Granada: Home of Hippies and Gypsies

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Trip Start Sep 01, 2009 Previous
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  Granada, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands
Friday, November 13, 2009

Never listen to other peoples opinions about a place before first checking it out yourself. I learned this lesson while in Granada.  Everyone in Sevilla who had been to Granada told me to cut my time there short because there wasnt much to do, so I listened to them and booked only two days instead of the three Id planned.  I soon regretted this decision when I fell in love with the city of Granada and had to leave prematurely.
Granada is a mecca for hippies from around the world but it originally was a mecca and home to thousands of gypsies.  The old part of the city is built along the side of a mountain.  My hostel was nestled right in the middle of this Arabic district.  Granada had many immigrants come over from Morroco, so the old city has a very Arabic style to it.  All the houses and shops are stacked very close to one another climbing up the side of the mountain.  As I dragged my suitcase up the street, I noticed the red-bricked street was more a series of stairs leading up the mountain.  On either side of me stood Arabic men beckoning people to enter their shops and buy tapestries, flowing skirts and golden trinkets.  I arrived at my hostel, drank my complimentary glass of sangria and made friends with five American guys from Minnesota. I joined these boys to a hookah bar, of which there were many, to chat, smoke and lean against the red cushions on the couch.  After dinner, we all went on a free tapas tour offered by the hostel. The tour began at a small bar known for its wine.  Everyone crowded into this small space with ceiling-high shelves full of wine made locally, several pounds of pig dangling from wooden beams across the ceiling, and small circle tables topped with glasses and tapas.  My new french friend Naima and I purchased two robust glasses of red wine and received a free tapas plate with two pieces of bread with cheese, oil and roasted peppers. I should mention that Granada is famous for having free tapas, so if you are poor you might as well save your money for a few drinks because each one gets you a free plate of food. We sipped our wine, chomped on our food and listened to the live flamenco performance occuring down the stairs. 
    The next bar was more of a social bar, designed like some place youd see in texas with cowboy hats, wooden stools and bull horns over the bar.  With one beer at this place you recieved a plate with a turkey sandwich and fries for free!! The last place was the hidden down a narrow alley and inside smoke hung heavily over everyones heads (you can still smoke in public places in Spain).  It was a Spanish jazz bar with framed pictures of famous musicians like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. People filled its many levels drinking and eating tapas. We found a seat by the piano where two men were improvising while an old man added his voice in a flamenco scat of moaning and chanting. Several gypsy women decked out in heavy makeup stood up and stomped and clapped to the rhythm.  Everyone around us joined in, singing traditional flamenco  and spanish-arabic songs. My eyes burned from the smoke so I closed them and rolled my head to the music. This was a cultural experience that could not be topped.
    In the morning, I took off on my own wandering around the city checking out old cathedrals and squares as well as very modern and talented graffiti all over the walls on both sides of the city.  For lunch I met up with Naima and we visited several sights and talked about our lives.  Before sunset she took me up the narrow labrynth of the old city to a look out point called La mirador where you can view the whole city.  This square sat behind a cathedral and the ledge was covered every inch by locals and tourists. A man played flamenco guitar in the center while a gypsie woman danced for money. From this point you could see all the Siera Nevadas intersecting and bordering the city.  This mountainous landscape with the sun melting into pink and purple behind it sent my mind and eyes into awe.  Below the whole city packed tightly together, shined their lights for the evening.  From up there Granada looked like only one small cluster compared to the mountain range surrounding it.  Atop a mountain straight ahead sat the Alhambra, one of the most famous attractions in Europe.  The Alhambra was a palace for arabic sultans to look over the city. Its yellowish stone buildings cover the top of the mountain.  Imagine living up there looking down over Granada. That would be a wonderous life. After the sun hung heavy over the horizon, Naima and I walked up further into the mountain to see the sacramento where all the gypsies and hippies live in caves.  There are caves in the side of the mountain where for centuries gypsies and now hippies reside, setting up their makeshift homes. We were not able to climb high enough to see them but we did get an amazing view of all the speckles of lights down in the city and up twinkling in the sky.
    The next morning at 8 am I trekked up the steep streets to the Alhambra.  This palace is beyond descriptions but I will give it a try. Inside every room has the most intricate designs on every wall. They carved in minute details arabic patters onto the ceilings and walls.  The lower parts of the walls are covered in beautiful tile with acrylic blue and orange patterns. Out every window you can see a marvelous view of the entire countryside.  They also left space between hallways and rooms for indoor-outdoor gardens with fountains and trees growing within the house. Everything is so meticulously constructed and decorated.  It must of taken ages to finish it all.  There are long reflecting pools with the rooms and passageways built around them.  Outside are the most amazing gardens Ive ever seen.  This part of the tour is called the General Life, where rows upon rows of vibrant and diverse flowers lay.  Your eyes become so delighted by the reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, fuscias and purples all weaved through the garden. You could get lost wandering up and down the rows of flowers and plants. I spent almost two hours here. Red leaves grow like vines down the brick walls like lines of fire. Ill stop there and just say its completely worth the 12 euros it costs to enter, which is big coming from me because I never pay to visit anything! 
    So I left the Alhambra and made my way around the back down the gravel path towards the Sacramento to see the caves in the daylight. I met an older Australian couple who walked with me up to the beginning of the Sacramento where theyd rented an apartment. Here some of the old caves had been transformed into houses with rooms projecting off the rock and doors.  I followed the snake path along the outside of the houses, which emerged from the rock. Cats played and ate along the path, while women hung their laundry. I found this lifestyle and community so fascinating.  I went to climb up higher and see the real caves where hippies made their homes then Naima came around the corner out of nowhere and called after me. We both headed down the slope of winding streets together. Back at the hostel, they cooked an enormous pan of lamb curry and you could get a plate for only 4 euros. I obviously took mine without lamb because I dont eat that but it was delicious and everyone sat on the back patio chatting and eating. I couldnt believe I had to leave at 9 pm to catch an overnight train to valencia. I wish I could stay in the marvelous place forever. Maybe I will return one day.

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