Last week I was lucky enough to go on a
number of trips as part of the WAU Erasmus project. Not only did I have an
amazing time, I was also inspired by the sheer hard work of everyone involved
in putting the project together! María Luisa created a fantastic programme of
events that began with a hike around the Tabernas desert. Led by a geology
professor from the university of Almeria, the trip was geared towards helping
students and staff alike understand the implications of the over-exploitation
of water in the province. More detail was given when we stopped to look at an
aquifer – one whose output has significantly decreased over the last twenty
years. ‘Why do you think this has happened?’, asked the professor. I raised my
hand and took an educated guess. ‘Climate change, maybe?’ He shook his head and
proceeded to explain how a number of olive groves had a monolopy on much of the
water produced in the area. The “sea of plastic” I saw on the way back to
school only attested to severity of the problem he was speaking about.
The
next day we visited the Alhambra, which was one of the most amazing experiences
I have had in Spain! The Nasrid Palaces are absolutely stunning, and I was
really excited to walk the same rooms as Washington Irvine – an author whose
book, Tales of the Alhambra, was
written during his residence there. The Albaicín, also known as ‘the Old Town’,
was equally beautiful, with narrow streets and quaint houses giving the whole
place a feel of charm and antiquity.
Little
did I know at the time, but our visit to the Alacazaba the following day would
have its climax in a theatre piece staged by a number of students and staff! I
was cast as the king’s counselor, whose role was to inform the king that his
daughter – the princess – had fallen in love with a slave. Although my acting
skills are absolutely awful, I really enjoyed the experience, and I learned the
fascinating history of the Alcazaba and its early Moorish rulers.
Finally,
on the Thursday, we were given a fascinating lecture on scientific techniques
for detecting water pollutants at the university. Given the fantastic work that
those guys are doing to help preserve the water we use everyday, I sincerely
hope that they receive the adequate support to reach their final goal. This was
followed by Camel reading which was so, so fun! I loved every minute of it, and
all of my friends were so jealous when I showed them pictures!
As
some of you may know, however, I am kind of obsessed with food, and so it’s no
real surprise that my favourite part of the week was going for dinner with the
teachers every night! They were great company, and it was really interesting to
talk to people from various different cultures. I believe, after all, that this
is the purpose of these kinds of projects: to bring people from different
cultures together, and direct them towards a common good. In our case, it was
the conservation of water. Who knows what will be next.
Thanks to everyone! You really made it a
special week.
Josh Weeks
