This post features student writing.
Hola familias!
Our seventh day in Spain was one of the most exciting, muscle-demanding activities so far. We rapelled off of waterfalls (cascadas). First, we put on wet suits and took a 15-minute walk up a hill carrying our helmets. When we reached the top, we listened to the instructors’ directions (en español!) and began the rigorous journey down the waterfalls. We walked, slid, and climbed down through rocks, all while enjoying the scenic view of the mountains. A few times, the instructors harnessed us and we jumped a few feet down mini waterfalls.
All was going smoothly until we encountered a more difficult obstacle. There was a waterfall that we couldn’t jump down. The instructors harnessed us and secured our ropes to rocks, and we had to walk down the waterfall! The most important tip: lean back! It was scary, but we all got down safely and we’re proud to have completed such a difficult obstacle. We ended the journey with cliff jumping! It was exhilarating jumping into the air and landing into the water with a splash. We could’ve done that over and over!
When we were finished and back in our normal clothes, we drove back to the hotel to take showers. Then, we drove into Potes where some of us went to a Spanish restaurant to eat lunch, and other went to an authentic Mexican restaurant. After lunch, we split up into groups of three and explored the town for a bit. We bought souvenirs, gifts, and lots of ice cream! After lunch we headed back to the hotel, where we spent some time packing our bags to prepare for the drive to Madrid the next day. Then, we enjoyed dinner at the hotel, where we continued to practice our Spanish with our leaders, Twiggs and Julianna. After dinner, we wrapped up the exhausting day with a group meeting, where we discussed our next few days in Madrid. Then, we went back to our rooms. Bursting with excitement for Madrid, it was a struggle to go to sleep!
To begin the next day we started off with a fresh new day in Spain. We ate breakfast at the hotel and went to get our suitcases, or maletas, said goodbye to the dog, and began our long-awaited journey to Madrid. After a quick headcount we boarded the bus and it was time to go! While on the bus, we played Spanish music, card games, and ate snacks (of course). We took our first bathroom break about an hour into the drive. It was a good opportunity para usar el baño and stretch. We spent the next two hours on the bus resting and talking about what awaits us in Madrid. After those two hours, everyone was very hungry, so we stopped at a roadside restaurant to eat. We got sandwiches, or bocadillos, of all different kinds. A good lunch was just what we needed to finish our time in the bus.
After much anticipation and a six-hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Madrid. ¡Que guay! We took our suitcases and walked to our hotel. We quickly checked in and had a little time to rest, then we went back into the city with our laundry. We dropped off our laundry and we will have nice, clean clothes in two days. We walked to a popular restaurant in Spain and ate kebabs. We had a little detour while on the way there, but that gave us even more time to walk around and enjoy Madrid. After a filling dinner we went back to the hotel to discuss our plans for the next few days. After a good night’s sleep, we are looking forward to going to the Prado, and of course shopping! We can’t wait to see what Madrid has in store for us!
— Sadie y Serena
