Amanda takes on the Spanish Health Care System

         There are some parts of the trip here that I would gleefully trade away for a day or two at home, but none as much as October 27 and 28th. October 27th began as a completely normal day, but that’s how days are supposed to begin before all hell breaks loose. I returned home after a day of taking midterms and took a nap. When I woke up, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I knew I was sick, but I had to finish reading a book for one of my classes and write a paper on it. This I knew was not a feat I could accomplish under heavy doses of medication. Therefore, I decided to push through and finish the paper and then fall asleep.

       The next morning was even worse, I woke up, tried to force down some breakfast and in my feverish stupor attempted to go to school. Thankfully my host mom was awake and able to tell me to go back to bed. I slept until four that evening before waking up and realizing I needed antibiotics and badly. I called my study abroad office and they set up an appointment for me that I needed to leave for almost immediately. Stupid, fever infested me figured I could handle walking to the metro and then finding the hospital. After I got off the metro to switch lines, I had to sit down and put my head between my knees to avoid passing out in front of a bunch of random strangers halfway to my destination. I then regained strength and vision and was able to gingerly pick my way to the next line I needed to be on. At this point, all I could do was pray.

       I finally got off at the metro stop by the hospital, and a 5 minute walk to the hospital ended up taking 20 because I got so turned around. I collapsed into a chair in the international office, heard the sweet sound of the English language, and I knew I had made it. Doctor #1 immediately diagnosed me with strep and sent me off to get meds. Little did I know this was only the beginning.

       I woke up the next morning running a fever of 103. I took a second dose of meds and fell back asleep only to wake up again still running a high fever of 101. Realizing the meds I was taking were not strong enough, back to the hospital I went. This time I got to see a general doctor instead of one who spoke English. Doctor #2, affectionately known as my hero, immediately gave me a shot because my tonsils were so swollen I had trouble breathing and he prescribed me the good stuff. Now taking three different types of medication, I finally felt back to my old self, but those two days were a blur of taking whatever medicine I was given, drinking something, and going back to sleep.

Moral of the story, if ever sick abroad, take a taxi to the hospital.

My Moroccan Adventure

       I honestly had no idea what to expect when I stepped off the plane and onto Moroccan soil, but Morocco beyond exceeded my expectations. I travelled with my ISA program, and there were about 90 total kids there from Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona, Salamanca, and Valencia.

Inside a shop in the Medina

       We spent our first day in Fez, where we got to explore the Medina which is an enormous marketplace. We were taken into shops where we saw how the ornate metal plates, ceramics, leather, and clothes are made which was incredibly cool. We were then taken to a pharmacy where we learned how argan oil is made as well as many other different types of cosmetics. The girls on the trip had a field day in the Medina before we returned to our hotel.

       That night, we went to see a belly-dancing show, which was the only part of the trip that did not meet my expectations. The belly dancers were older and not at all an image of beauty. However, they did pull many kids from the program up to dance with them which was very entertaining. There were also drummers who came in and a magician, so all in all day one was pretty great.

Oasis

      The second day we drove by bus to the Sahara Desert, which is about a seven hour drive from Fez. It was definitely the most beautiful drive I have ever experienced. We drove past beautiful landscapes and even stopped and ate lunch in an oasis. We finally arrived in the desert and had to ditch the buses for Jeeps that would take us the rest of the way to the camp. It was 6 people to a Jeep, and our Jeep driver was awesome! He quickly learned we were a very enthusiastic group, and he played American music while we cheered him on to race against the other Jeeps. We then watched the sunset which was incredible before driving the rest of the way to camp. The tents were enormous, with all of the girls sleeping in one tent and all of the guys sleeping in another. Our beds were mattresses with sheets on them and then a really thick blanket on top, because the desert was frigid cold at night. That night we were able to stargaze, and I will never forget how incredible the view was. Everywhere you looked you could see stars, I saw about 10 shooting stars, and you could even see the Milky Way.

Our awesome Jeep driver

desert sunrise

       The next morning, we were woken up so we could watch the sunrise over the sand dunes, and while we were watching the sunrise, our camels began to arrive. All 90 of us hopped on camels and then rode to an enormous sand dune, which we then had to climb. The view was amazing from the top, and before I knew what was happening, one of the local children had grabbed me by my ankles and pulled me down the dune! It was basically sledding without the sled and it was awesome! We then returned to the camp for lunch and many of the boys from the trip played soccer against the local boys while the girls got hennas. That night we were able to watch the stars again while some of the locals played the drums and guitar around us.

       Then at last it was time to leave the desert and head to Meknes, another 7 hour drive away. But this drive seemed so much longer because everyone was dying to shower off the thin layer of sand that coated each one of us. I have to admit, that was the best shower I have ever had in my life. Unfortunately, as I'm writing this 5 days later, I have learned you can wash the sand off your body, but you can't get the sand out of your shoes.

