Today’s adventure was a hike along Dragon’s Back Trail. We were supposed to meet at the metro station at 2pm, but me and one other student missed the bus to the station because it was too full, so we walked the 13 minutes to the metro station. I’ve gotten used to walking a lot since I got here, and walking in hot weather, though my body is still getting used to it: my ankles are stiff and a little bit painful but not unbearably so.
Most places I would need to go are about a 15-20 minute walk away from campus, including the closest Community Testing Center (to get the required PCR tests after arriving), and a mall to buy supplies or get food (I didn’t realize until I was allowed to eat out in a restaurant again after 7 days of quarantine/medical surveillance that the canteens on campus allowed takeout). I was glad I was going on the trip in a group, as I most likely would’ve gotten lost if navigating by myself the bus rides and train stops to our final destination.
The hike was supposed to be 2 hours long, but it ended up being closer to 4 hours. I have never in my life sweat as much as on that hike, and I don’t know if even waterproof sunscreen would have been enough. Luckily most of the trail was shaded by trees and bushes.
At the end of the hike, my part of the group fell behind and were momentarily concerned we had taken the wrong path, and, to complete the picture, it was getting dark and we were too far behind to hear anyone in our larger group. Luckily, cell phones prevailed and we were able to contact the rest of the group. We sped up and were able to join the others. On the last stretch of our walk, we passed by the largest spider I have ever seen (excluding tarantulas). It was probably a good two or three inches in diameter, sitting in its web just off the path.
After the hike, we all went out to dinner. Over dinner, as I’m a creative writing major, the conversation came to books, my favorite book, favorite author, etc. One person at the table asked about the first book that started my love for reading and writing. Up to this point in my life, I guess I had never realized the extent to which globalization causes the exchange of popular culture between countries. Someone suggested Geronimo Stilton (until writing this, I had not realized that this book series originated from Italy), and when I brought up A Series of Unfortunate Events, everyone exploded with excitement. I hadn’t expected that, or really for anyone to have recognized the series, much less to apparently have grown up with the same series that I had grown up with in the U.S. But I guess that, given how books, movies, songs, and other media originating outside the U.S. have become famous within the U.S., it’s not surprising that U.S. media would also be well-known outside the U.S.
Classes start in a few days but I’m looking forward to exploring more sights before starting!
That’s all for now!
Kelsi