PC Blues - Granada

Leaving Barcelona all too soon, I headed to Andalucia, having never before traveled in south Spain. I was told that la Alhambra is the place to go, so I hopped a train to Granada.

With so much Moorish history, the Alhambra has a quite a distinct Arab influence, from its market products to its palace decor... spices line the streets and arabesques, an Islamic art form applying repeating geometric patterns, decorates the walls of the Alhambra, meaning "red fortress," named for the red clay from which it was constructed in the 14th century. Outside the fortress, most curious are the caves along the old fortress wall, formerly inhabited by the gypsies or Gitanos. Currently many are still inhabited. I accidentally walked into several yards and nearly walked into the doorway of a house, mistakenly believing I was on a path down the mountain! After a tour of the grand palace itself, a fortress that has housed both Muslim and Spanish Christian rulers, I left the land of flamenco and gitano culture for Madrid...

Pictured: spices from the local market, Spanish ceramics with Moorish influence, a cave house, Mari sitting across the valley from the fortress, and a typical house of Granada, decor and fountains inside La Alhambra, Mari at one of the Alhambra courtyards, a window view of Granada, and two scenes from the train ride to Madrid: the "man of the mountain" and "castle on a hill."

Post Peace Corps Blues

Returning to consistent electricity and running (hot) water, food variety, and pavement sounds easy. In reality, as any RPCV knows, readjustment is a tough process. While leaving dusty/muddy roads and endless amounts of rice and beans can seem enticing, the blatant commercialism of all things American really explodes upon re-entry to the States. Physical luxury and comfort is nice, but being an integral part of your community is something irreplaceable.

Having survived exactly 18 days Stateside and feeling an urgent need to move, I decided that instead of dealing with these issues, I would escape… this time to Europe. While preparing to visit friends and family, travel to Andalucia (southern Spain) for the first time, meet a high school friend to run with the bulls in Pamplona, and fly out of Lisbon after a few days in Portugal, I had no idea that my trip would be so radically altered...

To start off the big adventure to forget my adventures, I few into Barcelona, where I met up with my cousins Lorena and Ramon, excellent hosts who showed me what is was like to be Spanish in such an international city. During my first days in Spain, I spoke more English than Spanish, spending time with people from Holland, Hungary, France, Australia, etc.! Exploring new territory, I opted out of the typical Gaudi tour and Sagrada Familia, heading to the Joan Miro Museum and the Poble Espanol, a touristic village created in replica of traditional and historic architecture from all around the country.

Many thanks to Lorena for transportation on the back of her scooter and to Ramon for a great place to stay!

View of Barcelona from the Palacio Montjuic.

The Palacio Montjuic at night.

View of the Sagrada Familia from the Palacio.

My cousin Ramon, who lived with me and my family in Florida for a year when I was a kid.

A place called Paradise...

After spending the past 27 months in the rural farmland of a paradise otherwise known as Costa Rica, I have returned to the U.S. of A. to be with my family. (And maybe get a job to boot!) Today marks two weeks since returning to Florida and somehow leaving unreliable electricity and water supply, cold showers, choke-on-dust roads (or waddle-in-mud, depending on the season) was a big challenge! Of course, my biggest challenge was leaving the people who welcomed me into their towns, their homes, and their hearts. Together, I know that the projects we undertook and the work we accomplished has changed the structure of the community itself and laid foundations for further development.

I struggled with the tough decision of extending service, but in the end I stayed only a few weeks after finishing with the Peace Corps. It was incredibly hard to say goodbye. I miss it terribly… and in some ways, I probably always will. I loved living in Costa Rica and being a part of the pura vida, but not even paradise is perfect.

Pictured are a few photo highlights from this year.

As for the future, I am applying for a Rotary Foundation scholarship (Master’s in Int'l Relations, U. del Salvador in Argentina), but decisions are not until later this year. Meanwhile, I will take a few weeks to visit family and friends in Spain. And if you live near Atlanta, NYC, or the United States capitol, stay tuned!

I want to thank my friends and neighbors, the people of my towns - Jabillo, La Y Griega, Juan de Leon, Las Pampas, Coyote - for their food, for caring for me, for providing an outsider with home and family. I’d like to thank you all as well, those who have supported me and helped me through my challenges and trials. I leave fulfilled, taking with me the knowledge of a leader and treasuring the memories of a lifetime. I arrived a stranger and I leave as the Gringa de Jabillo.

Fast Foward to 2008

In 2006 I wrote twice as many blogs as 2007, so here's a short version of events since last September! That month, I organized a series of events to fundraise for urgently needed reparations to the local health post, where a doctor visits once or twice a month. Water flows from the inside out in heavy rains, but the Area Health Clinic refused to finance the project. So the Health Center Committee took it upon themselves to raise some money and made over $1,2000 with activities like the Reinado picture below. The crowned queens searched for sponsors to support the health center. Unfortunately the Area Health Clinic owns the local health post property and denied the Committee's formal request to fix the building (with their own money), even though the Clinic refused to fix it themselves. Somehow they still retain the right to refuse medical service due to inadequate conditions of the post. Ugh, bureaucracy!

After riding in the back of a cow truck for nearly 60 kms, I got on this panga with more people than you can see in the picture and travelled to some futbol games in Isla Venada, where it rained and the other women's soccer team didn't show up (I'm sure it wasn't the rain, they were just scared of us). What a waste of my new cleats!
Chicas Poderosas! These girls participated in a series of workshops designed to empower young girls with tools in good self-esteem, decision-making, self-confidence, and friendship. They invited their mothers to participate in an end-of-the-program party where they designed and crafted picture frames.The second Halloween in Jabillo! This year, I encouraged neighbors to buy their own candy so I didn't have to! We even had some real costumes. And the kids celebrated with the traditional bobbing for apples...

And of course, the second ever Halloween with the kids in La Y Griega!

I went to see these people in November. (Some not pictured.) I even baked them a turkey for the family Thanksgiving and they all said it was good, even though I cooked it upsidedown. They must really like me.

One of my towns, La Y Griega, formed its own Development Association. They didn't ask for my help before they started but have since learned the error of their ways and seek guidance in organizational and legal aspects.

I would have exciting pictures of the awesome "Kids Forever" Christmas Party in Jabillo (complete with a reggaeton-dancing Santa in his spanking new suit!) but someone stole my camara and I only had a disposable. Well, that wraps up 2007, thanks for being patient!