Ok,
we're starting to get concerned that bad conditions of water and
weather patterns surround us, like some big negative energy force. We
awake this morning, Darrin considering to take another kite-surfing
lesson, only to find the wind completely dead. Here we were, in the
world's most famous windy area for kiting conditions, and there's no
wind. The high pressure system seems to have sunk back in over us, and
it's a hot, still day. We bring ourselves to bathe in the cool ocean,
and hang out on the nasty beach. We're captivated for hours, Darrin
reading "The World is Flat," and I reading "The End of Poverty." At
least if we're not immersing ourselves in developing world culture, we
can at least continue to educate ourselves, and these books are
excellent choices, fueling our minds with thoughts of how to work
differently, and how to engage ourselves in being solutions to world
problems. That seals our commitment to seek out volunteer work in
Guatemala, and leads us to finally draw closure to booking our next
months stay, spanish immersion program and volunteer activities that
will commence on the 17th of this month, upon arrival in Guatemala.
This trip has caused us to really dive deep in developing cultures,
and while our stay in Europe has been a bit less challenging on the
immersion in developing country culture side, it's allowed us to
compare and contrast the vast differences between Europe, Asia and the
Americas, and has really brought to light the differences between
developing and the developed world.
We
spend our afternoon partaking in the cultural festiva of la Virgen de
la Luz which is a festival celebrated only by the city of Tarifa. It's
a week long festival, culminating on Sunday, where the locals pay
homage to the Patron Saint of Tarifa, the Virgin of Light, who is
supposed to provoke the most heartfelt emotions. It's quite a scene,
over 500 horses, their riders, and women dressed in their colorful,
polka-dot ruffely dresses. The male horse-riders, suited up with tall
top hats, drinking some alcoholic liquid from tall glasses, cruise the
streets, with their women seated behind. They promenade like this all
day, and party non-stop until 8:00 a.m. It's quite an event, and it
has effectively shut down business, the grocery store and the bus lines
until Monday.
