by Stuart Yochem

As an avid scuba diver, I didn’t expect that Spain would be considered a destination for other divers like me. It seems that I couldn’t have been more wrong! For the past days, I’ve been researching different dive sites along the Spanish coast, and the variety and multitude of caves, wrecks, and reefs is astounding. So I began to map out a Mediterranean diving trip (which I shall take sometime in the future when my bank account is a little more promising), using Spain as my go to country. For those of you pondering summer plans, sinking into the Med for two weeks may turn out to be your most thrilling adventure yet!

In order to make the trip more orderly and less costly, I decided to start this adventure off the Southern coast, in the Canary Islands.

Location 1: La Palma, 2 days

The greatest thing about the Canaries is that although they are an island chain, each island has its own, distinct personality.

La Palma, one of the westernmost islands of the seven Canaries, is a volcanic ocean island and can also be referred to as la Isla de las Palmas (the island of palms). Destination #1: The Crosses of Malpique, located at the island’s southernmost tip. In 1570, 40 Jesuit missionaries came to Puerto Tazacorte with their ship and though they were hopeful to evade turmoil, French Pirates captured and killed all 40 on board. In 2000, 40 stone crosses were lowered into the sea in memory of the missionaries, and the reef was named for them. Natives believe that the crosses could soothe the ocean. Maybe this dive will leave you feeling soothed as well…

After taking in a bit of history under the sea style, take advantage of your time left on the island, acclaimed by many for its unspoiled, natural beauty and for its lack of tourism. Take a walk through the incredibly lush Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Afterwards, you should check out the Roque de los Muchachos Astrophysics Observatory, which contains international telescopes spanning 2 km!

Location 2: Tenerife, 4 days

Upon arrival to Tenerife, it’s most likely that you won’t get in a full day of diving so better to explore the island. Tenerife is the largest of the Canaries and boasts both the highest mountain in Spain, El Teide, as well as the world’s 3rd largest volcano!

On your second day, let the diving begin. For those of you who suffer from claustrophobia or are afraid of the dark (which under the sea can bring out a whole new dimension of darkness, as I learned in a past experience that will remain unmentioned), you may want to skip these dives. Yes folks, cave diving. Ali Barbars Cave, located 15 minutes outside of the harbor, will be a feast for the senses. The entrance to the cave is covered in black coral taking on the appearance of Christmas tree branches. Once inside, torches on, spectacular colors will jump out at you. As you exit, take a look behind you as a diver with a sense of humor has set up a nativity scene at the back of the cave.

Next stop, Palm Mar Caves, where a complete wall of moray eel, sedentary organisms, lobster and barracuda swim in and out of dark crevices. Also, catch a glimpse at the cave’s Jacques Cousteau statue, located next to the sea wall. Finish out your day with stops at dive sites The Steps and Shark Cave.

Jacques Cousteau

Day three will be filled with reefs, fish, reefs, and more fish. Radazul, Tenerife is home to three thrilling sites: Devil’s Reef, the Wall and Grouper’s Cave. The Wall, located on a vertical sea wall, (hints the name, “the wall”) is a favorite among scuba lovers. Close by is Grouper’s Cave, where at the end of the reef is a cave inhabiting a large, friendly Grouper. After befriending this famous fish, boat on over to La Nea Beach where you can spend the rest of your day relaxing with a cocktail.

Your final morning will take you to Stingray Bay, where you will find a sunken fishing boat, loads of friendly rays and if you’re lucky, turtles! On your way to the next site, Carbonero, keep your eyes open for jumping dolphins. Finish your day at the nearby Las Teresitas beach and reminisce all of your underwater escapades.  At this point, you and Sebastian the crab will most certainly be on the same page… life IS better under the sea.

Location 3: Fuerteventura, 1 day

Before bidding farewell to the Canaries, make one last stop at Fuerteventura. Veril Grande is a small reef where creatures, including a meadow of garden eels as well as stingray, barracuda and angel shark lurk in the sand. Next stops the Pyramid and the Labrynth. The Labrynth has a wild seascape that always surprises visitors as well as a plethora of sea life. If you’re lucky, you may spot a hammerhead. Last dive of the day, El Portal, where conditions are ideal for larger fish such as Tuna and sometimes even Whale Shark! What a way to end your day.

