Himeji Castle #HogsAbroad in Japan #ThrowbackThursday

We arrive at Himeji station and step outside. In the distance is a magnificent, white structure, our destination. After a brisk ten-minute walk, a moat appears. In the seventeenth century this would be one of the first lines of defense against invaders for Himeji castle while also serving as a physical barrier to separate classes within the town. Once inside the moat, we stop for a brief presentation on the history of the castle, accurately nicknamed the White Heron Castle, before discarding our shoes at the entrance to roam freely throughout the building.

This was the norm for each location we traveled to during my time in Japan. As we explored a new place, be it a temple or garden, we learned about its background before getting to search the place for ourselves. Himeji castle, a sight to behold, was a building that held strong in my mind. As it was never used for actual battle, its intimidating appearance was its whole goal. Create a structure that looked difficult to destroy and your home would be protected. While it is significant this castle never saw battle, it is even more important that it stands today. Surviving the Meiji Restoration, fires, and World War II bombings, Himeji provides an amazing opportunity to view one of the castles that thrived throughout Japan’s urbanization. Though its castle town is not as well preserved, it stands as a historic structure in the country’s story.

Japan was a beautiful place to view in person with an interesting mix of modern and traditional culture. During the day we visited many historic locations, learning how these sites changed over time due to China’s influence and Japan’s growing nationalism. In the evening we were left to explore the area on our own which meant figuring out the intricate set of public transportation.

The food in Japan was amazing. From the baked goods to fish, we were able to try a variety of local cuisine. While I loved visiting the convenience stores for surprisingly delicious sandwiches and pastries, my favorite meals were the welcome and goodbye dinners we received. These multiple course meals were full of new and interesting foods. At times we were required to cook portions of our meals, a skill we had to develop on the spot and only succeeded in thanks to our tour guides.

I was pleasantly surprised by the convenience of vending machines throughout our journey in Japan but was more shocked by the scarcity of trash cans. Thankfully, we always had backpacks to stow our trash in until we got to our hotel, but I wish I had known about this cultural difference before arriving. That said, although Japan lacked locations to throw trash, the environment didn’t appear to suffer for it. Even in the bigger cities, the ground was almost entirely litter free, something I dream of seeing at home.

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Biomedical Engineering major Kaitlyn Harp spent the 2019 May Intersession abroad with the U of A Faculty-Led program, Japanese Traditional Buildings and Gardens with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

What's In an Umbrella? #HogsAbroad in Peru

Article from the Honors College blog

Beck Williams, an honors political science major who participated in the January 2020 Honors Passport study abroad intersession course to Peru, found himself in an unexpected dilemma when the class took him to the top of a hill on the island of Taquile in Lake Titicaca: to trade his umbrella for a hat in the middle of Peru’s rainy season, or to hold onto the item, which had been a gift from his sister. This trade, and his decision, revealed much about indigenous trade culture, and Beck learned a lot about his own cultural lens from the incident. What follows is an excerpt — to read Beck’s post in its entirety, visit the class’ own blog, Indigenous Ways in Peru: Postcards from Students. On their blog, you can also read posts written by the other students in the class, on topics from the making of Machu Picchu to the ancient cultural practice of skull deformation.

I need to begin by saying: I do not like rain. I never have. The horrid slosh of wet shoes and socks, the heaviness of soaked clothing, the blurred vision from fogged-up glasses, and of course the irksome thought of how long it will take to completely dry off—rain is truly not for me. This is why, whenever there is any chance of rain whatsoever, my umbrella is always with me. It may seem dramatic, but an umbrella—specifically, my umbrella—is one of my most important possessions. My umbrella is the perfect size. It compresses down to fit into the outside pocket of my backpack, and it conveniently unfolds into a large enough area to keep me completely dry. On top of this, ever since I received it from my sister on Christmas Day a couple of years ago, it has not shown any signs of damage or wear. It is, without exaggeration, the perfect umbrella.

What I did not realize was that this umbrella would actually lead me to my favorite experience of my entire time in Peru, and would teach me what was possibly the single greatest lesson I learned over the two-week program.

