Day 31: Chocolate for breakfast

Day 31: Chocolate

Breakfast is the smallest meal of the day in Spain. The typical breakfast is a cup of coffee and a roll. Tourists are encouraged to eat hot chocolate and churros. Churros are long pieces of fried dough; they are dipped into the hot chocolate. It is similar to eating a chocolate covered doughnut for breakfast, but the chocolate is really good and comes on the side. While I rarely eat doughnuts at home, I happily consumed churros with hot chocolate for breakfast in Spain. One adjustment to being home is not drinking chocolate every day.  I loved the thickness of Spanish hot chocolate. It reminded me of the fancy hot chocolate served in places such as San Francisco's  Dandelion or New York City's Jacques Torres. It is amazing.

After breakfast in Granada, I watched bullfighting in Madrid

What is your typical breakfast at home? How does it change when you vacation?

Day 30: Plan Nothing, Enjoy Everything

Day 30

Granada was the least planned portion of my vacation and it was my favorite part. I decided to visit Granada when I was in Madrid. Booking only a hostel, I arrived in Granada with a hope of seeing the Alhambra, a beautiful Islamic palace with a fortress and gardens. General admission tickets and the more expensive guided tours were sold out online. A select number of tickets are held for sale every day. When a hostel mate said they planned to wake up at 5:30am to stand in line for tickets, I asked to join.

Four of us left the hostel at 6:15am and lined up at 6:45am to wait for the box office to open at 8am.  Seeing the entire Alhambra takes about four hours. I love symmetry so I loved the palace. It was the Islamic artitecture I had hoped to see but did not see during my Morocco tour. The details are amazing and everything is beautiful. I was so happy to have people to share the experience.

Although traveling solo has its advantages, I like sharing experiences with people. Being spontaneous allowed me to do so. If I had been able to purchase tickets before Granada, I would have gone alone. Instead, I met people at the hostel and we spent the entire day together.

After lunch we walked along the water and up to the caves where gypsies live.  The path is hilly, gravely, and not apparent. I would not have done or found that walk on my own. The view at the top was amazing. MJ pointed out graffiti that stated "el mundo todos a los pies", the world is at our feet. The view caused B to blurt out "It's a good thing that none of us had our shit together." I agree.

Granada, as viewed from the Alhambra

What has been your experiences with hostels, good or bad?

Day 29: Wine

Day 29

My travel destinations are based on my stomach because I like to experience local food and drink. Even though I rarely drink alcohol at home, I drank wine twice a day in Spain. During lunch restaurants offer a menu of the day which consisted of a starter, entree, dessert and a glass of wine for a set price. Spain also offers tapas, small snacks, with drinks. When I checked into my hostel in Granada, which is well-known for its tapas, the owner told me that some places provide a dinner plate of food. My first night in Granada was spent walking in the streets and drinking tinto de verano at bars. Tinto de verano is a refreshing cocktail made of lemon soda and red wine. It is the perfect drink for a lightweight drinker.  

Spain: View on the bus from Madrid to Granada

What food or drink do you consume on vacation that is not usual in your daily life?

Day 28: Night walks

Day 28

Based on American schedules, Moroccans and Spaniards eat their dinner late around 10:30pm or 11pm. This makes the nightlife a different experience. Nightlife is not prioritized on my vacations. I tend to wake up early, visit sites before other tourists wake, and then go to bed early. Spain allowed me to stroll around late at night among people who were out to dinner rather than to get drunk.  I enjoyed how the streets felt lively and safe. By the time Madrid's nightlife started for the partiers, I was asleep in my hostel.

Madrid evening

How do you spend your evenings on vacations?

Day 27: Spice Drink

Day 27

People talk about being a morning bird or a night owl. I am both and neither; I am an awake person. I love the way the sky lightens with the rising sun in the morning. I love the quiet and calmness of the dark in the evenings. The Marrakesh souks have different stages of the day as well.

The mornings are quiet as the merchants prepare to open their stands. The orange juice vendors are already open and ready to sell you a glass for fresh juice for 4 dirhams. In the hot afternoons the markets are busy. You can rest in the shade created by the stalls and buildings, but be prepared to engage in bargaining if you look at anything with interest. In the evenings entertainers are present in the square in front of the souks;  snake charmers, musicians,  gamblers, roosters. Be prepared to pay if you take pictures of individuals. I loved the liveliness of the evening market. Since evenings are cooler, the vendors sell a hot drink made of 8 spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, clove, ginger, cardamom, galangal, and mace. As a spice lover, it was my favorite drink of the trip. I hope to recreate it at home.

Day 7: Marrakesh, the streets are lined with orange trees

What is your favorite drink on vacations?

Eats: Blackened Okra and Tomatoes

Blackened Okra and Tomatoes

Ingredients

onion
garlic
okra
tomatoes
mushrooms

Okra is a strange and slimy vegetable. I've been told that I'm an adventurous eater, but even I have trouble with the slime. I never cooked okra until a friend made this dish for me a few weeks ago. He said the trick is to blacken the okra and then stew in tomatoes. There is no exact recipe but it's simple: brown onion and garlic over medium heat. Add okra until blackened or softened. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and liquid. Cover and simmer until the sauce thickens.

