Maspalomas

I am sitting by the pool of my little apartment. Alice is letting me use her computer, but it is hard to get used to typing on it because the keys are all in different places than at home. Spain is great. The beach is amazing, but the sun is so hot that there are days it is recommended to not go out in it for people with as shockingly white complexion as me. But i just lather up the SPF and do what nature intended, lay on the beach like a pink seal.  The flight from Belfast in was about the longest thing I have ever endured. They delayed our plane for four  hours so instead of landing at 6:40 it ended up being 10:40. Luckily, I made friends with some really nice Irish ladies. They found out we were all headed to the same place and let me join their duo. It was a mom and her daughter who had traveled all over together and were going to take a week in Gran Canaria. Some how I found out they keep horses (an uncanny ability I have to direct the conversation to livestock) and cows!!! I realized I liked these people when Andrea pulled out her phone and started showing me pictures of her cows and horses and her wee dog. We talked about beer, and they told me Guiness doesn't ship well so they were glad I had some 'real' beer there. Then we talked about farming, which breed of cow is better (Tom: they LOVE herefords, they are really expensive and only for showing; not eating.) we talked about the Grand Prix and how much better it is than Nascar. And then made fun of people as they passed. It was great. But once I landed in Las Palmas I had been travelling for 31 hours and had only slept 4. To make things better, the last bus left the airport at 10 so Alice and I wandered around negotiating for the cheapest taxi. Then to walk to my place, I made it home at like 12:40 and about balled my eyes out. But aside from being a huge baby, everything is great!! My apartment is really cute with a balcony on the top and bottom floor. And the locals who live here are great.


One REALLY exciting thing is that the EuroCup is going on right now. Spain is in fits because they won the soccer game last night against Portugal. I watched the first half, but wanted to walk home before dark and didnt get to see the last. HOWEVER, everyone in my complex had there stereos and tvs on full blast so I could hear the announcers the whole time. But because I didnt understand the announcers, the only way I knew they scored was when the walls were shaking because of jumping and shouting. Then the familiar Spanish soccer chant 'Ole, Ole-ole-ole, Ole, Ole' it was beautiful. I have heard Americans chant it to be cool at soccer games but it truly sounds great when Spaniards are cheering it for Spain. Tonight it is Germany vs Italy. I dont like Germany but I want them to win because half the island is German, the other half Spanish and the final game on Sunday will be like a little war! 


Another crazy thing is that I have been hanging out a lot with Alices friends from France and have had a good time practicing my French because they dont speak english well. I never would have thought I would be speaking more French than Spanish here. But alas, it is true. Now off to eat some dinner, tomorrow I am going to the sand dunes and who knows what else. Saturday there is a party at a persons house who Alice works with and then Sunday we go to the Volcano!!!!!