Our program was largely focused on understanding the relationship between the indigenous culture of the Andean people and the modern Peruvian culture. It involved visits to important cultural, historical and religious sites across the Andes, which typically inspired thoughts and discussions comparing aspects of Andean cultures with those of our own. My only previous experiences abroad had been in Europe, where the languages may have been foreign to me, but the major aspects of culture still remained the same. I had never experienced anything quite like arriving on one of the Uros Floating Islands in Lake Titicaca, where around 25 people lived on one self-made island that was approximately 150 square feet in area. I needed to be aware that my own cultural lens could impair my observation of Peruvian Indigenous culture, and that to get the most out of these experiences, I needed to shed any cultural judgements in exchange for an eagerness to embrace the culture.

This all became immensely important during our journeys in Lake Titicaca. Led by our local guide Lut, a man who identified as and fluently spoke Quechua, we encountered experiences that opened our eyes to the local culture in fascinating ways. One of the most unique cultural aspects of not only the islands of Lake Titicaca but also of all of the Andes is the way trade traditionally functions. Even dating back to before the Inca, trade in the Andes was never the same “value for value” trade we so commonly focus on in current United States culture. Instead, it was based on the formation of trade relationships between communities. Since certain altitudes and geographic zones of the mountains were better suited for producing certain crops and materials, Andean communities of different geographic zones would form trade relationships where they supplied each other with the crops and materials from their own zones. The value of the trade existed not within the tangible items being exchanged but instead in the connection being forged. This aspect of trade was so important that it even extends to Peruvian culture today. Monetary, value-based trade of course exists in big cities and tourist areas such as Lima and Cusco, but the trade-relationship style still exists in regions and areas with significant indigenous lineage. In fact, I was able to encounter it on the island of Taquile.

A landscape view from the island of Taquile…after the rain.

When we arrived at the island, it was pouring rain. We were set to meet a family who lived at the top of the mountain, and to get there, we would have to hike through the rain. I immediately had my umbrella open and ready to go. When we finally reached the top, it was no longer pouring. There was one island resident sitting alone in the courtyard. He looked to be quite old, but still got around well and was peacefully enjoying the morning in the courtyard. On his head he wore a chullo, a typical Andean hat similar to a beanie with ear flaps. He stood up to welcome us, talking to Lut in Quechua. He turned to us, looked us over, then immediately turned back to Lut and began excitedly talking while pointing at me. Lut, also very excited, told me that the man wanted to trade for my umbrella. I asked Lut exactly what the man wanted to trade in return, and the man reached into the bag he was carrying and pulled out a blue and yellow alpaca-wool chullo. He said he had made it himself.

I was taken aback. This was not a trade I wanted to make. But by measuring only the tangible value of the proposed items for trade, I was ignoring an opportunity to embrace Andean culture. I began to understand that there was more value in this trade than just the items’ tangible value. In my quick assessment, I was acknowledging the trade as a value-based exchange. But by trading the man my umbrella for his hand-made chullo, we would be engaging in a special kind of trade relation. This is what made a simple trade by my standards into a special and genuine opportunity which I would be naïve to pass up.

I quickly hiked over to the man’s house, where he was still outside in his garden. We exchanged no words, but instead I just pointed at my umbrella and made various motions with my hands to convey a trade. His face lit up, and he warmly grabbed my hand and led me back to the courtyard, where he pulled out the same yellow and blue chullo. It, of course, fit perfectly. When I had Lut ask the man for a photo, he gladly accepted, I presume because he knew that it would help me to preserve and remember the trade relationship we formed. Despite a language barrier and our difference in culture, the two of us were able to form a genuine connection, and it truly gave me a glimpse into the beauty of Andean trading culture and the community of Taquile Island.

Traditional chullo caps are sold to tourists throughout Peru. Photo: Russell Cothren. 

That trade, simple as it may have been, was my favorite moment of the trip. Now that I have returned to the States, it is constantly on my mind. Just a couple of days ago, I was walking home from class on what I had assumed would be a clear day, when a sudden and heavy downpour struck. Out of habit, I reached for an umbrella in my backpack which was no longer there. Instead, I had to finish my walk home without it. As I continued walking through the pouring rain with wet socks, mud around the bottom of my jeans and soaked clothes stuck to my skin, I could not help but smile and think about my trading partner on Taquile Island with his new umbrella.

