Thursday night I went to a movie with my friend Christine and one of her friends from class. We saw "Duplicity", which was good, but I'll definitely have to watch it again...it was slightly harder to follow than other movies I've gone to here! Must have been all the flashbacks and forwards...
Anyway, we didn't stay out too late, because we had to be up early to catch the bus to the beach Friday! We found one of the main beaches in Nerja that we hadn't been on yet...it was huge, beautiful, and full of people. It was obviously a perfect day for everyone to relax on the sand.
That night, we all took nice, long, hot showers (because we could...our showers at our houses are less than desirable, so it's always nice to go to the hostels where we know the showers are amazing!), and then walked out to the Balcon de Europa. It's beautiful during the day, but it's a lot of fun at night too. The sound of the waves on the rocks and the utter darkness in front of you is pretty incredible. It's just a very peaceful spot at night, because it isn't so full of people.
We also went to find Plaza Tutti-Frutti (yes, that's its real name...) because we had heard that it is a great spot for the nightlife of Nerja, but it was way too early for that (only 10...), so it was pretty dead. On our way back to the hostel, however, we found a tapas restaurant with free tapas! We were surprised because there are usually only 2 or 3 town in Spain that still provide free tapas, and Nerja isn't one of them. :) It was fun to sit and chat there for a while before turning in for the night.
The next day wasn't a super nice beach day, it had clouded up and was pretty windy by the water, but Lisa and Nick had planned to go to the caves, so Christine and I just sat by the beach and read. When Lisa and Nick got back, we went to the end of the beach and explored what the ocean was tossing up. We found lots of shells, some little crabs and other sea critters. It was a lot of fun, even if the weather wasn't quite as nice as the day before.
We took an early afternoon bus back, so we made it home in time for supper at our houses. I only went out for a quick run in the park and trip to the internet café, because I had another early morning on Sunday...Trekking and Arab Baths excursion!
We had the same guide as I had on my last excursion, and had an "easy" trek around the city planned to tire us out so we could relax in the Arab Baths afterward. The trek was much easier than my last one, but I still definitely would not have classified it under easy! Anyone who had experience Granada's hilly terrain knows what I'm talking about. :) We climbed up to and around the Alhambra, and got some great views of the city.
After the hike, our guide dropped us off at the Arab Baths. I had heard a little about them, but was really excited to experience them for myself. We changed into our suits and walked into the first room, which was the pool with cold water.
The baths were all dimly lit, with music playing softly, and it is very relaxing. You are supposed to move from pool to pool every 5 to 10 minutes to cleanse your body. The cold one was smaller and about the depth that we sat in them and the water was about at our shoulders. The hot one was very long and about the same depth, but long enough that we would all lay down in an area. It was so nice! The warm one was the deepest; we could almost stand in this one.
There was also a steam room, which our guide said was one of the best ones he had been in. It is very large, and was usually so full of steam that you couldn't even see the people across from you! It was also scented a bit like jasmine, so that was cool. It was pretty much the most intense sauna I've ever been in!
As if these parts of the Arab baths weren't relaxing enough, a 15-minute massage comes with the entrance as well. It was the fastest, but most relaxing 15- minutes I've had since I've been here. We all enjoyed our experience so much, and I hope I have a chance to go at least one more time before I get home. It's also very interesting because it is such an ancient tradition that is still being practiced today.
After the baths, my friend Christine and I grabbed lunch...my new favorite food, kabobs! We have a favorite kabob place that has the best food ever, we get them whenever we can...I'll miss them when we get home! We had our kabobs, and then walked around the Arab markets to search for fun souvenirs for our friends and families...there are so many things that will always remind me of Spain, I can't wait to buy a few things to show all of of you.
Anyway, moral of my story...Beaches + Arab Baths = Great Weekend! Have a great week everyone. :)
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