Arrival in Spain and a hike in La Alpujarra

After long plane rides and mild luggage and ticket complications, I arrived in Malaga, where we spent the first night and a good part of the second day. Not having slept in many many many hours, I was exhausted, but Malaga was beautiful and, particularly compared with the -20 degree weather we'd been having in Minnesota the week before, quite warm. In the 60s, I believe. 

We went on a tour the first night, after buying cheap, bulky, pay-as-you-go phones that are impossible to text on (I've sent one message, and it took me a good 5 minutes. I miss my other phone). Both of these pictures were taken on that tour. Below is a cathedral in Malaga. 

After our tour, we went out for my first legal drink (a week and a half before my birthday, which seemed like cheating). It also happened to be my first Sangria, which I am starting to like. 

I met my host family in Granada. Enrique, Cristina, Cristina, (yes, a little confusing) and Alba. They are very nice and welcoming, and keep telling me to treat this house like my own and let them know if I need anything, etc... It will be some time, I suspect, before I feel anywhere near comfortable enough to actually treat this house as my own. It would help if I could understand Spanish better. Half the time I have no idea what anyone is saying, which makes it difficult for me to attempt to participate in any conversation, but I'm hoping that that will get better. Truth be told, I'll probably never understand Alba, though. She speaks at about a million miles per hour, and I just smile and nod. She's 6. Cristina, who is 12 (or perhaps 13?), understands a little better that she needs to speak slowly to me. The girls like to hang out with me, and are constantly dragging me off to play Mario with them (and then they make fun of how bad I am at it), play games, or watch tv shows. I have watched more Disney Channel in the past 2 days than I have ever before. At least it is in Spanish. 

And this is the church/cathedral I walk past every day on my way to the IES center. It is enormous. And yes, there are orange trees along side it. Very tempting to pick. 

Yesterday, we went on a tour of Granada. Two tours, actually. The first one, I forgot my camera, unfortunately, because we went to the Carmen of Martires, which was absolutely beautiful. I'll return there some day when it is sunny and take pictures. It's been really rainy this week, but apparently that is not normal... and at least it is warm enough to rain. That's a plus.

This is a shot of the Alhambra from a distance. Haven't been there yet, but apparently I'll go something like 5 times with my Art and Architecture class, so I'm not too worried about that. And below, there's another...

And below, a random selection of pictures from the tour... 

In the couple days I have been here, I have learned to tapear (go out for tapas), which happens at around 9. That is dinner for us. I am still adjusting to the eating schedule. Breakfast early. Second breakfast if you are hungry. Lunch at around 3, and dinner at 9. I came back the first night at 10:30, thinking that was pretty darn late for a school night, and my family asked me why I was back so early. I'll try to be less lame in the future. Tonight, I believe we will be taking it easy, though. I am exhausted from hiking up (and down, but that was not the exhausting part) a mountain. 

Today, we took an trip to La Alpujarra, where we hiked. Pictures for that will come later. It's almost time to tapear.