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After Military Travels
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After Military Travels

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  • Inicio da viagem
    21 de agosto de 2016
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    Plaça de Catalunya - Barcelona, Spain

    22 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    So the metro wasn't so bad, I made it safely. I walked down La Rambla (שדרה ערוכה) and the whole way were annoying venders, portrait painters, and human statue guys. I went into the food market and it was nothing like in Israel, way more organized and way better stuff. Than I kept going down the same street all the way to the marina. After, I walked all the way back and ate at a buffet called FrescCo. There was orgasmic seafood paella. I adore seafood. Headed back to my uncle's place by metro.

    Number of complements on eyes: 3

    Spanish Meter*: 5

    *how successful I was at communicating in Spanish with locals. Scale of 1-10, 10 being fluent, 1 being awkwardly and painfully gaping, unable to form words or understand them.    Leia mais

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    Museum of Picasso - Barcelona, Spain

    23 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today I learned that I knew near to nothing of Picasso's works. When I went into the museum I very quickly discovered that he has more than just the scribble painting style. In fact, he has plenty of perfectly painted lanscapes, portraits and still lifes. What shocked me most was the full gallery of more abstract pieces that looked like they were drawn in pen. This was the largest pornographic collection I had ever seen. Now when I say pornographic I mean boobs, vaginas, penises and hairy balls everywhere. There was one piece that stood out to me, the title was something along the lines of: Three Prostitutes Among Themselves. Now this painting consisted of several awkwardly proportioned naked women laying all tangled up with one another. One of the women's legs are spread wide open and you get this full view of her hairy vagina made especially appealing by the three hands that are spreading it open. And the amount of detail that went into that vagina was shocking, especially since the women themselves were made with simple outlines and no shading. I really liked that painting.Leia mais

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    Centfocs restaurant - Barcelona, Spain

    23 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    So my uncle recommended I go to this restaurant for lunch. When I find it, I see with disappointment that it's kind of really fancy with white tablecloths and cloth napkins. Now I realize that sitting alone at a fancy restaurant is just plain sad. So, like the baller that I am, I go and sit right down anyways and have myself a lovely lunch consistent of some of the best spinach ravioli I've had in a blue cheese cream sauce, a delicious octopus stew and a glorified bowl of plain yogurt with a single tablespoon sized dollup of warm applesauce(it sounded really cool in the menu...). All in all, a very enjoyable lunch, very much up to expectation(aside from the yogurt which was a kind of "this is what you get for eating at a fancy place alone" wtf moment).Leia mais

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    La Pedrera, Casa Milá - Barcelona, Spain

    23 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today was museum day apparently. I went to see one of Gaudí's creations. This one is a gorgeous apartment building. The architecture is so unique, the furniture made to meld to the body, even the door handles made to for one's hand most comfortably. The coolest part was the roof, pictures here. The last picture is of one of his other buildings that I passed on the wayLeia mais

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    Mercat dels Encants - Barcelona, Spain

    24 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Here is another step up on another seemingly unremarkable sight. Unremarkable, that is until Barcelona takes it for a spin. Mercat dels Encants is a flea market, but not just any old flea market. It's an enormous maze built on four different levels filled with your everyday flea market goodies. I happen to feel like a boss, as after two hours of walking around and shifting through junk, I leave the premises with an adorable colorful dress I got for 2 euros.Leia mais

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    Museu de Disseny - Barcelona, Spain

    24 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After lunch with my uncles, I went to the Museum of Design. It ended up being far more interesting than expected and I ended up spending more than two hours slowly creeping through every exhibit, reading every description and analyzing every piece on display. The top level was the history of graphic design which was a bit less my cup of tea. The next floors were the history of fashion design which was by far my favorite and then industrial design which showed all the different advancements in textiles, furniture, pottery, etc. The lowest floor talked about why certain designs are successful which was also especially interesting to me personally as I plan to go into the field one day.Leia mais

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    Las Segrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain

    24 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    My uncle told me that Las Segrada Familia was a must see Gaudí. And so I went. I got on the metro and made my way to the station. When I got off the train I realized that I hadn't looked anything up and didn't know what I was really looking for, let alone where. But then I thought to myslef, "Well, it's a Gaudí. I'll recognize it when I see it for sure." So I climbed the stairs out from under ground and there was nothing the least bit remarkable before me. Then I turned around. Out of the blue as if it had plopped itself on the ground from the sky, stood an enormous castle like structure. The detail of this structure is unparalled and only adds to the grandeur. Also, it is unfinished. Gaudí worked on the plan for Law Segrada Familia for half of his life and it is still being built today. The city hopes to have it completed by 2026 which would be the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death.Leia mais

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    Teatre-Museu Dalí - Figueres, Spain

    25 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    I took a train out Barcelona today to a little picturesque town called Figueres. Upon leaving the train station, I began a 20 minute walk in the summer sun. Why did I do this? I assure you it was worth it.

