I did not consider myself as a traveller until recently. Before, I consider travelling as a waste of time and money. I mean, with all those books, magazines, and movies, you would know everything about the world, right? That does not include the massive amount of information about the world in the Internet. Well, that was what I thought until I took one of those beachfront holidays to Majorca when my friends convinced me to take a break from work.
I set foot in Majorca, the biggest island in the Balearic archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean. I found the place vastly different from what I learned from websites, guide books, and travel magazines. Palma, the island's capital, had always been a decrepit, old town because of the fact that Majorca is known for its ruins. When I arrived there, I was surprised to see a busy metropolis with all the conveniences and amenities of the modern world. There were modern apartment buildings, shopping centers, marinas, and highways which beautifully blend in old castles, churches, fish ports, and cobblestone streets. I expected to see the place teeming with cart-pulling donkeys and people on horseback. What greeted me instead were hundreds of modern cars and buses cruising along the city's highways.
The next day, Guerrero, my contact and an ex-classmate of my wife, fetched me at the hotel where I'm staying so he can show me around. It was disappointing when he told me he was taking me to the famous ruins. How can anyone find ruins interesting? But when we reached the ruins of the Roman City Pollentia, I was amazed. They were incredible feats of architecture. It makes me wonder how ancient Romans were able to put those rocks up on top of the other. It makes one question how those huge stone pillars were built without the aid of modern day engineering techniques. How were the engineers and artisans of the past able to conceptualize and design the delicate-looking but immensely strong arches of the ruins of Arab baths? Looking at the ruins was not boring at all; it was an experience of discovery.
Guerrero then brought me to where the best beaches in the world were. I've been to many beaches, but I found them all the same with the same sandy shores and seascapes. But then again, I was proven wrong in Majorca. The sand was finer than in most beaches I saw. The afternoon sun was simply spectacular as it began its descent over the horizon. We were located near Albufera, which is a natural park, making different kinds of birds our nearest neighbors. No wonder that this area is popular for bird watching. The place should be very interesting for me since I'm a bird watcher and a photographer.
That evening, Guerrero took me to a nice promenade near the beach of Alcudia to have dinner. I tried the more common dishes that I've seen in travel guides; they are definitely delicious! And most importantly, the people were actually very friendly; some of Guerrero's friends who happened to dine there that night made me feel at home. It was a stark contrast to my belief that Spaniards are aloof and daunting.
Travelling opened my eyes to the reality. Indeed, what we know in the Internet, books, or movies is nothing like the real world. Now I believe that travelling, indeed, is a great teacher.
I set foot in Majorca, the biggest island in the Balearic archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean. I found the place vastly different from what I learned from websites, guide books, and travel magazines. Palma, the island's capital, had always been a decrepit, old town because of the fact that Majorca is known for its ruins. When I arrived there, I was surprised to see a busy metropolis with all the conveniences and amenities of the modern world. There were modern apartment buildings, shopping centers, marinas, and highways which beautifully blend in old castles, churches, fish ports, and cobblestone streets. I expected to see the place teeming with cart-pulling donkeys and people on horseback. What greeted me instead were hundreds of modern cars and buses cruising along the city's highways.
The next day, Guerrero, my contact and an ex-classmate of my wife, fetched me at the hotel where I'm staying so he can show me around. It was disappointing when he told me he was taking me to the famous ruins. How can anyone find ruins interesting? But when we reached the ruins of the Roman City Pollentia, I was amazed. They were incredible feats of architecture. It makes me wonder how ancient Romans were able to put those rocks up on top of the other. It makes one question how those huge stone pillars were built without the aid of modern day engineering techniques. How were the engineers and artisans of the past able to conceptualize and design the delicate-looking but immensely strong arches of the ruins of Arab baths? Looking at the ruins was not boring at all; it was an experience of discovery.
Guerrero then brought me to where the best beaches in the world were. I've been to many beaches, but I found them all the same with the same sandy shores and seascapes. But then again, I was proven wrong in Majorca. The sand was finer than in most beaches I saw. The afternoon sun was simply spectacular as it began its descent over the horizon. We were located near Albufera, which is a natural park, making different kinds of birds our nearest neighbors. No wonder that this area is popular for bird watching. The place should be very interesting for me since I'm a bird watcher and a photographer.
That evening, Guerrero took me to a nice promenade near the beach of Alcudia to have dinner. I tried the more common dishes that I've seen in travel guides; they are definitely delicious! And most importantly, the people were actually very friendly; some of Guerrero's friends who happened to dine there that night made me feel at home. It was a stark contrast to my belief that Spaniards are aloof and daunting.
Travelling opened my eyes to the reality. Indeed, what we know in the Internet, books, or movies is nothing like the real world. Now I believe that travelling, indeed, is a great teacher.
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