Brighter than the Sun in Málaga

I am NOT a morning person!

On a good day, I can’t pry myself out of bed before hitting the snooze a dozen times and then I don’t feel fully human until midway through my second cup of café con leche (coffee with milk). I suppose you can take this coffee addict out of the US, but not the massive travel mug of liquid life out of my death grip. Due to my failure to assimilate, I’ve been shamed enough by harsh Spanish glares on the metro, so please excuse my Americaness.

Cafe con leche

Spanish Cafe con leche enjoyed leisurely at midmorning

Well today was about to be different. That’s not because the numerous “10 ways to be a morning person” articles I’ve read finally enlightened me to be in the gym at 5am. It was the simple truth that I was teaching English in Spain and had the modest budget to match, making the cheap ticket for a night bus from Madrid to Malaga look so appealing to me and my equally frugal friend.

It’s commonly said that good follows bad as demonstrated in quotes like:

“There’s a rainbow after every storm”

and

“See the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Little did we know that something incredible was about to come from the cramped 6+ hour bus ride that dropped us off at the Málaga bus station in the pitch-black early morning hours. Coffee-less, cold, and disoriented we decided to hoof it to our hostel on the other side of town.

Malaga Port

Port at Málaga

Oh, how I would have loved the sight of any 24-hour fast food joint at this point. While we thought the Andalusian town was quietly asleep in preparation for the weekend’s Semana Santa (Easter Week) festivities, we were quickly proven wrong noticing that the previous night’s activities had not even finished!

Having successfully navigated the narrow alley-like streets of the city center, we made it to our hostel to drop off our gear and do a quick wardrobe change that would last us until check-in later that afternoon. With camera gear in hand and a few granola bars, we set off again to find the mirador (lookout point) that my travel mate had persuaded me to investigate.

Málaga at dawn

We saw more evidence of the Spanish nightlife as we passed many Spaniards quite borracho (drunk) and even a few ENTERING the club – that’s right, the Spanish party hard and I still haven’t found the will to stay out as late as many of my amigos. We trekked clear across town to the coast and admired the sea vessels at the port before spotting a large hill. My friend pointed to the top and jokingly said that we needed to hike to the peak. We hiked up, and up, and up realizing that this was not a joke and instead a serious pre-dawn workout.

Sunrise on Mediterranean

Isn’t a picture worth a thousand words? I’ll let these shots portray the serenity that ensued as we awaited the sunrise from the most spectacular vista in the city.

Malaga Mirador

Malaga Zoom Day

Málaga Cityscape at Sunrise

Malaga Port Zoom-in

Happy Ryan post-coffe & post-morning hike

Happy Ryan post-coffe & post-morning hike

Have you ever awoken early (or stayed up all night) to witness the beauty of a sunrise? What moment of the day is most peaceful for you?

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8 Responses to Brighter than the Sun in Málaga

  1. Lindsay @ Frugal Frolicker July 19, 2014 at 1:11 pm #

    Hoooooly wow, that early morning light is GORGEOUS. I’m not a morning person either, so it’s rare that I ever get to enjoy it. Also – I had no idea how purty Malaga was! Love these photos, thanks for sharing! 🙂

    • Ryan July 31, 2014 at 1:16 pm #

      Thanks Lindsey! That compliment really means a lot coming from a pro photographer. I’m planning to compile all my favorite photos into a gallery on my site sometime soon.

  2. Chanel | Cultural Xplorer July 19, 2014 at 2:31 pm #

    Those are beautiful shots Ryan. I really like your photography. I am thinking of waking early to catch the sunrise here in Prague 😀

    • Ryan July 31, 2014 at 1:19 pm #

      Thanks, these really are some of my favorites from Spain. I think that only a sunrise could make Prague appear more beautiful than it already is! Were you able to make it?

  3. Brad Bernard July 22, 2014 at 7:33 am #

    Wow, great post! Amazing pics of such a beautiful area. I have to see this place at sunrise. Good thing they have string coffee!

    • Ryan July 31, 2014 at 1:28 pm #

      Initially, I had my reservations about Málaga because it is a pretty industrial city as you can see from the port. Maybe there was something about the rising sun light or my delirium so early in the morning that made it appear extremely peaceful and picturesque. Thanks again for sharing the love, Brad.

  4. Jenny | A Thing For Wor(l)ds July 24, 2014 at 11:53 am #

    cafeeeee con lecheeeeee. I love that overlook in Malaga, though I went at midday. Not sure I have the willpower to do it at sunrise, but you make an awfully good case for it!

    • Ryan July 31, 2014 at 1:31 pm #

      Hahaha café con leche was pretty much my mantra and solution to any problems I encountered last year. Honestly, if it wasn’t for my travel companion/mirador enthusiast I probably wouldn’t have made it up there myself.

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