    My destination was none other than the Salvasore Dalí Museum and Theater. I can't really describe on paper what I went through in that vast maze of rooms, corridors, open courtyards and staircases. Everything in there, the walls, lighting, rails, stairs and even windows (including the actual art pieces as well, of course) were placed in the most perfect most calculated way and the result was the most emotion evoking, spine chilling, hair raising experience I had ever encountered due to art.

    I won't go into the details of the things that I saw there as it is not something that can truly be described. I can only express how truly regretful I am that I don't have the time or the art supplies to act upon the incredible wave of creativity that is buzzing through me and making me fingers itch for even just pen and paper. I've never felt so inspired, so filled with creativity by someone else's work. I can easily say that Dalí is now officially my favorite artist.

    One day I will come back for the sole purpose of waking up in the morning, walking through the museum for an hour or two and then sitting outside of it with my heart's desire of supplies and dimly let the inspiration fill me up and the creativity flow. When I do, it will be the freest of my work.    Leia mais

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    Teatre-Museu Dalí cont.- Figueres, Spain

    25 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    There is one aspect of the museum that I do feel it necessary that I expend on. Dalí painted an entire collection the tells the history of the Jewish people from the holocaust to the declaration of the Jewish state of Israel to today. Here is a man who is not Jewish, has never been to Israel, has no connection to the Jewish people whatsoever and yet his work invoked emotions within me I hadn't realized were there. Never has a painting made me cry, and yet there I was, walking through the black walled, barely lit corridor, examining the paintings and crying. It was certainly a unique experience that those who don't have the Jewish background I do, will simply be unable to fully appreciate.Leia mais

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    Girona, Spain

    25 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After the Museum of Dalí, I left Figueres and took a train to Girona where I was met by my uncles. Girona is another little town that has remnants of an ancient city as well as a river flowing through it. We walked around and enjoyed the serenity of it all and at 18:00 we were invited by a friend of my uncle's to a play. It was a group from Israel putting on a play about the aftermath of the 2009 shooting at the Bar Noar, a gay club. The play followed a few different characters that were at the club at the time of the shooting and their families as they try to cope with not only their injuries but their forced and public coming out of the closet as a result of the shooting. It was a very emotion filled show that really depicted the the situation quite accurately. The actors were all either part of the LGBT community or family of someone part of the LGBT community. It was an enjoyable eye opening experience that I enjoyed immensely.Leia mais

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    Montjiuc - Barcelona, Spain

    26 de agosto de 2016, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Literally translates to Jew Mountain, named for the Jewish cemetery that used to be on its slopes. I got on a train that carried me up part of the mountain and then began to walk. I visited the Botanical Gardens that were there as well as the Olympic stadium of the '92 Olympics. The architecture of the stadium is like the rest of Barcelona, a crazy mixture of modern and classic.Leia mais

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    Montjuic continued - Barcelona, Spain

    26 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After visiting the Olympic stadium I made my way back to the station where you can take a cable car to the top where Castel de Montjuic is situated. So I went to where they were selling tickets for the cable car and asked if it was possible to walk. The answer I got, "yes but it's like a 20-25 minute walk... Uphill... In this heat..." (which was the same thing my uncle said when I asked him). My anser, "cool, thanks," and I began to walk. Turns out everyone else is a lazy ass because it really wasn't that bad of a walk, albeit uphill and I did it in under 20. Really no biggy.

