Yes mum, I meant the dance.
Our story picks up in Valencia, where we spent an amazing 2 days meeting new people, exploring, and dancing salsa.
At 7:30 am on Thursday 12th April we stepped off the bus from Malaga weary eyed and ready to ditch our packs and start exploring. Once again without a map but with detailed directions to our hostel, we started walking. We managed to miss our hostel (Home Hostels Valencia-highly recommend) by about 5 metres (we failed to look left instead of right-oops) so continued downtown where we bought birthday breakfast in a cute little bakery before finding a tourist information office. They pointed us in the right direction and 30 minutes later we had left our luggage at the hostel and were on our way-WITH a map.
We had decided to spend two days in Valencia, so we could a) recuperate slightly from our bus trip (which didn't happen in the end, read on) and b) break up the sightseeing. Because of this I was able to get in touch with my inner child on my 20th birthday at the Aquarium and Science Museum, an interactive museum where we learnt many things and thoroughly enjoyed the experiments (but remember none due to our exhaustion and state of delirious-ness). Located near the Jardinia Turia in a complex of 6 buildings, surrounded by large pools of water and coloured white with all shades of blue, the Aquarium and Science Museum were a combination that, as young adults, we couldn't resist. Needless to say we spent our first day watching a dolphin show and wandering the underwater tunnels, and then playing with science experiments about light and sound.
Don't judge us! We enjoyed every minute of it.
After We made our way back to the hotel where we checked in and subsequently crashed, before heading out to buy breakfast for the next two days and then a birthday Tapas dinner complete with wine and many laughs. As a first experience of Spanish Tapas, it was marvellous. I love eating local food and this did not disappoint. We had found a local restaurant that wasn't so touristy and sat for a good two hours laughing and chatting before taking a free shot (we didn't even ask for it, it came with the bill) and heading back to the hostel. Our story becomes remarkably more interesting from here on.
As we walked upstairs to the kitchen, the sound of funky music came wafting down to us. We arrived at the top to find a fairly large group of people dancing salsa and drinking sangria . We started speaking to some of them and found out that they were friends from Kent University Salsa Club who were on a Salsa trip for the week in Valencia, so we sat down and got to know them and ended up planning out our night. We had seen the poster for the nightly pub crawl, but hadn't been sure how many people would be on it and whether it would be any good. However, we were told very quickly that the entire group were going and that we should come. After being asked "who ARE you?" by a guy called Sam (NOT Derek, thanks Ben) and responding "Just random Australians", shoulders were shrugged and "I'll drink to that" was announced as the first of many glasses of Sangria were poured until we left for the pub crawl.
Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and woke late the next morning feeling very chipper after our 5 am crawl into bed.
The next day we declined the invitation to join the salsa group on a walking tour of the city, instead deciding to spend our day biking around the city and to the beach. We hired two bicycles and set off in the sunshine, only almost crashing outside the shop as we quickly remembered how to ride. It's true-you don't forget! We made our way down the road to the bike path and the Jardinia Turia and set off on our tour. The Jardinia Turia is basically an old walled riverbed that winds the entire way through the city and has been converted into a gorgeous long walking and biking path surrounded by gardens filled with all sorts of varying plant life, playgrounds and sitting areas. As we followed this path along we passed the Arts complex containing the Aquarium and Museum and all manner of other buildings until the end, where we took our chances and headed in a direction that we thought was the beach (it's quite difficult to read a map whilst riding a bike, so we abstained).
After making our way through the suburbs we made it to the beach, and rode around marvelling at the atmosphere that we decided Adelaide severely lacked in it's beach front neighbourhoods. We had wanted to take a picnic lunch, but instead had lunch in quaint cafe before heading back to the hostel along the Jardinia.
FACT: If you don't ride bikes for years and then spend a few hours on one just for a day, you will find sitting down incredibly painful for the next two days.
When we got back to the hostel, we decided to sit in the kitchen and do some planning. However, this was quickly high jacked when Ben, the leader of the Salsa group, invited Eliza and I to join their salsa lesson. We ended up spending the afternoon on the rooftop terrace dancing (or attempting as the case was) to dance salsa and having a grand old time. We were then invited to join them at a salsa club that night after dinner.
When I say dinner, I really mean our pathetic excuse for scrambled eggs. I had decided to cook an omelet for dinner, but pressed for time, I left Eliza in charge of the cooking, hopeful that she would know how to flip an omelet, whilst I ran downstairs to change clothes. As I ran back upstairs, I smelt smoke, and after my initial thoughts of "oh dear God I hope the place isn't on fire", I walked into the room to see Eliza merely looking at our smoking pan of burnt eggs and vegetables. It would've been a comical image had we not had to eat them. However, after a dodgy salvage effort, we wolfed down the food and were ready to walk to the Salsa club.
When we arrived at the club, we found the gates locked and the place deserted. Initially confused after being told it was definitely open that night, we found a bar to sit in for a while whilst we waited for Ben to sort out what was happening. It was discovered that the club definitely opened that night, but one neighbour said 9 and the other 11, so we decided to go to another bar and wait a little while longer.
At around 10 we walked into the club to find long lines of people learning a dance routine, and some of us promptly joined in. It is an interesting experience having to switch partners and move along the dance line, dancing with people whose language you don't actually speak, and I ended up sitting down after my 3rd male Spanish dance partner. We finished the night with shenanigans both in the bar and out. Gavin had passed out, so pens were produced and pictures were drawn as belongings were piled on top of him, and then on the way home Eliza and Ben tried (and succeeded) to "simba" people with water, creating many laughs.
Clearly, the theme of our stay in Valencia was Salsa, and this was not a problem at all!
