So here I am back in an internet cafe. It is about 7pm local time in Malaga and I´ve gone out with Tim the Weatherman who needs to check his bank accounts. Since I have time to kill, I will do a little post.
After coming into Malaga, the inspection went well and liberty was granted starting at around 1030am or so. I of course made a blunder of assuming that liberty was granted before it was really given, so I wandered off the ship, marched over to the gate, only to be promptly called back. OOPS. Honestly, I wasn´t that eager to get off the ship. A rather landlubberly embarrassment!
Apparently, one needs a liberty card to leave and exit the vessel. I´m very happy to have my ticket to freedom right here in my pocket.
Students have been let out in waves, and no matter where I went today, I kept bumping into some. They are roaming the town in packs, the majority of which, are mostly clueless as to what to do. There were also clearly posted signs all over the ship that they were not allowed to rent any motor vehicle. GOOD advice.
I did a random walk through the town (very windy and warrenlike) and decided to go to the Alcazaba and the Castille de Gibrafalo. Both of these are Moorish ruins that provide excellent views of the town. The Castille, is at the top of mountain, and like an idiot I decided that I would attempt to walk it rather than taking the bus. It´s a good thing I needed the exercise, as that it was a harsher hike than Mao´s Long March. It was worth it though and I took many photos of the views.
However, I don´t want this to devolve into a travelogue, since they are necessarily dull unless you are the one actually doing the travelling. The point is that I AM ON LAND... or Terra Firma to the ancients. It is rather nice to be wandering among civilians who I can barely communicate with. I of course do know the phrase, ´´Me gusta bibliotecas´´ will come in handy.
As it stands, they cancelled one of tours to Granada (the Friday one), mostly because of the late start. They rebooked all those people for Saturday or Sunday.
I have already been back and forth to the ship, the ship is moored perhaps a mile and a half away from the main city but once you are in the city, everything is in close proximity to each other. On the way back out with Tim, he noticed that many of our shipmates were sunburned and he advised them to put cider vinegar on it. I´ve never heard of this home remedy before.
That´s it for now. I have to decide what to do for tomorrow. I think I might be doing an outing to one of the towns nearby.
Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Joe
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Thanks for your updates Joe! As A parent of a cadet I can't tell you how great it is to have your perspective. As I was reading this I got a call from my son from Malaga, so I ask "How is it?". "Spent the day at the beach, they all go topless here, even the old people, uck." If not for you that would be my window on Malaga. I enjoy every post, and the pics are good too!
ReplyDeleteWe look forward to your updates everyday. It has become quite a habit checking the ships location and then your blog. It helps us feel connected to all of you in your travels. I, too, got a call from my son today. He says Malaga is beautiful. He was having a great time and sounded very happy. Is there any update on the email situation? Looking forward to your next post and pictures.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe. Have been following your entries everyday and they really do make us feel closer to our cadets. It's my son's second sst, but still nice to have an everyday update when he's out of phone range. Thanks for keeping us connected. Hope you enjoy your time in Spain.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Malaga and done that same hike up the hill. I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteTo photo: You see, I wouldn´t even bother with the beach. There are plenty of nice beaches in New York and the ones around Costa del Sol are filled with tourists. I´d rather be immersed in the culture.
ReplyDeleteTo Jeff: I haven´t really been on the ship the last couple of days, but from what I understand the Admiral brought some sort of equipment with him. I am hoping we´ll have email back up by the time we leave Spain. I´m glad you are enjoying the posts. The comments inspire me to keep writing!
To Nancy: Thanks Nancy. I think Spain is my favorite place in Europe since the culture is so laid back. I´ll try to keep the updates coming!
To Kelly: It definitely was painful, but it was a spectacular view!