Diary of a sola traveler - The Final Chapter

One of the most interesting things that I'm seeing here in the city of Córdoba is the mixture of the Arab and Catholic. Or rather, the superimposition of the Catholic over the previous Arabic structures.  The Mezquita is enormous and gorgeous and it is filled with undeniably Arabic architecture and decoration.  It has rows and rows of arches and columns and all of the entrances have their key-shaped frames. The walls are covered with the plaster impressions and colorful tiles.  However, mixed into, yet standing out, are clearly catholic pieces.  Around the perimeter of the mosque are the capillas, the small chapels dedicated to different saints. And then, smack dab in the center of this beautiful Arabic structure is a catholic cathedral with the organ, the Eucharist, and the statues of Jesus on the cross.  It was somewhat of a jolting experience because the catholic church part of the mosque is somewhat hidden from different sides due to the walls of the choir stalls and the wall behind the altar.

But the Catholic on the Arabic does not just apply to the Mezquita.  The Catholic King's Alcazar is situated right on top of old Arabic baths.  It's quite the combination if you ask me.  Up in the Leon and Castilla regions of Spain, a Spanish architectural style, Múdejar was developed. Múdejar is a synthesis of the arabic, jewish and christian architecture due to all of these cultures living side by side in the Spanish peninsula. Although much of that style can be seen in these structures (or should I say, many of these structures can be seen as influences in the múdejar style), here in Córdoba, they remain pretty distinct.

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As I'm on the bus from Córdoba to Málaga, my Semana Blanca trip is pretty much over. I saw a lot this past week and it's safe to say that I'll sleep well when I get back to my own bed. So at the beginning of my trip, I was pretty nervous about traveling alone. Now, when it's all done, here's what I think about it:

Pros:
--You can do things at your own pace - I especially like this for museums.
--You meet other people. - If the hostel is good, you will meet other people since you won't be stuck in your own group of friends.

Cons:
--It gets lonely at night if you're not in a good hostel. Especially in the winters when it gets dark early so you get back to the hostel earlier.
--There's no one to take your picture at a lot of places.
--You can't talk with a friend about what you're seeing and experiencing.
--Bus rides and flights are super boring.
--Taxis cost more since you can't split them with anyone. Plus, you want to take them more since you're traveling alone and don't want to get lost or walk alone in the dark.
--It's extremely awkward to eat alone in Spain.
--You don't laugh as much. If you laugh out loud at your own thoughts, you'll look pretty crazy.

Overall, it's more lonely and boring. I don't think I'll travel alone again unless there's no other way I could see the sights that I want.  I don't think I would have been able to go to Mérida or Cordoba with anyone else, so I'm glad that I did this. But my first instincts about traveling alone were correct. It's really not as fun as traveling with friends.  I'm glad I didn't go to Italy alone. It wouldn't have been close to as good of an experience as it will be with Laura.