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Learn more about Honors Passport: Indigenous Ways in Peru.

Machu Picchu!!! #HogsAbroad in Peru #TravelTuesday

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Anthropology major Makenzie Milliken is spending the Fall 2019 semester abroad through ISA in Peru with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Lake Humantay, Rainbow Mountain, and Red Valley! #HogsAbroad in Peru

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Anthropology major Makenzie Milliken is spending the Fall 2019 semester abroad through ISA in Peru with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Festival of the Virgin of the Nativity #HogsAbroad in Peru

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Anthropology major Makenzie Milliken is spending the Fall 2019 semester abroad through ISA in Peru with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

¡Vlog número uno en Cusco Perú! #HogsAbroad in Peru

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Anthropology major Makenzie Milliken is spending the Fall 2019 semester abroad through ISA in Peru with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

2 countries, 2 days #HogsAbroad in Spain

Y’all. This trip! I was SO eager to get through the week and hop on my flight. Jess and I booked this trip at the very beginning of the semester and it was finally here! Vienna was at the top of both of our lists so of course we had to work it in.

A few weeks ago a Jess had the crazy idea of doing Vienna in a day and then heading to Prague for a day trip. Prague was also at the top of my list and flights from Madrid to Prague and vice versa are ridiculously expensive so I said let’s do it. We had already booked the hostel and flight home so we knew that we would have to come back to Vienna the second night. Everyone told us we were crazy, and we knew we were crazy, but we we’re going to do it anyway. I consulted with my friend Madeline who is studying abroad in Prague this semester and she made us feel confident that we could see the highlights in one day. So we booked our train tickets. Two countries in two days, no problem, just a severe lack of sleep.

As soon as we landed in Vienna we hit the ground running, well after a quick pit stop at the hostel to freshen up a bit and put our bags down. (side note: we stayed at a Wombats Hostel and I HIGHLY recommend them if you’re ever in Europe! This is my second time staying at one of their five locations and are seriously the best!) Right across from our hostel was this adorable market with endless restaurants, gift shops, and tea shops. It smelled so incredible. We honestly could have spent the whole day there. Luckily, it was in our direct path to the cathedral so we had to walk through it.

Our mission was the city center and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Holy heck with every step we were in love. We passed a beautiful white and gold art museum, the Opera House, (we were 3 minutes late for the tour and weren’t even allowed entrance into the building. sad.) and just an abundance of beautifully unique and decorated buildings with gilded facades and glorious iron balconies. Ultimately, Jess and I felt that it was a mixture of Belgium and Germany. Though I have never been to Belgium, I took Jess’ word for it.

This cathedral. Might be in my tops. First off, the tile roof – are you kidding me? The juxtaposition with the gothic elements of the building is just beautiful and so intriguing. I want to know the history behind it. And then inside we were met with the most wonderful surprise: an art installation. The piece was entitled “Sky Full of Stones” and it was magical. I love that the Catholic church allowed for a contemporary art piece to occupy its vault during the Lenten Season. Yes, it obscured the view of the altar but its okay because St. Stephen’s participates in the tradition of covering the altar in a cloth during Lent as well, to be revealed on Easter. I could go on and on about this piece, but I’ll save if for my art friends. In short: I’m obsessed, well done Peter Baldinger.

After I pulled myself out of the church (I could’ve stayed in there all day) we headed to the palace to see none other than Gustav Klimt and his famous piece “The Kiss.” It was everything I dreamed of and more. Pictures honestly don’t do it justice. But of course, I’ll upload one. And another Klimt, just for good measure. After perusing through the galleries we were both completely exhausted and starving.

After dinner and desert we wandered, got snacks and headed back to the hostel for some rest before our day trip to Prague. I think I maybe got three hours of asleep, worried we would oversleep and miss our train. Of course we didn’t and after what felt like forever we arrived in Prague. Luckily, my friend Madeline is studying in Prague this semester so she sent me an incredible itinerary of things to do and places to eat. Sadly, she went to Vienna the day we went to Prague so we couldn’t meet up.

