Just a quick update to my previous post - for those wondering if indeed I did end up having the fun I was searching for in Cadiz, you will be pleased to hear that I did.
The hostel I went to this time had been recommended by various people, so I had high hopes. And they were satisfied... although it was disappointing from the perspective that as everyone was a budget-conscious backpacker, no one was interested in hitting the various tapas bars with me... so I bought some delicious chorizo iberico and manchego cheese, plus a lovely bottle of rose, and offered these up for sharing in the common room of Casa Caracol hostel. It was well received, and I began to meet my fellow travellers.
I met a lovely German girl living in London, and a very pretty Swiss girl, and a buxom and beautiful Italian girl. The German girl looked like Zoe Ball so we called her Zoe, the Swiss girl was a younger version of Samantha from Sex & the City so we called her Kim (ie. Catrel), and the Italian girl we named Italy (wasn´t my idea, but it stuck). There were also three German mechanical engineer students with Gallagher brother styled hair-dos. Amusingly I had been bumping into them all over Cadiz again and again, so it was a relief to finally meet them. They were very amusing. So we were a very merry posse, and we planned to hit the bars eventually. Eventually was very slow in coming though, so I assumed my Organiser role (as I tend to do, annoyingly I know at times, but other times a godsend, if I do say so myself!), and asked the locals working at the hostel for recommendations for where to go, and then managed to organise the group (of an extended size of about 2o people) first to the bottle shop to buy some alcohol, then through the maze of streets to a plaza that I was assured would be heaving with students partying in the open square. It was quite a challenge to coordinate such a large group, but I do think I managed it whilst still keeping the energy alive (tee hee!).
On my way to the big square, I started to have minor panic at the realisation that I was leading 20 people to a square purely on my research, and that if it were crap, I would have 20 disgruntled people staring at me. My panic increased as I realised that the recommendation was given to me by a 60 year old man at the hostel... and that may not be the ultimate source for a group of young people... but my worries were relieved as we entered the square to a view of hundreds of chattering students and young people, drinking their bottles of wine and beer, around a fountain in an old beautiful square. It was wonderful fun, and I was congratulated for my organisational skills! tee hee
During my time on the square, ´Zoe´and ´Italy´and I discussed a compelling new business idea... you see, youth hostels are great, not just because they are a cheap way to travel, but they are the best means to allow solo travel as its so easy to meet other interesting people, that you just don´t have the opportunity to meet when staying in hotels and pensiones. And we lamented that they were aimed at youths, when certainly old people would also benefit from such an arrangement... and then it hit us... of course it would!! Divorcees and widow/ers, as well as elderly people, may want to spend a few months travelling, but cannot find anyone else to go with, nor can afford hotels for that length of time. Why shouldn´t they have hostels?! Furthermore, deep down, most divorcees and widow/ers dream of finding new love on holidays, and again, hostels are an optimal way to meet other people in a non-threatening casual environment. The main objective of the holiday of course would be the travel, but if they find romance as well, even better! Sooooo.... we want to start the Mature Youth Hostel Association, dedicated to building quality hostels aimed at middle aged and elderly people, with dorms, common areas, etc. Anyway, we got very excited with our idea...
After a few hours, I gauged it was time to progress to a new venue... I again did some research (chatted to other students in the square) and worked out a bar to move on to. I again, miraculously I think, coordinated the large group through the maze of streets with my trusty map (I´m always map girl!), and got us to the entrance of the bar, only to be told by the bouncer it had a cover charge, and by one of the guys in the group that it was crap and he had been there 4 times in the last week. So I sighed and asked the guy to give an alternative that would not leave my drunken posse lost and down. He rose to the occasion, and led us to a corner of Cadiz that had a row of heaving bars and clubs. Excellent!
We bar hopped a bit, and then progressed to a venue that had particularly good house music coming from it. It was wonderful fun... until I started to notice the men kissing other men all around me. Now, I am of course completely fine with this, it generally means better music, better looking people, and no harrassment from men for me. But the German boys were not so comfortable, so after half an hour, they convinced everyone to leave. But it was a most amusing half hour!
Anyway, that is my tale of fun from Cadiz. Not ground-breaking in its fun levels, but entertaining and satisfying nonetheless. I am so deeply pleased that I came back to Cadiz for that one night, and that it lived up to my expectations. I left for Seville the next day with a wistful smile.
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