Life at the Rambutan

Hola desde Granada Espana,

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I am now working in a hostel in Granada called the Rambutan (The name comes from an indonesian fruit). The Rambutan is a funky weathered, over-vegetated, multilevel, bungalow fit more for prosimians than homosapians, placed amid cactuses and white washed stucco houses in the Albicin/Sacramonte area, an historic arabic/gypsy neighborhood on a steep hill/mountain that overlooks the Alhambra, downtown Granada and the Sierra Nevadas. Most nights I hike up amongst the nearby inhabbited caves of Sacromonte and scale a huge ancient wall to watch the blazing sun sink behind the mountains in ebbing array of oranges, pinks and purples.

Work is a lot more than expected for a lot less (checking people in and out, answering phones, doing loads of laundry, hanging it to dry and folding it, making beds, washing dishes, cooking, sweeping, mopping, cleaning the kitchens and bathrooms, and watering dozens of the plants (I've never been so domesticated!)) The mad thing is that I do all of this for room and board only. I did the math the other day and discovered that we make the equivalent of between 1.85 and 3.75 and hour with a 50 hour week (Though we are not always working hard our whole shift.) I think its good for me to be active work hard and try a new style of life and I figure I can do just about anything for a month. I have less than 3 weeks left already. Plus

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As for companions, I have met some good people and some who appear to be working on it. All have good hearts and intensions, but it's been difficult to find people that I make a true connection with.

One exception was a Scottish, Buddhist flamenco guitar player living in Germany named Matt who was staying here from the time I arrived until today who was very into adventure, exercise, and improving himself and his environment. He and I got along quite well and went on hikes and or day trips together daily inviting the rest of the guests and employees to join us, which they often did. He knew much of the area as he had lived here for a total 4 months before. He ended up being a great tour guide, ally and friend. It will be very different here without him. This week I went Salsa dancing for the first time (they have no swing here its the closest I can get.) and I have started making friends in that scene.

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In the exercise department, I have been doing my sit ups and push ups, plus some, daily as well as hiking up and down mountains everyday anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours. And then, of course, there is the work at the hostel. I want to start running soon. I have just found out about a trail in a shady forest nearby, but I want to give it a day or two before I begin because I injured my big-toe a week ago playing an impromptu "Hostel a Hostel" game of futbol (soccer) against the Rambutan's sister hostel, MakTub, and I still haven't recovered due to my constant hiking.

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