I mustered the courage to thank everyone who came along the trip, those who made our trip possible, and to every individual on the trip for contributing to my experience abroad.

Needless to say there were tears, as we know one tear opens the gates for the flood works of everyone in a one mile proximity. The night ended with a group picture (That I missed!), and many others by instructors, and other students.

I'm in the middle of Colin and Nathan

A smaller group picture

Farewell Dinner Group Picture that I missed

Daniel Cervantes

As the inevitable end of this trip came today, I began to reflect on how amazing and how eye-opening this trip has been on my life. As someone who has never been abroad, this trip has passed expectations. No one could ever prepare me for what I did and saw on this trip. No one could have prepared me for the glorious overview of cities, remarkable cultural architecture, a wonderful array of cuisine, and the feeling of freedom as you stand over the edge of a cliff to see the world beneath you. Tasting salt water in your mouth for the first time is a substantial instance in someone’s life; the experience is unpleasant but you accept it because it’s a once in a lifetime moment. I feel like that sentence encapsulates the overall ideal of this trip. You may not like everything that you encounter, but everything is a learning experience and a chance to learn something new.

 Something more important than what I saw on this trip is what I did on this trip. I flew on a plane for the first time. I bought souvenirs and found zany antiques for my friends and family back home. I learned to make Paella, a cultural dish of Spain. I kayaked in the ocean with my instructor and managed to crash into a cliff. I learned to wrap a turban/scarf. I experienced a sandstorm and rain in the Sahara desert, at the same time. I visited the third biggest mosque in the world and learned about the Muslim religion. I visited an orphanage and disability center in order to spread love and bring a smile to the kids there. Despite all of these incredible activities, the most important thing I did was meet and spend time with locals. The people I met have made an everlasting impact on me, and I can’t wait to see them again one day.

It was a reoccurring joke that people would lose themselves on this trip, some more than others. I can say that I did lose myself. I loved every moment of this trip, and I am forever grateful that I had this experience. Everything that I saw and did is important, but it is the love of the cities and love for the people that tie me to these places. I don’t know when I will have the opportunity to study abroad again, but I plan to relive my experiences by telling people about my journey. I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible, and hopefully one day we will all be together again. Inshallah!

Jay Snedeker

​Today we visited the orphanage. I had been excited to visit the orphanage ever since we left the disability center on Monday. I had already gotten over most of my nerves about what to expect and the fear of the language barrier, because on Monday we learned that language wasn’t even needed to make the kids’ day. We arrived and when I got out of the taxi, I could see the fence lined with the smiling faces of the kids waiting to meet us and spend the next two hours with us. Moe asked us if we want to do a tour like we did at the disability center or if we wanted to just dive right in and start spending time with them. We chose to just dive right in. They were all so nice and welcoming. They greeted us with smiles and handshakes As soon as we went in, the kids swarmed us and started pulling us off in different directions. 

I was pulled over into a big circle where they were playing some kind of volleyball game. Much like at the disability center, it was a way of interacting with them without needing language. It was a really fun game and I met several of them through that game. Two of the younger boys really took a liking to me and kept running over to me and hugging my waist or jumping up and wanting me to carry them. One of the boys had me carry him around on my shoulders for a while, as you’ll see below. I did notice that language wasn’t extensively required there, but there was more of a barrier today than there was at the disability center. The kids would come up to me and try to talk to me and I wouldn’t be able to understand them or talk with them, which I found very irritating.

Then towards the end I met a guy named Fahd. He also spoke English. That opened up a door which lead me to connecting with around 10 more of the guys because we all were able to communicate through Fahd. We all talked for a while and then they showed me around the building. They showed me their computer lab and their library and they were so excited to do so. Fahd and a few others have Facebooks, so we all added each other, so we can still keep in touch after I go back to America. I took so many pictures with all these kids and I will share a few with you. I am so happy that I was able to have this experience. It made me realize how lucky I am to have a family that is here for me and to have that form of a support system. There has been many life  I have learned and that I will never forget. Today was a really amazing and impactful day for me and I will never forget it.

Hannah Keith

Today began as any other day here in Morocco, we woke up, got ready, and headed to class. Today's lecture was on immigration issues across the Mediterranean. It focused on Morocco and Spain’s borders and how it has affected the people trying to migrate. Our guest lecturer, Dr. Mohssine Nachit, gave us all a new perspective on the difficulties of migrating from Morocco to Spain, which has impacted the increase in illegal Moroccan immigrants. This was an eye-opening and informative lecture that all of us really enjoyed learning about. We mentioned in our debrief session after the lecture that we all liked learning about this subject and felt like we could use this new knowledge in a positive way once we get back to the states. 

