Yesterday was the LONGEST and most DIFFICULT hike of my life!  We all went to see the Alhambra, an ancient castle in the hills above Granada.  Despite wearing very good walking gymshoes, my legs were not happy with me as we trekked up into the hills.  The incline was about 45 degrees - no joke!  I was leaning so far forwards that one wrong step could have sent me falling to the ground in a face plant!  It was super hot today and I kept drinking out of my water bottle in an attempt to stop the heat from burning onto my shoulders and face.

It was exciting of course, but soon after we began the tour, we were all getting crabby because of the hunger pangs in our stomachs.  I think we’re still really getting used to eating extremely small breakfasts - mine was just a cup of coffee and two pieces of buttered toast.  I’m used to big breakfasts!  We walked for about 3 hours or so before they finally finally FINALLY let us rest to eat the lunches our host moms packed for us.  We were all given a bocadillo (a spanish sandwich filled with either meat/cheese or a tortilla of eggs and potatoes), some fruit and a drink.  As soon as we began eating, we realized how quickly our moods improved.  

We got to see the castle of Henry V and the Alhambra tower - the designs on the walls are so ornate and intricate, and they are the same designs in almost every room of the castle.  Imagine how long that took to finish!  (I put up a photo album of the Alhambra on Facebook and there are photos in there of the designs on the walls as well.)

It seemed that we climbed endless staircases to go up into the towers of the Alhambra castle.  We climbed up many inclines and stairs, only to stay up there for 3 minutes and then have to climb back down.

The great thing about these hikes and tours during our trip is that it brings us all closer.  We find ourselves laughing at everything, even when it’s not that funny, and we have many shared experiences that we often look back on fondly.  “Hey remember that time when…?!” is commonly heard here.  It’s great to have new friends in Granada!