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The weather was chilly on our first days here and I was glad I had knit myself a new scarf for the trip. Yesterday and today it has warmed up considerably during the day, which is what I expected, nay, demanded for my stay in Jerez. Warm days and cool nights- this was what it was like during the last trip. The change came during siesta yesterday afternoon: I went outside and was impressed by the warm air. In contrast, I had to wear my woolly socks on the walk to class in the morning.

I have bought new flamenco shoes. They are neither black nor an audacious colour, both of which I was promising to purchase before my trip. They are navy blue and of the Senovilla brand. I thought I didn’t like Senovilla, because last trip I tried on many pairs and they always felt too wide in the toe. The trick, however, was that I was only trying the styles with straps and buckles, not lace-ups. The lace-ups fit fine in the toe: nice and snug. And in beautiful navy blue. Now as I think of it, they are probably fading in the sun as I have put them out on my little veranda to air out.

Today I did something I’ve never done before: drunk a beer in Spain. I still don’t like beer. I only bought it so I could sit down while I connected to free wi-fi. €1.50.

First Day of Class.. And a rant about food.

I only have one class a day and that’s pretty much my schedule for the two weeks of the festival. This week, I have class at 10 every morning, and next week class will be at 1pm. I anticipate the remainder of this week progressing as it has today: class, lunch, then nap. There’s shows to watch (almost) every night as well, so that’s what the naps are for. Also: I like naps.

The class I’m in isn’t too hard – but we’ve only learned feet, no arms yet. Part of the course includes using fans, but we didn’t start that today, which is good since I completely forgot to take mine. I was all set too, bringing my big ones from home and buying a smaller one here just in case (I haven’t done fan before so wasn’t sure what might work best: for example, I may inadvertently whack classmates with a big fan on the end of my freaky-long arm). Luckily someone in the change room both spoke English and had an extra fan for me to borrow – not that it mattered in the end since we didn’t get to use them today.

I just went for a walk and bought a cork screw. I got home and I think everyone is napping. It’s very quiet. I have four roommates now: Christina who I came with along with Rachel who we last visited with during our 2012 Spain trip, her husband Adam and their baby boy. The last three arrived yesterday with tales of living in Berlin.

I’m still trying to figure out the eating situation in Spain. While I was out walking just now (around 4pm) there were crowds at restaurants just finishing up lunch (I think) with wine. When it’s time that the Canadians want supper (5-7pm) people here are eating a snack (fries or a pastry) and having coffee and full meals aren’t really being served. Evening meal food starts at 8pm or later, which doesn’t work when we have tickets for shows at 9pm. On a temporary basis I am eating fruit all the time as we have all bought a lot. And then also wine and tapas last night before the show, even though everyone else was having coffee… I don’t drink coffee at night so I won’t be able to try that routine.

Introduction To Jerez
Part 1: Sleep
I did not sleep well last night. I tried to tell my body and my brain that it was night time and therefore sleepy-time, but body and brain would have none of it.

“What do you mean it’s night time? Obviously it is day,” brain said, ready for activity.

“No. It’s night. There is no light. Go to sleep,” I insisted.

“Let’s go for a walk!” body suggested.

“No,” I repeated. “It’s sleepy time.”

“I’m not tired! Are you tired?” asked brain.

“No way!” body answered. “Let’s have a snack!”

“Gurgle,” said tummy.”

“All of you shut up and go to sleep,” I said.

And it went on for hours.

Part 2: Actual Details
We landed in Jerez at about 10:30 last night, which was Wednesday (I record this here less for my readers than for me, as I’m having trouble keeping track.) We took a taxi to our hotel and immediatly-ish went to bed. (See above for results of that.) I think I slept for about 3 or four hours, until 8:30, which isn’t bad for me when it comes to the first night sleeping in a new time zone.

We stayed at the hotel for one night since we weren’t booked at the apartment until today. This worked out well for the following two reasons: 1) the agent in charge of introducing us to the place didn’t want to meet us so late and 2) there were beds and general settling in to do that went better this morning after a half sleep rather than after a big travel days. Also, the hotel came with breakfast, which I like (both the general concept of breakfast and when hotels serve it as part of a night’s stay.)

The apartment is quite fine. There is enough space, or so I anticipate, for all of us who are going to be here. More arrive tomorrow (which is Friday).

The floors are cold, so we have purchased some slippers.

There was no wine opener supplied.