After class, we all had lunch and had a few hours of free time. A group of us went out to explore the area around the hotel and shop for a bit. It was fun to roam around and get to see the city of Meknes on our own. We went to a few small stores and we were able to talk to some locals. A lot of the stores weren't open, so we asked a local who could speak English why they were closed. He told us that in Morocco they close the shops for lunch time so that they can eat their meals as a family. In Spain, they do the same thing. I find it very interesting how these two cultures have some similar aspects that you wouldn't know about unless you interact with the locals and learn from them about their culture and how other cultures may have influenced them.

Later on, we all met up to go play soccer with our Moroccan friends that we met a few days ago. When we got there, we split into four teams of six to seven people and played on two fields. When the games began, so did the laughing. We all had a blast together on the field! Although I wasn't able to participate for very long because of my back, I still enjoyed watching my team and the others fight against eachother to score some goals. Everyone's competitive side was shining bright out on the field. I saw a lot of dodging, yelling, and falling among all of my fellow classmates. It was a hoot and a half! I loved being able to see everyone have so much fun playing soccer, even though most of them didn't know how to play or had never played the sport before. Although some won and some lost, we all had a great time together and we couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Susie Grill

Today I had the opportunity to go the disability center in Meknes. I was a little nervous about the language barrier and how it would affect my time with the kids. Once I sat down with the kids my nervousness quickly disappeared. It only took a couple of minutes for the kids to warm up to us. It was amazing to see that the kids were just as excited to see us as we were to see them. They were hugging us, jumping on us, and dancing with us. I spent the whole time in one of the rooms where their was a variety of disabilities. It was awesome to see all the kids getting along with one another and enjoying our company. One of the little boys I spent the most time with had autism. He was strapped into his chair and seemed a little sad that all the other kids were running around and playing with us. When I started showing him attention by high fiving him and tickling him his face immediately lit up. He giggled the whole time I hung out with him. It was awesome to see how easy it was to brighten his day as well as how easy it was for him to brighten mine. I loved that even though I didn't speak the same language as any of these kids I was able to bond with them and have a great time. I was excited to have the opportunity to make these kids smile today and I think we definitely accomplished that goal. 

I have five aunts and uncles with mental and physical disabilities who have attended disability centers throughout their lives. I have never had the chance to visit any of the disability centers they have attended so I was excited that I had the opportunity to go to the one in meknes today. It was awesome to see the older students at the disability center who were getting help in order to better their future. There was a great atmosphere within the center and the staff seemed passionate about their jobs. 

I have always adored kids and want my future career to involve helping them. Although I am not exactly sure what career path, today made me realize I am absolutely positive I want to spend my time helping kids. I’m excited to go home and try to find ways that I can help kids on a daily or weekly basis. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and hope I will be able to come back sometime in the future.

Nathan Muntz

As I write this blog I can’t help but smile reflecting over the last 3 days we spent in Merzouga, Morocco. It truly was an unforgettable experience. The weekend trip started bright and early at 8 AM on Friday, May 27. I boarded the bus and took my seat, not quite ready for the 8-hour journey. I was surprised when we stopped only 2 hours in to the trip, at what seemed like a random parking lot. The stop made sense when I heard “monkeys!” screamed by multiple people once they surveyed the area. We all hurried off the bus and ran over to the monkeys. For only 5 dirhams, we bought food for the monkeys and the fun ensured. Everyone was amazed with the monkey’s human-like demeanor and ability to take the food from our hands. I snapped a few quick selfies with a monkey before our time was up and had to leave. We made another stop at a town called Aoufous, which had breath-taking views. We stopped at the edge of a cliff over-looking a valley. The valley was full of lush trees and a few houses. We got our first taste of the Morocco winds here. Vanessa, Stephanie, and I attempted to take a few pictures here, but their hair was not cooperating with the wind. As fast we arrived to Aourfous, we had to leave.