Location 4: Marbella and San Pedro de Alcántara, Costa del Sur, 2 days

Marbella, situated within the Malaga province, is known for its ritzy appeal and glamorous residents, which have included Sean Connery, Antonio Banderas and Joan Collins. This all began in 1940, when Prince Max Egon zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his heir Alfonso de Hohenlohe were experiencing car troubles in the town. What a hassle it must have been to have a broken down Rolls Royce in an undiscovered island paradise. Alfonso fell in love with the beautiful town and began to market it as a tourist destination, magnetizing the rich and famous. Marbella’s lap of luxury is not confined to its town, but extends into the ocean where underwater life will be equally if not more exciting than marveling at celebrities.

Start off the morning at Marbella Towers. Close to the towers is Barco Antiguo (antique ship), where a ship, called the Galeon by natives, takes up a whopping 70 meters! It seems that the majority of Coata del Sol’s underwater creatures prefer to spend their time here. Finish your day at the Marbella Wrecks and then head back to shore for a night in this posh paradise.

Your second day will take you to the town of San Pedro de Alcántara. Placer de las Bovedas, listed as one of the top ten dive sites in Spain, is a gigantic reef, 1 km long and 500 meters wide where deep dives are guaranteed. Fishing is rare in this area, so chances that you will see bigger fish are very likely! Bovedas is very rocky and has beautiful canons, valleys, walls and overhanging rocks leaving divers wanting more. One thing to be cautious about is the current- the reef is located in the open sea, very close to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean.

Location 5: Las Islas Hormigas, 1 day

On your way up the Spanish coast, spend a day at las Islas Hormigas, located just off the coast near Cabo de Palos. The islands are known for having the best-preserved and most varied marine reserves. Here, you can find old wrecks from 1886 to 1903, submerged mountains, and diverse sea life. The reserve itself has four dive sites, Bajo de Testa, Piles 1, Piles 2 and Bajo de Dentro (which has a large, swim through cavern). All are sure to impress!

Location 6: Mallorca, 4 days

Hopefully, this last designated stop won’t leave you feeling too disappointed. This island getaway, where an abundance of renowned Spaniards have made and continue to make their homes, is located in the Balearic Islands. The astounding sights, the beautiful beaches, the delectable cuisine and the great nightlife will try its best to distract you. Remember why you came though! The diving in Mallorca will surely match if not outdo the pork loin.

On day one, head to Santa Ponsa, where off the coast you will come across islands Malgrats and El Toro. Both islands are surrounded by marine reserves with a spectacular array of barracuda, iridescent blue fish, goatfish and seabream, whose scales catch the sunlight as they feast on sea urchins. The structure of the seabed and surrounding sea walls is out of this world and may well convince you that nature had a keen architectural force behind it.

On day two, The Madonna Cave will be waiting for you. The dive starts as you descend into the cave’s mouth. At the bottom of the cave, torches on, you will find a Madonna statue. There is plenty of room to swim around the cave as well as two air pockets if you’re in need of a break. You may come across a conger eel, a resident of the cave who is spotted on certain occasions. As you exit, be sure to catch a glimpse at the lit up cavern behind you, and just before the cave ceiling, you will notice a hazy shimmer that signifies where fresh and salt water meets.

These last two days will be yours to use as you please. Mallorca is a fantastic place to spend time, above or under water!

As your trip comes to an end, keep all of your encounters in mind… you had a religious experience in underwater La Palma, enjoyed a lovely Christmas, made friends with a grouper and met a world renowned explorer in Tenerife, lived in the lap of luxury in Marbella, came across some historical ship wrecks in Las Islas Hormigas, plus you saw the Madonna and the best of the Med’s underwater designs in Mallorca. What a whirlwind. I think that Mr. Cousteau summed it up pretty nicely…  ”The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

by Stuart Yochem

Have you ever thought that, through song, you could shed light on the creation of the world, understand the nature of human beings, communicate with spirits of the past, or even contact a family of gorillas? Though the first three may be plausible for some of you, I know that I have never thought it possible to contact a gorilla family…nor have I wanted to! (Gorillas can be pretty violent). It seems however that if you are a member of the Fang Tribe of Equatorial Guinea, you can do all of these things. Interested? This Friday evening at 7:30, Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional de Música will be hosting a performance called Mèndzang mé yè Cavan, featuring a number of famous Fang authors and performers. The show, a part of the Auditorium’s Ethnic Music Cycle, will delve into the oral tradition of the Fang and enlighten people on what it is to use song as a primary communication device. So first off, as many of you are as ill informed about the Fang as I, let’s look into the tribe’s past and understand how their oral tradition has led them to monkey calling.

