Ronda, Spain

Wednesday morning we woke up and took a 2 hour bus ride south of Seville to the town of Ronda, Spain. Ronda is a small town of around 40,000. It is set on an inland plateau riven with 300 foot cliffs dropping into the El Tajo gorge. South of the gorge sits mountains, which I have had the opportunity to hike through a few times in past months. 

Ronda, Spain

We started off near the edge of the gorge and hugged the perimeter of the cliff, walking around to the "puente nueva" (new bridge). You will see from the pictures below how amazing this bridge is. It connects to parts of the city that are cut in half by a large deep gorge. After making our way around the perimeter, we headed down the hillside on a nice trail to a spot below the bridge to eat and relax for a bit.

heading down on path below the city

In front of Puente Nueva

View from below

We got to the bottom and sat down on some large boulders next to a rushing river that led from the other side of the bridge down the cliffs to the valley below. The weather was great so we ate lunch and read a bit on the rocks before heading back up the trail to cross below the bridge into the gorge.

The trail was easy; the hardest part was a small section of high boulders where you had to use a rope to climb up. We made our way under the large bridge and walked out on some old pathways to abandoned buildings. There was some type of water control machinery in the gorge. I read that the town had flooded a few times in history but it didn't look like the machinery was still being used.

After, we made our way back up the trail into the city to do a little more exploring. We made our way to the other side of town where there was two more bridges, puente viejo (old bridge) and the puente arabe (arab bridge) We also checked out on of the most well preserved arab baths in the Iberian Peninsula.

Under the bridge

The arab baths were a social place in ancient times for Muslim men to relax and cleanse their body and spirit. It it pretty impressive how the ran the baths. They built them at the entrance to the town right next to a fresh stream They used a water wheel powered by a donkey to raise water from the stream into the complex. from there water ran through a system of rooms; A steam room, a hot room and a cold room. below the floor of the baths was an empty space where warm air would flow to heat the pools. They used a large wood oven for hot air and passed it beneath the baths of the steam room and hot room. The air exited out a chimney before the cold room. Muslims would rotate through the 3 baths, using the pools as a way to relax and interact with others.

Reception room of the Arab baths

Cold room

We finished up the visit and headed back to the center to get a few gifts and eat. We headed back to Sevilla and got in around 8pm. Later in the evening we watched the 'Kings Cup' - Copa Del Rey in my place with my roomate Nacho. The Game was between Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona, two of the best teams in the world. These two teams are to play 4 times in 18 days; 1 Spanish league game which ended in a tie last week, The Kings Cup, and 2 Championship League games. Real Madrid won the game 1 - 0 after Ronaldo had a great header in the middle of the second half. I was rooting for Barcelona but didn't mind too much that Madrid won. Both teams have great players and the next two games in the coming weeks are going to be intense. 

Jeff's visit is in its last week. We are hoping the weather will improve so we can head to the beach a day or two. We had scorching heat the first week and a half he was here. Since returning from Africa on that horrible boat ride the weather has been off and on; sometimes rainy, sometimes sunny. We are planning on catching some processions of Semana Santa in the center of Sevilla. Tonight (Thursday night) is the biggest night of the week. It is supposed to rain but as of now (11:00 am) the weather is sunny with some clouds in the sky. Hopefully the bad weather will stay away for the night because the floats will not leave the church's if it is rainy. They are heavy hand carved statue/floats of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. They are decorated with fine linens, jewelry, and other treasures all made from silver and gold. Some of these pieces are over 500 years old. Even though it is a major disappointment if they don't leave it is understandable why that wouldn't. 

I will have photos up later this week of the processions. We have been watching a lot of it live on television and the processions are very interesting. A lot of hard work goes into putting this together, it will be surreal to see it in the flesh. 

Carmona, Spain

Tuesday afternoon Jeff and I headed about 25 miles northeast of Seville to a town named Carmona. The town is situated on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalucia. The city of Carmona has been continuously inhabited dating back to roman times and was strengthened more by Moorish Rulers. The town was a strategic point throughout history and one of the last Muslim strongholds before the Christian Inquisition at the end of the 1400's. The town is surrounded by low flat plains with steep ridges surrounding the city. 