       The next morning we left Meknes and flew home to Madrid (it still feels strange to be calling Madrid home now) and we all took the long metro ride back to our host families. It was a phenomenal trip, probably one of the best I have ever been on, and I do hope to maybe go back some day.

Safety First!

       As I have spent more time here, I have watched my friends have a plethora of things stolen from them; backpacks, phones, wallets, cash, the horrible list goes on and on. I have been fortunate enough to have kept all my belongings, and I have learned how to be proactive after I have heard my friends as to how to protect my stuff.

       The place where the most stuff has gotten stolen is the clubs. My first night I went, I had taken a purse, and I spent the whole night clutching it in fear. NEVER dance with your drink. Drinks get spiked often in clubs because the more drunk you are, the easier it is to rob you. Ladies this tip goes out to you: take only a phone, some cash in your phone case, and your keys to a club. Take as little as you possibly can, and for safekeeping use your bra as your purse. Many girls have had phones stolen right out of their hands, so put it somewhere where you will notice if someone tries to take it. Gentlemen, your front pocket is your best friend. Everyone thinks they could feel wallet being slipped out of their back pocket but these people have years of practice. Front pockets you are more aware of, and it's always better safe than sorry.

       On the metro, or other forms of public transportation, keep your backpack firmly between your legs and lightly hold on to your purse if you are wearing one while slinging the strap across your chest if possible. Don't cling to your bag as if your life depends on it, that makes you a noticible target. Just simply observe how other women are holding their purse, because all women subtly hold them.

       In restaurants, DO NOT hang your purse of the back of your chair or casually leave it on the floor, and the same goes for backpacks. Either leave it in your lap or put it on the floor between your feet.

      The bottom line, take only what you need, especially when going out at night. Do not dance with your drink, drink it at the bar and then go have fun. Bras and front pockets are best places to hide your stuff, and when out and about casually hold on to the strap of purses. Make sure some part of you is touching your bag at all times, and you'll be fine! Be smart, be proactive, and leave as many valuables as you can at home.

The Art of Procrastination: Study Abroad Style

       The key to being a successful study abroad student is to be a part-time student, part-time tourist. To successfully procrastinate, you have to put away Netflix (which doesn't even work here) put down your phone and go explore. The best thing to do is on Sunday google sightseeing things that you can do in the city you are studying in, and try and set a goal for each day as to what you want to see.

       For example my procrastination has taken me to the Royal Palace in Madrid, the Royal Cathedral, Retiro Park, the naval museum, an egyptian temple, a sky trolley over the city, and to an art museum. And the more research I do, the more museums I find exist here. My program was also very helpful with letting me know what museums are free on certain days, and you can go virtually anywhere and get a discount if you have a student ID.

       Weekends, procrastination becomes even easier because you can plan day trips to cities in the country you're staying in, you can travel to other countries, or you can stay and enjoy your cities night life. As you all know from reading my previous blogs, so far I have been to France and Portugal, and I have trips planned for Amsterdam, Italy, and Poland before the end of the semester. As far as sightseeing in Spain, I have been to most of the touristy cities on my previous trips here. This trip I returned to Toledo and I took a medieval train to Siguenza so far. The price of my program also includes several weekend trips to cities in Spain, and it also includes a trip next weekend to Morocco for five days! I can't wait to write about my adventures riding camels, camping in the desert, and exploring Moroccan markets in one of my future blogs!

       Yes I know, I´m horrible for telling you to procrastinate, but I mean procrastinate for the afternoon. Homework, in Spain at least, has a large influence on grades. So go out and enjoy the afternoon, but be prepared to get done all the work you have been assigned after the sun goes down. Every city has its own hidden gems, you just have to look up from your phone apps and take part in the culture because, as I´ve heard hundreds of times now, the opportunity to study abroad is a once in a lifetime experience.

Back to the Beginning

       If there was ever a phrase to capture my trip to Toledo; it would be none other than “déjà vu.” My friends were asking how much longer the bus ride was going to be, and with a glance out the window, I knew we were about five minutes from the outskirts of the city. I was going back, back to my love of Spain began, 4 years ago.

       We began our day by being driven to the panoramic view of the city, which for me had been a 3 hour walk one of the days I had been there my Junior year (the day after the Ravens won the Superbowl to be exact). That view was as breathtaking as it was the first time, and I was immediately glad I had decided to go on the trip.

       The panoramic view was then followed by a tour of some of the most famous religious buildings in the city. We visited San Juan de los Reyes church, which was the church that Queen Isabel had constructed to thank God for her and King Ferdinand’s conquest of Ganada. We then went to the Museo Sefardí-Sinagoga del Tránsito, where we learned about how awesome Toledo was back in the day. Toledo was split into three separate sections, the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter, and the Muslim quarter. This basically meant that Toledo harbored all religions peacefully, which was basically unheard of back in Medieval times. Like I said: awesome.

       We then went to la iglesia de Santo Tomé, where we got to see one of El Greco’s most famous works, “El Entierro del Señor de Orgaz” and we got to learn about what a genius El Greco was. Most artists at that time focused on working for the royalty and nobility, so work was scarce. El Greco was smart enough to see all the new churches popping up during that time, so he did most of his work painting religious scenes and people for the Church (which was almost as powerful as the royalty at that time).

