Spring Break Detour Through Europe

Since my last blog post in early March my study abroad experience has taken an unusual turn... I visited my girlfriend (and some other friends) in Europe for two weeks! I know that study abroad students love to travel, but even I can admit that this was a little ridiculous. But before I talk about that, I should mention my Sayulita surf trip!

The second weekend in March I went with a huge group of Tec students to Sayulita, a tiny little surf town about half an hour north of Puerto Vallarta on the west coast. The weekend mostly consisted of me embarrassing myself on a surfboard in front of the locals, but it was worth the shame. Sayulita is a beautiful place, with palm trees and white sand everywhere, along with a population of what must be at least 70% Canadians. I'm pretty sure I heard more Canadian English than Spanish... My phone was still broken at that point, so I'll just snag a pic off the internet to let you guys know what Sayulita is all about:

Nice little aerial view. You can't tell so much from this picture, but the surf was perfect.

And then the following weekend, I hopped on a flight and headed to England! I spent a few days in Leeds, then flew down south to Madrid to spend about a week there with the ol' "ball and chain" (Gabby if you read this, I swear I don't mean it). It was really interesting getting to see Mexico's motherland, and I figure I should reflect a bit on the differences and the similarities that I've noticed between the two. 

One of my favorites: Crystal Palace, in Parque El Retiro.

First off, the accent really isn't all that different! They speak faster, use different slang, and have what sounds like a bit of a lisp, but I was surprised by how much I could understand in the end. Also, it was very strange for me seeing people other than Latin Americas speaking Spanish fluently... I'm just not used to it!

I've gotta say, the food is way better here in Mexico. In Spain they just don't use as many spices, so I think the food is less interesting, although the Iberian ham is pretty amazing! 

Gabby is in awe of the jabon iberico.

Much of the architecture in Madrid is very similar to the colonial style here in Mexico, especially in well-preserved colonial cities like Zacatecas and Guanajuato. The people in Spain are also very warm and welcoming, but nothing can really compare to Mexican hospitality.

We went to a cathedral in Toledo, where we saw some old relics from the good ol' silver empire days. Here's a pic of a fancy-looking king statue, probably made from the silver taken from mines in Zacatecas or Guanajuato:

Seriously, what a baller.

So after this two week detour, I'm back on track to finish out the semester here in Guadalajara! It's crazy to think that I only have six more weeks of class here, then finals, and then back to the States. Now is the time to shove in every last bit of the Mexican experience I can handle! Stay tuned.