Day 5

got up at 5:25. Thor snoozed every two minutes on different devices but after 5 times i got upset because two minutes is just an unreasonable amount of time to snooze. We picked up Alisha and called her "a-lih-sha" when it should have been "a-lee-sha." Particularly awesome because she let it go for 3 hours even though Thor obviously knew better but was participating in the joke. Drove to Valencia , saw lots of pretty hills along the way. As we approached, we stopped for a break and we could already hear the bottle rockets even though we were well beyond the city limits and it was 9 am. We drove into the city and past the stadium and found the apt we would be renting.Got coffee and walked into the city. Saw lots of Fallas (here's a few: http://www.holavalencia.net/2008/03/16/map-of-fallas-2008-part-i/) along the way - mermaids, fish, big masks, one with lots of puns of city names, (gatova as gato-va: meaning cat go - a dude kicking a cat away). We found a tent near a fallas where an oompah band would follow people that were walking down the street. Arnab and Andy danced with them. then we walked to the city center and saw that a bullfight was going on at the stadium. We were hungry and tried to get food but gave up as it was almost time for the main event.

Went over to the main square to see the main event. As during the entire morning - lots of fireworks were set off at random while we played ghost and waited for about an hour. Then the show began. We all had earplugs but it was still amazingly loud. The fireworks show was about noise not lights - not anything like the american vision of a fourth of july show. Sooo cool. The finale was crazy. There were two tennis courts with fireworks strung across them a couple feet apart. They lit those off and they fired super-rapidly and then finished with a deep boom. Throughout the whole show, the ground was vibrating and tremoring. Sooo cool.

After the show, we spent a long time walking over to see the big Falla that looked like the genie in aladdin. Walked back to the apt, stopped for Tapas. Waited forever for the waiter. He took a picture of himself and we headed back to the apt - pretty tired. Stopped at Open- Cor for a pittance of food. I fell asleep while the others went scrounging for food. I think that the spanish strategy for preventing the residents from becoming obese is that the store owners have banded together and agreed that groceries will not in general be available for purchase except for very short periods at random times which change daily. Coming from my residence in SD where i can walk across the street to my grocery store anytime between 6 am and midnight, this food purchasing limitation was difficult for me to get used to.

Later, made pasta and pizza which were totally gross and played caps. Thor was on fire. The whole time we were playing and eating, fireworks were going off in every direction all around the apt. We got pretty drunk and excited and ended up hitting each other in the stomach. The boys were being total wusses about it so Alisha manned up and hit me really hard (comparatively). It was hilarious. After quite a few blows, poor Andy's stomach turned bright pink with fist prints.

Finally headed back out on the town. Walked towards the city center. crazy kids were shooting rockets at each other. Crossed into town and gathered around a Falla with grecian pillars and a jamaicanish dude. Stood at the edge for a long time. Little fireworks show and then they set off the fireworks strand that was wrapped around the Falla. After the Falla really caught fire - the heat was super-intense. I had to back up almost 6 yards. Not perhaps as impressive as the Texas bonfire but this was in the middle of a pretty small intersection and buildings were less than 10 yards from the fire and this was a smaller Falla than a few of the others we saw. Very impressive overall. Alisha, Arnab and Thor headed back to the apt. Andy and I went into town to see the Genie set on fire. Pretty crowded - small fireworks show again and then the Genie went up in flames. Huge fire.

back to apt and to bed.