The past few days have been fun. The bomb that went off was small and blamed on the ETA group, a Basque terrorist organization that wants Galicia to be its own country and not part of Spain. Anyway, I’m sure the news made sound more serious than it really was.
Today, the 25th, is the Day of the Apostle, and the town is full of pilgrims and people who have come in from all over Galicia. At night, the streets are packed. It will be 3 am in the morning and there are hundreds of people sitting out in the streets, families, children, everyone. It’s amazing. Last night was the big fireworks show at the cathedral; it was pretty spetacular. I went with my friends Brian, Kristen and Katherine to see the fireworks and then to the carnival afterwards. The carnival has been going on for several days now; last night was my third night there. Since it’s a night carnival, there are plenty of lights, loud music, announcers’ voices (can’t understand what they’re saying though), games, food and of course rides! On the first night, we did the bumper cars, a funhouse, this crazy ride called “the Boomerang” and this other frog-hopping ride that spins you around in a circle and hops you up and down. Of all the rides, the Boomerang was the scariest. It’s like a giant pendulum, and the riders sit in the part that swings back and forth. As you swing, you go higher and higher and spin around til you’re practically upside down and you definately feel the G-forces on your body! One time on that was enough for me! I did go on the frog hopping ride three times though.
Oh and the cotton candy was ridiculous. For 2 Euros they give you a HUGE amount. It’s like that with the other foods, too.
Last night after the carnival, we saw a band perform nearby and then went over to a dance club with some other students who stay at our dorm (but who are not part of our project). They were really nice. It was about 5 am when we got back to the dorm. Since today is a holiday, we didn’t have to come to the labs until 4 pm, so I slept all day and woke up at 2:30. It was some much needed rest, and now I’m more awake than I’ve been in weeks.
This trip has been amazing, but I am looking forward to coming home! I can’t wait to see the family again and eat American food again and to read the new Harry Potter book! I’ve been going crazy waiting to read it!!!