More detailed explanation with suggested variations:

1.  Dice half an onion and garlic. I used about 6 cloves of garlic; adjust to your taste. Brown the diced onion and garlic in a pan with hot oil, medium heat.
2. Slice the okra into even pieces. I used 1 or 1.5 pounds. I lopped the tops off the short ones, and cut the long ones into halves or thirds. Add the okra and cook over medium heat until the okra blackens. My friend's version was more black; he stirred less often than my version. I stirred occasionally and cooked it until the okra was soft. Next time I may remove the garlic and onions before adding the okra to prevent burning, and add them back with the next step.
3. Slice the mushrooms.  My friend used a handful of shitake mushrooms. I used button mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have softened.
4. Add tomatoes and enough liquid to cover all the vegetables. My friend used canned diced tomatoes, and added salt, pepper, and another spice (maybe cumin). I diced two roma tomatoes and added tomato sauce which had previously been adulterated with onions, garlic and mushrooms.
5. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, leave the lid ajar, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. I simmered until it tasted delicious. I like this on rice but it would be good with bread too. Enjoy.

How have you cooked a new vegetable recently?

Day 26: Thumbs Down

Day 26

Quad biking is not an activity I thought about doing before this trip. It was offered by my group tour. I did it because I was scared at the thought of it. It turned out to be easy, especially since our bike guide took care of turning on and off the bike. My only task was to keep my thumbs down on the gear so the bike moves. At one point, the bike ahead of me got stuck on a small hill. They had stopped to allow room for the guide to advance in front of them. I had no issues with the hill as I allowed them enough of a head start that I did not need to stop at the bottom of the hill.

Quad biking showed me another side of Morocco. The first part of the ride involved seeing movie sets. I have not watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven, but I rode by the castle featured in it.  The ride felt as though I was in the middle of nowhere. The second half of the ride allowed us to see the every day life of Moroccans as we rode through a village. It was my favorite part. We saw people working in the fields, school children exercising outside, and donkeys carrying loads. Living in San Francisco, I rarely wave back to random tourists who wave to me. On this ride I waved to everyone and they all waved back. Now I understand know why tourists wave. It is a connection.

Morocco day 6: Ouarzazate

Have you tried quad biking or other motorized bicycling?

Day 25: An Extra Layer

Day 25

Packing light is my goal whenever I travel. When I showed a friend my suitcase, she said she did not know anyone who would travel internationally with a single carry-on. I managed to do so even though I packed more than needed. International flights include one free piece of checked baggage, but I was taking a budget flight between Spain and Morocco. Budget airlines have smaller and stricter size restrictions than US airlines. Also my preferred type of accommodations rarely have elevators or bell hops. I need to be able to lift and move everything myself. Lastly, the group tour goes to a different location every day. Less possessions means less items to remember and repack.

Although Spain and Morocco would be hot, I had packed a windproof jacket, fleece jacket, and wool undergarments based on my tour company's recommendations. They said warm layers were necessary for the desert. Thus I was irked to learn from the tour guide on day one that extra layers were unnecessary. The Sahara stays warm enough in May that we would only need the blankets provided by the tour. I groused about carrying the extra items until day 5. On day 5 I was sick with a fever and chills. I became grateful for the fleece jacket as I sat shivering on the tour bus. Once we arrived at the hotel for the day, I slept for the next 12 hours and recovered. The jacket was necessary only for a day, but I was glad to have packed it. Pack as light as possible, but an extra layer is worth the extra work.

Morocco Day 5: Sahara sunrise, before I was sick

 How have you dealt with becoming sick on a vacation?

Day 24: Breathe

Day 24

On day 4, we rode camels into the Sahara. Camels are easily trained so they are docile and peaceful to ride.  The desert is quiet, surreal, and gorgeous. My spontaneous spring trip was well-timed as summer is unbearably hot, and winter is cold enough at night to require a sleeping bag. After we settled into camp, our tour guide revealed that on rare occasions the wind has been strong enough to cancel the camel ride. I was grateful that our ride was uneventful as I love being in the desert.

In my daily life, I like to stay busy. When my body is not physically active and engaged, my mind is busy with worrying about the future. I constantly strive to be present in the moment, and the desert allowed me to do so without effort. Sahara sand is fine, red, and gorgeous. I spent an hour playing with it. Take a fistful of sand, open hand, allow it to drift away on the wind. Repeat. It was meditative and inspired this poster.   

Morocco day 4: Sahara

What do you do to be present in your daily life?

Day 23: Lean Back

Day 23

Physical education was my least favorite school subject. Basketball, softball, volleyball, football; the balls hit my head more often than I hit them. I was always jealous that when my sister took PE, they offered archery and rock-climbing. My PE class spent a quarter on bowling and pickleball. Bowling is fun but it is not as bad-ass as rock-climbing.