We followed Madeline’s plan as close as possible and saw a majority of the sites in our short six-hour span. The town center is amazing and the guy constantly blowing bubbles added to the magic. We started church hopping and wandering into any building that was open and free. We also found the Russian nestling doll store Haley found three years ago. I made Jess go in and we were immediately greeted with “Where are you from? What team do you like?” Love this place. If John’s wasn’t already gifted a set by Haley I would’ve bought one.

Eventually we made our way to the Charles Bridge where I think every person in the Czech Republic was standing. We practically had to push our way through the bridge to get to the other side and then hiked up to the castle. The castle was very confusing and we had no clue where to buy tickets so we mainly just wandered around and went in every side door with a free entrance that we could. We did find the most beautiful stained glass though. That and the view made the hike totally worth it.

By this point we were again tired and hungry. We headed to Madeline’s favorite restaurant and boy it did NOT disappoint. Pilsner and Goulash, you can’t go wrong. Though we were stuffed we made room for the dessert we’d been seeing all around town: trdelník (yes that’s spelled correctly)

Take aways from the weekend: I’m in love. That being in Austria gave me a sense of familiarity since it is a German speaking nation, while Czech is totally new territory for me. I’m glad I’m pushing outside of my comfort zone and experiencing new places and languages. I am so incredibly fortunate that English is my first language since it is spoken nearly everywhere. Regardless, I am beyond desperate to return to both. There are so many museums, small exhibits, and tiny treasures I want to go back and explore. Also Prague is CHEAP so live it up. Also, warning: you have to pay to pee in Prague.

Also, Jess and I are the most compatible travel partners. We got hungry at the same time, need to rest at the same time, had an itinerary but didn’t mind veering to seek out something cool that caught our eye, loved taking pictures (follow @worldwidewalton on Instagram for some shots from the weekend!), and were willing to sacrifice sleep for experience. I am so happy Jess and I have become so close over the semester. I cannot wait for our upcoming Budapest and Warsaw trip!

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Senior Darci Walton is spending the spring 2019 term in Spain with through our U of A Exchange program at Universidad Nebrija, Madrid.

Read more from Darci at https://worldwidewalton.home.blog/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Interested in becoming a HogsAbroad Social Media Ambassador like Darci? Contact Katie at ksabo@uark.edu.

#HogsAbroad in Spain #TravelTuesday

Homesickness can come in many forms while studying abroad and it hit me pretty hard last week. It’s not that I missed being in America or felt like I was missing out on the snow and ice that hit the University of Arkansas’s campus (I’m very happy with my sunny and 65 thank you) but rather I missed the comforts I’ve grown accustomed to over the last 21 years. Last week was just one of those weeks where everything seemed to be going wrong. To top it off, I was sick from my weekend in Cádiz and the stress from the week made it so that I couldn’t get better. I was homesick in the sense that I couldn’t just run to Walmart and get tissues, Ben and Jerry’s, and all my other sick day comforts all in the same trip. Hell, I didn’t even know where to buy tissues. (I swear Spaniards don’t use them).

The only thing getting me through the week was my upcoming trip to Berlin. I don’t know what it is but I’ve always wanted to go to Berlin. Maybe it’s the history major in me knowing all that the city has to offer historically or just all the Instagram posts I’ve seen from friends that have visited. Admittedly, I was very disappointed when we couldn’t fit Berlin into the family trip in January and have been determined to go back ever since. Sure, it wouldn’t be another country to scratch off on my scratch map back home but Berlin was on my bucket list and this was a perfect opportunity to cross it off. What made it even better was the fact that I’d be spending the weekend with my dad!

I am so fortunate that his job requires him to travel. Because of this he was able to use his air miles to get me over to Europe in the first place but now he gets to use his job as an excuse to travel with me. He was going to be in Oman for the week for business but told me we could meet up anywhere. John is a big fan of Germany so meeting in Berlin just made sense. Thursday was a long day of travel for the both of us and when we finally met up in the train station at nearly 11 p.m. we were both ready for bed.

