Travelling
It`s 8.30am in Spain, I`ve been up most of the night and I`ve learned an obvious lesson. After arriving 3 hours early for my bus in La Caruna, 19.00 is 7pm! and travelling 11 hours, braking hard every 30 minutes, to arrive at San Sebastian at 6.30am, I had lost the directions, the number and even the name of my hostel, I had no map. Anyone who knows anything about Spain should know that nothing really opens until 10.
Luckily there was a friendly cafe with good coffee close by and I remembered the old Arnhem Land tradition of when you`re bogged, don`t panic, sit down and make a nice cuppa. Besides, I figured I was still better off than the two German ladies who had slept through their stop at Bilbao, an hour back and knew no spanish. The bus mad actually asked Me! to translate!
Why is it that in Europe, the men are always more helpful than the women? Is it because I`m female, whatever, I`m keeping the blonde hair and sticking to the guys. The woman at the bus station was much less than helpful, and she understood english, no matter what she said. In my friendly cafeteria I opened my laptop on the off chance of a wifi signal, almost, but no. I went to a hotel across the road and they had wifi, but wanted 7.5 euros for 45mins. He pointed me to an internet cafe, but it was closed, so was the Offinica Touristico.
I wandered in circles trying to wrack my brain for a distant memory of a name, read bus maps and get a wifi signal as suited Spainiards strode past on their way to work. Then I realise I had called the hostel yesterday on Skype on my laptop and luckily even though I couldn`t go online, I could retrieve the number from the call history. Voila, a number! Then only 6 attemps at 4 different phones and I was through to Olgas hostel, 49 Zabaleta Calle, Gros.
I looked longingly at the empty taxi rank and growing cue and decided to push my luck with a local bus, the number 17 went straight past, and was leaving in 8 minutes. I paid the right money, I got off at the right street and across the road from the bus stop, number 49!
Sometimes even when things go wrong, they can go right. I suprised myself at my willingness to attempt the croweded morning bus.
I guess I am feeling refreshed after my stint in La Caruna.
I found was I was looking for there, the small town hospitality. Although not a pretty town, the coastline is amazing, and the hostal where I lashed out on 40 euros a night for privacy, tv, warm shower and internet access was very friendly and accommodating. They picked me up from the train station, let me check in early and check out late even though I paid a scummy internet price for the room. I even got a little guided tour of La Coruna on my way to the hotel. I am embarrassed to say I hardly left the room, but it`s done me a world of good. I still don`t like Madrid that much, and didn`t see La Coruna, but I am still in love with Spain, and I`m certain my Spanish is getting better.
Now in just 4 hrs I can check in to my 6 or 8 or 10 bed, cramped dormitory and and lie down with a pillow over my head. `Til then, kaffe?
Luckily there was a friendly cafe with good coffee close by and I remembered the old Arnhem Land tradition of when you`re bogged, don`t panic, sit down and make a nice cuppa. Besides, I figured I was still better off than the two German ladies who had slept through their stop at Bilbao, an hour back and knew no spanish. The bus mad actually asked Me! to translate!
Why is it that in Europe, the men are always more helpful than the women? Is it because I`m female, whatever, I`m keeping the blonde hair and sticking to the guys. The woman at the bus station was much less than helpful, and she understood english, no matter what she said. In my friendly cafeteria I opened my laptop on the off chance of a wifi signal, almost, but no. I went to a hotel across the road and they had wifi, but wanted 7.5 euros for 45mins. He pointed me to an internet cafe, but it was closed, so was the Offinica Touristico.
I wandered in circles trying to wrack my brain for a distant memory of a name, read bus maps and get a wifi signal as suited Spainiards strode past on their way to work. Then I realise I had called the hostel yesterday on Skype on my laptop and luckily even though I couldn`t go online, I could retrieve the number from the call history. Voila, a number! Then only 6 attemps at 4 different phones and I was through to Olgas hostel, 49 Zabaleta Calle, Gros.
I looked longingly at the empty taxi rank and growing cue and decided to push my luck with a local bus, the number 17 went straight past, and was leaving in 8 minutes. I paid the right money, I got off at the right street and across the road from the bus stop, number 49!
Sometimes even when things go wrong, they can go right. I suprised myself at my willingness to attempt the croweded morning bus.
I guess I am feeling refreshed after my stint in La Caruna.
I found was I was looking for there, the small town hospitality. Although not a pretty town, the coastline is amazing, and the hostal where I lashed out on 40 euros a night for privacy, tv, warm shower and internet access was very friendly and accommodating. They picked me up from the train station, let me check in early and check out late even though I paid a scummy internet price for the room. I even got a little guided tour of La Coruna on my way to the hotel. I am embarrassed to say I hardly left the room, but it`s done me a world of good. I still don`t like Madrid that much, and didn`t see La Coruna, but I am still in love with Spain, and I`m certain my Spanish is getting better.
Now in just 4 hrs I can check in to my 6 or 8 or 10 bed, cramped dormitory and and lie down with a pillow over my head. `Til then, kaffe?
posted by x kel at 5:05 PM
2 Comments:
Am very much enjoying reading your journey's sccount. Wish I could meet up with you for food and coffee (some pleasant place of your choosing). That glass mushroom you bought in Berlin is GOLD.
I send you a big hug, and Eddie sends a snotty kiss- he has a cold.
xxx
Eddie is almost 1. Wow! hope he's better, you and Woody too! I so wanted to keep the mushroom lamp. Thanks for reading. Coffee anytime. It's super-strong here Venice.
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