After years of envying my sister's rock-climbing skills, I finally rock-climbed on this trip. It was less difficult than I expected. Like running, rock-climbing can be thought as a series of small steps. The common mistake among beginners is to cling too closely to the rock. Space is needed to allow room for your limbs to bend and climb. Scrapping your knees and elbows is more likely if you're too close to the rock. Getting down required leaning back to abseil. Even though I clung to the rock, I made it to the top of the rope and back down. Next time I will lean back for ease of movement and a better perspective.

Morocco day 3: Todra Gorge

What was your least favorite subject in school? Has your feelings towards that topic changed?

Day 22: Swimming

Day 22

For years I stayed in the shallow end during pool parties because I did not know how to swim. This limited my socializing and made pool parties rather boring. I recalled those years when I learned the tour included swimming pool breaks every day. The swims were an unexpected bonus because they were not on the itinerary.  Every swim exhilarated me: I can do something now that I had been unable to do for years.  Many of the pools had spectacular views too. It is amazing to come up for a breath and see a gorge.

Morocco: The view while swimming in a pool

If I had not learned how to swim last winter, I would have missed out on an amazing experience every day of this trip.  If something interests you, learn how to do it.

What skill are you interested in that you have not learned? What do you hope to do with that skill after you learn it?

Day 21: Follow

Day 21

My plane landed in Morocco a few hours before the group tour began. I wanted to explore Marrakesh but I was reluctant to leave the hotel as I did not know where to go.  Rather than giving into my fearful side, I left the hotel and started walking. One of the biggest tourist attractions in Marrakesh are the souks or the markets where you can buy anything. A seasoned traveler travels in the opposite direction of the tourist horde. Being on my first solo trip, I followed the tourists. Luckily, I picked the correct direction and ended up at the markets.

Morocco, Day 1

After walking around for a bit, I looked for lunch. The food places near the markets are pricey and cater towards tourists. For example, many places served shawarma which is a Levantine food and is not Moroccan.  I wandered away from the markets and walked around until a random person gestured me into his place. He could probably tell I was about to expire from heat stroke. Living in San Francisco, I am unaccustomed to heat. Also, I was covered from wrists to ankles in observance of local customs. I learned later that I didn't need to cover up as much as I did because Marrakesh is very touristy. It is more important to cover up in rural Morocco. At a minimum women need to cover up from shoulders to knees.

In American slang, the place was a hole-in-the-wall. Small, dingy, and patronized by locals, it was the exact type of place I was looking for. My first meal in Morocco was a bowl of lentils with bread. It was filling and cost a tenth of what was being charged in the markets. When you have no plans, follow the crowd until you figure out what you want to do on your own.

Morocco, day 1 lunch

What was your favorite hole-in-the-wall discovery?

Day 20: Be Flexible

Day 20

Like the majority of Americans, I rarely take vacations. Vacation planning overwhelms me with choices. Vacations happen only when I am unable to accrue more vacation time. This year, I chose to book an 8-day group tour for Morocco. The tour company was based on a friend's recommendation. I did no planning beyond purchasing plane tickets and booking the tour.

Since tickets to Morocco are expensive and require a layover in Madrid, I added an extra week in Spain. Flying in a day early to get my bearings in Spain first, I spent the first half of the day with my hostel's free walking tour. The tour made me realize that 6 days in Madrid would be too long for me. Prior to leaving the States, I asked advice from a friend who used to live in Spain and she recommended southern Spain. I vaguely remembered her mentioning Sevilla or Granada. Travelers who stay at hostels love discussing travel plans. They enthusiastically chose Granada when I discussed my plans at lunch. Although no one had visited Granada, everyone had heard good things about it. After lunch, I used the hostel's free computers to research logistics on how to get there. Travel by bus took 5 hours and cost €18 while the train took 4 hours and cost €70.  Saving an hour is not worth an extra €52/$72 so the bus was chosen. Following other travelers' advice, I selected and booked a random hostel on hostelworld. With prior vacations I have been trapped in certain cities because of pre-paid bus tickets and housing. This vacation's lack of prior planning allowed me more flexibility. Although making plans while on vacation was stressful, the impulsive visit to Granada would become the highlight of my vacation.

When have you changed vacation plans while on vacation, and how did it turn out?

Day 19: Sunrise

Day 19

The only sketch during my two week holiday. The first leg of my international flight was early enough that I had the opportunity to watch the sunrise. I loved how the airplane wing contrasted against the colorful sky. When I took out my camera to photograph the sunrise, the following message appeared on the camera: "Memory card needs to be formatted."  With a five-hour flight ahead, panic would have been useless. Instead I sketched the sunrise and boarded my plane. When something unexpected happens, don't let it ruin your present moment. Enjoy the moment, and then find a solution. Of course, I immediately purchased a memory card when I landed at the next airport. I like to joke with people that only two items are essential for travel: a passport and a credit card. In this case, it was true. No memory card, use the credit card.

Have you experienced a memory card failure during an important event, and what did you do?