    The castle itself (it was used as a fort actually) is something else. Set super high up, you can see most of Barcelona from up there and of course the architecture is like nothing I had seen in the states or Israel. The last picture is of the cable car I proudly didn't take.    Leia mais

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    Arc de Triomf - Barcelona, Spain

    26 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    So those 15 minutes in my last post where I crashed? I was looking for the Arc de Triomf. I had been told "go and see it, get off at this metro station" and not much more than that so I didn't really know what I was looking for. So after getting off the metro, having a look around and not seeing anything remarkable, I said f it and plopped down on the grass. Eventually I got up the energy to start looking again. I quickly gave up and went to ask for directions. I asked a young woman, "¿Sabes dónde está el arc de triomf?" she actually laughed at me and pointed, saying something along the lines of, "You see that ENORMOUS structure over there? That's it." So slightly embarrassed at having missed it(in my defense I could only see it from the side so it didn't look like an arc) I made my way toward it.

    Arc de triomf(arc of triumf) is a very fitting name for such a large arc. I walked through the Arc which led to a very long pedestrian walkway (שדרה) at the end of which was a very pretty park with a little lake with a Gaudí fountain in the middle(forgot to take a picture 😥)

    Somewhere along the park I heard music and of course, being me, I naturally drifted towards the sound. I came upon two black guys playing a something with a sort of reggae vibe. One was playing the good old guitar but the other was playing a harp looking instrument with a drum thing at the bottom. There was also a random white guy sitting on the grass nearby and singing along. The result was simply wonderful. I sat down for a good half hour to write and listen to the music    Leia mais

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    Plaça Espanya - Barcelona, Spain

    26 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    So I got all prettied up and made my way to Plaça Espanya. The place was absolutely brimming with people from all over the world. I made my way to the huge fountain to try to see the water show. Similar in its idea to the fountain show at the Belagio hotel in Vegas(though not nearly as grand) it was a show of water and lights in different heights and shapes. Getting somewhere I could actually see the show was the real challenge.

    After half an hour of that, I came upon a band playing in the street made up of a violin, electric contrabass, and a guitar. They were fantastic, playing songs such as Viva la Vida, It's too Late to Apologize, Fireworks and more. They played with such gusto, especially the violinist who might as well had been having sex with the instrument. I may have sat there for an hour.

    After that, around 11:00pm I made my way to Plaça Catalunya. I walked down La Rambla street looking for a nice bar I can sit down for a beer in. I ended up getting pulled by someone to this bar with a kind of erotic vibe. Once inside I intentionally got rid of the poor guy and got myself a beer. As I was sitting, another guy came to sit by me and tried to chat me up with his broken English. He insisted on buying my next drink. I let him entertain me for an hour then told him I had to catch the metro before they stop running, and left the guy(who seemed like he was probably a really good guy) with five euros less in his pocket and nothing to show for it. Not too crazy of a night but enjoyable none the less.    Leia mais

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    Park Guey - Barcelona, Spain

    27 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    My last day in Barcelona, my uncle's partner offered to go with me to Park Guey. Located a five minute walk away from their house in the middle of a forest was this gem.

    Overlooking the city was this Gaudí designed paradise. It was meant as a sort of gated community with shared facilities such as a trading center, buses(horsedrawn) and more but was a failure as only two houses were bought on the property.

    When it became obvious that he would not be able to make a profit of it, the owner of the project sold it to the state which turned it into to public park. One of the building is now used as a public school. I doubt they realize how privileged they are to learn in such a magical place.    Leia mais

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    First day in Ecuador

    29 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    I landed in Quito yesterday and immediately took a cab to a hostel that had been recommended to me by a friend and several Israeli travel sites. The owner of Hostal el Taxo has a soft spot for Israelis and has even learned some Hebrew as so many Israelis stay at his hostel. Unfortunately the hostel was quite void of other Israelis when I arrived, and I was told they had all just left that morning. This made me sad, as I was hoping to find some companions on my arrival.

    No worries, however. I went to bed and the next morning got myself some breakfast and checked out of the hostel. The owner was very helpful when I asked him how to get to the central bus station. I got on a city bus as he had told me to and for a moment there felt a deja vu to my army days. Getting on that bus was as worse as getting on the bus to מחנה נתן and only slightly less crowded.

