Day 167
6 hrs, 17 .9 kms
Day Total: 16 hrs, 29.1 kms

Next, I head up to Sevilla.

I first parkbenched Sevilla back in 2008... then came back again in 2010 to explore it some more and visit a couple suburbs. Now, I think Sevilla deserves to be turned into a Superhike. So I'm going to wander around the city a bit more--and add a couple more suburbs until I hit that 100 km mark.

Almost all my wanderings in Sevilla have been in the historical district, so when I arrive in the late afternoon, I decide I should explore the more boring modern neighborhoods. I head straight east, past apartment blocks and shopping districts, with people doing there last minute Christmas shopping.

Even in modern neighborhoods, there are cool little discoveries: beautiful mansions in typical Sevilla style... pleasant parks... Finally I reach the freeway, which pretty much marks the edge of the city, then I start working my way back . I make my way through an industrial area, which it seem has become a sort of Chinatown with big wholesale Chinese stores and Chinese restaurants... but not any real Chinatown charm, just big, boxy businesses.

This is Christmas Eve, and I'm hoping to experience some of the Spanish Christmas charm. But unlike Semana Santa (Easter), this is more of a family holiday rather than a go out to the streets holiday--I see well dressed people heading off to spend the evening with their extended families, but that's about it.

Finally I reach the northern edge of the city... then turn around and head back downtown. Kind of suprised that I'm able to walk across the city twice in one evening... I guess Sevilla isn't as big of a city as it seems.

People at the Hostel

I'm determined on this trip to have at least one interesting encounter a day--not that easy to do in Europe as it is in Morocco, where meeting people just seems to happen naturally . One place where it is easy to strike up conversations with people is in a hostel... so I guess that counts, even though hostels are more like "international zones" rather than really being a part of the city itself.

I meet a young American who is doing a short term gig as a teacher's assistant here in Spain. He encourages me to try out the Camino de Santiago--perhaps the most popular pilgrimage route in Europe. He says that you can stay in pilgrim hostels for just a couple Euros--if not for free... Hmm... To do a Superhike in Europe with almost free lodging? That's sounds a deal to good to pass up--even if it's a very unoriginal hike...

Later I get to talking with a couple of Spaniards. We talk about Spain's economic woes.

"Back when the economy was booming, the government squandered tons of money... building airports that no one uses... building hospitals where they weren't needed... Instead of saving money, they just got us deeper into debt. And a lot of young people thought they'd be better off by getting high paying construction jobs rather than going to college. Now most of them have no jobs and few marketable skills. Those with marketable skills can find jobs in other countries like Germany or Latin America... those without them are stuck."