The weekend was supposed to have horrible weather but that didn’t stop us from getting up early and getting at the city in true Walton travel fashion. First stop was the Reichstag building rooftop which gave incredible views of the gloomy city and helped us to get out bearings a little bit. The wind around the city was absolutely insane and was even worse on top of a building, as evident by the stick straight flags and the inevitable knots that were forming in my hair. From there we did some more of the basic Berlin sight seeing things: The Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Topography of Terror, and the East Side Gallery. It was raining off and on all day but we seemed to have some luck and be inside when we needed to be. Since it was Friday it was still a technically still a work day so John had to go back to the hotel to take a business call around 3:30. I honestly didn’t mind since it was the most active day I’d had in a while and I was feeling very run down. I don’t even remember falling asleep but after a nice three-hour nap. After a resurgence of energy John and I made our way to the Jewish Museum for one last escapade of the day. The building was very haunting and impactful and the fact that it was now night and pitch dark outside only intensified this. I’ve always heard Berlin does an incredible job of embracing their past but to finally experience it was very moving.

In general, Friday felt like a weird day to me. Sure I was sick and tired but the city was just oddly empty and felt very ominous and eerie (and the gloomy weather wasn’t helping with this feeling either) Luckily, Saturday morning brought a new breath of life to the city. Friday was International Women’s Day and the Germans celebrate it by basically shutting every thing down haha.

Saturday might have been one of my favorite days abroad so far. John and I went to a cute little breakfast place and I got some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had. I still think about those pancakes. We then spent a majority of the day at the Charlottenburg Palace. Holy moly I am in love. Potentially my new favorite palace in Europe? There were so many rooms that I thought “this could be my happy place.” I even changed my phone background to one of the pictures I took here. It just makes me smile. One of the best moments was when we walked into a room there was princess dance lessons going on. How cool is that?! America could never.

The rest of the day was spent on Museum Island. What a dream right? Our first stop was the Berliner Dom because of course Waltons can’t go to a city without visiting the main cathedral. During our ascend up the cathedral there was an exhibit that displayed all the models of the cathedral and I think that was John’s favorite part of the trip. Oddly we saw a TON of bridal and wedding photo shoots on Museum Island so now I have to get married in Germany so I can have my wedding photos on Museum Island too. Sorry dad.

By the end of the day we were both exhausted and had to get up bright and early to get to the airport in the morning. (side note: TXL might be my least favorite airport I’ve ever been to). I was more than happy to be asleep by 9 pm. While the weekend wasn’t perfect due to weather and sickness, it’s one I’ll never forget. Berlin, I will be back (hopefully with better weather) Love you dad, see you in a bit!

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Senior Darci Walton is spending the spring 2019 term in Spain with through our U of A Exchange program at Universidad Nebrija, Madrid.

Read more from Darci at https://worldwidewalton.home.blog/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Interested in becoming a HogsAbroad Social Media Ambassador like Darci? Contact Katie at ksabo@uark.edu.

Carnaval > Mardi Gras #HogsAbroad in Spain

Another weekend trip in the books and another trip that didn’t go exactly to plan! I’m starting to think that’s going to be the theme of my semester: not going to plan, but ultimately leading to great experiences.

A few weeks ago my friend Molly asked if I wanted to join her on a weekend trip down to Cádiz for Carnaval with a day trip to Gibraltar. Of course, I said yes without any hesitation! It sounded like an amazing opportunity and ironically, in my culture class we had just talked about how the best and largest Carnaval celebrations are held in Cádiz and Tenerife (one of the Canary Islands). Additionally, Molly attends LSU back in the States so obviously she needed her Mardi Gras fix haha. We booked our trip through a company called Be Madrid whose mission is to give study abroad students some of the best experiences Spain has to offer. Molly and Jess went to a Flamenco show hosted by Be Madrid and raved about how great (and affordable) it was. We trusted the company and were ready to get our Carnaval on!

