My First Time in Spain

I was struck with panic when I woke up at 3 pm on the day we arrived in the port of Cadiz Spain but soon after I was relieved that we had finally made it.  It was freeing to be able to get off the ship, but what could I do?  I do not speak Spanish and I have never ever been here before.  I thought great, all the people I know have already left and are exploring the city without me by now.  Then I thought well I might as well go out and have a look around.  It was an amazing view from the top of the ship and the warmth felt so nice on my skin after having been on an ice box of a ship for a week.  Then as I was walking down to my room to figure out what I should do next I bumped into the first friend I had made as I was waiting in line to board the ship.  She told me that she was just going out to explore the city with some other people and I could join if I wanted to.  I was so relieved.

We were all very hungry so we stopped at a few places to get tapas (Spanish snacks).  None of us really spoke Spanish but people were very friendly and accommodating.  Twice people lead us around the city after we attempted to ask for directions.  We tried strange foods like liver, fried sardines, and my personal favorite octopus.  Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me so you will just have to trust me on these facts.  I will see if I can snag some pictures from the people I was with.  It was a great introduction to the city of Cadiz and something I will never forget.

I was already having a great day when I got on the bus that evening to go see a traditional flamenco performance with an equestrian type show and an amateur bull fight (cow fight) thrown in.  Looking back now it was probably the best part of my time in Spain.  The equestrian dance show was nothing short of spectacular.  The horse was literally dancing with the women in time and everything.  Everyone was simply in awe of what was happening before their eyes, and this was just the start to the evening.  The amateur bull fighting which followed was truly amateur but it was entertaining nonetheless.  Then came the tapas and true flamenco dancing.  It was nothing short of captivating.  They danced with such intensity and passion it was hard to keep yours eyes off them.  It is such an angry dance but so beautiful at the same time.  I great introduction to Spain.

The next day I visited two towns, Arcos and Ronda.  They are referred to as white towns even though they are more like little cities.  Arcos is smaller but is very beautifully perched on a hill like most white towns about an hour from the city of Cadiz where the ship was located.  The views from the top of the city were very beautiful as you can see from the pictures.  Lining the streets were orange trees but of the bitter kind that they would ship to England to make orange marmalade.  We then moved to Ronda which is a fantastic little city up in the mountains of Spain.  The climate is very mild during the summer which is why it is a popular spot for vacation homes, well that plus the spectacular views.  I learned that the First Lady Michelle Obama was recently there with her two daughters getting toured around.  It also has one of the oldest bull fighting rings in all of Spain.  In fact while we were there they had a large festival going on which centered around a bull fight on horse back which was invented there.  Nothing short of an amazing history which would take me pages to tell you about so I hope you can look it up or visit it yourself.

The next day I unwillingly slept in again and decided to go explore the city of Cadiz some more.  After getting some coffee which was almost the best part about getting to Spain in the first place I just began wondering the streets looking for a store because I needed some things but also for some familiar faces because I was all alone.  It did not take long before I ran into some friends I had made at dinner one night.  We had fun exploring the city for the rest of the day and finding the best Wi-Fi to upload all of our pictures or Skype our families.  I think all I had for lunch that day was gelato so ya it was a good day.  I was always just amazed at the Spanish schedule.  Almost everything closes down in the afternoons for a fiesta and then reopens in the evenings until late at night.  How have we not adopted this in the United States it is brilliant.  Anyway I also got to visit Seville which is a beautiful town along a river and it has one of the most breath taking cathedrals I have ever seen.  It is called a cathedral but it was once a mosque and many parts of the mosque still remain from when it was built in the 13th century.  What an amazing place.

There is so much to say so I hope I am not rambling to much.  Anyway I felt very comfortable in Spain and it was a great start to this unbelievable adventure.  Now its on to Casablanca Morocco where I will set foot on a continent that is completely new to me and I hope my new experiences will be unexpected and fulfilling.

Life At Sea, The Atlantic

Hola, I am currently in Cadiz Spain but I wanted to share about my crossing of the Atlantic before I go into Cadiz which has been amazing.  Sorry about the delay but here it is.

After leaving Halifax I was filled with excitement.  This is really happening!  It was amazing to get out onto the open ocean, but then the seas started to get rough because of a nearby storm.  The ship is very light which is why it is very fast (well plus the 4 engines) but it is also very tipsy as a result.  Lots of people got sick but I was okay.  It did make having to go to classes that much worse though.  We all had to kind of crawl down the hallways so as not to run into each other.  Also, listening to all the lectures about the rules and regulations of the ship was mind numbing, but hey I cannot complain.

I met so many people the first day because I was helping people find there cabins which was really amazing.  The people I was working with thought it was amazing how many people I already knew or people who knew me.  This can be explained by chapman being the second most represented University after UC San Diego which has close to 70 students on board.  Remembering everyones names seemed like an impossible task but over the next week I would start to make a dent.  I still have the occasional “sorry what was your name again” but everyone is understanding.  Finding people on the ship is something of a unique challenge.  We are all living in such a compact space but we cannot use any of our modern devices of communication.  It is like the good old days when the only time you would see someone is if you bumped into them around town.  We do have cabin phones but no one really knows what cabin number people are in so they cannot call.  I imagine it gets better as people start to adapt but it seems pretty difficult now.  I am usually napping or reading anyhow and you can usually find someone in the dinning halls to sit with which is nice.

My classes are difficult and require a lot of reading but I am learning a lot.  Sleep is something of a novelty on the ship so you take it when you can get it.  We lost an hour almost every night while we were at sea which has more effect than you might think.  You are better off losing all 6 at one time than doing is slowly and painfully.  You might think I am crazy but dragging it out only makes it worse because you can’t really function correctly for six days instead of one or two days if you loose all six at once.  Anyway I napped quite a bit along the way, especially on the days of my 8 am class.