A few hours later, we finally made it to Merzouga. We stored our luggage in a room, bought some desert clothes, and headed to our camels. After walking for a few minutes, we arrived to our camels. My excitement for the night in the desert only increased as I saw over 20 camels waiting for us to saddle up. I jumped on the first camel I saw, named him Youssef, and struggled not to fall off as he stood up. Before I knew it, we were off to our campsite in the Sahara Desert. We rode our camels for an hour and a half, thankful we bought scarves to stop the sand from getting in our eyes, then we made it to our camp. We settled in our tents and got a couple hours of free time. A few different groups spread out across the sand dunes surrounding the campsite. After looking for the biggest dune, Faith, Vanessa, and I climbed our way to the top of a dune to join a few people. Once at the top, we all got comfortable and gazed in to the night sky. The sky was disappointingly cloudy, but that did not stop us from enjoying the night. At the top of that dune, in nearly pitch black, we finally had the realization where exactly we were. We talked about our future aspirations, our desire to help people, and our lives. We all grew so much closer just from talking on top of that dune for an hour. After talking, we made our way down the dune and headed to dinner at the campsite. After dinner, we had a fire, sang songs, and genuinely enjoyed our time in the desert. The men who helped us make it to the campsite, brought out some instruments and we danced the night away. 

Everyone was awake the next morning by 8 AM. We loaded on to our camels, and headed back to our hotel in Merzouga. The trip back was a lot windier and sandier than the trip there. We even had to stop for a few moments for the light sandstorm to settle down. We made it to the hotel and ran to the showers to get the sand off our selves. After relaxing for a few hours, we had a 4x4 tour of the area. We stopped at several sites, all of them amazing in their own way. The tour ended with some live Gnawa music. The Gnawa people are originally from Ghana, but have since settled in Morocco for more than a few decades. We were all amazed by the sounds they made with just a few instruments. A few people who really felt the music got up and started to dance, before I knew it our whole group was dancing in a big circle. The room was filled with smiles. After the tour, we retired to our rooms and called it a night. It was another early 8 AM morning, and we loaded the bus, shocked that the weekend was already over. During the 8-hour bus ride, we all shed a few tears to Titanic and Up, which played during the ride. Looking back on this weekend, as I write this blog, it’s hard to believe it was only 3 days. The weekend was full of so many surprises, last minute changes, and a lot fun. Knowing that we only have a week left on our study abroad trip, I am going to make sure to make the best of every second.

                    

Selfie with a monkey!

Windy picture with Vanessa, Stephanie and I at Aourfous

 One of the herds of students and camels

 

A stop during our 4x4 tour photo credit: Josh Milligan 

All of us dancing to Gnaw music

Katlyn Forrestal

Our day today began with a late start and I'm sure all of us embraced the extra hours of sleep. We were fortunate enough to have a lecture this morning from Dr. Abdallah Malki, an incredibly wise and worldly intellectual, even if he was a Hoosier.. The lecture closely mirrored the lessons of Rosa, Josh, and Tommy concerning cultural awareness and expanding past just tolerating other cultures by also accepting, respecting, and enjoying them. It was the perfect complement to our lecture series while abroad. 

Following the lecture a large group of us joined up with our new Moroccan friends, from yesterday's tea, to venture back into the medina and test out our bartering skills (spoiler alert: they were subpar at best). Hannah dropped the ball on her first try and my attempts to psych out the vendors by pretending to walk away were unfruitful. Thankfully we had one of our new friends to do the dirty work for us, and man was he good at it. At the end of our journey through the endless winding of stalls we walked out with two gorgeous leather backpacks for 600 Durham for both when they started with a set price of 600 for each! Definitely way beyond my skill level of bartering. 

To make the trip even more perfect we got to see the monkeys!! I have had the self realization that being around exotic animals and ultimately getting to touch them is my “happy place” and today I was definitely there. He checked me for bugs and when it was confirmed that I had none, he gave me a kiss. My heart has melted. 

Now to the good stuff… I apologize for the lack of pictures from the next segment of my blog but if I had included any, we would have had to up the age limit to 18+. Today, we visited a hammam, also refered to as a bathhouse. We went in nervous but thankfully we had a Moroccan friend with us to show us the ropes. Most of us decided to embrace the culture fully and go sans tops, because when in Morocco.. It was definitely a great bonding experience. We all giggled and smirked at eachother as the overly masculine women scrubbed our skin down and then we all marveled at the amount of dead skin that we all shed in the process. There was no understatement when the locals told us we would feel the cleanest we have ever been. Surprisingly enough I could definitely see myself doing it again. 

