Ugh...Algeciras

Then came the travel day, a necessary evil when moving around as furiously as we did on this trip. We met Phillip and Monica, two Americans traveling during Monica's school break, on the train to Tangier, who had spent their time camping in the desert. As jealous as we were (we had considered a trip like that as well, but didn't have the time), we found that they had a difficult time of it, with sand storms and pouring rain and other natural fun that somewhat tempered their enthusiasm for their trip.

Since they hadn't before crossed the straight, we helped them navigate from the train station in Tangier to get a cab (the bartering was fierce, and pointless, since we were short on time and they knew it) to the docks for our ferry ride back to Tarifa. Once the ferry landed, we had to catch a bus to Algeciras, but it takes 25 minutes after it loads itself to the gills, so we knew we were screwed for our next step as soon as we left. We were trying to catch a 4:30 bus back to Seville and missed it by 15 minutes, but we sure as hell tried our hardest - we ran back and forth with both good data and bunk suggestions until we found the bus station. It was just too little too late, and devastated at having to spend the night in the miserable port city instead of magical Seville, I mourned the whole evening. Algeciras is not somewhere anyone should spend any more time than is absolutely necessary - stay in Tarifa, that place is happening! But not Algeciras. We spent the night at Pension La Plata and got our bus tickets for the first bus out the next morning, than wandered around the rather sketch streets to get cash and a shawarma snack. We tried to find a park, a beach, anything, but all we found were questionable casino shops with bars on the window.

When dusk arrived, we ventured out to find food and thankfully happened upon the main square, where we found a fountain covered in pigeons and a pet shop that was selling our favorite - GUINEA PIGS! How I wanted a Spanish pig! But the shop owner just handed me a kitten, one of those little ones with the big doll eyes. It was ok too. We stopped for a beer (we were the only ones in the pub) at Cairo and a bakery, Granier, for donuts. Then, we figured we should probably be responsible adults and have dinner, so we hit up La Alhambra for tapas, which were phenomenal.

If I could only eat one type of food the rest of my life, tapas would surely win that contest.