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Day 5: Ronda - a Cliff Hanger Click Thumbnails to Appreciate Images
   
   
 Famous writers have great affinity for certain places. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "The Sun Also Rises" are two of the more famous novels of Ernest Hemingway. Both obra maestro were inspired with the beauty of one place. The same place where Orson Welles decreed that upon death, his ashes be sprinkled over its famous bridge. This place is Ronda. It wasn't surprising that these two gentlemen will be so romantic and passionate about a place known for its architecturally amazing bridge, and its equally passionate pasttime of bullfighting. To get to Ronda was not on top of our list for that day. All we wanted to do was to drive by towards several Pueblos Blancos (White Villages) such as Grazalema, Ubrique and Arcos de la Frontera, and maybe spend several hours taking more pictures of more white houses. Boy, we would have ended gnashing our teeth had we decided against a stop over. Ronda was the best stop we had ever taken. What with its famous bull ring, with fine, ocre colored sand, and a history that places it as the most important and famous ring in the world. Nighttime was spent in Arcos dela Frontera. As the streets were closed from cars owing to the scheduled nightly processions, we had to make do with an almost kilometer walk to our ex-convent hostel, aptly named, "El Convento", a mere 1-minute walk across the main Cathedral. Seeing a real Spanish procession was a treat, joining it was an experience to behold. With narrow passageways and steep paseo, the pasos were almost 0.5 inches away from touching some of the residence's walls. The many brotherhoods who carry these life-size statues are tasked to ensure that they keep these centuries-old figures of Christ safe on top of the shoulders for close to 5 hours. Almost a year to prepare, elaborate decors, colorful flowers adorn the pasos, and brotherhoods in costumes ensure its beauty, grandeur and success. These processions were the real reason why we were in Andalucia in the first place - to know the heritage of the Filipino Holy Week and pay homage to our religious festivities. Processions ended at 2 am while an early check out was scheduled the next day at 8 am. We all slept tired, spent, but still - with a smile on our faces. Bookmark this post on:
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