Mining under a New Moon

Today the University of Oviedo didn't have class. Instead all of us students had to drag our tired behinds to the library at 9am for cultural presentations. The professors of the University presented information to us about the region of Asturias, the hidden treasures of Oviedo, the scenic landscapes of surrounding cities, blah, blah, information, blah. It was a nice presentation, really, but that was not nearly to coolest part of my day. After that informational gathering we had the option to go to a nearby mine museum, which of course would include a tour of a mine shaft. That's right- a mine shaft.

Just twenty minutes from the city we got off the bus and headed into the mine museum. Half of the group went down a mysterious elevator while the rest of us waited around the museum. I poked my head around, looked at old stuff, saw some giant machines, and ran on a human hamster wheel (it was actually a thing for retrieving water). Then it was my group's turn to descend in the mysterious elevator. Once we all packed into the all too tiny device, a very loud alarm thing went off. You know how you see mine workers on TV/movies and there's that bell that goes off when rocks are falling or something? Well that bell went off right in my ear. The seemingly long elevator ride was dark and disorienting (kind of like the Disneyland Haunted Mansion one). Once we got out our tour guide directed us toward a large wall of hardhats. YES. I was pumped. I rocked a white hardhat that was all too large for my head and felt like a true miner. As we continued on the tour I didn't understand what the guide was saying, so instead I daydreamed. Throughout the shaft I thought "man I'm glad I come from the gold mining state and have already had experience with mines and panning for gold. I'm also glad I watched that Bonanza episode where Pa gets stuck in a mine shaft and the Cartwright boys have to bail him out". I snapped out of my daydreams once we got to a small stairway and I actually had to do something concerning my beloved hardhat. We had to climb up these narrow, dark stairs with overhead log beams. I'm not sure how people of a normal height did that. Since we climbed up, we eventually had to climb back down. At this point we were given a choice: 1. go down regular stairs. 2. go down a steep, slippery, laundry-shoot-shaped, true miner's passage. I was wearing a hardhat, so in my mind I didn't have a choice: it was mining time. I went down the slippery one and almost ate it about ten times, nearly taking the rest of the adventurers with me. After that adrenaline rush we circled back to the exit. The exit took us up one flight of stairs. Turns out the elevator ride at the beginning was a big hoax. We were only about 20ft underground. That place was awesome.

Now for the New Moon part. The second movie in the Twilight Saga was released in Spain yesterday. A bunch of other girls and myself disregarded the fact that it would be in Spanish and decided to go see New Moon today. It. Was. Awesome. Imagine the mania of Edward Cullen-loving American girls unleashed on a Spanish movie theater. I can almost guarantee that some people in that theater think less of Americans now. We couldn't contain our girlish squeals of excitement every time a new character came onto the screen. I can't wait to go back home and see it in English.

Additional note: tomorrow night (Friday) I'm heading out with two friends to travel to the Spanish wine country. We'll be staying in a hostel, possibly go wine tasting, visit some vineyards, and see the scenery. Some of our travel details are a bit fuzzy, so any prayers for us would be much appreciated. Hopefully it turns out to be a fun weekend. If nothing else it'll make for some good stories.

Also...today marks one month left in Spain!