As some of you know I am working on the ship in the Audio/Visual department as a part of a work-study scholarship.  This has been one of the best things while at sea.  My shift takes place every evening while the ship is at sea.  This is a very busy time because it is when all the “seminars,” as they are called, are held about the upcoming port.  This is an enjoyable time for me because I don’t have to feel guilty about not studying and I get to hang out with some really cool people and still learn about where we are going next.  It is also a special position because we get to work with and hang out with two crew members, Alan (or Sparky as we call him), and Ludwig.  Most students do not get this chance because the company that manages the ship has a strict no-fraternization policy between crew and everyone else on board.  Sure you can chat for a minute in the hallways but you cant really kick back and share stories.  This is sad because most of the crew have been working with Semester at Sea for many years and they have many good stories to tell.  I have been fortunate enough to hear a few from Sparky, during work hours of course, about things that have happened on SAS in the past.  Some I had already heard about but there is nothing like a first hand account.  He told me what it was like to have a reality TV show on board and about the crazy storms they have been through.  Unfortunately for us, Sparky is leaving the ship in Cape Town to go back home to his family which I think he is looking forward to.  Ludwig has been tagging along to learn the ropes for when this happens.

I cant complain about my cabin and the food is decent so really what more could I ask for.  Life at sea was pleasant but I have to admit I could not wait to reach the shores of Spain and oh was I right about that anticipation.

Contacting Me on the Ship

Hello my Vicarious Voyagers,

I have been very busy the past couple of days getting accustomed to my new surroundings and getting into the swing of things which is why I have not posted anything about our embarkation from Halifax.  We are currently in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean and on our way to Spain.  I will have a full update coming soon but first I just wanted to get my contact info out to all of you so you can email me with any questions you have about the ship or the voyage itself.

My email on the ship is lapolak@semesteratsea.net

Please feel free to email me about anything and check back for a full update coming soon.

Arrival in Halifax

Ahhh.... I have finally made it to Halifax to begin my journey. I got in at around 11:30 pm last night. It took approximately 24 hours, 3 planes, and a 8 hour layover to get here but I have made it. I am staying in a very nice boutique hotel called the Halliburton. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who might be coming to halifax. The hotel is carved out townhouses that date back to 1809 when they were owned by Sir Brenton Halliburton who served as the first Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The different houses are situated around a quaint courtyard and although the place may be old it has been renovated with every modern convenience. I was also happy to find out that breakfast was included even though I would have to get up before 10 am to eat it.
I did make it to breakfast and then I spent the rest of the morning walking around Halifax. First I walked along to the water to see where I will be boarding the ship tomorrow. As of now there is a giant Carnival cruise liner there but I assume it will be leaving tonight to make room for the MV Explorer. I also looked through the museum that is incorporated in the pier which depicts the stories of refugees that immigrated to Canada as a result of war in Europe. I believe this "Pier 21" to be something similar to Ellis Island in New York where immigrants would arrive to get into America. The museum was very nice but after a while I started to get hungry so I decided to walk further into downtown to grab a bite to eat. I found it interesting that everywhere I turned there was some form of construction going on. Two new buildings right along the shore and then plenty more in downtown. This is definitely a developing city centered around its port. I also noticed flying in as well as driving to my hotel that once you get out of the city it gets very rural very fast. Anyway enough babble about Halifax.
Walking around I found a small park across from a convention center with some musicians playing so I grabbed a burger from a food truck and sat down to eat. Then to my surprise I found out my friend Katie who is going on the voyage with me was on her way from the airport to Halifax. I quickly ate my burger and walked over to where she is staying then as I am about to text her she pops out of a taxi. Her mom and boyfriend Garrett also came along to send her off so after they get checked in we went to grab some lunch or second lunch in my case. The place we found was an interesting little tavern with kilt waring servers that according to Katie's mom did not know how to make a panini. We all gave her a hard time for sending it back but in her defense the bread was not grilled and it was more like a grilled sandwich in a loaf of bread which does not seem very panini like. I suppose everything is up for interpretation. Let me know what you think by commenting below. Dinner is still to come so who knows what culinary adventure awaits.
I am a little nervous but mostly excited about boarding the ship tomorrow. I have no idea what is going to happen which is exciting and scary at the same time. I guess the unknown is the best and the worst part of life.

The Beginning

It all started in middle school when I got the chance to live and learn on a ship called "The Rapture" for a week. That week was one of the best weeks of my life and I new I wanted to do something like it again. Little did I know 6 years later I would have that very opportunity but on a much bigger scale. As I entered college I knew I wanted to study abroad in some capacity. As it came time for me to actually choose where I wanted to go I seemed to be at a loss, but in the back of my mind I knew. I didn't just want to live in one place for a semester and take classes, I wanted to see the world. There was only one program that could offer this, and not only would I get to travel the world but I would get to do it on a ship. My dream was realized and I knew that I would do anything to be on that ship. Six months later my dreams are about to become a reality. On August 26th I will be boarding a ship called the MV Explorer and departing on what I can only call the adventure of a lifetime through a program called Semester at Sea. I hope you will join in this unforgettable experience with me as I go from Halifax Canada, around Africa, through Asia, on to Hawaii, and finish San Diego. It's going to be unpredictable, exciting, and certainly memorable.

In the picture are all the places I will be visiting on my amazing voyage



For more information about the program and to see detailed images of the ship go to www.semesteratsea.org