Nerja

Saturday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn (8am) to leave for a day trip we planned to Nerja (pronounced Ner-ha). Nerja is about one hour away from Malaga and it cost less than 8 euros (about $15) for round-trip bus fare. Very cheap! Nerja is known for two things- its beaches and its caves. We decided to hit the beach first. When we got off the bus, we wondered around the town for a little which was very touristy but nevertheless cute with lots of ice cream shops and cafes all over. There was also a wedding going on at a large church in the town square and it must have just ended because the procession was coming out and they were taking pictures (I of course ran after them too to take a picture). We noticed lots of Spaniards crying in the square.

When we saw the beach we all immediately pulled out our cameras and stared. I have to say it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. The beach is so beautiful. It literally looks like a postcard. We made our way down to the sand and all went into the water. It was absolutely clear and you could see to the bottom. Some thought it was cold, but compared to Lake Michigan, it was actually nice and refreshing in the 85 degree and sunny weather. Not too far in were lots of large rock formations. We swam out to one, and laid out on it. I really cannot say enough how beautiful and amazing it was to be there.

We then moved over to part of the beach that was private (we are always careful of leaving one person to watch our bags while we are all in the water). There were mini caves up and down the shore that we walked through and they were amazing. It was low tide, so we could walk all around them but it seemed that they might disappear under the water later in the day. We spent hours at the beach and decided that we would have to come back for the caves another day because it was just too beautiful to leave the beach. When it was almost time to go, one of the other students Hannah and I decided to explore the town a bit more and and then meet everyone at the bus stop. When we were leaving, I saw an adorable cat that I tried to feed tuna, but it was not interested. Even the cats must be eating unbelievably delicious food if they turn down tuna. Hannah and I went to get ice cream, and the ice cream here is more like gelato than American ice cream. I got half strawberry and half oreo, and I noticed that there was a flavor called "Malaga"but we weren't really sure what it was.

When we wondered around, we found a panaderia (bakery) that had churros. Ever since the first day we were here, we have been itching to find churros. Whenever we asked restaurants if they had them, they usually say its too early. Churros in Spain are usually eaten at 5 or 6am when people are done going to the bars and clubs. They are also usually served with hot chocolate and according to the Spainiards, are the best cure for a hangover. So when we found them during the day, we had to get them. They were delicious!!

Overall, it was an amazing day and I cannot wait to go back to Nerja!