The Fang are a Bantu-speaking tribe who currently live in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon but originated in northern Sudan. Centuries ago, the tribe began an exodus that lasted generations. They journeyed through Asia, drifted across the Red Sea, spent some time in Egypt, meandered through the nearby deserts and savannas and eventually landed in Guinea in the late eighteenth century. The migration was not over, folks. Following their stay in Guinea, they took up life in the forest, a symbol of great importance in Fang culture. It is ingrained in the spirit of the Fang to respect the forest, as a giant tree called the Àdzàp acts as a yearlong barrier to entrance into their new home. After a short four generations, it seems that the Àdzàp tree has given most tribe members the green light. Final destination: Equatorial Guinea, where today the Fang remain the country’s numerically largest ethnic group.

Along with their forest dwelling, the Fang base their unity on a keen ability to keep up with oral tradition. The communal house of the word, translated in Bantu as the Abáá, is located at the center of the village and is used as a communication channel. In the house lives various instruments, including the Nkúú, a large sacred drum, the Mbeña a vertical drum made of skinned antelope, and the Olonga, a hollow trunk used to communicate in the forest. The Olonga’s sound reaches up to a whopping five kilometers! What better reason to ditch your costly cell phones and invest in a more original device to call friends?

Besides having an adept ability to communicate with distinct instruments, the Fang have some other rituals that have stirred up some heated debates among both tribe members as well as outsiders. The most controversial of the rituals is the sacrifice of widows. In the Fang culture, after a chief dies his wives must undergo sacrifice. I don’t imagine that either westerners coming into the country, nor feminists, nor any woman in her right mind would agree with this custom! María Nsué, 63, is an actor in the upcoming performance and went as far as to write a book about the atrocious practice. The book, called Ekomo (1985), tells the story of a Fang woman who breaks taboos by speaking out after the death of her husband. Ekomo is the first novel written and published by an Equatoguinean woman.

Now that we have a synopsized knowledge of the Fang culture, we can go into this Friday’s performance with at least a basic understanding of what’s going on. Among the performers include the above-mentioned María Nsué as well as Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo. Nsué, who was born in 1945 Equatorial Guinea to Fang parents, immigrated to Spain when she was eight-years-old. In Spain, she studied literature and discovered a great passion for writing. She returned to Equatorial Guinea where she worked for the country’s Ministry of Culture and Education. Today, Nsué is a permanent resident in Madrid. In the performance, Nsué will act as a storyteller and use song and several Fang instruments to express the actions and emotions of the tribe’s people.

Alongside Nsué will be Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo, 58, who is also native to Equatorial Guinea and today is a renowned writer and journalist. Ndongo is a member of the movement of young, Afro-descended authors who have contributed their African experience to Hispanic culture. The most acclaimed of his works include The History and Tragedy of Equatorial Guinea (1977) and The Spanish Commerce with Africa (1980). Besides his fantastic list of written works, Ndongo has also served as the adjunct direction for Nuestra Señora de África de Madrid (Our Lady of Africa in Madrid) and Centro Cultural Hispaño-Guineano de Malabo (the Center for Hispanic-Guinean Culture in Malabo). Ndongo will be act as an interpreter in the performance.

Nsué and Ndongo will be accompanied by several other actors and performers playing various different Fang instruments. The storyline will surely leave audience members sitting on the edge of their seats as a war breaks out between humans and monkeys. The theme of the performance is memory and how to recover the past through song. Songs include the abduction, the exodus of the gorillas, and the nanny.

Those of you out there who are seeking a glimpse into a lifestyle far different than your own, this may be your best bet. Prepare to be transported to Indigenous Africa!

by Stuart Yochem and Mary Doman

Two young American girls were about to take off for a summer in Madrid, neither of them knowing what the future would hold. In their first blog, readers will see that Madrid welcomed them, confused them, robbed them, got them lost… but somehow always led them back to a nice home and a soft bed.