The best part about today was that I truly felt immersed in the culture. I can confidently say that today I was not a tourist. I accepted, respected, and enjoyed the Moroccan culture fully. All that was missing was a glass of mint tea!

Checking for bugs

Kisses as my reward for not having any

Post-Hammam super clean selfie

Classroom picture

Amanda Basham

Ahlan!

The morning began with a 2 hour crash course in Arabic. As our energetic professor bounced around the classroom encouraging us practice phrases like "shnu smitik" (what's your name?) and "kidayr" (how are you?), us students had fun laughing at our own mispronunciations. Class ended with the more studious students frantically scribbling last minute words and phrases that we might need to know, and from there we headed to the medina- a large market within Meknes. We toured a small part of an underground prison, Prison de Kara, that once held over 40,000 prisoners. 

By the time we exited the prison and began weaving our way through the narrow shops of the medina, most of us were very hungry. All I could focus on was the blend of spices that permeated the grounds. I more than welcomed the shade that came with sitting down for our meal at a restaurant. 

I was surprised to find that lunch lasted 3 hours! This was one of the few meals I've had with my classmates where wifi was not available. While we waited between courses, our table of 7 got to know each other better than before-I found out I share a birthday with Gabriel! We also practiced our Arabic. The only word i can say with confidence is "shukran ", which means "thank you."

During our two hours of free time in the late afternoon I chose to go to a Moroccan shop down the road from the hotel to order a crepe like pancake with honey filling. I communicated with the native Moroccan worker by pointing to the crepe I wanted and holding up my money. It was a little frustrating and we both just giggled. Eventually he asked if I spoke French, morocco's second language. I responded with "no, English", and when he responded "English?" I said "sí". I guess my mind is still thinking in Spanish.  Don't worry though, I got my crepes. 

Our last activity of the day was having mint tea with local Moroccan college students. There were about 25 American students  and 25 Moroccan students, and we sat talking and laughing and singing for hours. I had the opportunity to learn about Moroccan universities and the strikes that frequently ensue there. My new friends and I talked about books and music, studies and travel, the lack of Moroccan nightlife, and Greek organizations in America.  

By the end of the day I laid in my bed thinking about my new Moroccan friends and the reinvigorated excitement I have about Morocco and Meknes. 

Bslama

​

Me "escaping" from Prison de Kara

Mint tea and cookies was the last course of our delicious lunch!

Paola Castaneda

*Due to difficulties with wifi, Paola's blog was not added on the 20th. We don't want you to miss out on her experience so we are including it now!

May 20, 2016

The beauty about today is that it combined two important parts of this experience thus far, a celebration of Spanish culture through a cooking class where we learned how to prepare a three-course meal full of exquisite cuisine and a taste of the rich history that we’ve seen everyday throughout our time in Spain, in the tour of the Alhambra. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Spain, my one piece of advice is don’t forget to bring your appetite because there will always be something new to try, at least for the first two weeks of your visit! Today is my last full day in Granada, Spain and what better way to wrap up this experience than to learn how to cook one of Spain’s most exquisite delicacies, Paella. The entire group was split up into two smaller groups to participate in the cooking class, the first of which was yesterday. The menu was consistent with that of the previous cooking class, which was described in yesterday’s entry which included: Gazpacho, chicken and vegetable Paella, and home-made Lemon Moose. It was an awesome experience getting to cook as a group with peers that were once strangers. We made one of the most delicious meals yet!

The second half of the day consisted of a tour of one of the most beautiful and renowned structures in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra. The Alhambra from a distance is absolutely breath taking. Since I’ve been in Granada, I’ve gotten to see so many different angles of this incredible castle at different times of the day. The tour began with the walk to the Alhambra where our guide, Angel described the miniature man-made water canals along both sides of the pathway. When the actual tour began, we continued our uphill walk toward the castle with another tour guide and the setting was magical. It was like walking through a forest with plants and trees on either sides of the path and the most calming background noise of a babbling stream that created the illusion that we’d be seeing fairies at some any moment. The most memorable moment for me was walking through the rose garden that would lead us into the courtyard of the castle. There were roses everywhere, in every shade of pink and red, arranged in archways and on both sides of the pathway. As we the tour continued through the actual castle, we were able to see all the thought that was put into the building and designing of the castle and how adamant that this was a place for royalty. Historically, the original purpose for the building was a military fortress due to its strategic location in case of battle and its view of the entire city. It was later resided by Muslim royalty, of who are responsible for the intricate architecture throughout the castle, including the Court of the Lions.  

