Email from San!!!!!

Merida (accent on the E) was beauuuuutilful! I took the 8am bus from Madrid Estacion del Sur with two friends, Keara and Natalie. The trip was Keara's idea because her Sra. recommended it. I had no idea what to expect, but I'm soooo glad I went, it was really fun! So we got to Merida around 1pm (long bus ride, I slept), and checked into a hostel. We rented a room with three tiny beds and a bathroom for 52 euro, about 17 euro apiece. To enter the town, you have to walk up el Puente Romano, which is a famous bridge that was built in the 1st century BC, when the Romans occupied the Iberian Peninsula. It was renovated again in the 17th century, and it is still in beautiful condition. Merida was the capital of Lusitania a long time ago, and was the most important connection point in the west part of the Iberian Peninsula (which is just spain and Portugal, btw). Merida is now the capital of Extremadura, one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities (much like states in the US). Population 50,000 people (double the population of Belmont). Extremadura, which borders with Portugal, is colder, and thus people eat a lot of cured meat and cold cuts (embutidos y fiambre) to keep warm.

so first we saw the Foro Municipal, which used to be the town's busy center, there is a big Roman concrete and brick wall with statues inside, and Roman statues outside and a some pillars. I think the bricks are from renovations, there are brick patches in a lot of the walls here, the red and off-white combo makes everything look really pretty. Then there is a Temple to the Roman Goddess Diana (aka. the Greek Goddess of Hunting and Fertility, Artemis, the twin of Apollo, and daughter of Zeus and Latona.) The temple is the only remaining religious structure in the Roman architecture here.

We visited the Alcazaba, which is a Muslim fortress built in 835 AD, when the Muslims ruled Merida for 500 years. It was a long stone wall to keep the Meridians from rebelling. and it is parallel to the Rio Guadiana, which allows a beauuutiful view from the top. There is a small tower in the middle with two underground paths that lead to a well to provide the townsfolk with water. The design and stability of these structures are amazing.

Then we walked to the Teatro Romano, which is a semi circle facing a huge stage and columns with statues of gods and beautiful walkways. There are seven big walls at the top of the seating arena, called the "Siete Sillas (7 seats) that were reserved for kings to sit and watch the theater performances. Everything is very rustic and pebbly, the stones, pillars and paths have been worn and tread upon for centuries and centuries, but even in the remaining crumbles and skeletons of these structures you can see the grandeur and power that once reigned. In the summer, the people of Merida celebrate their glorious history with theatrical productions and fiestas on this very site.

Some 100 feet from the Teatro is the Anfiteatro Romano (the Roman Amphitheater) which is a huge stone ring around a huge arena. Built at the same time as the Teatro, this is where the the public came to see gladiator fights and circus shows. There are side entrances for wild animals and gladiators....I stood in the middle and pictured a lion circling around me...Can you imagine being face to face with a huge wild beast, who's hungry and is about to rip you apart with its teeth and claws....eep!

Well, we heard a big ruckus and drums and a PA system around the corner from the Anfiteatro, so we walked over to the Estadio de Merida, where there was a soccer game Merida vs. Talavera. The man let us in for free because it was half time and we were foreigners. I later saw that the tickets to that game cost 20 euro. I think Talavera beat Merida by 1 goal. When Talavera scored a goal, all their fans went crazy and starting lighting flares in the bleachers! Everyone was swearing their heads off (venga! vamos! puta de madre! joder!) and cheering the whole time and it was a really fun crowd.

Then we went back to Plaza de Espana, which is the current center of Merida. This weekend was the beginning of Carnaval week all across Spain, and Spainiards really know how to have fun! THe whole family goes out dressed in up in costumes (I saw vikings, clowns, mimes, pirates, princesses, policegirls, nurses, nuns, smurfs!, tigers, this dude wearing a chinese jacket and white shorts with the Japanese sun right in the middle of his butt...etc etc) Oh the highlight was after dinner, when we were walking out of the restaurant, there were about 15 old men in Scuba diving bodysuits in neon colors (yellow, pink, blue, purple and green), and they started singing these hilarious songs about the most random things that you could possibly celebrate, like fishing, surfing, pretty women, getting ur drivers' license, and drinking and partying during Carnaval! These guys were in their 50s or more and they looked so awesome with fake sunburns and white goggle rings around their eyes! They were so cool and gave us the lyrics to their songs so we could understand what they were saying haha. Then we strolled around in the open air stalls, looked at some jewelry and these awesome knit and felt handbags, hats and accessories (made from wool, from Middle Ages tradition). I bought a hat and this funny pom pom necklace. then i bought some roast almonds mmm and some powdered figs and one dried turkish apricot. Everyone was really nice and talked to us and made us feel really welcome, like we were all old friends.

