Islands

Wow, its so crazy to be back home on my wonderful northwest island. After a wonderful last dinner in Madrid and series of seemingly neverending flights I was greeted at the airport by my fabulous parents. I will spend a couple of days with good home-cooked meals and then back down to Oly with my wonderful friends. Its a funny thing though, all that recycled air of the planes just never fails to damage my system for a few days. I was sick upon arrival to my island and now I am sick upon return. I suppose I shall pop a few cloves of garlic now. See you all Monday and take care.
Love,
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Uh-oh, I think cabra is goat. I can never quite understand people when they say the word in their beautiful Spanish accent. Well I can fake it when I am talking but not so much when I actually have to spell it. I've had a goat of a day. I've just thought about goats so much today. Maybe because it is one of the few claims to fame of this island. I've been so anxious the past couple of days, because now that my brother left it means that I have only a few more days to finish everything up! I'm stressing out about everything from my project to my tan! Call this vanity but its totally stressing me out! This blog thing is even stressing me out! Kate leaves tomorrow so we are going out tonight to celebrate our last night together in brown town. Ok, no more from me until I see you all in the little brown farmhouse in the big evergreen forest. I can't take anymore blog today, but don't worry, I've got plenty more in my stress-case. Hasta luego mis amigos.
Love,
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, here I am once again along with my good bro'. Actually he decided to stay back at the apartment instead of hangin' out at about the only joint open in this town at siesta time (about 1-5 or so). He came to visit me for about 10 days. He also has the surf bug so once again, we hit the waves yesterday and he kicked my ass at it, I suppose if that's possible. Actually, maybe its just that the waves didn't kick his ass as much as mine. Fucker! So I have been laying awake some nights tossing and turning and thinking about my project and hoping that I can muster up the courage to go talk to people about it. Once I started getting out there, however, I actually got some leads which in turn led to some encouragement. I must have faith I suppose, that things will turn out the way they are suppose to with me and who I am and all I have to offer. I went to an organization I am working with on my project and each day I go there I get a bit more information about different events coming up, etc. Not precisely what I go in there for, but each time I come away feeling good about what I found out or the person I talked to. I keep thinking about how much time I have left here and to some it may seem like a long time (people outside of our class) but it makes me sweat every time I think about this short amount of time and what I have yet to do. But then I say, its ok. Life will go on. Whatever happens, I will not die. So tomorrow we'll go climb a mountain which I had to get a permit for because it is a sacred mountain. Should be fun to see. Then on Saturday we'll go to Cotillo, South along the West coast about 40 minutes by bus, to a festival or something. I'm not exactly sure what it is because they have different words for things in Spanish vs. English. The woman I talked to called it a manifestacion in Spanish which is basically the same word in English but it doesn't make sense. So I'll tell you more about it after I get back. It is some sort of protest and festival which sounds like it has to do with what I am working on. It should be pretty cool though. OK, I think I'll go see if my brother needs entertaining although he does pretty well on his own. I could find him passed out though as he is still recovering from jetlag, but we'll see. Hope you all are doing well.
Paz y Amor,
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sittin in this smokey bar of an internet cafe listening to 'Always take the weather with you everywhere you go'. How wonderfully brilliant! We should all take a sunny outlook with us everywhere we go. Yesterday I went with my little friend to Cotillo to go surfing. We were surfing for a while and then decided to be smart and respect the ocean and the power of her waves and bring our boards in. Oh no my friends, we were not done. The waves were so beautiful and it was still warm so we decided to just keep playing in them. Running around dodging and playing just made me feel so free. Jumping around on the rocks trying not to tear my wetsuit was a bit of a challenge but so much fun! Yesterday I talked to a guy in the tourist office and he was pretty helpful but sort of took me on a little detour in my project. I did a bit more research today on what I found out and am even more excited about it now. We'll see what happens with it. So much to find out. Ahhhhhh! Oh yes, we went to see a movie the other day and we were the only ones in the theatre. Big brand new theatre and terribly American, IMHO (for Walter, In My Humble Opinion)! We saw Cheaper By the Dozen. It was dubbed in Spanish though so it was somewhat educational. So sunny and warm here and still brown as ever but seeing the beauty in it is a must. It is still nature. As volcanic as it is, it's pretty in its own right. Please put your rubbish in a bin. I keep hearing this over and over here in the cafe. Doesn't really seem to be working much though. All we can do is keep on truckin'. Ok, now I'm just ramblin Jill up a hill. Talk to yall soon.
Paz y Amor.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well I think it was the day before I was to go surfing for the first time that I wrote you last. Ok, I didn't actually make it out that day because Friday was the first weekend night of carnaval and well, I didn't make it home until 6:30 in the morning. Just a few hours before I was supposed to try and survive the wild waves on a long plastic thing. Yeah right! I decided it would be safer to stay in my bed. After I made it into town and walking around a bit, I ran into my long lost travel companion and two other people who turned out to be her parents. They took us out to dinner at a good restaurant where I had the best monkfish I have ever eaten. Actually it was the only monkfish I have ever eaten. Thank you so much once again Judie and Peter. So finally after Kate was back in town for a couple of days we decided to go surfing but get a good sleep the night before. The waves were so crazy and messy and choppy that I think I ate more sandy saltwater than anything else. Not that I ate anything while I was out there, not even any monkfish. It was so much fun actually just to be out there in the sun and salty sea water. Ahhh, so refreshing! We're going to go out again tomorrow and rent a bit shorter boards. Catchin a ride with the surf school too since we don't have a car. Should be a good day! Oh, yes. Also indulged in some absinthe the other night. I was a bit nervous when I had to hold a flaming spoonfull of sugar but it turned out to be ok and I didn't have to eat the fire. Just breathed it afterwards. That's about all for now I suppose. Until next time, wonderful adventures my friends. Peace and Love to you all. Jacinta is also in my thoughts.
Love,
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hola everybody! Still in Corralejo and lots of chillin out on the beach. I've taken some walks to the nearby sanddunes and tried to walk to the farthest northerly point of the island but had to stop before I died of thirst as I had no water with me (actually sometimes I think I underestimate my body and its ability to survive under extreme conditions, not that this was super extreme, but anyway). Carnaval started here in Corralejo yesterday after being postponed a week due to the Madrid catastrophe. Didn't go out because I must ration my money as financial aid doesn't kick in again for another few weeks or so. I'm finally going surfing tomorrow for the first time since I have been here. Can't wait. Tomorrow Kate comes back after a week with her parents and I am excited because I miss my travel buddy. As it has been nice to be with myself for awhile its so nice to have somebody to talk to and to motivate me because I tend to just tread water sometimes. Well that's all for today.
Peace and Love everybody.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We are now living in Corralejo until we return home. Wow. I am not sure if you all have access to TV or newspaper or what but yesterday there was a bombing in Madrid. 192 killed. 1000 injured. Went to a bar last night to celebrate the first day of carnaval in Corralejo and found out there that it was cancelled because of the bombing. Everybody please pray for or think peace, please. That's all for now. Love to all. Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Now down South in Fuerteventura, Morro Jable to be exact. Picked up Elisa from the boat two days ago and have been staying in a beautiful apartment for pretty decent price. The night she arrived we all climbed up and around on the rocks of the SouthEast coast of the island and watched the sunset. It was so beautiful we decided to go up there the next night with a nice box of wine we spent all of our hard-earned Euros on. It was 1.09?. Shoot! Once again we are off to the beach to study the sun and its terrible baking effects on the human body. I was held down at spray point and forced into putting sunscreen on. Its brilliant, this sunscreen stuff! It really helps one sleep. No tight, itchy, burning sensation on the skin. Unless of course one forgets to lather ones? right arm. Out once again to study the ridiculously huge, IMHO, German tourist infested resorts of the Jandia Peninsula. Adios mi clase de islas.
Peace and Love.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Now down South in Fuerteventura, Morro Jable to be exact. Picked up Elisa from the boat two days ago and have been staying in a beautiful apartment for pretty decent price. The night she arrived we all climbed up and around on the rocks of the SouthEast coast of the island and watched the sunset. It was so beautiful we decided to go up there the next night with a nice box of wine we spent all of our hard-earned Euros on. It was 1.09?. Shoot! Once again we are off to the beach to study the sun and its terrible baking effects on the human body. I was held down at spray point and forced into putting sunscreen on. Its brilliant, this sunscreen stuff! It really helps one sleep. No tight, itchy, burning sensation on the skin. Unless of course one forgets to lather ones? right arm. Out once again to study the ridiculously huge, IMHO, German tourist infested resorts of the Jandia Peninsula. Adios mi clase de islas.
Peace and Love.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 09:02 AM | Permalink