I was really excited for the festivities and to get to spend more time getting to know Molly but unfortunately she fell extremely ill 48 hours before we were supposed to leave. Ultimately, Molly’s fever and symptoms hadn’t subsided enough to justify a weekend of nonstop partying and she had to back out of the trip. I was walking to class when she officially told me and it really tore me up. I didn’t know whether to make the best of it and still go or call Be Madrid and ask for a refund. Molly, being the lovely human she is, encouraged me to still go.

After class Jess and I met up to go to the Prado for homework (best homework ever right?!) and then went to El Tigre for tapas. It wasn’t until Jess left to go to the bathroom that I decided to go on the trip. I gave myself a little pep talk about how I’m abroad and this needs to be a semester of “yes” and not fear. I’ve already pushed myself outside of my comfort zone so many times already – what’s one more?

After returning home for a quick shower and last minute packing I headed to the Metro. Be Madrid asked us to meet at Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas at 1:45 a.m. Yup, you read that right, a.m., as in, an hour I should be sleeping. As Line 5 approached more and more stops I grew more and more anxious about the weekend. My mom says I’ve always been good at making friends and I’d like to believe she’s correct but it can just be so scary (especially at 2 am in the pitch black night). I ended up wandering over to the person holding the Be Madrid flag where some others were standing. When in doubt, follow the leader, right? Right.

Within seconds a sweet angel named Anyssa introduced herself. She is teaching English over here but is originally from California. With her were two more teachers and a student from Hungary. This group would turn out to be my new best friends for the weekend along with two boys from Auburn (SEC represent). Anyssa, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this but you are simply the greatest and impacted my life in ways you’ll never know.

We made out way to the bus and after seven hours of restless attempts of sleep and a few bathroom breaks we finally made it to Cádiz. We unloaded at the hostel before heading out on a walking tour. Cádiz is the epitome of a beach town. Sandy off white buildings with clear skies and charming cobblestone streets, just a dream. Oh, and mom – they have cool trees here! And on top of all of that – a Roman theater! (Got major H2Passport flashbacks here and I loved it). It was nice to get acquainted with the city right off the bat but dang we were hungry. The bus buddies and I headed to a place that Anyssa’s roommate recommended to us and it was fantastic. We just ordered tapa after tapa after tapa after tapa. The seafood was so fresh and flavorful.

After our late lunch we stopped to watch the sunset on the beach. That sunset made the whole trip worth it. I’ve seen some beautiful Texas sunsets in my life but I don’t think anything can top a beach sunset in Southern Spain. Sunset, beach, wine, friends, Spain, what could be better?

After getting back to the hostel (at God knows what time) I forced myself to take a shower. I had an early wake up call for the Gibraltar day trip and knew I’d thank myself in the morning. And I did! My alarm mysteriously never went off so I had approximately eight minutes to get ready. Dora (the Hungarian) and I were the only two from our little group who elected to go on the day trip so the rest were able to sleep until their heart’s desire.

Gibraltar is about a two-hour bus ride from Cádiz. I tried to catch up on some sleep but alas, I failed. The Adalucían country side is just to beautiful and the bus was just to uncomfortable. We stop for a beautiful photo-op right outside the country so that we could get pictures with the entire Rock of Gibraltar and get a glimpse of Africa! It was so close. I was so tempted to jump in the water and swim over. We got back on the bus and headed to the border. Since Gibraltar is a UK territory we had to show our passports (or EU citizen cards) to be granted entrance. A very odd rule but hey, I’ll oblige if it means seeing the country. We were actually stopped at the border for quite a while because to enter the country you have to drive or walk over the runway of the airport. It just so happened that a flight was landing just as we were getting our passports checked.

We began with another walking tour. Gibraltar is a perfect little mix of British town charm and Spanish vibrancy. While very small, Gibraltar is popping. Our guide explained that there are no taxes on luxury items in Gibraltar so many cross the border just to do some shopping. They accept both euros and pounds so no worries! He also encouraged us to buy cheap cigarettes, alcohol, and a Rolex, if we felt so inclined. I personally did not partake in the shopping but I think nearly everyone else left with cigarettes.

One of the most interesting things about Gibraltar is the large Jewish population. Since we were there on a Saturday we saw many a yarmulke (yes, I had to Google how to spell that). All Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 but once Britain gained control of Gibraltar in the early 1700s many Jewish people moved to the area. I had no idea and I was certainly not expecting it.