Stuart: Only a week ago, I was sitting in my bedroom in Charlotte, North Carolina anticipating (or more accurately worrying myself sick) over what the next six weeks would bring. I was headed to Madrid solo, where I would take up a new lifestyle, job, and have to make friends all over again. It seemed that my adventurous nature escaped into a vast forest and was not planning on returning. Upon arrival, however, my fears and insecurities magically disappeared. In a matter of minutes, I became entranced with what I saw outside the taxi window en route to my new casa. Within three days, I began adapting the Madrileño life style, eating meals later and taking life slower. In no time, I realized that venturing to España may have been one of my best decisions yet.

Mary: Only a week ago, I was enjoying some drinks and conversation at my friend´s wedding. Between sips of Bud Light and bites of chicken fingers, I strained my ear to hear the jokes and high school stories of my lifelong friends over the loud classic rock band. I smiled and nodded. And they smiled and nodded back. A very American understanding, I´d say. After a while, we headed to the dance floor to join the traditional dance train and obnoxious sing-along to ¨Sweet Home Alabama.¨ The next day, I´d be leaving my sweet home in Tennessee for a casa in Madrid. Like Stuart, I was seeking after a new lifestyle, a new job, and new friends.

Day 1, Stuart: In my twenty-one years of life on this earth, I have yet to sleep on any moving object. As I stepped onto the US Airways jumbo jet in Philadelphia, though I had sleeping pills in tow, I anticipated the next eight hours would be filled with reading my new book, watching TV, and perusing the cabin while other travelers remained in deep slumber. Over the years, I have learned that instead of getting angry at all those people who can fall asleep on the spot, I must accept that motion insomnia is a part of who I am.

Upon arriving in the Barajas International airport, the color under my eyes turning darker by the minute, it took little time to collect my bags and make my way to the Instituto Internacional. As the taxi driver moved into Madrid, I suddenly forgot about my sleep deprivation and began marveling at my new surroundings. Other students in the program arrived within ten minutes, and most, looking and feeling as tired as I, were friendly from the start. After a two hour briefing on our new homes, school, and careers in Spain, I walked with my monster of a suitcase to my home stay, conveniently located two blocks from school.

After meeting all of my housemates, including my senora Juana, her two daughters, a family friend, a French exchange student, and a Spanish student from Alicante, all of whom were as nice as can be, I settled into my new room and lay down. The next thing I knew it was dark out, and time for my first homemade cena! It seemed, surprisingly, that I was settling in pretty nicely and warming up to the idea of a new home a new people.

Day 1, Mary: Unlike Stuart, I slept quite a bit on my first day (Or, depending on what time zone you´re in, my first and second day). A late night of packing, plus general excitement and anxiety, gave me a large sleep debt that I was happy to pay off on my way to Spain.
The napping began in Nashville, and continued to Chicago. I was nodding off towards Philadelphia when something actually startled me awake. No, not flight attendants with free pretzels, but rather, the pilot´s voice on the intercom, saying he had to turn the plane around. Something about a small technical problem, something else, something something something, but we weren´t in danger of crashing, so that was a good thing. The bad thing was that I would definitely miss my flight from Philadelphia to Madrid.

Back in Chicago, a US Airlines employee handed me a meal voucher and a ticket to Frankfurt, departing at 10 p.m. After that, I slept for 6 more hours in Chicago´s Terminal 2, taking a 2 hour break for a turkey sandwich and beer at a Chili´s bar. Then more sleep, more planes, yada yada yada.
I made the most of my short journey to Germany, though, by purchasing an overpriced soft pretzel in the airport! While I sat in the terminal eating it, I met a girl named Jacklyn, also heading to Madrid for the summer.

When our journey ended, finally, in the Barajas airport, Jacklyn and I rubbed our eyes and began a 2 hour quest to find our luggage, tucked away in one of the four baggage claim arenas. After we found it, my new friend Jacklyn informed me that she needed to call a friend to arrange a ride. She didn´t have any euros, and after the information desk didn´t understand/help us with the situation, we put our trust in the Spanish people. I asked a man in a coffee shop if I could borrow his phone, and handed his blackberry to Jacklyn, who stopped crying and called her friend. Jacklyn and I parted ways after that.

Instead of giving the taxi driver the address to my school, where I was supposed to go when I landed, I gave him the address of my homestay instead. It was 9 pm by this time, and I´m pretty sure I missed that group meet and greet/orientation that you enjoyed so much, Stuart! I didn´t know if my senora knew I was coming, but I didn´t have a phone, or her phone number, or any phone numbers, for that matter, to call.