I will leave you here, as the next day was spent mostly on the bus travelling up to Barcelona, which is where the next part of our story continues.
Until next time,
Love love!
Clem xx
Our story picks up in Valencia, where we spent an amazing 2 days meeting new people, exploring, and dancing salsa.
 |
| Buildings opposite the tourist office |
We had decided to spend two days in Valencia, so we could a) recuperate slightly from our bus trip (which didn't happen in the end, read on) and b) break up the sightseeing. Because of this I was able to get in touch with my inner child on my 20th birthday at the Aquarium and Science Museum, an interactive museum where we learnt many things and thoroughly enjoyed the experiments (but remember none due to our exhaustion and state of delirious-ness). Located near the Jardinia Turia in a complex of 6 buildings, surrounded by large pools of water and coloured white with all shades of blue, the Aquarium and Science Museum were a combination that, as young adults, we couldn't resist. Needless to say we spent our first day watching a dolphin show and wandering the underwater tunnels, and then playing with science experiments about light and sound.
Don't judge us! We enjoyed every minute of it.
After We made our way back to the hotel where we checked in and subsequently crashed, before heading out to buy breakfast for the next two days and then a birthday Tapas dinner complete with wine and many laughs. As a first experience of Spanish Tapas, it was marvellous. I love eating local food and this did not disappoint. We had found a local restaurant that wasn't so touristy and sat for a good two hours laughing and chatting before taking a free shot (we didn't even ask for it, it came with the bill) and heading back to the hostel. Our story becomes remarkably more interesting from here on.
 |
| Yep, I was tired. Science museum |
As we walked upstairs to the kitchen, the sound of funky music came wafting down to us. We arrived at the top to find a fairly large group of people dancing salsa and drinking sangria . We started speaking to some of them and found out that they were friends from Kent University Salsa Club who were on a Salsa trip for the week in Valencia, so we sat down and got to know them and ended up planning out our night. We had seen the poster for the nightly pub crawl, but hadn't been sure how many people would be on it and whether it would be any good. However, we were told very quickly that the entire group were going and that we should come. After being asked "who ARE you?" by a guy called Sam (NOT Derek, thanks Ben) and responding "Just random Australians", shoulders were shrugged and "I'll drink to that" was announced as the first of many glasses of Sangria were poured until we left for the pub crawl.
 |
| At the first pub. Happy times... |
Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and woke late the next morning feeling very chipper after our 5 am crawl into bed.
The next day we declined the invitation to join the salsa group on a walking tour of the city, instead deciding to spend our day biking around the city and to the beach. We hired two bicycles and set off in the sunshine, only almost crashing outside the shop as we quickly remembered how to ride. It's true-you don't forget! We made our way down the road to the bike path and the Jardinia Turia and set off on our tour. The Jardinia Turia is basically an old walled riverbed that winds the entire way through the city and has been converted into a gorgeous long walking and biking path surrounded by gardens filled with all sorts of varying plant life, playgrounds and sitting areas. As we followed this path along we passed the Arts complex containing the Aquarium and Museum and all manner of other buildings until the end, where we took our chances and headed in a direction that we thought was the beach (it's quite difficult to read a map whilst riding a bike, so we abstained).
 |
| Bicycles! |
After making our way through the suburbs we made it to the beach, and rode around marvelling at the atmosphere that we decided Adelaide severely lacked in it's beach front neighbourhoods. We had wanted to take a picnic lunch, but instead had lunch in quaint cafe before heading back to the hostel along the Jardinia.
 |
| Jardinia Turia |
FACT: If you don't ride bikes for years and then spend a few hours on one just for a day, you will find sitting down incredibly painful for the next two days.
When we got back to the hostel, we decided to sit in the kitchen and do some planning. However, this was quickly high jacked when Ben, the leader of the Salsa group, invited Eliza and I to join their salsa lesson. We ended up spending the afternoon on the rooftop terrace dancing (or attempting as the case was) to dance salsa and having a grand old time. We were then invited to join them at a salsa club that night after dinner.
 |
| Salsa dancing on the roof |
When I say dinner, I really mean our pathetic excuse for scrambled eggs. I had decided to cook an omelet for dinner, but pressed for time, I left Eliza in charge of the cooking, hopeful that she would know how to flip an omelet, whilst I ran downstairs to change clothes. As I ran back upstairs, I smelt smoke, and after my initial thoughts of "oh dear God I hope the place isn't on fire", I walked into the room to see Eliza merely looking at our smoking pan of burnt eggs and vegetables. It would've been a comical image had we not had to eat them. However, after a dodgy salvage effort, we wolfed down the food and were ready to walk to the Salsa club.
When we arrived at the club, we found the gates locked and the place deserted. Initially confused after being told it was definitely open that night, we found a bar to sit in for a while whilst we waited for Ben to sort out what was happening. It was discovered that the club definitely opened that night, but one neighbour said 9 and the other 11, so we decided to go to another bar and wait a little while longer.
 |
| Clearly, Ben and I are just too good looking! |
At around 10 we walked into the club to find long lines of people learning a dance routine, and some of us promptly joined in. It is an interesting experience having to switch partners and move along the dance line, dancing with people whose language you don't actually speak, and I ended up sitting down after my 3rd male Spanish dance partner. We finished the night with shenanigans both in the bar and out. Gavin had passed out, so pens were produced and pictures were drawn as belongings were piled on top of him, and then on the way home Eliza and Ben tried (and succeeded) to "simba" people with water, creating many laughs.
Clearly, the theme of our stay in Valencia was Salsa, and this was not a problem at all!
I will leave you here, as the next day was spent mostly on the bus travelling up to Barcelona, which is where the next part of our story continues.
Until next time,
Love love!
Clem xx
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