After the walking tour Dora and I made our way to a Fish and Chips place, as recommended by our guide. On our way we even saw the “changing of the guards” Gibraltar style. Lunch was delicious and the waiters were so friendly but Dora and I were on a mission: MONKEYS.

In the Rock of Gibraltar are the only free, wild living monkeys in Europe. We hiked up the rock for about thirty minutes until we got to the first pocket of monkeys. We could’ve gone higher and seen more but we were crunched for time and leg muscles. The monkeys were just chilling on the rock, living their best life. It was so cool to see. It’s probably the only time I’ll ever see a wild monkey so I had to soak it up! Unfortunately, other visitors began feeding the monkeys (big no no) and they started going wild. This definitely reminded me that they are, in fact, wild animals. After one got a little to aggressive for comfort we hiked back down and wandered over to the main square to meet with the rest of the group.

Upon returning to Cádiz, it was go time. One of the biggest parts of Carnaval is dressing up in costumes. It’s like Halloween on steroids. Me being the dumb American I am forgot about this and went without a costume. Luckily, every other street corner has masks, hats, face paint, and other costume fixings. For a whopping eight euro I got a unicorn headband and shiny neon green leggings. While last minute and thrown together with a black tank top, it worked.

Dora and I met up with the rest of our friends who spent a lovely day at the beach and exploring. Justin (one of the Auburn boys) and I decided to go get some food at this delicious little place we found the night before. It was a tiny little corner shop where they just sold fried food rolled in paper cones to take away. Best fried calamari I’ve ever had hands down. We also got chicken nuggets and I fell in love with nuggets all over again. There’s just something about the way the Spanish fry their food that makes it so delicious. I could’ve eaten ten pounds of it and not feel as horrible as I do after some meals in America. The batter is light and flavorful and it just hit the spot after a day of hiking.

After our food pit stop, we all headed to the main square. The streets were WILD. People everywhere just overjoyed with life (and alcohol), balloons being sold, children playing pranks, it was just magical. In Cádiz, the main component of Carnaval is the Chirigotas. These are groups who preform humorous songs on stage with elaborate costumes. The songs are so smart and the lyrics are just so incredible. I couldn’t understand all of what was being sung but it didn’t matter. The performance was captivating and the audience is silent lsitening. Well, not for all of us were silent. Here I will introduce Fede, or Federica, a crazy Italian who is roommates with Dora and Luke, one of the other English teachers. To say Fede is the life of the party is an understatement. She taught us “ánimo” which means “let’s go” “have fun” or, “turn up” in Italian and it became the mantra of the weekend. We chanted it every second. Fede was a little too loud for the crowd and we were being shushed. Yes, we were that group of tourists. We had watched a solid amount of performances so I’m not surprised Fede and others got restless.

We decided to move our talents to one of the giant tents set up for partying, chanting ánimo all the way. It was 12 euro to get in but worth it. Spanish music is the best music to dance to and I will stand by that until the day I die. We danced the night, and some of the morning, away. Walking back to the hostel I was met with the horrors of Carnaval, the trash. The streets and plazas were covered. You couldn’t even see the ground but magically by morning it was spotless. God bless the men and women who had to clean all of that up. Again, I forced myself to shower and love myself for it. The bus ride back the next day was painfully long and met standstill traffic. I finally arrived home around 11 and have never been happier to see a twin bed. Amelia, my lovely host mom, even made me dinner to eat.

Overall, I am extremely glad I went. Of course, I wish Molly could’ve been there with me but I’m happy to know I have a friend that encouraged me to still go without her. I had a great experience with Be Madrid and am for sure looking into future trips with them! (shout out to any of the staff reading this!! Y’all rock!!) Also, Mardi Gras 2020, you have a lot to live up to.

Carnaval, you will be missed!

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Senior Darci Walton is spending the spring 2019 term in Spain with through our U of A Exchange program at Universidad Nebrija, Madrid.

Read more from Darci at https://worldwidewalton.home.blog/

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