Well I most certainly did not plan on this happening. But than again, who plans to get on the wrong bus to have to get off, take a taxi to make your connection in Alumencar, overnight bus to Madrid (which was 25 minutes late may I mention) and then get 100% screwed over by public transportation? I always thought the locals knew the area best? Maybe quince minutos isn’t 15 minutes??? Good thing I’m not a Spanish major because I could have sworn quince was 15?! Weird, huh? And now that I mention it, the bus we had planned to take to Nerja from Granada was all sold out- even 45 minutes before departure. The traveling gods have sent me a traveling omen... which I may add am not too keen on. Anytime now St. Francis! So the 15 minutos turned out to be close to an hour and a half- future reference for those using public transportation in Madrid.
At least the airport is pretty nice… all four terminals. The whole foreign language put a damper on things. The Vueling travel agent (whom I was flying supposed to fly out with) didn’t really speak English. Mi espanol esta muy mal. So I was not real excited about handing over my credit card when numbers like $95, $124 and buying new ticket came out of her mouth. I then went into shopping mode (after a quick water works sesh in the womens handicap bathroom) and went to each terminal, standing in the different lines for each airline. El aeropuerto de Madrid could definitely hire me by now, I know much more than that lame gentleman at the information counter who didn’t even know where RyanAir was! Uh hello!? Terminal 1, duh?! Not only do I know where everything in the airport is, but I could give you each airlines direct flights into Italy through about every town in Spain… oh and the cost of the ticket (internet price & and through agent). After much thought, breakdown moments, lugging my massive luggage everywhere I began to realize I was not getting into Italy today as planned. “Es impossible” is what every agent pretty much said. I then took the bus back to Terminal 1 where I walked up to the two ladies of Vuelings Compras/Billetes counter (for literally the 4th time) and had to do more spanglish translating to finally purchase a ticket to Pisa! “Finally!” she screamed! I’m not sure if it was the fact that I was still crying at this point from sheer exhaustion of not having sleep in the last 56 hours, hunger, headache or the frustrations with the language barrier…but they all added up and isn’t really a feeling I’m looking to have again. At this point, I have a ticket from Barcelona to Pisa for 124 euros (gross- believe me I’m aware). I was not about to hack over another 95 euros for the flight from Madrid to Barcelona, especially with the fact that I now consider myself a frequent on the Alsa busses and know for a fact they are like 50 euros cheaper. So I leave in about half an hour to get on yet another train ride. I think I’ve spent more time in busses than I have exploring each city I’ve been to- and when I say exploring I mean we would get lost and keep walking until we recognized something. Firenze- you better be worth all this hassel!
On a happier note I had an incredible time with Sum and Ash in Granada. A really great city I wish I could have had more time in… but I had to rush off to miss my flight in Madrid! Thank goodness because I had not designated nearly enough time in this airport beforehand. Much prettier than that atrocious Mediterranean beach town, Nerja, on the southern coast of Spain. I mean really, who wants to go to this place?! And it’s not like I missed a great evening of Spanish tapas with my two best friends or anything? Or an extra day on the white, sandy beaches with mountains towering over you. Talk about an ugly scenery.
Let’s see how Florence looks… that is if I ever make it over there?! I’ll keep you all posted!
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