Overlooking the city of Granada from one of the windows in the Alhambra

Exiting the Rose Garden path leading to the Alhambra

Cutting the vegetables for the Gazpacho in the cooking class

El Patio de los Leones, the Court of the Lions inside of the Alhambra

Gabriel Almonte

May 24, 2016

Our journey started early from the Rembrandt Hotel in Tangier to Meknes. The bus took southbound direction for a five hour journey. We made multiple stops for sightseeing, one of which was called the Hercules cave. Most of the portions of it are man made – it also has a beautiful window to the ocean as depicted below.

After arriving and having lunch at our new hotel, we hit the street of Meknes for a Moroccan experience. These streets are fainted by the hot weather and have eroded over time. The streets do not appear to have bright colors or modern amenities, it is the people who seem to fuel the city with their gestures, smiles, and facial expressions. The religious views are more liberal and Muslim women have the choice of wearing clothes of preference. Some of them like to embed themselves in the Djellaba, the traditional clothing with beautiful coloration of drawings in hands and feet.  

 On the other hand, men like to play a manly sport sitting outside bars to look after women. There is no hiding or shyness about it as it is part of their culture. Just recently, sexual harassment has been stipulated by law that is still not fully followed. In one corner we stopped to try snails for the first time which, are boiled in hot water and put with seasoning salt. Later, for more involvement of the Moroccan food we tried two different versions of their pancakes. These are really good, specially the honey one. Getting thirsty after all the eating and the heat of the sun we stopped at a smoothie place. The popular one is the avocado with milk shake, but there are also much more combinations of the most popular fruits.

Moroccans take pride in providing security to their tourists. There are extensive punishments for those who attempt crimes against them and police continually monitor the streets for their safety. To end the day, in a fourth floor there is the ISA office where we got together to depict the hit times for the next days of hour adventure.

The city of Meknes has inflated me with an itching of exploration, a ride in a truck to explore the dessert, and a watch of wild animals with the humble company of Moroccans. I have also been intrigued by how the american fashion is going to be suited in this new place. My fear is that girls could feel uncomfortable but my optimism is with the flexibility of young minds.

Me at the Hercules Cave nearby Tangier, Morocco

Moroccan Street food

Me enjoying recently cooked snail

Photo credits: Josh Milligan.

Madalyn Mann

Today we made the move from Spain to Morocco. We left early this morning and we had to make the sad goodbye to our homestay families. Me and my roommates became very close with our families so we were all sad when we had to leave them, but we knew a lot of fun laid ahead of us in Morocco. We left and took the bus to Algeciras, where we got on a ferry, to head to Tangier. This was my first time on a ferry so this was a new experience for me. I enjoyed it a lot because a big group of us went up on the deck and were watching for dolphins and talking for most of the trip. Whenever you stood up on the deck you could look to your left and right and see the edge of Spain and Morocco which was a beautiful sight.

Once we arrived in Tangier, we met our new ISA contact, Moe. We have had great tour guides and ISA contacts which has made this trip even more phenomenal because you can tell they love their job and working with us so much. We met Moe then went to lunch, and this was a whole new experience because I had never experienced Moroccan food. Whenever we go out to eat the group of us all like to get different dishes then try everyone’s food so we can get a different taste for everything. Today my friend Daniel decided to try beef brains and a couple of us went out on a limb and tried it. It wasn’t my favorite thing, but I am glad I tried it because I think it is part of the experience and I like to try new things. After dinner, we met up with our tour guide and began to walk around the city. I wasn’t really sure what to expect here in Morocco, but I ended up loving every part of the city. Our tour guide took us to all of these amazing places in the city. Everything was so colorful and I enjoyed seeing all of the Moroccan people walking around because we got to see them in their natural place. Their culture is so much different than ours and I like to be able to experience it. I have never been out of the country before now and it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. 

Dinner was as much of an experience as lunch. Once again, we all got different meals and shared so I was able to try many different dishes and I loved them all. Moroccan food has been very good and I can’t wait to try more the rest of our time here. We all get along so well and have so much fun together which makes this trip even more enjoyable. I am very excited for the rest of our trip!

