Spanish Conquest
[ Part 3 - Granada ]
We took a bus from Cordoba to Granada because there were no direct trains available.. We met up again with the Argentinian lady we met in Cordoba and our conversations ranged from their current 'retirement' (read : touring Europe) to why the enemies tend to destroy every asset - monuments, churches and mosques alike - that isn't theirs..
The bus ride to Granada was very hilly.. It's a miracle that I didn't throw up in the bus.. Our hostel was really dodgy and we were greeted by a huge dog in the reception area.. Nonetheless, the receptionist was very helpful, despite not knowing any English.. She made splashing 'whoosh' sounds to confirm when we asked for hot water.. Her fingers walked along the map from one place to another :)
When we went to the Tourist Information Office, we met a very kind Muslim uncle.. He was very fair-skinned and had really white hair.. He wore a smart tie, winter jacket and pleated trousers.. When we saw him as he smiled and said 'Assalamualaikum' to us, I thought he looked like an angel dressed for work :P He showed us where the (real) mosque and halal restaurants were before going off..
To get to the mosque, we went through the Albayzin, an Arab quarters with houses similar to those during the Muslim reign.. The roads, made of cobblestones and large round pebbles, were very narrow, twisty and VERY hilly.. It was like going on a DoE expedition.. But the view was worth it.. At the top was Mirador de San Nicolas (Saint Nicholas Balcony) where we got the best view of the Alhambra both before and after the night lights were on, the ski slopes of Sierra Nevada and the city of Granada.. This is where we asked an Aussie couple to take pictures for us.. Afterwards, we finally found the mosque and prayed there.. We met up with the angelic uncle again and he told us the Sultan of Kelantan used to come and pray there as well :)
We watched a flamenco performance (for free!) that lasted almost an hour.. It was a 2-man show.. Well, one man, one woman.. The guy who played the Spanish guitar was so awesome, not to mention handsome ;) Whenever he played, he'd close his eyes as if he's feeling every note he's strumming.. And what striked me the most was how passionate both of them were, especially when she was dancing.. The was he looked at her while she dance was full of - I don't know - intoxication?
Oh, we also tried gazpacho, a cold tomato soup that turned out to be horrible.. LOL :P
The next day, we got to Alhambra at 7.30am, when the sun wasn't even up yet :P Alhambra consisted of several palaces built by different rulers.. The Alhambra mainly consists of 3 parts, each requiring tickets for entry - the Nasrid Palaces, the Alcazaba and the Generalife gardens..
The Nasrid Palaces are truly astounding.. Some of the ceilings were designed into meticulous layers of granite stalactites.. The true beauty of Islamic art right before our eyes was breathtaking.. From what I found on the Internet, the idea behind some buildings in the Alhambra was to create a replica of Paradise on earth.. There were lots of lush gardens, serene fountains and many reflective water pools.. Even the architecture of King Carlos V's palace in Alhambra, with it's bullring-shaped building, paled in comparison.. Is it a wonder that tourists didn't need separate tickets to visit this palace? :P
The Alcazaba looked like a desolate fortress, save for its tall towers that gave a magnificent view of Granada from every angle.. The Generalife was sprawling with greenery.. What I really liked what the Water Stairs.. Instead of handrails, there were small 'waterfalls' on both sides of the staircase, from top to bottom :)
We also met up again with the Aussie couple who took our pictures the previous day.. For lunch, we had kebab.. I ordered baklava, a sweet pastry of pistachio nuts.. N said she recognized this one lady that she had seen before in Cordoba while we were eating our paella.. How much smaller could the world be?
After a round of siesta (sleep), we went shopping for souvenirs.. I think we went through the Alcaiceria, famous for its row of Arabic souvenir shops.. Then we decided to have dinner at this halal Morrocon restaurant in the Albayzin.. We got there at 6.20pm but the restaurant was closed until 7pm.. So we waited.. But when it was 7.05pm, the doors were still closed.. So N went up to knock on the door and accidentally pushed it open! Two Muslim ladies came up to meet us and they didn't speak English.. We gestured 'seven' on our fingers but the lady showed 'eight' instead.. We argued that the sign in front said 7pm but she kept on holding up 8 fingers.. Then I said 'ahorra' (now) then all of a sudden 2 Muslim men walked into the restaurant.. The lady started nodding 'Ahorra? Si' (Now? Yes) then all doors flung open and we were allowed in.. It was so funny! :D
That night, we ate tajin, cous cous, pastila and rice.. Alhamdulillah.. Before we went to bed, we bought another serving of churros before reminiscing about our good times in Spain..
Before we knew it, we were in London Stansted.. We met more Malaysians along the way, some were friendly, some were not.. We also bumped into a slew of collegemates while waiting for our bus in London Green Line Station.. But the most unnerving experience had to be when two Christian men talked to us and from seemingly harmless discussions of their Christmas celebrations, they started preaching to us to 'see the light' and 'read their Book' or else we would all go to Hell..
Only Allah knew how much I wanted to fight back and tell them some smart retort that would make them shut up.. But I didn't.. I had no idea what to say.. At that moment, I felt so humbled by my lack of guts to stand up for my religion that I felt so ashamed..
I returned from places where Islam used to flourish and yet I came back to be asked to convert to Christianity.. Isn't it ironic?
More pictures in my Yahoo! Photos page
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NHA at 11:39 PM ::
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