    Currently I am waiting at the central station for a bus that will take me to Mindo, recommended to me by my sister as her favorite town in Ecuador. Wish me luck! (and may I find friends... 😥)

    UPDATE! I went to find something to eat as I hadn't eaten since breakfast. Found this stand selling this soup looking thing and got myself one. I don't really know what I'm eating but here is what it consists of: white beans that remind me of פול, different colored corn curnels(like cornchips), plantain chips and poured over all of this is a sort of cold tomatoe soup with onion and chicken(though I only found two tiny pieces of chicken). I was kinda hoping for hot soup but whatever, it's pretty decent and it cost me $1.50 so I'm happy. And now I'm pissed because I totally took a picture of it before eating it so I could post it here, but now that I've finished it I see that it didn't save grrr...    Leia mais

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    First night in Mindo - Ecuador

    29 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    I got here a little after 16:00 and was given a recommendation by a local who then proceeded to send her daughter, who looked to be about nine, to take me there. So there I am carrying my huge travel pack on my back barely keeping up with this little girl on a bike as she leads me five blocks and a left turn. Uphill.

    And the whole way there are children running about, playing ball in the street. I even saw a girl who couldn't have been more than three years of age walking somewhere entirely on her own.

    Anyways so the girl brings me to this adorable cabin, I pay my fifteen bucks and the girl behind the desk(mind you she couldn't be more than 15) leads me outside, around back and down these stairs to where the rooms are. I quickly realise that yet again, I am very much alone. If I had thought that I might find some travel partners In Mindo(which In my defense is a very popular backpacking site) I was wrong. On the bright side though, there is a forest with a stream right outside my door and I can hear it running from my room. Its actually a fantastic room if you don't count all the bugs... I don't think there was anything they could have done better though, I think that's just how it is around here.

    So I left the room to get some dinner, it took a few tries but eventually I did find a place that was still open at 20:30... Had myself a delicious Telapia in one of the best mushroom cream sauces I have ever had.

    After my dinner I went to find the one bar I had caught a glimpse of as I was running after the biking nine year old earlier. Well, I found it and here I am drinking a light Pilsenter. Never heard of it but it's decent, not too bitter for such a light beer(not a huge fan of corona). The bar is surprisingly lively and yet not a single person has come to talk to me. Legitimately, they probably all know each other from birth. I'm not sure what is worse though, being bored to death by a really boring guy tryin to get some or not being approached at all. Whatever, y'all know in making the best of it. Peace.    Leia mais

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    Mindo day 2 - Ecuador

    30 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I was feeling kind of down last night because I came to a hostel and was all alone and felt just very... Lonely. Today however, I bought myself tickets to a few different activities. One of them was Canyoning which is basically a glorified name for snappling down a waterfall. I got put in a group with three guys and vuala! I made friends. We even went out fro drinks that night.Leia mais

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    Mindo day 3 - Ecuador

    31 de agosto de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    When I was but my activities, I was told I had to pay for a taxi as well. Now this seemed a little silly when I am such an able bodied young woman so I asked if I could walk it and they made a face of "you really shouldn't" but said that it was a two kilometer walk. To me this sounds like no biggy. So today I got my ready face on and started to walk. Turns out the way is up hill... But I'm surrounded by beautiful greenery so who cares?

    My first activity of the day is a canopy zip line. This was terrifying and exhilarating and everything it should be. I also met a pair of travelers who I clicked with and hoped to see later in Baños. The only downside (or upside, depending on how you wanna look at it) was the incredible amount of uphill walking I had to get again endure between each zip line.

    After that activity I moved on to the next. On the map they were drawn pretty close together but in reality it was another 3 kilometers uphill.

    This was a cable car that takes you across a ravine and on the other side you hike to see five waterfalls. The way was gorgeous but I was tired from the walking I had already done and this hike was entirely downhill. So I'll admit, knowing every downhill step I took was another I would have to take uphill later(and that I still had the five km back to town), I only made it to the first waterfall before going back. It was about an hour walk.

    On my walk back, I was picked up by a family with three little kids so I didn't end up walking the whole five km. Very entertaining ride, me trying to communicate with three little kids in Spanish who don't realize they need to speak slowly because my Spanish is iffy. It was all good fun.

    I got back to town and my friends from the zip line had yet to catch their bus to Quito so we got lunch. When they left, I went to crash at my hostel, I was spent.    Leia mais

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    Back in Quito - Ecuador

    1 de setembro de 2016, Equador ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I went back to Quito after the butterfly farm. There I checked into Community Hostel recommended to me by my friends from the zip line. Great little place where I met lots of cool people.

    That night I met up with my friends from the Canyoning at the famous Bungalow. Pretty normal club if you ask me but they were super hyped up about it. It was fun, I got drinker then I thought I would and danced a ton and around 3:00am took a taxi back to the hostel.Leia mais

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