Amazing maze

Involuntarily the song from an old Hindi movie, Aandhi, bursts forth from my lips "Iss mode se jaate hain". The tune surprises me as much as my friend Anupama, who is my travel companion on this last-minute trip to Spain. I am standing at an interesting intersection, of narrow cobbled walkways bordered by shops in the distance and by the high walls of houses that line this spectacular neighborhood called Albayzin in Granada, Spain. The narrow streets lead into the old Muslim quarters of the Granada. The shops sell unusual trinkets made by local artists like a pair of leather earrings that I picked up on a whim or stuff that we see on Indian streets - agarbattis, elephant-printed cotton bedsheets and colorful jutis. Every other store seems to be an eating place, either selling crepes, or Arabic food or teterias, selling Morroccon mint tea or pubs selling sangria. The shopkeepers stand outside the shops that are bursting with the wares on display, exhorting customers to walk in. The tea shops seem to do brisk business on this warm Sunday afternoon in mid-October, days before the tourist season dwindles.

The streets meander along in a haphazard fashion and we pick the way we want to proceed randomly. We stop and admire the Spanish jasmine creepers that enticingly swoop down from the high walls of homes that probably house large families. We can see tall trees peeping out of enclosed courtyards that are guarded by large doors or in some cases electronic alarms. A cat looks down lazily from a steep wall. A dog limps by, his foot encased in what looks like a shoe, probably a pet, allowed to roam free on these streets. I am intrigued by an old shoe that doubles up as a flower vase and stop to take a picture.

We keep moving up, wondering whether cars can come up these narrow bylines, described as "an open-air museum' by Lonely Planet. As we get to the top of the steep slope, we pause to admire the facade of the Alhambra that seems to be within touching distance. The Mirador San Nicolas square at the summit is lively at this time of day. Families, tour groups, tourists on segways, gypsies selling handmade jewelry and little kids and dogs run around in the general chaos. There is live music as well (a constant feature in Spain it seems) with soulful songs and tunes rendered by two young men who use their guitar not just to create music but to solicit donations from appreciative listeners as well. The sun goes down quickly, throwing uneven shadows on the Sierra Nevada and the not-so-red walls of the Alhambra. The city lights up in the distance like a magical fountain, bringing into contrast the dimly lit houses of the Albayzin.

In that magical semi-lit darkness, we descend from the summit to a wide road where buses ply. The streets are quiet but there is music in the distance, a reminder that you may just turn a corner and find yourself in a maze, that does not cease to amaze.