spanish vacation, week one

So it has recently come to my attention that when I say I am in Cadiz, many people have no idea where this place is. As it turns out, neither did I. South of Spain, yes. More or less an island? No.

Cadiz is a province (one of the eight) on the southwestern coast of the autonomous community of Andalucia, and the city of Cadiz is geographically similar to an island (had no idea until I was actually here)..a tiiiiiny piece of land connected to the peninsula by a tiiiiny little strip of road and train tracks.

But I am based in El Puerto de Santa Maria. As you can see, Cadiz is just across the way. Pick up a ferry in the port, and for the price of two euros and 15 cents you're there in exactly 30 minutes.

I have been rather disconnected since I arrived, as we have no internet in the house. So much for bringing my computer. Nor have I seen a single internet cafe in town, thus the only way to connect is by plugging into Luis' iphone (what CAN'T an iphone do?).

There is no internet for a reason, and that reason would be the following: BEACH. The climate here is insane, and unless one is eating or napping (this is Spain), there is no other excuse. It's so warm, day and night, and although people complain about the heat, it is actually quite pleasant, as there is always a breeze. The water is clear, predator-free (hooray for no sharks or jelly fish!) and perfectly refreshing.

And now to the personal stuff. I am staying with my friend Luis, who I met along with his girlfriend Raquel in Gran Canaria over semana santa as we have mutual friends. They are both from Cadiz, and thus have a plethora of friends and family everywhere. And because we are in Andalucia, all members of this expansive social network have welcomed me with wide open arms.

I spend most mornings alone, roaming around on bicycle and exploring the neighboring towns, and meet up with my pals at two (everyone gets off work at this hour in August) for lunch at one of their family's houses, both of which are beautiful villas just off the beach. The majority of the afternoon is spent eating and resting, until around 6, when we can finally muster up enough energy to head to the beach for a swim, then to a chiringuita (beach bar) for a drink, and finally, around 10, to dinner, whether that be at home (freshly caught fish, spanish tortilla, etc) or a restaurant (sardines, fried calamari, etc). If we are feeling really ambitious (which we generally are), we then have a cocktail. Supposedly cocktails help you digest.

So there you have it…my extended vacation in a nutshell. Another week and a half lays ahead of me, which will include a visit with Nicole (who is melting in Sevilla right now) as well as my 23rd birthday. Ole!