March 18, Granada

Wandering through the labrynth of narrow alleys and one way streets that make of the Albacin district of Granada, the sun heats my back and hair, and the uneven cobblestones massage my feet through thin and worn out canvas sneakers. This place is magical; and after the frigid cold of Holland, the sun feels like a long lost friend. Already I am about three shades darker (okay, maybe pinker is more like it.) I am staying in a fantastic hostel, fully equipped with hammocks and a well stocked communal kitchen, in the old neighborhood, which is perched on the steep hillside on the northern side of the city. The streets are impossibly difficult to navigate, only the slope of the hill keeps me oriented and I keep track of where I have been by reading the scrawls of graffiti as my constellations. Most of the ground has been paved over in cement and stone, but here and there a thick cluster of cactus has managed to push it´s way through the cracks, and many palms and orange trees have been planted in the plazas and courtyards.
This area of Spain, Andalucia, is about a thousand times cheaper than Barcelona, and here they have the real tapas, the ones that come free with your drinks. Order a beer and you get a sandwhich along with it. Two beers (each costing about two euro) and you´ve had a full meal. It´s freaking awesome. Food in general is just much cheaper, and I have been frequenting a little produce stand near by about twice a day. The first day I went there they were throwing out a large bag of mushrooms that were just a tad too old to sell, so I have been feasting on them for the last couple days, fried with olive oil and garlic.
I have also made a few friends at my hostel, we´ve been going to for tapas, and exploring the caves behind our neighborhood where the gypsies and the hippies live. Yesterday I visited the Alhambra with a British guy who I´ve made good pals with.
There is only one computer available at the hostel, and I am itching to get outside into the sun, so I must end my writing here. Probably I won´t blog again until I arrive in Murcia for my job as an Au Pair. Muchos abrazos, amigos and familia, y hasta luego.