LA CIUDAD
- Hannah McDonald
- Jun 5, 2017
- 2 min read
Today, our Spanish was put to the test, in many ways. First thing we did when arriving at school this morning was the Spanish placement test with an oral, written, and multiple choice part. Afterward, we were put into groups. Makaela and I, to our excitement, were put in the same group. We are the oldest kids in the group this week by at least two years. Many of the kids in our group are from the states, but there are some from other countries as well. In class today, we mostly just had a group conversation in Spanish, which was a fun way to pass the time by and practice Spanish without it feeling too much like practicing.
In the afternoon, we had a walking tour of the city. We went up the stairs of a building to get a panoramic view and then walked the city streets. The La Cunza employee told us about different parts of the city and some of the history. The town has an old part and a newer part, both being just as unique as the other. We even got to see where bull fights used to be held in the old part of town. It is a beautiful city with amazing architecture and three beaches.
Following the official walking tour, Makaela and I decided to embark on our own walking tour. We found our way to the bank to withdraw euros, then walked the city streets again ourselves, exploring the stores and shops along the way. We found a cute bread shop where we each bought a loaf before proceeding to the board walk above the ocean to eat. The weather had turned around from yesterday and was quite beautiful today.
Needing to return home for a little bit and thinking we had a general idea of the city, we embarked on the walk home. However, this proved to be much more difficult than anticipated, and a thirty minute walk turned into a several hour walk. We found ourselves walking in circles. Many times we thought we had found the right path, only to find ourselves lost again. Feet exhausted from all the walking, we finally gave up on finding our own way back and called my host mother. Our Spanish was put to the test once again. Not only did I have to try to explain my whereabouts in an unknown city, I had to do it in Spanish. After several minutes of trying to explain, my host mother asked me to give the phone to a passerby and have them explain. I kind man helped us and pointed us in the right direction. He told us to walk up the river where we would then meet my host mom. Shortly after beginning our walk, we realized where we were and how close we were to our houses to begin, meaning we had added quite a bit of unnecessary milage. Feet throbbing, we each returned to our host-family for dinner and rest. None the less, it was a good adventure and directional test for us both.
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