Autum Smolenski

Today is day one of our second free weekends, and we have decided to take a trip to Portugal. Although we spent a lot of time driving today in the car (close to five hours), as a group we decided it was well worth it. Myself, Alondra, Kate, Madalyn, Suzie, Stephanie, Magaly, and Sarah took a very large van to Portugal, where we also learned is extremely hard to navigate due to the very narrow streets and entry way, but Josh managed to get us around. Once we got to Portugal we decided it was time to explore, and enjoy the beach!

Once we got to the beach, we all laid our stuff out and immediately started collecting shells and playing in the water. I tried to climb this very large rock made of shells to take pictures and apparently that was not advised, and I was told to get down. But hey, the view was still gorgeous from the ground. A few of us including myself, Josh, Daniel, Kate, and Natalie swam out to the buoys despite the tides being very high. Most of the people that got in the water today were pumbled around and washed up on the shores similar to most of the shells we collected!Ouch! 

​After a long day of traveling and enjoying the beaches we decided we would go to the city center to find some dinner. We decided that we would eat at The Garden! The ambiance was so awesome, and the people were extremely nice. It was an outside restaurant where you could see the chef cooking and the bar had great music. The food was awesome, I had Portuguese carbonara. At this cute joint we encountered a very large cat that was roaming the place, and it just so happened to climb on my lap. A lot of our table weren’t having it, but I was very thrilled to play with it! 

​After dinner we decided to go back to the hotel and relax. Suzie was my roommate in Portugal, but for last two weeks I have been with Alondra. Most of all hang out together so I have liked rooming with both of them, and they have become good friends of mine. When I got to Spain I said I was leaving my soul here, but I think Portugal won me over. It surpassed all my expectations of a short trip, and I can’t wait to see what other splendors I will encounter on this trip.

 

 Me and Suzie playing in the waves

Just being artsy with the shells we found

 The beautiful views we had from the beach

The view we had of the beach from the top, by our hotel. Does it get better?

Magaly Mendoza

May 22, 2016

My morning began with a breakfast on the beach that consisted of a banana and Nutella crepe and nectarine juice; I mention so because this really was the start to my favorite day. I met with Gabriel and Kate as we intended to chase the sunrise given our beautiful surroundings in Lagos, Portugal. With a hesitant sunrise and mounds of clouds obstructing our view, I thought it would be a pleasant idea to welcome our sun through sun salutations. Yoga on the beach and still no sun but with the energy gained from sun-salutations I knew we were destined for a wonderful day. Moments later, Kate and Gabriel abandoned our view to carry on with the rest of the day but I felt I wasn't ready to part from such a pleasant scene. I rejoiced in this moment for another hour alone and it is moments like this one that build my character and strengthen the courage in my heart. In full embracement of solitude I was granted the gift of reflection, meditation, and prayer for my God. With the sand beneath my toes and the calm waves trickling along my ankles I felt at one with my earth. I want to remember that moment for the serenity that I was embraced by while still in the absence of wholeness. I just might come to terms with this contrast as acceptance for every wave I have ever met and for this I am thankful. I was then distracted from my thoughts as a dozen surfers inched their way to the shoreline. There was one surfer whom strayed away from the group and came my way just to say hello. After such a hello I felt my time there was complete and on I went to meet with the rest of our group as we would soon venture off into the ocean with first time kayakers as well as, experienced kayakers. 

With a fear of water I jumped at the opportunity to proclaim our veteran, Gabriel as my kayak partner because I couldn't fathom the idea of trusting anyone else.  Kayaking in itself was such a rewarding experience given the phenomenal views in, out, and around massive rocks and furthermore, I got a workout out of it. My favorite stop was at the private beach because there I reconciled with my love for volleyball as a couple of us volleyed for some time. In this hidden corner I also discovered the most beautiful sand and of course triumphantly left with a bottle of sand in remembrance of this place.  Without a camera to capture the beauty I encountered today, I have but to cherish this trip both in my mind and forever in my heart. I conquered my fear of water and at that fell in love with the wonders of the ocean. I am filled with gratitude for every person and every moment that brought me to experience this day.

               

I rejoiced in meditation during sunrise. Photo credits: Kate

Feeling competitive, Gabriel and I raced our way to the shore. Photo credits: Tommy

Engaging in volleying while at the private beach with Gabriel and our instructor. Photo credits: Tommy

                                    Group picture with our kayakers. Photo credits: Tommy