Part Three: Wandering around Jerez
We spent the bulk of the day trying to keep ourselves awake to overcome the jet lag by wandering around Jerez. We had tapas and got groceries (I love getting groceries, especially in the Mercadona store I went to a lot in 2012). There was absolutley nothing supplied food-wise with this apartment (which you expect, but I thought there might be at least reidual condiments) so we had to buy things like salt and olive oil, which is fun because we’re in Spain.

We also wandered around semi-lost for a while looking for a splendid church. I know it is splendid because we found it after giving up. And only semi-lost because we’ve totally been to Jerez before.

Flying to Victoria, BC, Canada tonight. I’m excited to be home. Things I am looking forward to are: maca-chee, my own bed, my skinny jeans.

Things I will miss from my trip in SE Asia: the perpetual warmth. I can’t say I loved being hot and sweaty whenever leaving the air conditioning (especially in Vietnam) but I think I could get used to it.

Also, the near lack of diary in food in Vietnam and Cambodia. Unless one ordered something specific like ice cream or pizza, the food was pretty clear of dairy products. Which is why I was annoyed to find cow’s milk in my banana corada last night instead of coconut milk.

The night before last I took a tuk-tuk for the first time. Everyone else was going to pub and I didn’t want to so I got a ride back to the hotel. It’s pretty much just a taxi only it’s a roofed cart with a motorcycle attached to the front. $2US for 5 minutes up the road. It would have been a long and adventurous walk.

Today! was a bus ride from Saigon to Phenom Pehn. Not too exciting but there were tassels on the window shades in the bus, so not too bad. Maybe mildly exciting was the border crossing into Cambodia. Off the bus to show our passports to exit Vietnam, then on the bus for a short ride across area that is no country, and then off the bus again to enter Cambodia. They took my fingerprints on a scanner!

In Phnom Penh our new tour group took a cyclo tour around the city and then dinner, and now I’m watching the X-Files movie on TV.

Last night was night train to Saigon. That sentence sounds romantic, but we were deposited at the Saigon station at 6am. Tired day:
Trip to cu chi tunnels
War remnants museum
Both are lessons about the Vietnam War – called the American Was here. ( maybe google “cu chi tunnels” if you want-I’m going to fall asleep before I explain or find a link)

Nha Trang

I escaped Nha Trang today for another motorcycle ride into the countryside. I also escaped most of the tour group, too, as it was only three of us. We started with a ride up a winding road up into the mountains, stopping once to take pictures of a rice field and some cows. Our next stop was along a river and some falls. I waded in it up to my mid-calf – had a bit of a foot massage against the sand and rocks. The scene was surrounded by trees and full of the sound of insects/wildlife. We spent some time there and I spent some of that sitting on a rock and staring.

Next was a ride *down* the mountain and a visit to villages who make (respectively) brass castings, rice paper (for salad rolls, or thick for crackers), and woven mats. We also stopped in at an old house that showed how Vietnamese people live/lived before they started moving to the cities.

Lunch was noodles soup from a woman set up at the corner by the rice paper making place. Noodles and broth, with tofu and green stuff (cilantro). Yum. It is veggie because it was new moon, which is a day when Vietnamese Buddhists eat veggie. We also learned how to eat said noodles soup – using chopsticks to collect noodles onto spoon, add a little broth and deposit to mouth.

Tour group spent the day on a boat trip out of Nha Trang today. There was snorkeling and some time on an island beach. I was seasick/hungover (?) and so didn’t enjoy it as much as I might, but I did get a swim in off the back of the boat- beautiful water! I didn’t snorkel as I don’t like to see the creatures I’m swimming with. At the beach I sat under a grass umbrella and read so that was pretty much heaven to me.

We visited a fishing village first and got to ride in a basket boat. I say ‘ride’ but I actually got to help paddle from the shore back out to the boat. (Julie has photographic evidence of this- and of basket boats). So fun.

Tour group spent the day on a boat trip out of Nha Trang today. There was snorkeling and some time on an island beach. I was seasick/hungover (?) and so didn’t enjoy it as much as I might, but I did get a swim in off the back of the boat- beautiful water! But I didn’t snorkel as I don’t like to see the creatures I’m swimming with. At the beach I sat under a grass umbrella and read so that was pretty much heaven to me.

We visited a fishing village first and got to ride in a basket boat. I say ‘ride’ but I actually got to paddle (Julie has photographic evidence of this- and of basket boats). So fun.