Now down South in Fuerteventura, Morro Jable to be exact. Picked up Elisa from the boat two days ago and have been staying in a beautiful apartment for pretty decent price. The night she arrived we all climbed up and around on the rocks of the SouthEast coast of the island and watched the sunset. It was so beautiful we decided to go up there the next night with a nice box of wine we spent all of our hard-earned Euros on. It was 1.09?. Shoot! Once again we are off to the beach to study the sun and its terrible baking effects on the human body. I was held down at spray point and forced into putting sunscreen on. Its brilliant, this sunscreen stuff! It really helps one sleep. No tight, itchy, burning sensation on the skin. Unless of course one forgets to lather ones? right arm. Out once again to study the ridiculously huge, IMHO, German tourist infested resorts of the Jandia Peninsula. Adios mi clase de islas.
Peace and Love.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 09:01 AM | Permalink

Hola,
Well Kate and I are finally here! We made it after three days in Lanzarote. Lanzarote was ok but I think that Fuerteventura will be much better. I thought I might not see the morning after one night in a place surrounded by crackwhores. But, alas we are alive and here. We must find a place to live now more permanently and a bit cheaper internet place possibly. It is a bit windy here but sunny and flip-flop weather. Until next time.
Ciao!
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So beautiful here in Madrid! Sunny but still cold. It is so much fun speaking Spanish. A bit challenging trying to understand, but fun. We have been changing hostals every night looking for a better deal each day. Every morning after every sleepless night we are being kicked out. Having to get up and throw our same stinky clothes on and repack our packs to trek to the next hostal. Esta bien! The one we are at now the woman is very nice and I asked for some hot water for tea and she said si! "You want, you ask!" I am really looking forward to the warm weather I have been thinking about all along. Hope all is well with everyone.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Hello from Madrid,
Kate and I are now in Madrid and we arrived this morning at about 8AM. We found a hostal and slept all day. We will spend about five days here and fly to the Canaries on Saturday. I think I need some food now so Adios until another day.
Crissey

Posted by Crisann Trick at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Today we are learning this web stuff and it sucks!

Posted by Crisann Trick at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)