The weather was rainy off and on all day but it wasn't too bad. We made our way to the Alcazar of Carmona, which is a fortress and was the gate to the city in ancient times. The Alcazar has remains dating from the 14th - 12th centuries B.C. The Romans in the early 1st century BC began to build and make the Alcazar what it looks like today. It is build right on the edge of the city overlooking the flat farmlands of southern Spain. 

Ridge dropping to farmland below

View of city from Alcazar

View from top tower of Alcazar

After touring around the Alcazar we started walking around the city. They had a nice "tourist path" that you could follow throughout the city. It was raining most of the time, but we had our gear to keep us dry. We popped into a cathedral where a group of people were gathering inside. They had their 'pasos' or floats for Holy week in the church. The two floats below are to be carried from the church and make a trip through the town, carried by a group of men who sit below the floats. There are always two floats, one of the Virgen and one of Jesus. We plan on seeing Semana Santa in full in Seville this week. A more detailed description of Semana Santa is to come. 

Holy Week floats inside the Cathedral

After doing the tourist route we decided to head to the other side of the town to check out a Roman necropolis.

A necropolis is a large city or burial ground usually built on the outskirts of cities. The word necropolis means "city of the dead." The first evidence of burials in this necropolis dates to 7th century BC. However the first Roman burials are from the 2nd Century BC. The complex was a large plot of land that was excavated and preserved from the end of the 1800's. There were large underground tombs that you could enter and see where these ancient romans and other civilizations were buried.

latter down to the tomb

Heading into the Circular Mausoleum

Inside a tomb underground

Some of the tombs were massive and well designed. It would have been interesting to see what this site looked like when it still stood. We took some time walking through the complex and checking out some of the other tombs and structures that the necropolis once had.

Tomb of Servilla.

We took a quick 45 minute bus ride back to Sevilla and hung out around my place. The weather was still raining off and on and we watched the Semana Santa processions from home because most of the floats didn't leave the church due to weather. We had a great day trip to Carmona even with the rainy weather

Hiking in Chefchaouen, Morocco

We went over to the British families hostel in the morning to drop off our bags and have breakfast. They fed us a few pastries, a bowl of fresh fruit with yogurt and coffee. We left with our guide around 9:15 for the hike. He took us through the city up to the mosque we went to the night before. After we cut up through the valley into the mountains that overlook the city.  

early morning soccer game

We headed up to the mosque through the towns cemetery. He pointed out parts of bones that had been exposed on the hillside due to heavy rainfall and erosion. We even saw a part of a skull sticking out of the ground but had been broken in at some point. Some graves were made of cement while others were just rocks. 

Heading through the cemetery

City with cemetery in background

As we sat at the mosque we were overlooking an old women tending to her animals. As we were snapping photos she turned around and started shouting at jeff. and putting her fingers in the shape of a camera lens and putting it to her eye. Needless to say she wasn't to fond of us taking photos so we stopped and made our way up the mountain.

We had a pretty quick incline but the hike wasn't too bad. We were about 4000 feet up and took a break while we snapped some photos and ate.

The hike up

The town's name in Arabic means "look at the horns" which were represented by the steep mountain slopes seperated by the valley we hiked up. the picture below shows the 'horns'

Chefchaouen

The guide brought his son on the trip with us. While he rested on the hill and talked to a few men tending to their "plants" the boy took us up the hill to a small cave we could enter.

Cave Entrance

We headed back down to where the guide was and headed down the other side of the mountain into the village to the side of the city.

"now watch me YOUUUUU"

The hike lasted about 4 hours. We made it back to the center, ate some food and went back to the hostel to clean up and go walk around the center of the city.

Overlooking the farm land of Chefchaouen

Heading back to the city

We made it back and hung out at the hostel with the owners again. We had a long day and a really long traveling day in the morning so we went to sleep relativley early to prepare. Earlier in the day I took a video of the hostel and as I was reaching to the top terrace the Muslim prayer was starting over all the loud speakers inside the mosques. Pretty interesting video and a great view of the awesome hostel we stayed at.

Sunset from Hostel 

After cleaning up we headed back out to shop. On the way to the center we heard singing and then saw a large parade of men coming. We were not sure was was going on at first but with time we realized it was a funeral procession and we were right in the middle of it. There were probably 500 men walking through the medina carrying a casket singing religious songs as they marched. It was a very surreal moment and we both never expected to see something like that.