Around 11pm the huge tent was full of costumed families dancing and singing along to a live band playing awesome songs - rumba, pop, some saxophone, some pasa doble, etc etc. We danced to the music and watched grampas play with cuuuute little babies and watched grown-ups jump around and do conga-lines. I've never seen such energy like this, and I love how Spanish people celebrate everything with the entire family, all 3 generations.

The next day, we got up at 11 am and had about 2 hours to finish touring the town before the bus came. We first walked to the Aqueducto de los Milagros (acqueduct of miracles), which are these towering pillars of stone that stretch to the sky and carried water from the Prosepina River to Merida. Made of granite and brick, it is a series of three-storied of arches, 75 ft tall and over 2500 ft long. There is an underground conduit that led to a settling tank, that separated the water from impurities. It was also built in the 1st C. BC, during the Roman Empire. The view here was breathtaking and it is mind-boggling to think of how the brilliant Romans designed and built these towering structures.

We walked to the Circus Maximus, which is a huuuuuge wide oval, 90,000 square feet, surrounded by a stone wall. The field was full of tiny white daisies and yellow wildflowers. This is where the Romans held parades- of competing charioteers, priests, religious images and musicians. In the middle of the field there used to be a a long Spina to separate the field into a race track, around which the chariots would race 7 laps. Archaeologists found the remains of grand obelisks and sculptures here, but now only grass and pebbles remain. (The Roman structures were abandoned after Christianity took over) I took a bit of pebbles and petals/ plants from every site that I visited.

We saw the remnants of a Roman House, known as the Amphitheater House, with beautiful mosaic tile floors, and red brick walls, the rooms are very small and square, but they must have once been grand courtyards and gardens and a fountain and a water system. The living rooms and dining rooms, are lined with mosaic intricate floors depicting saltwater fish, hake, grouper, conger eel, red beam, moray and sole. This must have been a very rich home because fresh fish was a luxury in such an inland city. The pathways were all mosaic tile in geometric designs and swirls and arrows. One room had a tile mosaic of a Goddess and a baby. And the adjacent room had three naked dudes treading of grapes to make wine. I think there was a Mausoleum with funeral rooms. The site was only excavated in 1947.

I also saw the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. Santa Eualalia was a Christian child martyred during the persecution of Christians under the reign of Emperor Diocletian, approx. 285 AD. When she was a about 12-14 years old, her mom hid her in the countryside because the Romans were persecuting Christians, but she ran back to the Roman courts and professed her Christianity and denounced the Roman pagan gods and insulted the Co-Emperor Maximian. Failing to bribe or sway her away from her faith, the Romans tortured her with hooks and torches and burnt her at the stake. She taunted the Romans while they tortured her and it is said that as she died, a white dove flew out of her mouth and a miraculous white snow began to fall, covering her body and proclaiming her sainthood.

The arch of Trajan, is one of many Roman triumph arches built under the reign of Trajan. They don't necessarily celebrate Trajan's military victories, but probably more so his contributions to humanity and civil deeds. When he celebrated his military victories, he ordered his chief architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, to erect columns instead.

Wow ok I better get ready for school tomorrow, first day of Reunidas Classes! (those are classes taught in Spanish but geared for foreign students. We get to visit as many classes as we want to see if we like them, and then we enroll in them. I hope everyone is having a good evening and I miss you all very much.

Amanda you are funny :) im glad you are finished with college essays, what a relief huh? I haven't used a hair elastic in a long time, so I don't have to deal with that kind of non-matching stress anymore lol. Hmm good idea, I think everyone should take Chinese new years off and have a big feast. Mmm I miss home cooking already!

How was the science fair? Robert, how was the semi? What did you wear? He probably wont reply to this email....he claims he reads them, but they leave him speechless, so he doesn't reply hahaha.
Jej can u please print this out for mom and dad, thanks!

well good luck in school and have a great week everyone!!!

LOOOOOOVE,

San