Of course I had written the address down wrong in my diary, and my driver and I spent an additional 45 minutes driving in the wrong direction before we found my casa. We had good talks, though, about Obama and paella. He dropped me off, and I knocked at my senora´s door, where, luckily, she answered.

Despite my unique journey, my day one ended up just like yours, Stuart- a welcoming Senora, a nice dinner, and a good night´s sleep.

Day 2, Mary: Day two was going well! I managed to get in touch with the school, catch up on orientation, and meet with my internship advisor. Then I met some kids and we enjoyed a nice afternoon in El Parque Del Buen Retiro and our first Spanish beers. In part due to my academic and vocational progress, and also in part due to the beer, I was feeling very Spanish and very worldly when I stepped onto the metro for my first ride.

When I stepped off of the metro, I was feeling very touristy and very stupid. My purse was feeling very light, now that it was mostly vacant and my wallet (complete with an ATM withdrawal, credit cards, and a driver´s license!) was in the sneaky hands of a thief, long gone. I had been robbed.
My second night in Spain was similar to the first, but this time topped with tears and poverty. I managed to cancel my credit cards over Skype, and discovered that my laptop´s touchpad is surprisingly waterproof. My senora delivered a nice bocadillo right to my room, with a coke and a chocolate bar. Her act of kindness, I told myself as I lay in bed, could maybe cancel out the act of injustice I´d encountered for day 2…

Day 2, Stuart: It sounds like you had quite an eventful couple of days, Mary! First, missing your connecting flight and airport hopping through Europe, and second, when you finally get here, someone robs you! I think this means that things can only look up from here. Plus, your story gives both readers and myself reason to ferociously grasp onto our belongings, so in a way you were helping out mankind by being robbed on the metro. So thank you, thank you, Mary.

Mary: No problem.

Stuart: So, as a new day dawned, I made my way over to Fernando el Catolico for my first day on the job at EV. The morning turned out great and after meeting a lovely staff with whom I´d be working for the next weeks, I was off to the metro. En route to the Moncloa stop, I took a detour to check out what shopping in Madrid had to offer. All I can say is bravo. Lots of boutiques with lots of good prices. After my half hour detour, I came upon my first metro station in Madrid. Feeling accomplished after I purchased my first metro pass, changing trains without error, and making it to Ruben Dario, I was beginning to feel like a native! (or at least a native who looks and acts utterly American).

I exited the metro station and began walking up the hills towards what I thought was my calle. Wrong. Somehow, I made my way at least two miles away from Calle Miguel Angel. As an hour passed, I, stubborn as ever, refused to ask for directions. With time, however, the frustration settled in and I began asking passerbys to point me in the right direction. Funnily enough, no one seemed to know the street, or know which direction to point me in. Plus, it was quite difficult trying to re-hone my Spanish speaking skills. I began to encounter some pretty bewildering looks.

After two hours, I began to ignore the fact that I was completely lost and started admiring all the different neighborhoods and natives. I´ve had a bad sense of direction for quite some time now, so instead of going into panic mode, I´ve learned to just deal with my inadequate map reading skills. The street just takes me where it wants to, what can I say?

Throughout my time wandering about the city, I stopped in at a phone store, where I purchased my first Spanish cell phone! Proudly walking out of the store with pre-paid cell phone and mobile plan, which I later learned was a complete rip off, I went from bank to bank in an effort to change my dollars into euros. I must have forgotten that most banks close mid-afternoon for siesta, so my effort was doomed from the start. Exhausted from walking, I grabbed a coca cola light and sat at the park as young children dressed in full uniform greeted their parents after school. Oh to be young.
As I sat in the park, fully realizing that I was already an hour late for the lunch my Señora had prepared for me, I began a people-watching marathon and began to get what was so great about the carefree nature of the Madrileños. (For those who are interested, I did finally make it home where I was heartily fed and after a long day, I turned in early).

Day 3, Stuart and Mary: On our third day in Madrid, we met and became instant friends. After sharing stories of our first two days, we decided that we both needed a coffee break. Stuart paid, of course. We sat in a Spanish bar for quite some time. Speaking English was a relief for both of us, and we bonded over senora stories and ideas for the summer. We began brainstorming our first blog entry. This is it.