This weekend we went to a region called Cantabria located in northern Spain. We left on Friday at 6:45 in the morning which was less than fun. I was able to sleep on the bus for a while so it wasn’t too horrible. We went to prehistoric caves called Las Cuevas de Castillo where we were able to see cave paintings that are believed to be around 24,000 years old. There were hands, bison, horses, and abstract symbols.
After driving another 2 hours we arrived at our hotel which was located in the mountains. It was so peaceful and also a nice break from being so busy lately. We had free time for the rest of the day which I used to walk around outside. Olivia and I climbed this really sketchy wooden structure. We weren’t really sure what it was but we think it may have been part of an old gondola. I really didn’t think I was going to be able to get down from it. I wasn’t even that high, I just don’t like heights apparently. Later, a group of us went for a hike. I knew I should have brought sneakers with me. I’m an idiot. It was a challenge hiking in flats but ‘asi es la vida.’ It started thundering and raining a bit on our hike but it wasn’t too big of a deal. We hiked pretty far up the mountain and could see a great view of the surrounding mountains and our hotel. The next day was wonderful. I RODE IN A GONDOLA!!!!! At first it was kind of irritating because at the bottom of the mountain it was very foggy and you couldn’t even see the mountain. However, the gondola took us higher than the clouds so when we reached the top we could see so much. We were able to hike around at the top of the mountain for a few hours. I couldn’t believe how high up we were.
Next, we went to Las Cuevas de Altamira. They are considered the Sistine Chapel of cave paintings. I was so so so excited because I had learned all about them in one of my Art History classes. They were also around 24,000-30,000 years old. They are famous because for the longest time no on believed them to be authentic and it wasn’t until the 70s that they were accepted to be from the prehistoric period by the scientific community. They were also the first prehistoric caves to be discovered in that region of Spain. We weren’t actually permitted to go in the real caves because only certified individuals are allowed in now. This is because the original paintings were starting to deteriorate from the number of tourists visits. They now have an exact reproduction right next to the caves. This is what we visited… kind of disappointing but also understandable.
After the caves we went to a torture museum about the Inquisition. It was kind of gross but also kind of interesting. We saw devices that were once used to torture individuals accused of heresy.
Our next hotel was a block away from the beach in Santander. I went exploring with Olivia and Katherine that night. We randomly stumbled into a casino and decided to grab a drink. Then we walked to the beach. On a whim, we decided to go in the water. It was freezing. We got out of the water to find wet and sandy clothes opposed to the dry ones we had left at the shore. Apparently we misjudged how far the waves were coming to shore. I couldn’t even be upset. It started to downpour as soon as we got out of the water anyways. We ran into a few Spanish boys at the pier and we talked to them for a few minutes and then headed back to our hotel.
In the morning I couldn’t find my wallet and went into panic mode. We went back to the casino (which was closed) and retraced our steps along the beach. I had either left it at the casino or had been pickpocketed by the people we had met at the beach. Both were likely options. Jesus called the casino for me and they said that if they found it they would call. Hours later he got a call that they had found it. Thank you Jesus (both of you). Now I’m waiting for it to arrive in the mail at my apartment which is a hassle because I literally only have 20 cents to my name right now. Oh, and I had to cancel all my cards so that will probably be another week or 2 before I can actually get moneys as well. I’m hoping that the person that found my wallet is a good person and left everything that was in it there. My license, JAC card, school id, USB drive, 70 EURO, and a copy of my passport are in it. ---------- As I was typing this the doorbell rang and it arrived. Everything was still there. There are good people in this world.WINNING.
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