We had a really great time in Morocco. I think it changed both of our perspectives on the culture and people of a muslim country. Definitely an eye opening experience and anyone with the opportunity to make the trip should do so.

fog rolling in

Morocco Day 1

Our hostel was a short 5 minute walk to the port. We had some breakfast in port and headed out on the ferry to the town of Tangier, Morocco. It was supposed to be the 'fast' ferry but it ended up taking about an hour and a half, not the 35 minutes they said it would. 

Goodbye Spain

I had the opportunity to head to Chefchaouen a few months before with Ingy so I knew more or less what we needed to do and how much it would cost to get to the town deep in the Reef Mountains of northern Morocco. From the port on the African side we took a bus into the town of Tangier. The bus station we were dropped off at only had a bus at 8 pm at night. It was only 12:30 due to the hour change so we took a taxi to the other bus station and bought tickets to Chefchouen for less the 5 euros combined. The first bus took us to the town of Tetouan, Morocco. From there we switched buses and had a 3 hour ride up a windy 2 lane mountain road to Chefchaouen. We made it in around 6 pm and walked to the Hostel I stayed at last time.

They were all booked up so they showed us another place nearby and told us to stay there tomorrow because they had a room open. We dropped off our stuff and headed through the town and up to a Mosque that overlook the city. The sun was just setting over the valley and we stayed up there until it was almost dark, headed back down to the city and got some food to eat. 

Country side of Chefchaouen

Mosque at top of hill overlooking the city

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Sunset

We walked around the city and did some shopping. Jeff bought a large 6 x 4 foot rug and a few other things. For anyone who is nervous about traveling to a muslim country should visit a city like Chefchaouen. Its hard to explain how genuinely nice everyone is. They all want your money but even if you don't buy from them they still treat you the same. The only complaint I have is the amount of people who come up offering your drugs. It was funny at first but by the end of the night having to reject someone over and over as they follow you while you walk can get a little annoying. They soon get the drift and wish you welcome and safe travels and you are on your way. 

We went to the hostel we would be staying at tomorrow and hung out with the owners in there living area. It is owned by a 2 british guys and their mother. The group was so hospitable and helped us out so much. We watched some TV with them and had a beer while the helped us get a guide for a hike through the mountains the next morning. We spoke with the same guy at I went with last time and we agreed to meet at 9:30 am the next day. Jeff and I headed back to our hostel and got ready for the morning. 

Trip to Gibraltar

Thursday after I got out of work Jeff and I headed to the coastal town of Algeciras, Spain. We left from Seville around 3:30 pm and got into the port town of Algeciras around 500 pm. We went from one bus directly to another. We hopped on a short 30 minute bus to the town of La Linea to walk across the border to Gibraltar. We had a lot of luck and didn't have much down time on the way there. We crossed the border and took a bus to the center of town and headed towards the rock. 

The rock of Gibraltar is one of the "Pillars of Hercules", the other being Africa. It is debated which mountain is the 'other' pillar in Northern Africa, some say Mount Hacho in the Spanish territory Ceuta and others say it is Jebel Musa in Morocco.The gondola up the mountain was closed so we decided to walk up. The top of the rock is 1,400 feet tall and we had to walk up to about the 1,200 foot mark. We took a rode up for most of the way and then caught a trail to a large long stairway that cut up the mountain to the 'Ape Den.'

Pillar of Hercules monument with African Pillar in background

Stairway up the mountain

We got to the top of the mountain at the perfect time. The sun was just setting over the mountains and we were right in the Ape Den taking photos of the apes. We hung out at the top for sunset watching the monkeys and taking photos.

sunset

looking on towards Africa

We headed back down the stairs back to the path and took a trail through the old town of Gibraltar instead of the road, the way we came up. We headed through the trails and old town in the dark and got back to the border to take a bus back to Algeciras for the night.

Overlooking Gibraltar

We got back to Algeciras and packed up everything for our ferry ride the next morning. We had a 9 am ferry across the Straight of Gibraltar. Our next destination was Chefchaouen, Morocco. It would be a long trip but worth every second.