Cadiz
Costumes and Carnaval
The funny thing about language is words can mean very different things from one tongue to another. Well we were surprised to find that Carnival in Spain didn’t mean cotton candy and ferris wheels. Instead, it was a celebration full of costumes, dances and food – similar to Halloween. We heard that the best place to witness the festivities is Cadiz, so naturally we hoped on a bus ready to explore.
Peak
Cadiz is a small city surrounded by water in the South of Spain. While it would be beautiful any time of year, Carnival clearly gave the city a pop of color and a hint of mischief. We enjoyed walking through crowds filled with genies, sailors and minions, we even found waldo in the mix. But the highlight was listening to musical acts, which are a part of a competition during Carnival. Some groups like the Coros (a band of 45 people playing the lute and guitar) were light and fun while smaller acts like the Chirigotas and Cuartetos sing parodies, protests and satires. Lets just say Priya had to do a lot of translating, it got real REAL.
Valley
While Alexis is in charge of travel plans, this little trip happened on a whim. We hopped on the bus with no hotel booked and no plans once we got there. After arriving in Cadiz at 6am we were scrambling to find a hotel. As we roamed the deserted streets a light drizzle hit our tired bodies, and we were about to give up. We walked back to the bus station to ask for help and luckily our bus driver and his daughter were still at the dock. The Travel Gods delivered, because after we explained the situation he offered to take us to the hotel that they were staying in. While this does sound like the plot for Taken 3, we trusted him and his daughter and ended up having a great time.
Appreciation
Although we can lose faith in humanity, sometimes people come along and give you a little hope. If not for Noelia and her father this trip would have been a disaster. We can never thank them enough for their kindness and generosity. They helped us find a place to stay and took the time to show us Cadiz. All the besos to these travel companions.
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
– Maya Angelou
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