       We then went to my favorite place in Toledo, la Catedral de Santa María. I’ve seen that church three times now, and every time I walk in, my jaw still drops at the sheer architectural beauty (and also because there’s gold everywhere). Our tour guide gave us an excellent tour of the Cathedral, but I was very surprised he did not point out that the Cathedral is believed to have a piece of path that Mary supposedly walked on. The stone is very small and hard to miss, so everyone else in the group walked by it without a second glance. I, knowing what it was, stopped to brush my fingers over the stone for good luck, as thousands of people have done before me.

       We then went to the town square, Zocodover, and were set loose for two hours to shop and eat. Emily and I went to a cute restaurant that served a three course meal for relatively cheap, and then I took Emily to see my second favorite view of Toledo. This one I saw almost every day I was there my junior year, because it was between the school I went to and Zocodover. Emily and I then went and shopped. I bought a fantastic black dress (the one I wore the day I went to the Eiffel Tower) and a gold ring to replace the one I had gotten the last time I was in Toledo. I also introduced Emily (and reintroduced myself) to the majesty that is mazapan. Mazapan is small pieces of sweet bread that taste like heaven. I still haven’t sent the box I got for my mom to her yet, and the box gets more and more tempting every day it sits here.

       And thus ended our day. Going back to Toledo felt like going home in a way. It will always be my favorite city in the world. If I had not gone there my junior year of high school, there is no way I would be sitting in this apartment in Madrid writing this blog post, the same apartment I will be in until the end of May. Toledo was where my love of travel and adventure began. I will always be grateful to the city that changed my whole life, and I will always consider it home.

panoramic view

Rose Window in the Cathedral

More Portugal and France Pictures

Tomb of Napoleon

Louvre

walked 7 miles in those heels for this picture

Versailles

Gardens of Versailles

Paris failed to sweep me off my feet

Portugal and France

       This past weekend was probably the longest weekend of my life. I woke up at 3 on Saturday morning and met up with my friend Emily to take a taxi to the airport. We got through security surprisingly fast. Europeans travelling around Europe obviously isn’t as big a deal as Americans flying from state to state. Our friend Keshanté then met us at the airport, and we were on our way!

       After a 45 minute flight, we touched down in Lisbon, Portugal and the adventure began. We started at the beach in an area called Carcavelos. It was incredibly beautiful, with bright blue water that glittered in the sunlight and sand so soft we kept sinking into it. Emily wiped out on a rock near the harbor, and Keshanté captured the moment on her phone while the two of us died laughing. We then got on the train to check in to our Airbnb. An Airbnb is basically a room that you can rent for however many nights you want that also has a kitchen and bathroom. It is one of the cheapest ways to travel, and there are tons of reviews that helped us find the ones that worked best for us.

       The Airbnb in Portugal was amazing. It was right next to a grocery store and a souvenir shop, and we were able to save money by buying breakfast at the store and cooking ourselves pasta one night while we were there.

       The next day we went to the Museum Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian, which had an enormous amount of artifacts from Ancient Egypt and Greece. We then went to Oceanario, which is Lisbon’s aquarium. The whole aquarium is built around the main tank, which holds hundreds of fish and even a few sharks. There were also sea otters, penguins, and other artic birds. Those exhibits only had glass up to your waist, so the birds were flying over-head, which I thought was extremely awesome. The best part was the temporary exhibit, which was called Forests Underwater. It consisted of 78 tree trunks from Scotland and Mayalsia, 10,000 freshwater fish from 40 different species, and 46 species of aquatic plants. The tank was enormous and the tiny glittering fish swimming in the sea grass was quite breathtaking.

       Sadly, our Portugal adventure ended after the aquarium, and the next morning we were on the move to Paris, France! If I had to choose one word to describe Paris, it would be either dirty or expensive. The first day I got to see the Tomb of Napoleon, the Louvre (home of the Mona Lisa), the Eiffel Tower, and the Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower was surprisingly anticlimactic and far more brown than I had imagined. Our Airbnb in Paris was okay, the only problems were that the shower was cold and the beds were hard. However, it was close to the Metro, which helped make travelling easier.

       The Metro however, is a different story. Maze is an understatement. Walking from one line to another took at least 5 minutes, and the Metros themselves were smelly and dirty.

       The best part of the Paris trip was definitely Versailles. I like to believe that I’m a princess, so seeing how actual royalty lived and what they spend their money on is fascinating to me. I had never seen so many marble busts and statues in one place in my life! And don’t even get me started on the gold!

       After Versailles, we went to a café and had crepes and macaroons, which were fantastic! Then, we hoisted our backpacks back onto our shoulders and began the last smelly, gross, expensive metro ride to the airport.

       All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, and in my next I'm finally going to talk about my trip to Toledo, since I actually have time to blog about it!

The Fall